All right, I think it's safe to say at this point that not only is a PC version on the way but that I now truly believe that the PC version was the lead platform for Grand Theft Auto V. At first, people were curious about whether GTA V was even coming to PC but now it's just a matter of finding out when.
Reddit users posted the code for all to see online... I'm not going to post the link to the code because I'm not allowed to anymore, but one user named comphermc posted a comment, noting that there was a control scheme modification in the XML data that points to being able to free-aim and shoot while driving like in GTA IV. For console users, the driving and free-aim shooting won't be coming back unless there's a patch, but it looks like the Glorious PC Master Race may either need to tweak some files or change something in the options menu to bring the option back.
Anyway, that's the least of the cool stuff – we also find out that the XML code that was dumped from the PS3 version of GTA V also refers to debug data and QA changelogs that point out certain bugs and issues that Rockstar encountered with the game during development.
What's awesome is that it looks like many of the DirectX 11 features have already been implemented, a build date points to 7-27-2012, which was late July of last year, where the bloom was acting up on the PC version of the game when running the DX11 API. Do you know what this means? In layman terms, Rockstar had already implemented the high-end visual effects and options for the PC version of the game.
When you combine this data with the previously released XML findings, it makes total sense: the PC was most definitely the lead platform. Exclusive features, high-end graphical effects and top-end shaders were already implemented. This would explain the high quality visual effects from the trailers that had me stumped back when Rockstar first released the promo footage.
So why is it important to know whether the PC was the lead platform or not? Simple, if the PC version was the lead platform then it would mean that it would be easy pickings for Rockstar to port the game over to the Xbox One and PS4. It would also explain why all the high-end features in the configuration files are above and beyond the limitations and capabilities of the Xbox 360 and PS3, such as the fact that the network configuration settings are defaulted at 32 players when in reality the 360 and PS3 could probably barely handle 16 players.
What it's starting to look like is that Rockstar designed the game from the top down; they implemented all the cool stuff, the shaders, reflections, graphics API features and memory pool settings for the PC, first. After tweaking and modifying the game they scaled it down for the Xbox 360 and PS3 – they would have already known that the 360 and PS3 couldn't handle certain things, especially not 32 players in the online mode, so why would you design your base network setup around something your main audience couldn't even use? Unless that wasn't your main audience.
It's become apparent at this point that the 360 and PS3 were the cash-in kiddies and that the real beef, the real potato, the real meat, the main course, the head honcho and the alpha wolf of the pack has yet to be released. Heck, poor 360/PS3 users are suffering from disappearing cars and a host of other graphical discrepancies.
The only question is now: how long will Rockstar hold out while PC gamers continue to rally the forces and pressure them into releasing the definitive version of GTA V?
(Thanks Leon Lien for the tip)
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