We've never heard this before

Post by **Leisher** » Wed May 25, 2011 12:02 am

Windows 8 will focus on PC Gaming.

Post by **GORDON** » Wed May 25, 2011 12:46 am

I bought in to the "Can't game without Vista/DX11!"

Fool me once.

Malcolm · Post by **Malcolm** » Wed May 25, 2011 4:24 am

Unless some tablets of peyote are shipping with the next version of windows, I ain't buying that bullshit, either.

Post by **TheCatt** » Wed May 25, 2011 7:29 am

They probably mean app-like games.

Post by **GORDON** » Wed May 25, 2011 7:34 am

I'm talking about how Microsoft bought PC Games magazine, renamed it "Games for Windows" magazine, ran 3 months worth of "Vista is going to revolutionize PC gaming!" articles, then shut the magazine down, and the Vista/DX 11 hype ended up being mainly lies, particularly when they were running side by side photos of the graphics, and it was later learned that it wasn't actually game graphics they were showing, merely "artists renderings."

So, fool me once.

Post by **TheCatt** » Wed May 25, 2011 9:24 am

Right, I think we know what you meant.

I was just saying, don't expect a PC game renaissance. Expect Angry Birds, and bubble breaking games.

Post by **TPRJones** » Wed May 25, 2011 11:08 am

I don't get it. Who are they trying to take market share from here? You can't expect ap-style games to help Windows take marketshare from Linux or Mac. And the odds are it wouldn't really help against anyone who wants to switch to the new Google OS.

The only thing I can think of is they want to take on Facebook, maybe?

Post by **Leisher** » Wed May 25, 2011 11:34 am

TPRJones wrote:I don't get it. Who are they trying to take market share from here? You can't expect ap-style games to help Windows take marketshare from Linux or Mac. And the odds are it wouldn't really help against anyone who wants to switch to the new Google OS.

The only thing I can think of is they want to take on Facebook, maybe?

You guys are forgetting something here: This is a multiplatform OS. It's being released for PCs, tablets, and phones at the same time.

I think Catt is correct that a lot of the focus here will be on casual games, but the multiple platforms means they're taking on a lot of people.

On the PC side, thanks for mentioning Linux and Mac it made me laugh. That would be like a shark who owns the entire Pacific Ocean getting nervous about a goldfish and a minnow swimming near Hawaii.

Still, Macs would definitely be a target, but I think on the PC side, just in terms of the gaming strategy, they'd be an indirect casualty. The true targets are Valve, EA, and any other online software distributors. They will NOT beat Valve in software distribution, but could hurt them if they can tie devices together (Ex: Angry Birds downloaded for phone makes it available on all your devices without additional charges.).

The problem for Microsoft is that Games for Windows started off as a joke. You can't charge this consumer base for something they already get for free. On top of that, their catalog of games is beyond terrible. Nobody gives a fuck about Age of Empires or that shitty Zoo simulator they have. They sold their soul when they made Halo for the 360 instead of the PC, now they're paying for it by being almost non-existent in the PC gaming market.

On the phone side their competition will be Apple, Google, and Amazon. The App market is huge. MS wins this battle without breaking a sweat if Windows 8 becomes a must have product for the business world. Odds of that happening? 1.1 trillion to 1.

Ditto for Tablets.

Finally, there's the consoles. Long story short, consoles are stupid. They're underpowered PCs. If Microsoft can make PCs the system of choice again, they kill Nintendo and Sony, and don't have to waste money developing for consoles anymore. It also indirectly hurts Google's OS and Mac because you know games won't be developed for them first, if ever.

Malcolm · Post by **Malcolm** » Wed May 25, 2011 2:19 pm

If Microsoft can make PCs the system of choice again, they kill Nintendo and Sony, and don't have to waste money developing for consoles anymore.

There's almost no way they'd do that without having to ... I don't know, brainwash most of Japan. Nintendo and Sony are still damn near religions around there. But if ever there's a time to take a shot at Sony, this'd be it.