Xbox Live Moves in With Windows 8

[Squilookle]

What, no Perfect Dark XBLA on windows?

You'll have to do a lot better than that, Microsoft...

 

[IamLEAM1983]

There's an easy reaction to this, but I doubt many people will consider it.

Stick with Windows XP, Vista or 7. If Microsoft notices that the gamer community doesn't give a rat's ass about their new OS - and even Gabe Newell has problems with it, enough to consider offering a Linux-supporting version of Steam in future - then maybe the sales will speak for themselves.

I'm assuming most everyday consumers are just going to jump on the bandwagon and upgrade anyway. Gamers, though, have a responsibility to know better. That Metro app scheme is going to tear the PC gaming culture apart.

 

[MammothBlade]

I take this as a sign Microsoft has given up on the (dedicated) PC gaming market. And worse, they could butcher gaming on Windows altogether.

Microsoft seems to be moving windows 8 to be a more tightly controlled closed platform visa-vie iOS. This is complete bullshit on a desktop. I have a feeling Microsoft has a plan, a plan to squeeze out outside influence in the PC/Mobile space on windows making their store the only 'official' option.

The sneaky bastards want the 'Live' space to be integrated into how every game functions. In their warped minds this gives them and publishers a greater chance of fighting piracy but in practice i think this is a move towards a greater strangle-hold on content and use of content.

This news in its self does not disturb me. The further implications of folding an essentially closed space like XBL into windows as a front-line feature scares the shit out of me. Apple makes it hell for a developer not to pay them a cut to put something on the iPhone and i think that is appalling. Microsoft would seem to be positioning its self into the same place; content and financial dominance.

This speaks for my suspicions too. Windows 8 is not looking anything like the flexible, open, customisable OST that you'd expect from its predecessors. People can say "well, you can disable XBL if you like". The damage is already done once it's positioned as the default or official gaming platform.

 

[MammothBlade]

I take this as a sign Microsoft has given up on the (dedicated) PC gaming market. And worse, they could butcher gaming on Windows altogether.

Spoiler

Microsoft seems to be moving windows 8 to be a more tightly controlled closed platform visa-vie iOS. This is complete bullshit on a desktop. I have a feeling Microsoft has a plan, a plan to squeeze out outside influence in the PC/Mobile space on windows making their store the only 'official' option.

The sneaky bastards want the 'Live' space to be integrated into how every game functions. In their warped minds this gives them and publishers a greater chance of fighting piracy but in practice i think this is a move towards a greater strangle-hold on content and use of content.

This news in its self does not disturb me. The further implications of folding an essentially closed space like XBL into windows as a front-line feature scares the shit out of me. Apple makes it hell for a developer not to pay them a cut to put something on the iPhone and i think that is appalling. Microsoft would seem to be positioning its self into the same place; content and financial dominance.

This speaks for my suspicions too. Windows 8 is not looking anything like the flexible, open, customisable OST that you'd expect from its predecessors. People can say "well, you can disable XBL if you like". The damage is already done once it's positioned as the default or official gaming platform.

Microsoft is WAY behind in the mobile space and seems bafflingly unable to develop two different Operating Systems for two VERY DIFFERENT platforms. You can't homogenize the PC space and the Mobile space. Its a BAD move. It may look like a good move if you are the one in control but it will make a BAD PC OS.

Microsoft has not understood/cared about/heavily supported PC gaming in a long time, arguably since the launch of the Xbox, but it does now somewhat understand console gaming. So some bright spark somewhere took a break from shredding all those unsold Zunes and probably thought;

"You know, we sell a lot of games on the Xbox. Why not just make the PC into the Xbox? I'm fucking brilliant!! ...now where are my pants?" Evberything i've heard about Windows 8 makes me very very very worried. It looks like a closed platform with microsoft as re-asserting it's self as the all powerful gate-keeper. I don't like Apple and their control-freak approach to everything, a smaller market share than you would think actually does like Apple.

Stop trying to be like Apple. Windows does not need an 'apps store'. We are not too retarded to find software/games ourselves.

Exactly. The apps store is exactly the same thing. I don't like the whole merging of OS and programs into one. That and the term "APP" bugs me. What a load of pretentious hipster bullshit, what's wrong with program or application? As always the language and terminology are pretty revealing, apps just work magically with minimal thought or effort from the user - and I'm not trying to be elitist, just as a power user I find it patronising and dumbed down. It shits on the whole concept of downloading programs independently without Microsoft as some sort of middle-man. Microsoft is shoving it in the user's face - THIS is where you buy your 'apps', THIS is where you buy your games. All carefully selected and vetted by the publisher of course.

They could probably be taken to court for breach of EU competition laws, but I won't hold my breath.

 

[MammothBlade]

Exactly. The apps store is exactly the same thing. I don't like the whole merging of OS and programs into one. That and the term "APP" bugs me. What a load of pretentious hipster bullshit, what's wrong with program or application? As always the language and terminology are pretty revealing, apps just work magically with minimal thought or effort from the user - and I'm not trying to be elitist, just as a power user I find it patronizing and dumbed down. It shits on the whole concept of downloading programs independently without Microsoft as some sort of middle-man. Microsoft is shoving it in the user's face - THIS is where you buy your 'apps', THIS is where you buy your games. All carefully selected and vetted by the publisher of course.

They could probably be taken to court for breach of EU competition laws, but I won't hold my breath.

I went through this 3 years ago when the "App Store" first came i into pop-culture consciousness. People talking about downloading and running a program on a computer like it was a new innovation was mind-boggling. Apple pulls this with everything they do and its most of the reason i get so mad. They pretend to invent things.

The real kicker of the apps store is that it is a gateway, Apple is the arbiter of taste and decency on iOS platforms. It is a closed platform and even with this they are still incapable of removing blatant copy-write infringement because they still get a cut.

Wow, you can actually download programs now?! I'm so glad, I was confined to using internet explorer (from the AOL CD). I was getting a bit bored of doing nothing but using Microsoft Works and playing Solitaire.

So true, the only things that will get on the windows app store are Microsoft-vetted. That's not how it works. Trying to centralise software provision totally misses the point of a desktop PC. Third party programs are the lifeblood of Windows PCs and comprise 99.999999999% of the software (not sure how many decimal places but first party software is just a tiny fragment). None of which has to be approved by Microsoft.

Okay, this is becoming a circlejerk, preaching to the converted. I wish someone would come in and make a counter-argument or something.

 

[IanDavis]

I'm just happy for a chance to play Pac-Man Championship Edition DX. As long as Steam still runs, there will be no problems.