XBox chief promises that this time they are REALLY REALLY PINKY-SWEAR serious about PC Gaming
Posted by Rampant Coyote on June 17, 2015
From Gamasutra:
XBox chief admits Microsoft “lost its way” in PC game market
“There have been times in our past where maybe Microsoft has lost its way with PC gaming,” Spencer said, adding that games are critical to Microsoft and Windows’ success.
REALLY? No kidding?
You know, this might be encouraging if we didn’t hear EXACTLY THE SAME FRICKIN’ THING every single time Microsoft releases a new version of Windows. “Oh, gee, we totes ignored games last time, but THIS TIME we’ll do better, I promise! Install our new version of Windows, and we’ll make gaming rawk for you!”
Gee, remember that gigantic “Games for Windows Live” push that they made, even buying up Computer Gaming World magazine and re-branding it as proof that Microsoft was BACK with Vista, baby, and gaming was a key part of their strategy?
Yeah, turned out that was nothing but marketing hype, and they killed the magazine once the marketing drive was over.
Yes, but this time it’s different, we’re promised in an article from before the interview.
Oh, yeah. And don’t worry, we’re not competing directly against Steam. Nope.
And Hitler really only wanted Poland. Okay, no, I’m not trying to compare Microsoft to Hitler on any broad basis, Godwin’s Law objectors. I’m merely saying that the camel just wants to stick its nose in this here tent for a breather, that’s all, promise!
Yeah. Promises.
What does Microsoft really want?
I think it’s pretty obvious that they want the App Store for Windows. They want a piece of the action for every single program sold for Windows. I’m not saying they are going to get it, but they are trying. They keep trying and failing. Games for Windows Live. Windows Marketplace. And now, making the Windows Store the exclusive sales channel for Metro-style apps, that was a major shot across the bow. Oh, sure, conventional desktop software will continue to be nice and open. Just like DOS-based apps… you can still make and distribute those, you know.
But guess what’s going to get the red-headed stepchild treatment in the future, assuming they manage to get enough traction and not screw things up this time around?
Anyway – bottom line, Microsoft keeps holding the football like Lucy van Pelt, promising to hold it so we gamers as Charlie Brown can kick it to the moon. Who knows? Maybe this time it’ll be different. It could happen.
Honestly, I want to believe. All Charlie Brown-like.
But while Windows 10 seems like a nice step away from what I felt was kind of a nuclear option with Windows 8, I’m still hesitant to see Windows as my own future in PC gaming. For now, it’s a convenient port in the storm, still, and I suspect Windows 10 will be pretty decent. But as a game developer, I’m still no longer considering it a primary platform. Just “one of.” I’ll keep using third-party engines that support easy multiplatform development.
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OttoMoBiehl said,
“I think it’s pretty obvious that they want the App Store for Windows. They want a piece of the action for every single program sold for Windows.”
Oh Lord I hope not! I’m not a big fan of the Apple App store and X-Code is tough to use because they naturally assume whatever you are developing is going to be uploaded to the app store. So it is hard to find the release build of your project unless your Google-Fu is good or you’ve been through the process before.
As far as this Microsoft news goes…I don’t believe it. I think they’d rather have everybody on XBox. I think this is simply more lips service.
I guess I’m cynical.
Spaceman Spiff said,
What does Microsoft really want?
I think it’s pretty obvious that they want the App Store for Windows. They want a piece of the action for every single program sold for Windows. I’m not saying they are going to get it, but they are trying.
That is *Exactly* what they want, as heard from people working at Microsoft in a position to see the decisions first hand.
As a company, Microsoft currently has a severe case of ‘Apple Envy’, and high level execs have commitments to capture as much of that 30% of everything sold goodness as possible. And in a way, that’s sets the seeds of each attempt’s failure – everything is focused on the revenue capture to the exclusion of things like “Does this offer a benefit to the end user”. Think of a me-to mobile f2p game that is super heavy on the monitization mechanics while the actual gameplay was barely an afterthought.
And thy are also overlooking the fact that even the OSX app store revenue is but a shadow of the iOS app store’s take. That plus Window’s long history of being an open software platform ….
Maybe they’ll do better this time, but I’m not betting money on it.
CdrJameson said,
I think we want Microsoft as far away from gaming as possible, based on previous efforts.
ogg said,
I don’t see any useful-to-me new features in windows 10, but if they try to walled garden real programs I’ll be co-installing Ubuntu inside of half an hour. PC’s just should not be locked down this way. Even IBM had that figured out. The open model has worked for 3 decades, and there are pcs in places where an I-thing wouldn’t make an effective doorstop. I’m not a businessperson, but I wouldn’t envy Apple, I’d be mourning their fall. If Windows goes really stupid there’s always linux and ReactOS.