Former Steam Boss Joins Microsoft Games Division

[Ruley]

Could this be the start of owning a game on Xbox means you own the PC port on GFWL? That would make me buy an Xbone!

OT: Please fix the servers, DOW2 is useless these days and there seems to be no care for past games meaning i can't play it with. It shows little care for you consumer base, which i think after working with steam, Jason seems in the best place to address.

 

[Dark Knifer]

Well that was unexpected... This guy sounds perfect for trying to fix the problems.

Is this microsoft or am I dead?

 

[JediMB]

"Yes, I have joined Microsoft where I will be focusing on making Windows a great platform for gaming and interactive entertainment," said Holtman in an official statement.

But it already is!

That greatness just doesn't involve GFWL. We don't need Microsoft's particular brand of DRM, and you'd think this whole deal with the Xbox One would have made that more than evident.

 

[RicoADF]

*snip*
Why would you want it to die? It's not like it's impossible to make it a good platform. I hope that they rebuild it and apply the changes to games that already use GFWL. They definitely have the resources to make that happen. They just needed the right mind for the job, which Holtman might have. I doubt that they hired him just so he can be a trophy.

Past experience with GFWL, it gets between me and my games. It's been nothing but headaches and trouble. I'm all for competition, thus why I don't mind Origin, but when it's literally a pain to use to the point that I reduce playing a game or just stop all together because GFWL is too annoying, it's a bad sign. Like I said, Windows 8 store looks like a reboot and sofar isn't too bad. I'm not against a microsoft store, I just hate GFWL specifically.

 

[Doom972]

*snip*
Why would you want it to die? It's not like it's impossible to make it a good platform. I hope that they rebuild it and apply the changes to games that already use GFWL. They definitely have the resources to make that happen. They just needed the right mind for the job, which Holtman might have. I doubt that they hired him just so he can be a trophy.

Past experience with GFWL, it gets between me and my games. It's been nothing but headaches and trouble. I'm all for competition, thus why I don't mind Origin, but when it's literally a pain to use to the point that I reduce playing a game or just stop all together because GFWL is too annoying, it's a bad sign. Like I said, Windows 8 store looks like a reboot and sofar isn't too bad. I'm not against a microsoft store, I just hate GFWL specifically.

I agree with you about GFWL but I don't see why it can't be fixed. Personally, I have 2 problems with it:

1) Logging in - It has to log in whenever you start the game (a trade-off for not running in the background I guess). That log-in process is longer than it should be and sometimes doesn't work properly.

2) No proper offline mode - If you try to play your game while offline, you can't access saves. Inexcusable and unforgivable.

Since other services have managed to avoid/solve these problems, I don't see a reason why Microsoft won't be able to. As for Win8 store - maybe they plan on integrating GFWL into the store in a way that would effectively eliminate GFWL as we know it?

 

[LordMonty]

Good move I think another viable online store front for pc games will only help competition. We'll see if this man lives upto his credentials.

 

[RicoADF]

I agree with you about GFWL but I don't see why it can't be fixed. Personally, I have 2 problems with it:

1) Logging in - It has to log in whenever you start the game (a trade-off for not running in the background I guess). That log-in process is longer than it should be and sometimes doesn't work properly.

2) No proper offline mode - If you try to play your game while offline, you can't access saves. Inexcusable and unforgivable.

Since other services have managed to avoid/solve these problems, I don't see a reason why Microsoft won't be able to. As for Win8 store - maybe they plan on integrating GFWL into the store in a way that would effectively eliminate GFWL as we know it?

You hit the nail on the head, the whole login anoyance and then if it doesn't because it's being moody then you basically can't play your game, it's stupid. If they did that then wonderful, just GFWL as it stands is utterly useless and I'm glad I haven't seen it in a new game in years.

 

[LosButcher]

I don't see how they can "fix" GFWL. If they remove every annoyance any user has ever experienced with it, then what? Would you download and use it?
Is there a single thing they could do that would sell it, other than "its not Steam"?

 

[deadish]

Wow, they must be paying him a lot, and I mean A LOT, of money. LOL

PS: To be blunt, I don't know how much difference one person is going to make. MS's corporate culture from what I read is pretty ... "poisonous".

 

[toquio3]

To the people that like to say 'nay' about a potential MS online store, or EA's origin store not allowing their games on steam or other platforms, let me ask you this: can I buy valve games on origin? can I buy left 4 dead 2 on greenmangaming? Can I buy half life 2 on gamersgate?

yeah, thats what I thought.

 

[Colt47]

Honestly, the bigger problem right now with the online DRM schemes is that everyone is doing their own instead of just getting together and picking one standard. Considering whatever each guy chooses to use ends up on our computers and looking at the amount of space Steam itself has reserved, it would quickly eat through RAM and CPU cycles. Heck, even if something uses Steam right now, the publisher may still require it's own DRM program or account system anyway. These publishers should just invest in a separate system that they jointly control, but that seems less likely than EA scrapping origin and having all their games released on steam. Their might be a glimmer of hope if the Open Source community manages to make something.

 

[Sofus]

Oh dear, I think poor Jason knocked his head and went insane. It will take alot more than a bright mind to fix GFWL (Global Failure Went Live), but if nothing else, I wish him the best of luck... for he will surely need it.

 

[Lightknight]

It's very late to the party. I mean, even Origen is more popular and people actively choose not to use Origen because of the laughable idea of giving EA control over one's library. Still, I'd trust a legitimate Microsoft option on pc more than Origen so it has a chance to gain ground.

My eventual goal is to convince EA to stop holding the few good games they put out hostage to Origen.

 

[Jumwa]

Goodluck trying to promote a platform where the company actively sabotages it, by paying money to other companies so they don't release games on the PC in favour of their console.

How are you supposed to make headway with a corporate structure that's that self-destructive?

 

[Baresark]

I always thought it was the fact that GFWL was nothing more than a port of Xbox Live dash (360 controls and all) for awhile after its launch.

The need for Gold accounts for online play did the rest.

I don't know how effective he will be, calling the MS gaming division a pack of retarded monkeys is a gross insult to monkeys.

Well, GFWL is the DRM they use. But they are more talking about the Microsoft "app store"(god I hate that in reference to the PC gaming). Don't get me wrong, the folks who like GFWL can be counted on a single hand. But their market is actually what this guy would be working on, not the DRM aspect. I figure that it's all about getting more than first party games on your platform, and success I would also argue relies on them also widening their user base by selling on other platforms.

Then he has his work cut out for him, the app store is in really crappy shape.

Can you even get games that aren't time-wasters or Skinners boxes from it at this point? Because I remember reading that mature rated games were banned from it for some reason.

Yeah, it will be a damn miracle to turn that travesty around. I wouldn't put it on MS to back pedal on that like they have done with everything lately though. But, I don't think there is anything but time wasters on there.

 

[Vivi22]

If any person can possibly even attempt to revive MS' gaming sector at this point, it would probably be this guy. Let's hope they actually listen to what Holtman says instead of just going okay yeah and then continuing with the same practices as before.

I'll be interested to see what comes of this. Having a guy who was a driving force of an actually successful digital platform may be good for Microsoft but at the same time, given what I've read of all the other times Microsoft's bureaucracy has bitten them in the ass, it could be possible that he won't even be able to get the job done because things are just too inflexible over there.

Like I said, I'll be interested to see what actually happens. But I'm not sure that Microsoft's biggest problem right now or in the past is a lack of people with vision.

 

[TiberiusEsuriens]

Microsoft has such great potential. They have all the infrastructure and support to pull of this en devour, so long as they actually listen to the guy. All they need to do is take their existing Microsoft Store and make it practical and more robust. The trick is convincing developers to support it. If they can make it practical for both devs and consumers to use Steam could have a small competitor in a few years. (well, at least Origin would ^.^)

 

[Living_Brain]

If they fix it I might load up GTA4 again... oh wait, GTA5...