Stellaris to be First Ever Grand Strategy Game to Land on Consoles

[General Karthos]

And who in the world is the target audience for this?

There was a time when I had enough money to buy a console, but not enough to get myself a computer advanced enough to run the games I wanted to play. In the long run, it is quite a bit more expensive, but a console is a lower initial outlay, even if games wind up being so costly that it ends up being far more expensive.

So the market is... what... teenagers who save their money up for consoles? The ones who get their jollies playing GTA and Halo [whatever the number is] and Modern Warfare?

I understand that the Console gaming market is much wider than it used to be, but most of your serious console gamers likely also own a good PC, and if they are interested in Stellaris and other PDX games, they probably own them for the PC.

I think the market is probably smaller than the PDX marketing folks seem to think. Perhaps they are encouraged by how well games like Surviving Mars and Cities: Skylines have done on console. While ignoring the fact that those are totally different kinds of games.

 

[Dnote]

I just worry that if it's a bigger success on consoles than it is on PCs...

Could you imagine the shock that would ripple through the industry if that happened?

Breaking News: Undiscovered mass market of strategy players found on console! In 50 years of console, the industry has only just discovered that console players like strategy games on a scale greater than PC!

We're not expecting that to happen, it doesn't need to be as popular as the PC version to be a success for us. And even if it does happen, our core business is built around PC grand strategy games, we're not about to risk that all based on one game's performance.

 

[TheAtreides84]

I thought this was a joke. But if it worked with Red Alert 3, it might just work here.

Red Alert 3 is an extremely simple, arcade-ish game which can be played just by rushing and also has an AI friendly bot in every mission. Not really representative. If we go back in the ancient past of consoles, there actually were complex games. Shadow of the Horned Rat and UFO: Enemy Unknown are two games I saw being played on console during my childhood. It's not like they were working fine (loading times for UFO were like 50 times longer than on PC), but they were there.

But in time the market has polarised, and for the life of me I can't picture the kind of person who's a fan both of grand strategy/wargames and of the things being big on consoles (relatively mindless action-platform-sport / story and grind heavy JRPGs). Kinda of a gaming Renaissance man, I guess, but it's not like those are in ample supply.

 

[ChaosOnline]

It's too bad it's only for PS4 and Xbox One; I would definitely get a Switch version so I could play on the go.

Same here. Switch is my primary console right now, and the portability and ease of use a Switch version would bring would make double dipping completely worth it.

 

[neonox]

What the hell is wrong with so many people in this thread?
I mean: Respectfully Disagree x 66 vs. Agree x 23 - what is your problem?

You have Stellaris on your PC, play it and leave this thread. I also have Stellaris for PC but prefer to play on my Xbox while sitting on the couch, and I'm very happy that Stellaris finally comes to console.
Whoever thinks that a huge success of Stellaris on console would affect the PC version has no idea who is in charge of development... Tantalus ports the PC version in the best possible way to console, that's it.
They did it already with City Skylines (which I also have for PC but prefer the console edition) in a very good way and I'm confident they will make a very good port of Stellaris as well.

Accept that there are many people out there who prefer to play on console, even when an original game was designed to be played on PC with mouse & keyboard.

 

[shasla6]

You thought the dumbing-down trend was bad before? Just wait until console releases are a regular thing. This might well be the death knell for gameplay of any substance.

 

[General Karthos]

...our core business is built around PC grand strategy games, we're not about to risk that all based on one game's performance.

I'm glad to hear that.

 

[brummyuk]

Could you imagine the shock that would ripple through the industry if that happened?

Breaking News: Undiscovered mass market of strategy players found on console! In 50 years of console, the industry has only just discovered that console players like strategy games on a scale greater than PC!

We're not expecting that to happen, it doesn't need to be as popular as the PC version to be a success for us. And even if it does happen, our core business is built around PC grand strategy games, we're not about to risk that all based on one game's performance.

Since you are a product manager, any chance you could push for them to add controller support to the Steam version of this game? I don't want another repeat of Cities: Skylines where we have to buy the game again on Windows Store to use the controller. I still haven't purchased the Windows version of the game as I think it is ludicrous I have to buy it again to have a feature most games have on PC these days.

 

[TheAtreides84]

You thought the dumbing-down trend was bad before? Just wait until console releases are a regular thing. This might well be the death knell for gameplay of any substance.

No reason to worry, folks. There is no way they'll sell a significant amount of copies of these games on consoles. I work in the publishing industry, and every now and then someone has brilliant ideas like "let's try to introduce Hellenistic poetry to a pop audience, I'm sure there is a huge untapped market just waiting for Callimachus!". Obviously there is no such market, only creative ways to lose money on fool's errands driven by hubris or blind hope. Same thing. Niches are niches for a reason.

Good news for console owners that want to scratch that strategy itch

All twenty-five of them.

 

[JosunUrashima]

I think the market is probably smaller than the PDX marketing folks seem to think. Perhaps they are encouraged by how well games like Surviving Mars and Cities: Skylines have done on console. While ignoring the fact that those are totally different kinds of games.

This is one of the things I feel. I just don't think there's a market for Stellaris on consoles. I take a moment to think about most of the sort of folks who'd want to play or buy Stellaris are...

... mostly the sort of people who already own it or are primarily PC gamers.

It's one reason why I said to me it's irrelevant if a third party group is handling the porting to console- I feel this is just a waste of time and resources for all involved.

Could you imagine the shock that would ripple through the industry if that happened?

Breaking News: Undiscovered mass market of strategy players found on console! In 50 years of console, the industry has only just discovered that console players like strategy games on a scale greater than PC!

If that legitimately happened, we'd know the universe is fracturing and that madness is inserting itself into our reality where it pleases.

What the hell is wrong with so many people in this thread?
I mean: Respectfully Disagree x 66 vs. Agree x 23 - what is your problem?

You have Stellaris on your PC, play it and leave this thread. I also have Stellaris for PC but prefer to play on my Xbox while sitting on the couch, and I'm very happy that Stellaris finally comes to console.
Whoever thinks that a huge success of Stellaris on console would affect the PC version has no idea who is in charge of development... Tantalus ports the PC version in the best possible way to console, that's it.
They did it already with City Skylines (which I also have for PC but prefer the console edition) in a very good way and I'm confident they will make a very good port of Stellaris as well.

Accept that there are many people out there who prefer to play on console, even when an original game was designed to be played on PC with mouse & keyboard.

It's not that we don't accept that people play on console. Some of the detractors are in fact people who DO play on console.

It's that we don't think there's any purpose to this. Most of the sort of people who'd be inclined to play Stellaris are already the sort of people to primarily play on the PC and or might already have it.

City Skylines is a different game, and it's something I can see working on Consoles.

Grand Strategies just don't. There's no market for them on console. Arcadey RTS or Turn Based Strategies (or games that mix a bit of both, my personal Favorite Star Trek Conquest) can work and sometimes do work on consoles.

Something like Stellaris, Crusader Kings 2, Europa Universalis 4, or Hearts of Iron 4, just aren't going to work or make much of a splash.

The only way I can, honestly, see this making any money is two ways.

1- People who just want to support Paradox buying it but doing nothing with it.

2- People who already OWN Stellaris for PC buying it on Console so they can play it on Console instead.

That's still a niche group and isn't going to make much.

 

[neonox]

City Skylines is a different game, and it's something I can see working on Consoles.

The same thing said people when they have announced Cities Skylines for console "it is a PC game, you need a mouse and keyboard"...

Grand Strategies just don't. There's no market for them on console. Arcadey RTS or Turn Based Strategies (or games that mix a bit of both, my personal Favorite Star Trek Conquest) can work and sometimes do work on consoles.

Something like Stellaris, Crusader Kings 2, Europa Universalis 4, or Hearts of Iron 4, just aren't going to work or make much of a splash.

The only way I can, honestly, see this making any money is two ways.

1- People who just want to support Paradox buying it but doing nothing with it.

2- People who already OWN Stellaris for PC buying it on Console so they can play it on Console instead.

That's still a niche group and isn't going to make much.

Sorry, nope.

1. There are many people like me who just prefer to play on console or can not play on PC for some reasons
2. I have friends who only play on console and are very happy that such kind of game finally comes to console
3. There are already different strategy games on console like Halo Wars, Tropico, Railroad Empire, Sudden Strike, etc. - these games sell well.

 

[DeinonychusTaco]

I expect this version of Stellaris will receive a tepid response and have only a small fanbase, but I think out of any of PDS's games, if one has to be expanded to consoles "for the sake of trying it", Stellaris is the right one to do it with. There have been good mass-market console strategy games (I quite liked Halo Wars, for instance), and Stellaris is the most familiar and easiest to dig into to people who aren't deep in the grand strategy crowd thanks to its 4X elements.

Ultimately, I would bet (hope, even) that Paradox will decide it doesn't make sense to bring any other PDS games to console (unless the magical mass market of console strategy players removes their invisibility cloaks), but I wish them luck all the same. Better to have a company trying new things, and making an effort to do them right, than one that just churns out new versions of the same format every year, like most console game-makers.

 

[Davor]

I'm honestly upset you guys wasted dev time on this.

I hope you fire your market analysts once this flops. Clearly they have no idea what they are doing.

I take it you didn't read the earlier posts? It was already mentioned that the devs are not working on this. So please explain how dev time is spent on this? You want someone fired? Heaven forbid a company tries something different and outside the box. It was already mentioned AGAIN that they want to try something new. If it fails it fails. Nothing ventured nothing gained.

Also so many people back in the day said first person/third person shooters CAN'T be done on console. Well we see how that turned out eh?

I have to admit that I'm not exactly thrilled with this either....

I don't mind a console edition of a Paradox game, and if it makes the company some more money, good on them. I just worry that if it's a bigger success on consoles than it is on PCs, then we'll see a whole generation of Grand Strategy Games produced with a focus on being playable on consoles, versus on PCs, where these sorts of games really belong.

That said, there's a reason strategy games (turn-based or RTS) aside from tactical RPGs have never really been successful on consoles. (Broad generalization, I know, but it more or less holds up.) So while I wish Paradox (modest) success, I'm hoping that they don't sink too much money into this.

EDIT: And as much as I love Paradox, I shan't be buying the Console Edition.

A really well thought out post saying his concerns. Well done. I don't know if you missed a post saying that one of the moderators, or is it developer is a PC gamer himself and doesn't want to see this. I believe him. I am sure this will not happen. If it does so, then there will be two versions. One for the PC and one for consoles. Time will tell.

What the hell is wrong with so many people in this thread?
I mean: Respectfully Disagree x 66 vs. Agree x 23 - what is your problem?

You have Stellaris on your PC, play it and leave this thread. I also have Stellaris for PC but prefer to play on my Xbox while sitting on the couch, and I'm very happy that Stellaris finally comes to console.
Whoever thinks that a huge success of Stellaris on console would affect the PC version has no idea who is in charge of development... Tantalus ports the PC version in the best possible way to console, that's it.
They did it already with City Skylines (which I also have for PC but prefer the console edition) in a very good way and I'm confident they will make a very good port of Stellaris as well.

Accept that there are many people out there who prefer to play on console, even when an original game was designed to be played on PC with mouse & keyboard.

People are just butt hurt. Their E Peen is being exposed. They are not the smart Nerds that they think they are if someone plays their game on a console means they are not the most intellectual person they think they are. Like really what else can be the reason for all the butt hurt?

You thought the dumbing-down trend was bad before? Just wait until console releases are a regular thing. This might well be the death knell for gameplay of any substance.

Prove it. Where is your proof? After all as I said before, 1st/3rd person games could never be done on console. A Civ game could never be done on console and it was on what a PS2? So burden of proof is on you.

 

[General Karthos]

3. There are already different strategy games on console like Halo Wars, Tropico, Railroad Empire, Sudden Strike, etc. - these games sell well.

Those aren't Grand Strategy Games though. Plus, a number of those are more about building a city or a system than about actually running the military-industrial complex of an interstellar Empire across centuries. The board (and now computer) game "Through The Ages" and the "Civilization" Series both cover roughly the same time period and the same topic, and I have fun with both, but "Through The Ages" is to "Civilization VI" as "Tropico" is to "Stellaris".

In my personal opinion. YMMV.

Still, I think my initial reaction might have been a little bit of an overreaction to a single announcement. I'm going to sit back and see how this develops.

 

[Timestorm]

Hello, Folk! I need a quick help which I could not find out from game info and youtube!

I and a few of my friends want to start a new strategy game. Therefore, I am trying to understand that this is a good game for play together with friends.

- Is there any option to create your own corporation or clan?
- Can you join to battles with your corp or allies?
- Can you share, give, donate your resourcs, equipments or fleet with allies?
- Is there any trading option? Can you buy and sell items?
- Do you think is this a good game for to play with friends?

Thank you

 

[Tavior]

Hello, Folk! I need a quick help which I could not find out from game info and youtube!

I and a few of my friends want to start a new strategy game. Therefore, I am trying to understand that this is a good game for play together with friends.

- Is there any option to create your own corporation or clan?
- Can you join to battles with your corp or allies?
- Can you share, give, donate your resourcs, equipments or fleet with allies?
- Is there any trading option? Can you buy and sell items?
- Do you think is this a good game for to play with friends?

Thank you

This is not a MMO at all.

More of a grand strategy game really.

 

[Davor]

Hello, Folk! I need a quick help which I could not find out from game info and youtube!

I and a few of my friends want to start a new strategy game. Therefore, I am trying to understand that this is a good game for play together with friends.

- Is there any option to create your own corporation or clan?
- Can you join to battles with your corp or allies?
- Can you share, give, donate your resourcs, equipments or fleet with allies?
- Is there any trading option? Can you buy and sell items?
- Do you think is this a good game for to play with friends?

Thank you

I thought you were looking for a strategy game but what you explained seemed to be a MMO. If not it's a real time game, I never played multiplayer so can't really say. If you wanted to make allies you can with each other. Battles you don't control at all, the AI does it. I never bought or sold anything. This is nothing like Elite Dangerous or Starpoint Gemini at all. More like MOO or Civ in Space. Europa Universallis lite in space. (but not as complex or in depth.) So basically no trading or selling really.

 

[tom025]

Well in a way its a good idea, it will make people discover the game and so allow you to put even more money into Stellaris which is already a very good game !

I just hope one thing, its that the PC version reminds the MAIN version of the game. I dont want the UI or even graphics of consoles ported into PC. The PC version is the original one and I want it to stay this way.

Would be a shame to destroy a game because of consoles ...

 

[TinyWiking]

I'm honestly upset you guys wasted dev time on this.

Then you clearly don't understand how games are made. The Stellaris team are hard at work on Stellaris, the console edition is developed by Tantalus, the same company that made Cities: Skylines and if you Google that you'll see that it has done pretty well for itself and that Tantalus has a very talented team.

Playing a PDox game with a controller is an exercise in frustration.

Judging a book by its cover is never a good idea . Have you tried Stellaris on console? No, you haven't, hence you don't know what it's like.

Modding. Sony is a gigantic asshole in regards to modding, I can maybe be okay with this if it was just on XBone but putting it on the PS4 is just asking for trouble. Are you guys gonna go the Bethesda route and create your own modding 'platform' and then charge people to use it?

Again, not all games get the same treatment from the platform owners. We've not shared any details on this topic but rest assured we will in the future.

And who in the world is the target audience for this? RTS games don't have a huge draw on consoles, even back during their peak. Anyone who is likely interested in Stellaris either already has it or is waiting on a Steam sale (There's another thing, why buy it on console when it is regularly discounted on PC). I seriously doubt in the sales numbers, and I don't see this doing anything but crashing and burning.

There hasn't been a grand strategy of this scale ever released on console so, honestly, we don't know what the market will be like. It was the same with Cities: Skylines when that released, we simply didn't know what the market looked like. But seeing that the PS4 has sold over 80 million units and the Xbox One well over 30 million we are pretty sure that there is a fair amount of people that don't own computers that want a chance to play Stellaris.

The argument you make, that anyone who's interested already owns it on PC, is fairly ignorant.

I hope you fire your market analysts once this flops. Clearly they have no idea what they are doing.

Telling us to fire staff because you don't know what goes into the creation, development and marketing of the game is like me telling you to be fired because you clearly don't know what you're doing, despite me not knowing what you do for a living. Does it make sense? No, not even a little bit, so please don't make silly demands like this again, the forum will be just fine without it.

 

[neonox]

- Is there any option to create your own corporation or clan?
- Can you join to battles with your corp or allies?
- Can you share, give, donate your resourcs, equipments or fleet with allies?
- Is there any trading option? Can you buy and sell items?
- Do you think is this a good game for to play with friends?

I think you have never seen any gameplay of Stellaris, maybe look at this video

This is a real time strategy game, you play (in most cases alone) against AI´s or you play with one or two friends against AI´s.
Do not compare this game to these pseudo "real time strategy games" handy games...