News - Microsoft to focus on gaming in Windows 8?

[nordhus]

This reminds me of what we were told around the launch of Windows Vista. We would get Games Explorer to go with Windows Explorer and Internet Explorer. The new Windows Experience Index meant even techno-illiterate grandmothers could read system requirements. DX10 was so advanced it couldn't possibly be backported to Windows XP.

The new Games for Windows certification system meant PC games would be as bug free and user friendly as console games, and Microsoft would ensure GfW games would get plenty of prime shelf space in game stores. If PC gamers would just pay their GfW Live subscription they could even play Shadowrun with those cool guys at Xbox Live.

And to really show off their support for PC gaming, Microsoft shut down Ensemble Studios and Microsoft Flight Simulator. I don't think Microsoft has published a single PC games since the two Vista "Launch Titles": Shadowrun and Halo 2.

If this new push for PC gaming is as good as the last I should probably figure out how to update my graphics drivers in Linux.

[Astridax93]

Micrososft DID try to compete with Valve .. subscription based Games for Windows Live.

What Microsoft is basically trying to say in the article is that we will release HALO 3 on PC.

Lol, yes. But you had to pay before they shut that side down, also the emphasis should be TRY since it was a paltry effort at most, a downright fail at least .

I have far too many games on steam to switch too.

Besides the way Steve Ballmer is, I think his idea of innovation will be some sort of cloud based save system. Scratch that, he probably thinks that games using the internet is innovation .

[Lucio]

I'd prefer it if they focused on Xbox alone.

/switches to Maximum armour.

Me too, and to do that whilst still including the PC would be to make the XBox games run on a normal PC if it has sufficient hardware.

It'd be a good thing for Microsoft too, by selling people like nVidia and ATi the right to put "XBoxE" stickers on their compatable products

[miniyazz]

In this age of always on internet and 3G it is a rare scenario for me when I can't get enough internet together to launch a game on Steam.

Downloading the game at home or office is hardly a chore...

Agreed, but it's a bit more of a chore if your uni firewall blocks steam, meaning you can't register the game you've just bought, to play in offline mode.. even if you actually bought it on disc from Game. Not everyone can use 3G on their computer.

[spoon_]

Agreed, but it's a bit more of a chore if your uni firewall blocks steam, meaning you can't register the game you've just bought, to play in offline mode.. even if you actually bought it on disc from Game. Not everyone can use 3G on their computer.

Not sure why but I have got a picture of Zakk ranting about steam in my head

[crossy]

Oh dear, so now Windows 7 is pants/not cool and we gotta upgrade to Windows 8 to play the games? Wonderful new "experience" here we come. Sod you Microsoft!

Par for the course given that I've just replaced my Windows XP system with a Win7Pro (64bit!). Sigh!

That said, as far as I'm concerned it makes total sense for Windows8 to focus on making gaming easier - since that's really the only area where I can't use a Linux box. There's plenty of scope to make it easier to drop in games - how about a way you could easily transfer your settings, scores, etc from one machine to another - be a nice way to slot in a possible use of this "cloud computing" that everyone's dribbling at length about. Or an API slot that would allow game updates to be received via Windows Update (or a similar mechanism).

[Brewster0101]

By the time Windows 8 comes around, Google OS will have been out for a while and possibly challenging Microsoft.

Its too early for Microsoft to make these comments as in 12 months time they could have to rethink everything if Google gets there way with PC's

[Blastuk]

I've just recently had the most horrible experience with GFWL that I would never buy another game that uses it if I know about it.

It would flat out refuse to connect at all in game.. I ended up having to do some convoluted vpn in to my own network to get it to work.

[Astridax93]

Agreed, but it's a bit more of a chore if your uni firewall blocks steam, meaning you can't register the game you've just bought, to play in offline mode.. even if you actually bought it on disc from Game. Not everyone can use 3G on their computer.

Either pay for a proxy server. Or get a bog standard pc at home, create your own proxy. Memorise the ip or buy a domain (an ip address would be more flexible since if they filter it, you just change the ip at home).

Pay parents for extra data usage at home. Sorted, you can now register games through steam and according to your Uni it is a custom non filtered ip. Get it to route traffic through the standard web browser port too... 8080. I think that'd work.

[ilh]

Only bought 1 game on the GfW market, AoE3 and that was only because it was 10p. Steam all the way.

[miniyazz]

Either pay for a proxy server. Or get a bog standard pc at home, create your own proxy. Memorise the ip or buy a domain (an ip address would be more flexible since if they filter it, you just change the ip at home).

Pay parents for extra data usage at home. Sorted, you can now register games through steam and according to your Uni it is a custom non filtered ip. Get it to route traffic through the standard web browser port too... 8080. I think that'd work.

I'm off campus now btw, and don't use Steam anyway

But I regard myself as quite a techy person, and if I knew where to start coming from (which I really wouldn't have prior to your suggestion), it'd still take me quite some time to get it working. I reckon 95%+ of university students wouldn't have a clue where to start about doing something like that, it's really not a viable solution to Steam's problem. Just because it can be done (for some people), doesn't mean it's reasonable to expect people to do that if they want to play a shop-bought game.

Anyway, 'nuff said

[blackbox]

Is Windows 8 still expected to launch in 2013?