UPDATED 14:21 EDT / FEBRUARY 12 2016

NEWS

Quantum Break PC release controversy proves gamers can hate just about anything

Gamers are a notoriously fickle bunch, and few people in the industry know that fact better than the head of Microsoft’s Xbox division, Phil Spencer, but even Spencer was left scratching his head when numerous Xbox owners reacted with anger to the announcement that Quantum Break would also be available on PC.

Quantum Break is an upcoming third-person action-adventure game from Max Payne and Alan Wake developer Remedy Entertainment. The game had originally been announced as an Xbox-exclusive title, but yesterday, Remedy revealed that not only will Quantum Break also be releasing for PC, but players who pre-order the Xbox One version will get a download code for the Windows 10 version for free.

For some reason, a number of Xbox owners were angered by this news, and Spencer’s confusion was apparent in this exchange with a user on Twitter:

Several other users complained on Twitter and other social media about the move to make Quantum Break available on PC, and many argued that they paid a few hundred dollars for a console in order to play exclusive games on the Xbox, and that it is not fair that PC users are able to play some of the same games.

These users are, of course, morons.

Why Quantum Break on PC is a good thing

There may be intense competition between Xbox and Playstation (sorry, Nintendo), but the relationship is not quite the same between console and PC, especially between Xbox and Windows computers.

After all, both are developed by Microsoft, and while the company does not make any money off PC hardware sales, it also does not really make much money off Xbox hardware sales.

Because of this, there is little incentive for Microsoft to restrict games to the Xbox in an attempt to sell more units, and with the company pushing the integration between the console and Windows 10, allowing more Xbox games to be released simultaneously for PC only makes sense.

Aside from being a win-win situation for Microsoft, more Xbox games on PC are also good for consumers, even for Xbox owners who do not have a gaming PC. More games sold means more money for developers, which means more games to play in the future.

If Quantum Break turns out to be a great game, why wouldn’t players want the studio to be able to sell as many copies as it can, making a sequel not only more likely but also better-funded?

Image courtesy of Microsoft Corp

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