Windows Store Won't Sell Adult-Rated Games

[Megacherv]

Yes, WindowsRT which is only supported on ARM devices which won't support anything on Steam in the first place, which makes it irrelevant in the whole 'Steam/Origin/etc. app' argument.

Well, Valve have ported Steam and their games to OSX and are porting to Linux, so they are quite capable of porting to ARM. Just because no WinRT ARM builds of any major game exist now, doesn't mean the couldn't exist.

ARM isn't just a different OS it's an entire different CPU architecture, which would require an entire re-compilation and likely large re-write of a lot of games. Epic have UE3 working on WinRT but that's about it. WinRT is made to be a portable tablet OS, not as a proper desktop-style machine. That's like using your phone as a server.

I know that. There is no reason why Windows on ARM would require more effort than porting to OSX, WinRT has DirectX so you don't have to worry about adding OpenGL support.

And Unreal already supports officially supports ARM with IOS and Android. As does Unity. And both have announced support for Windows RT.

And I will repeat myself. Just because MS would prefer Windows RT to be used on Tablet devices does not mean it is crippled (other than being limited to Windows Store apps). You appear to be confusing Windows RT with Windows Phone 8. They are seperate OS's

As to your comment about servers, there are already several companies marketing ARM based low cost low power servers. While Windows Server 2012 doesn't support ARM, If the market grows Microsoft WILL jump on the bandwagon

Okay, I'm going to put thisin simple terms: WinRT not having Steam/etc. is irrelevant. WinRT is meant as a tablet OS that runs on ARM devices and is meant to be a competitor to Android tablets and the iPad. It is not meant to be used as a proper desktop OS. Win8 Pro is the option if you want a desktop-replacement tablet, which will have to be x86 tablets, which won't be confined to the Metro UI.

Also, I will reiterate to everyone: Microsoft will not make their main desktop OS closed. What they're doing here is having an ecosystem. If Microsoft closed off Windows in its main version, they would lose all their users to Linux, which they don't want, and they know that that's what will happen.

EDIT: Actually, back to you, do you understand the difference between an OS and a CPU architecture

 

[Andrew_C]

Okay, I'm going to put thisin simple terms: WinRT not having Steam/etc. is irrelevant. WinRT is meant as a tablet OS that runs on ARM devices and is meant to be a competitor to Android tablets and the iPad. It is not meant to be used as a proper desktop OS. Win8 Pro is the option if you want a desktop-replacement tablet, which will have to be x86 tablets, which won't be confined to the Metro UI.

Also, I will reiterate to everyone: Microsoft will not make their main desktop OS closed. What they're doing here is having an ecosystem. If Microsoft closed off Windows in its main version, they would lose all their users to Linux, which they don't want, and they know that that's what will happen.

EDIT: Actually, back to you, do you understand the difference between an OS and a CPU architecture

And I will also reitirate. People who buy Windows RT devices will also want to play games (Or should I say, ARM powered devices running Windows RT?).

And yes, I really do think that Microsoft would close off their main OS if they could get away with it. Registered developers can get permission to sideload apps in Windows RT, which in Microsoft's mind would take care of the issue of companies needing to run specialized applications on their PC's. If you think Microsoft gives a damn about the consumer market, apart from as a wedge into the corporate market, think again.

And yes I understand the difference between a CPU architecture and an Operating system.

VMS is an Operating System. Unix is an Operating System. OSX is an Operating System. BSD is an Operating System. Windows is an Operating System (many would disagree). OS/360 is an Operating System. OS/2 (EComstation these days) is an Operating System. Believe it or not, but Plan 9 From Bell Labs is also an Operating System.

MIPS is a CPU Architecture. IA32/x86 is a CPU Architecture. IA64 (AKA Itanic) is a CPU Architecture. x86_64 is a different CPU Architecture from IA 64. PowerPC is a CPU Architecture. SPARC is a CPU Architecture. ARM is a CPU architecture. Did I mention VAX was a CPU architecture as well?

EDIT: And Linux has never been a serious threat to Windows on the desktop and never will be. People are moving away from Windows on the desktop, but they are moving to OSX and Tablet devices, not Linux desktops.

 

[babinro]

Since you can still install Steam and Origin on a Win8 computer, this story isn't worth the web space it's taking up.

I think you're missing the point.

The fact that their games will not be available in the Windows store is a huge marketing drawback since it's going to be the dominant operating system in the average home.

This could easily sway developers to pull back the content to get the lower rating.

What this means to a game exactly I don't know.
Could just mean we'll have no more pointless sex scenes in games like Mass Effect.
Maybe it'll be a reduction in gore or certain adult themes, hard to say.

 

[Megacherv]

Okay, I'm going to put thisin simple terms: WinRT not having Steam/etc. is irrelevant. WinRT is meant as a tablet OS that runs on ARM devices and is meant to be a competitor to Android tablets and the iPad. It is not meant to be used as a proper desktop OS. Win8 Pro is the option if you want a desktop-replacement tablet, which will have to be x86 tablets, which won't be confined to the Metro UI.

Also, I will reiterate to everyone: Microsoft will not make their main desktop OS closed. What they're doing here is having an ecosystem. If Microsoft closed off Windows in its main version, they would lose all their users to Linux, which they don't want, and they know that that's what will happen.

EDIT: Actually, back to you, do you understand the difference between an OS and a CPU architecture

And I will also reitirate. People who buy Windows RT devices will also want to play games (Or should I say, ARM powered devices running Windows RT?).

And yes, I really do think that Microsoft would close off their main OS if they could get away with it. Registered developers can get permission to sideload apps in Windows RT, which in Microsoft's mind would take care of the issue of companies needing to run specialized applications on their PC's. If you think Microsoft gives a damn about the consumer market, apart from as a wedge into the corporate market, think again.

And yes I understand the difference between a CPU architecture and an Operating system.

VMS is an Operating System. Unix is an Operating System. OSX is an Operating System. BSD is an Operating System. Windows is an Operating System (many would disagree). OS/360 is an Operating System. OS/2 (EComstation these days) is an Operating System. Believe it or not, but Plan 9 From Bell Labs is also an Operating System.

MIPS is a CPU Architecture. IA32/x86 is a CPU Architecture. IA64 (AKA Itanic) is a CPU Architecture. x86_64 is a different CPU Architecture from IA 64. PowerPC is a CPU Architecture. SPARC is a CPU Architecture. ARM is a CPU architecture. Did I mention VAX was a CPU architecture as well?

EDIT: And Linux has never been a serious threat to Windows on the desktop and never will be. People are moving away from Windows on the desktop, but they are moving to OSX and Tablet devices, not Linux desktops.

Who the fuck buys a tablet for hardcore gaming? You can't get WinRT as a standalone OS, you can only get it buy buying a WinRT tablet.

Also, do you know the difference between Intel/AMD and ARM architecture

 

[Andrew_C]

Who the fuck buys a tablet for hardcore gaming? You can't get WinRT as a standalone OS, you can only get it buy buying a WinRT tablet.

Also, do you know the difference between Intel/AMD and ARM architecture

Who's talking about hardcore gaming? You are the one who's been going on about tablets not being used for gaming when that is self-evidently inaccurate. One only has to look at the Apple and Google App Stores.

And yes I do know the difference between Intel and ARM. And I am aware that they are totally different architectures. But unless you are writing assembly code that isn't particularly important. Whether you understand is another question.

EDIT: Are you trying to say that there is no ARM based hardware powerful enough to run a current-gen AAA title? I won't argue there, but I will point out that that is more of a GPU and RAM issue than a CPU issue, and that ARM based devices are getting more powerful all the time.

 

[Megacherv]

Who the fuck buys a tablet for hardcore gaming? You can't get WinRT as a standalone OS, you can only get it buy buying a WinRT tablet.

Also, do you know the difference between Intel/AMD and ARM architecture

Who's talking about hardcore gaming? You are the one who's been going on about tablets not being used for gaming when that is self-evidently inaccurate. One only has to look at the Apple and Google App Stores.

And yes I do know the difference between Intel and ARM. And I am aware that they are totally different architectures. But unless you are writing assembly code that isn't particularly important. Whether you understand is another question.

EDIT: Are you trying to say that there is no ARM based hardware powerful enough to run a current-gen AAA title? I won't argue there, but I will point out that that is more of a GPU and RAM issue than a CPU issue, and that ARM based devices are getting more powerful all the time.

If you're not talking about hardcore gaming, then why is Steam/Origin/etc. required for WinRT? I've been saying that it's only made for app-based programs, which tablet games are.

Yes I do know the difference, and it does matter, because there's a lot of compiler work and potentially (depending on your method of porting) a lot of rewriting using pre-processor directives. The other option is having an intermediate language , such as the MSIL that's used in .NET, which is how apps for Windows 8 can be developed for simultaneously for x86 and ARM architectures.

Also, something you said earlier about me getting WinRT and WP8 mixed up...how? I never referred to WP8

 

[Gordon_4_v1legacy]

Since you can still install Steam and Origin on a Win8 computer, this story isn't worth the web space it's taking up.

I think you're missing the point.

The fact that their games will not be available in the Windows store is a huge marketing drawback since it's going to be the dominant operating system in the average home.

This could easily sway developers to pull back the content to get the lower rating.

What this means to a game exactly I don't know.
Could just mean we'll have no more pointless sex scenes in games like Mass Effect.
Maybe it'll be a reduction in gore or certain adult themes, hard to say.

No developer who doesn't need to be sectioned under the Mental Health act is going to go "I'll just spend thousands of dollars to edit this game so I can put it on a shitty distribution service like Windows store". Don't be bloody absurd, Steam and Origin (whatever its faults) are not under threat by Windows Store as a new distribution point. Steam has served them well and is looking at being the only tri-OS game distribution client: MS would have to promise hookers and blow with every purchase to beat that.

 

[Andrew_C]

Who the fuck buys a tablet for hardcore gaming? You can't get WinRT as a standalone OS, you can only get it buy buying a WinRT tablet.

Also, do you know the difference between Intel/AMD and ARM architecture

Who's talking about hardcore gaming? You are the one who's been going on about tablets not being used for gaming when that is self-evidently inaccurate. One only has to look at the Apple and Google App Stores.

And yes I do know the difference between Intel and ARM. And I am aware that they are totally different architectures. But unless you are writing assembly code that isn't particularly important. Whether you understand is another question.

EDIT: Are you trying to say that there is no ARM based hardware powerful enough to run a current-gen AAA title? I won't argue there, but I will point out that that is more of a GPU and RAM issue than a CPU issue, and that ARM based devices are getting more powerful all the time.

If you're not talking about hardcore gaming, then why is Steam/Origin/etc. required for WinRT? I've been saying that it's only made for app-based programs, which tablet games are.

Yes I do know the difference, and it does matter, because there's a lot of compiler work and potentially (depending on your method of porting) a lot of rewriting using pre-processor directives. The other option is having an intermediate language , such as the MSIL that's used in .NET, which is how apps for Windows 8 can be developed for simultaneously for x86 and ARM architectures.

Also, something you said earlier about me getting WinRT and WP8 mixed up...how? I never referred to WP8

It's quite obvious we will never come to agreement, so this will be my last response on this matter.

I didn't say they were required. I said that people will want to game, the Windows Store from past history will not fulfill that need adequately, that there was no good reason for MS to disable installing software yourself on Windows RT and that that was a troubling foresight into the future of Windows in general.

As a matter of interest a good half of the Games on Steam appear to be "casual" games.

I am well aware that your software will end up with a mess of ifdefs when porting to Windows RT, that will happen when porting to any platform. Although it appears that MS have ensured it will be more effort than it's worth writing an application for the Windows Store using MinGW.

And the reason I asked about Windows Phone was you going on about Windows RT being unsuited to gaming. I agree that Microsoft's policies make it unsuitable for gaming at the moment, but I don't think Windows RT or ARM are inherently unsuited to gaming.

 

[Lyvric]

I'm not thrilled, but I'm also not surprised.

I've worked with cellphones for a while now and in my sales I've seen a lot of time and money in the Windows OS for apps and software fail terribly. We barely stock windows phones and people don't bother asking for them. It feels like they're trying to take that lost time and work and pour it into computers. Compensating if you so wish.

I'll most likely stick with 7 for quite a while like I did 98. Many other systems like windows 8 are open on so many devices (tablets, phones, macs and so forth.) I'm happy having access to a little bit of everything.