Leaked Microsoft Video Reveals Horrible Future for PC Gaming

[Double A]

I'll just copy/paste what I said about this earlier:

So... who are they targeting with this?

The casual market is already on facebook, and GFWL is nowhere near as user-friendly, so they won't be using this.
The hardcore PC gamer market isn't exactly on the best of terms with Microsoft for obvious reasons.
And everyone else either doesn't care or just uses Steam.
Any Xbox owners they'd hope to target will have Xbox's, and won't really care. They'll just do the stuff the video showed on their 360's. Unless they're going after the people who'll want to change Xbox stuff on their PC's. In which case thats a pretty specific market to target. Since anyone with a gaming PC will probably be turned off by the look of all of this.

So... yeah, whats their plan, exactly?

Anyone else think it's a little funny that there are forum posts a day or so earlier that deal with the same topic as some of these news articles?

Anyway, this is just really stupid. It's probably going to piss off more gamers than attract customers, if it attracts any.

 

[RUINER ACTUAL]

I'll just copy/paste what I said about this earlier:

So... who are they targeting with this?

The casual market is already on facebook, and GFWL is nowhere near as user-friendly, so they won't be using this.
The hardcore PC gamer market isn't exactly on the best of terms with Microsoft for obvious reasons.
And everyone else either doesn't care or just uses Steam.
Any Xbox owners they'd hope to target will have Xbox's, and won't really care. They'll just do the stuff the video showed on their 360's. Unless they're going after the people who'll want to change Xbox stuff on their PC's. In which case thats a pretty specific market to target. Since anyone with a gaming PC will probably be turned off by the look of all of this.

So... yeah, whats their plan, exactly?

Good points. I've never even considered GFWL, and I really haven't heard much about it since the days of Halo 2 and Shadowrun. Who the hell is this for?

I think Microsoft makes good products, but they're always too little too late. Zune out classes the iPod in several departments, but it came out too late. WP7 is going nowhere thanks to Android. GFWL and this WGX aren't going to go anywhere because if you want to play games on your computer, you use Steam. The only way this would get moving is if it started coming pre-loaded on Windows computers, or us 360 owners have a MASSIVE incentive to micro-manage nothing on our PC.

 

[PrototypeC]

Social- "Social, OK, this is about what I expected, nothing to get upset about"

Identity- "Identity, OK, wow that's a lot of pink, doesn't anyone not use pink? So we're buying online clothes, maybe if our brains are leaking out our ears..."

Search- "Bejeweled isn't a game, it's crack cocaine for housewives"

Transaction- "Oh fuck off"

Conclusion- Microsoft has realized that we'll stick around no matter what hell they put us through, and now they're just trying to pull more people in. I don't even know what to say now. Didn't I come onto the internet today to become less depressed?!

 

[fundayz]

I'm twelve years old and what is this

 

[Antidrall]

Excuse me... I need to throw up...

 

[Ardenon]

Why does Andy Chalk takes somebody elses view as if it was his own?

 

[LonelyWizzard]

No no..must unsee... ...must unsee....

 

[Xpheyel]

Anyone else think it's a little funny that there are forum posts a day or so earlier that deal with the same topic as some of these news articles?

Anyway, this is just really stupid. It's probably going to piss off more gamers than attract customers, if it attracts any.

Exactly!

Hell, I can understand going after the casual market. Sure. And Microtransactions, yeah inevitable if unpalatable.

This thing though? A complete mystery.

On the plus side, when it launches PC gamers will be in, a-priori, from having GFWL stuck on Fallout 3 and Batman Arkham Asylum or what not... We can troll the shit out of it.



The really confusing thing is nearly everything that gained mass market appeal started out for a different reason. Smart Phone games mostly exist because of the iPhone not having flash. Facebook was giant before Farmville, it was the platform and audience for Farmville. This is more like a social network because of Farmville, with all the microtransactiony goodness front loaded. Apple marketing the iPhone as a device for Angry Birds, or tacking a shooter onto the TF2 hat simulator.

The cart has been strategically positioned ante-horse, leaving a confusing jumble that is easy to hate and yell about in comment sections. I guess, in an incredible and non-monetizing way, the social network aspect is already a success.

 

[DaMullet]

Hm. I don't think this is an April Fool's Joke, I think this is legit and is coming out.
Why? Where are people spending their money?

On Hats in Team Fortress 2
On Virtual stuff and clothing in the Sims 3
On $1 - $5 games on their iphone or smart phone.

This just seems to be a condensed version of what people are already doing and all the money is going into one pot... Creating a Monopoly.... Which hurts independants... which is the ruin of this world

Yeah. Burn it. Burn it now!

 

[Xman490]

At least it makes sense, since Microsoft has Windows. This just means that your 360 (and when this whole thing is perfected, the next Xbox) will be a Windows computer as well. It will definitely help sales.

 

[DeadEy3]

The future is far too bright and pink for my tastes...

 

[Chase Yojimbo]

... Facebook is taking over, it is the Skynet that we have always feared...

*Stands on top of stool. Places noose around neck and ties it above around a beam. Kicks stool. dangles*

 

[Christopher Bocanegra]

That was horrible, nearly as bad as the "scary thread." *Shudders*

 

[Uber Waddles]

Anyone hear that? Its the sound of Microsoft losing its integrity for PC gaming.

Seriously. What PC Gamer, in their right mind, would associate with anything that looks like THAT, when they probably have PC's that can run the most high definition blood splatter known to man?

Casual players wont stray from their obsession of choise: you wont get casual gamers to have a game with a gun in it. Simple as that.

AND STEAM. YOU WANT TO CHALLENGE STEAM, A PLATFORM THAT SELLS GAMES PISS CHEAP, AND RELIABLY, WITH FARMVILLE BACKED WITH YOUR RECORD? Please tell me Im not the only one putting these two things together...

Causal gaming is a fad. You can only milk it for so long. You cannot survive as a distributor if you ignore a CORE audience for a few dollars short term.

 

[CJ1145]

Thank god for Steam.
The only thing I never feel like criticising Valve over.

I assume you've never had to buy a game off of Steam then? It's a goddamn nightmare.

 

[KingTwelveSixteen]

Transaction

From a 99 cent virtual item to a $49.99
game, I can spend my money as I see
fit. Buying things enhances my gaming
and entertainment experience.

Wow, its like they arn't even trying to hide that they are only in it for the money anymore.

 

[FightThePower]

I can see this failing miserably. Games for Windows Live is a terrible system that causes more problems than solutions, and instead of just ditching it, they've decided to do this.

All the casual stuff makes me feel very ill, but hey, there are lots of gamers out there that like that sort of thing. But really, misspelling pwn3d just shows how out of touch they are with Core Gamers.

 

[aashell13]

*enters cone of silence*
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
*exits cone of silence*

Buying things enhances my gaming experience? WTH? I like my money much better when it's in my pocket, thank you very much.

 

[The Unworthy Gentleman]

I quite liked the look of that. While I'm a hardcore gamer I still realise that the casual market it a gold mine and also needs their share of games. All Microsoft seem to be doing is expanding on an already blooming market and is merely making new and 'better' technology available to them. No one is saying PC gamers have to use WGX, but the video still focused on the core demographic so I would hope some PC gamers approach it with an open mind and are willing to see what it brings to the table.

However, I expect it will be a lot like GFWL in the sense that it will be God awful software.