Game Stash: Microsoft?s Missed Opportunity
Dear Microsoft, stop making promises.
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Dear Microsoft, stop making promises.
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Game Stash: Microsoft?s Missed Opportunity
- Thread starter Steve Butts
- Start date
The biggest hallmark of this is Games for Windows Live, and that publishers seem to be abandoning it (Kane & Lynch 2, Fallout: NV, 2k Games in general) in favour of Steamworks.
Good article and I totally agree with you. Could it be because of market share or to focus on the 360 exclusively or even portability? Who knows but at they very least you'd think it would be a golden opportunity to be the "ambassador" of gaming on all platforms.
The rumour is that there is a lot of factional infighting at Microsoft. Maybe one day the true story will be told or maybe in fact there is no story to tell, but hey. One part of the company might really believe in gaming on windows but gaming is fully in the domain of the xbox empire who do not want any opposition to their thousand year reich of comfy couch based gaming.
But isn't this more indicitive of gaming in General? I mean most people are turning to the consoles because of the ease of use. It's been my experence that if you're not bleeding edge current on computer tech and procedures you are going to have a bad time.
They do this first and foremost as fodder for their feud with Apple (and it is a huge draw for the gaming community) - although I suppose the point is that the statement is true not because of Microsoft themselves.Steve Butts said:
Pretty straightforward article, otherwise. It's pretty clear Microsoft hasn't done much on the PC side of things, but the whys and why nots are still a mystery. It I had to guess, I'd say that there really isn't much competition in that sector - PC and console gaming are different enough that they attract different people and even different game genres (and also console gaming dominates given a same title), and so the only major competitor is Apple's Macs which isn't putting up much of a fight (or rather, still has a long way to go to be on par with Windows' offering - and even still a lot the draw of the PC platform is its modularity and customizability, which isn't available on Mac). So perhaps Microsoft doesn't feel the need to invest much into that market.
The long and short of it is, if you are looking to get a gaming computer, you're almost always going to go with a PC with Windows. Thus, having nothing to fight, and with greener fields elsewhere, Microsoft leaves only a token force.
That and Microsoft has been proving themselves to be all about control of their platform with their Xboxes, and they just can't do that on the PC.
[Edit for sake of transitional consistency.]
Games For Windows Live does basically exactly what Steam does.
Steam was just around longer.
Everything like this has it's bugs, you can't expect it to run across the board straight away but it seems because people won't give it a chance it can't grow.
I seem to be one of the lucky ones, the only problem I ever had with GFWL was when I first booted it up and it didn't want to sign in my Xbox Gamertag. I closed it. Rebooted it. Then it worked fine and I haven't had any problems since.
I use it regularly to play Dawn Of War 2 and I own 3 games that utilise GFWL. (4 if you count Chaos Rising)
Now maybe I'm completely wrong here but if they had GFWL on a lot of systems then they would be troubleshooting for those systems and releasing patches to fix up any bugs.
Steam releases a lot of patches still and it works on pretty much every system now.
Now maybe Microsoft are being very lazy with their games. But they recently updated the GFWL download list with sever Games For Windows games.
But some people I have talked to seem to not want to use GFWL on the grounds that it is not steam.
Microsoft have a long way to go, but I believe they can get there.
Steam is the big problem here, it's what Microsoft has to go up against and Steam has already established itself big time.
I'm quite sleepy so if that didn't make much sense or had no point please excuse me.
Steam was just around longer.
Everything like this has it's bugs, you can't expect it to run across the board straight away but it seems because people won't give it a chance it can't grow.
I seem to be one of the lucky ones, the only problem I ever had with GFWL was when I first booted it up and it didn't want to sign in my Xbox Gamertag. I closed it. Rebooted it. Then it worked fine and I haven't had any problems since.
I use it regularly to play Dawn Of War 2 and I own 3 games that utilise GFWL. (4 if you count Chaos Rising)
Now maybe I'm completely wrong here but if they had GFWL on a lot of systems then they would be troubleshooting for those systems and releasing patches to fix up any bugs.
Steam releases a lot of patches still and it works on pretty much every system now.
Now maybe Microsoft are being very lazy with their games. But they recently updated the GFWL download list with sever Games For Windows games.
But some people I have talked to seem to not want to use GFWL on the grounds that it is not steam.
Microsoft have a long way to go, but I believe they can get there.
Steam is the big problem here, it's what Microsoft has to go up against and Steam has already established itself big time.
I'm quite sleepy so if that didn't make much sense or had no point please excuse me.
You have to know what you're doing, yes, but you don't have to be at the "bleeding edge" of tech to have a good time. I have good memories of playing through HL2 the first time at 1024x768 and none of the bells and whistles, and I don't think it hurt my experience at all.MongoBaer said:
A lot of emphasis gets put on max graphical settings at crazy resolutions pumping out at obscene frame rates, all with blazing fast load times, but it's hardly necessary. In fact a lot of people still use XP which means they're limited to Direct X 9 (the current being 11). As far as I can tell, the only absolutely required tech of the past few years would be pixel shaders.
Good point.
Though, I can't care less, as Microsoft's job is really just to make Windows stable and accessible. THIS is the REAL support. Market will do the rest.
They most probably shifted focus to OS development right after the Vista 2006/2007 debut, given negative feedback and all. After all, you can't stretch an octopus beyond it's length.
Though, I can't care less, as Microsoft's job is really just to make Windows stable and accessible. THIS is the REAL support. Market will do the rest.
They most probably shifted focus to OS development right after the Vista 2006/2007 debut, given negative feedback and all. After all, you can't stretch an octopus beyond it's length.
"Windows, it runs your games well..."
That's all I really care about as far as microsoft is concerned with PC gaming.
@ Mangobaer
In today's world ( where tech is evolving faster than the actual graphics in games are ), you can easily make a PC that will run virtually any game well for under 600 dollars. It's more of just having the knowledge ( which isn't too difficult ).
That's all I really care about as far as microsoft is concerned with PC gaming.
@ Mangobaer
In today's world ( where tech is evolving faster than the actual graphics in games are ), you can easily make a PC that will run virtually any game well for under 600 dollars. It's more of just having the knowledge ( which isn't too difficult ).
Microsoft would make a boatload more money if they made an officially liscensed xbox and xbox360 emulators for the PC.
Consoles are a fad, computers will always be there and there have always been lulls in the action.
Not that I think computers are "better" than consoles, but PC's always seem to be the one's left standing after all of the impulsive buying is done.
Not that I think computers are "better" than consoles, but PC's always seem to be the one's left standing after all of the impulsive buying is done.
im sort of apathetic about this one. if they do start to actually make games i mean i wont really care much unless they are good games. I think microsoft is really centralizing gaming with the xbox brand. PC only titles have huge advantages over console, even though im almost strictly a console player ill admit this, when i owned a computer that was capable of playing games i loved the flexability. with so many mods, player developed maps and great team play options the PC has the ability to actually extend the life of most games threefold or longer. That is an amazing feat compared to most console games where you have to dole out the cash for a few extra weapons or skins. all in all so many gamers out there are thriving off of old IPs of games they love such at team fortress 2 and counterstrike that there is a huge opportunity for growth i mean hell even hardcore IP loyal pc gamers will probably buy a game that comes out for the pc even if its not all that great i mean just to fill in the deadspace and boredom.
What would you expect from a monopole company... without competition they wont make extra work to please us (the bastards... )
Great article. I agree completely. The MS install base is huge. Sadly they're caught in a pissing contest with Nintendo, while the PC gamers are left out to dry (mostly). But the PC platform will outlive any console.
In regards to Steamworks, it's just freaking awesome. I have zero complaints with steam. It's a great network.
In regards to Steamworks, it's just freaking awesome. I have zero complaints with steam. It's a great network.
The thing is this, if Microsoft decided to pool the resources to the PC side of gaming that they put towards the Xbox (you know, the one they can make money off of licensing the ability of a developer to put a game on there), then a year from now this article would be reprinted with the term PC replaced with Xbox.
There are a lot of people putting out games for PC (if the PC will never die crowd are to be believed and I don't have any reason to doubt them) then by Microsoft focusing on the hardware they can make the most money on makes sense (Why fight against Steam and lose money when you can work with them and be in a position to make money from your operating system. The minute they try to fight Steam, Steam will be all over Apples cock and make it so that's the system they recommend, causing many to switch over) and just be glad that there are the options that we have
There are a lot of people putting out games for PC (if the PC will never die crowd are to be believed and I don't have any reason to doubt them) then by Microsoft focusing on the hardware they can make the most money on makes sense (Why fight against Steam and lose money when you can work with them and be in a position to make money from your operating system. The minute they try to fight Steam, Steam will be all over Apples cock and make it so that's the system they recommend, causing many to switch over) and just be glad that there are the options that we have
It's got absolutly nothing to do with being lazy. Console gamers are not those tech nerds with jobs revolving around computers. They are largely parents, professionals, and generally busy individuals who NEED gaming to be quick and accessible for it to be a viable part of their lifestyle. Troubleshooting for an hour just isn't an option when your lucky to squeeze in 90mins. of play time on a good day. Case in point : What is undoubtably the most successful PC game today? WOW. This is the typical stereotype of a PC gamer. Willing to sacrifice their whole life for gaming, now THAT is laziness.Hopeless Bastard" post=6.225156.764602 said: