normally this wouldnt be an issue since its easy to change the flag yourself except that this is a STEAM game and if you modify the exe it wont load. in fallout NVs case you have to download a workaround. this seems like a no brainers since at this point the majority of gamers are probably using windows 7 and have more than 2 GB of RAM. games run alot smoother when you can use all of your ram instead of just 3 GB of it. it would literally take them 2 minutes to do this. so why are they not doing it. i realize PC users are going to get screwed on some level but something as simple and easy as this?

HEAR HEAR
PRAISE BE RAM PRAISE BE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_B40-klY4JM

From my limited understanding of architecture, there is no need for a 64bit exe if the game does not need more than 4 GB of RAM.

How large is the issue actually? Oblivion never used a 1GB for me even with tons of mods?

It just greed Bethesda just wants to make more $$$$. They don't see big profits from making a 64-bit as people will buy it anyways if they only make 32-bit.

Most modern gaming machines run 64-bit Windows 7. No idea why Beth is clinging to 32-bit.

The game isn't going to need that much RAM because it's a console port that has to run on a system that was cutting edge six years ago (the now very antiquated XBOX 360). Any larger textures on the PC will likely be handled through the video card's memory so that's a non issue.

As a general comment on the issue, I'll say that I wish that the PC gaming industry (if such a thing even still really exists outside of the indie game developers...) would focus on making games that actually utilize the 64 bit architecture because then we could have... I don't know... bigger worlds with more npcs in them and more things going on dynamically etc. etc. So long as console sales generate more money however this will probably not become a priority within the near future. :angry:

According to Steam's Hardware and Software Survey from June 2011, just over 42% of Windows machines are running 64-bit Windows 7. Nice research you did there. :wink_smile:

Well, at least some intelligent developers realize that the PC is the correct lead platform for all non-casual games. See: Dice. Dirty little secret of the industry: The PC AAA market is bigger than that of either console alone. Only together are 360+PS3 sales bigger. That's why developers that piss off PC gamers with dumbed down crap (Dragon Age 2, Crysis 2, etc) apologize profusely and release free updates like Crysis 2 DX 11 + high res textures or Dragon Age 2 high res textures.

Also, the 42% using Windows 7 64-bit is the largest slice of that pie, which is what I meant.

According to Steam's hardware survey, more than 40% are using WIndows 7 64 bit and more than 12% are using Vista 64 bit. And most new computers being sold today, not just gaming computers, are most likely going to be 64 bit. That's simply the direction everything is going because a 64 bit architecture is simply superior to 32 bit. So why don't they have a 64 bit version? Can't be bothered. The 360 and PS3 are both 32 bit systems and so it'd just be extra work to make a 64 bit version.

A 32bit game can use up to 2GB of memory, or 3GB if Large Address Aware. Since those same gamers that are running Windows 7 and have more then 2GB of ram are only really going to be playing games and not trying to run photoshop and 20 browser tabs at the same time, you NEVER need more then 2GB for the game to be able to address. Unless you are using graphics enhancing mods, the game should never cap out the memory.

I actually think that Valve and Blizzard have created the business models that will save PC gaming from (what the money people see as) economic irrelevance. They have basically created (with Steam and Battlenet) an XBOX Live for PC users that is tailored to that demographic. It's good for rights management. It's good for sales. It's somewhat good for the average gamer (somewhat... but I won't go into that).

I honestly don't mind consoles. I think they have a strong place in the world for gamers. A lot of people enjoyed Halo and even Oblivion on their console. I just wish that developers wouldn't cross develop things that really don't need to be ported without making big design sacrifices.

Honestly, the way we could all win and the way studios could save a lot of development capital is if the console makers figured out a way to either release a console that can stand the test of time better than the current generation or actually create a console architecture that is upgradable WITH PC COMPONENTS. Keep your proprietary OS on there and sell your cheap starter box but allow the user to *gasp* mod it like PC users do. That's our secret. We buy a computer and then we buy a new computer piece by piece by piece over two or three years and we keep up with the development curve. If console users could do the same we'd all be better off for it, developer and gamer alike.

Also, the console user needs greater OS control over their console system such that they can manage files better and mod things. Consoles are computers packaged and sold as a cheap "black box" that an average person can pick up and use. Basically they need to provide more options for the console "power user." Then we'll see better games for both platforms.

People with gaming rigs WILL be using graphics enhancing mods. I can guarantee it.

And as a side note, I do run Photoshop, Illustrator and do 3D modeling and rendering on mine.

I'm fine with the vanilla game only being able to use 3GBs of RAM, but a modded game may require more. Chances are if you are playing on PC you will eventually mod.

PS: What's this about it being on Steam? Is it confirmed to be Steam only?

Yay, no Mod tools for BF3, or Commander, and only 4 classes!
Not to mention all the wonderful (note: horrid) care that PC BC2 got in relation to consoles.

Remember the 4 GB patch for morrowind/obliviom/fallout 3?

As always.. Mods will fix it. Sometimes gamesas seems to be hating on the pc community...

They problem is, they also have to maintain those 4gb patches to work with each new patch that Beth releases and they don't always work the best. It'd be a lot simply if Beth just released a 64 bit exe themselves.

1) Somehow a game with no mod tools is not a real PC game? So then BF 1942 is not a really PC, and neither is BF2 nor BF2142. The community made mod tools of their own before DICE even released official ones.

2) No Commander doesn't mean anything except that it's a mechanic DICE didn't like, and that they feel they can improve - they aren't oblivious to the face that most people liked that feature. Its removal doesn't mean nothing can take its place (something improved).

3) BF2142 had 4 classes and it worked well. BF2142 is the most solid hardcoe Battlefield game to date in terms of gameplay mechanics since it refined everything that was in BF2 (prone deviation, more balanced commander powers, etc). BF3's mechanics build upon 2142s.

4) I don't understand where you're coming from with the "horrid" care for PC BC2. 64bit exe for BC2 was not needed since it was designed with console limitations in mind, hence why they didn't waste time and money implementing it. The result is that we got a far more optimized game than we would have gotten if DICE hadn't learned how to create efficient memory systems for Frostbite 1.5.


We do not know enough technical information about Skyrim to conclude that there is "no reason not to implement it." My guess is that the game won't need as much memory as we think since it's going to heavily rely on streaming systems.

In terms of modding, a 64 bit exe would probably be beneficial, but I don't know enough about modding to comment deeply on it. If modders are responsible enough, I'm sure they can create great mods that don't eat up an unnecessary amount of resources just because its available (wonder why there's so much "bloatware" out there?).

Is it really all that surprising? I'm surprised people are so let down about this as though they were expecting to get one, I don't think I've heard of any game that does have a 64bit exe. Not that it's a good thing they didn't but I wasn't expecting one that's for sure.

Becuase it's not being made for a modern system. No dig at beth,but it's the truth.

Sounds to me like you're blaming the wrong people. Beth isn't standing in the way of you running the game 64bit - Steam is.

BFBC 2 was great on PC . check out my cheesy vid with Iron Maidens "Run To the Hills" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N56ZWDKR88U

BF3 will be way way better of course.

I just really hope they release a Dx11 update for Skyrim. I think this will keep alot of us quiet. We just want to feel like they are supporting us ,like we have supported them after all these years. I have to say. I;'m not a fan of consoles. They are holding every thing back. It's time for change.

Obviously thet are giving us Mod support. Which in this day and age ..is simply amazing. At least they are still supporting that.

i never need more than 1.5 GB of ram for a heavily modded oblivion, so the 4 GB patch is useless to me on my current rig. Even Crysis with the Extreme effect mod only took 1.8 GB for me so.... :shrug:

on my old rig(really old) i could still run moderately modded oblivion at full settings at 45-50 FPS, and never ran out of ram( i only had 4GB on that one) but i did still use the 4 GB patch :sadvaultboy:

But i cant think of a single game ive ever gotten or any program that I've gotten recently that was had a 64 bit exe,

remember fellow PC player, they still have to make the game playable on core2 dous, direct x9.0 and 32 OS's with 2Gb of ram and a Nvidia HD4850( my guess for the minimum requirements)

True, this will be a problem with Steam. It would be hard to provide 2 .exes in Steam, and I don't think a launch parameter like -64bit could be used to change the flag of a single .exe.

Is there a difference between a 64bit .exe and just changing the flag of a 32bit .exe? Changing the flag is easy, and at least I think my modded Oblivion and Fallout run smoother with it changed even though the games never use much more than 1 Gb of system memory.