Microsoft & You

[-smash-]

Doug Lombardi, back from sexing up Valve's next-generation puzzle shooter, Portal, at this years GDC 2007, is coming out of the gates strong. He is criticizing Microsoft, claiming that their new 'Games for Windows' services for the time being is "part of the marketing push to help Vista," and that support for PC games from Microsoft will diminish in the long run.

You know, if it were to sign up for that, that's great. If it's going to use it to promote sales of Vista, that's really not good for the industry, it's good for Microsoft in the short term ... All those people do is say the PC's dying, the console's winning, and nobody on the PC side is championing that platform. And sales data tracks retail, and there's no doubt about it, PC sales at retail are declining.

Doug also underlines the fact that even though retail outlets for PC games are slowly declining in profits, there is no foreseen sign that that medium will become phased out anytime soon. Even though there are multiple digital distribution services out there for PC gamers, there is still a majority of people who look to find a new game at the store.[br]It's a lengthy interview, but a great read. To see it all, head on over the GameIndustry.biz.

 

[Hazar]

despite the fact that it is a plug for vista I still think its a good thing to standardize how game install and some of the requirements that they should have (widescreen support for example)

 

[Opium]

PC games will really have to adapt to rampant piracy. Steam is doing a great job at that, so Valve are heading in the right direction.

 

[russ_uk]

Doug also underlines the fact that even though retail outlets for PC games are slowly declining in profits

no wonder with steam and alike

 

[mortiz]

PC games will really have to adapt to rampant piracy. Steam is doing a great job at that, so Valve are heading in the right direction.

It's got nothing to do with piracy.

What it has got do with is, as Doug says, no one's fighting in the PC's corner. Microsoft used to do it but they prefer to support the Xbox these days. Why? Because they have ownership over the Xbox platform and therefore far more control. The PC platform is an open one where anyone with notepad, some programming skills, and a compiler can write a game. You can stick your branding on individual components, such as the case, the graphics card, the processor and the operating system but you can't stick it over the whole thing and say "We own it. We made it etc” Big companies love to brand things, they love to have some form of ownership over it.

Microsoft had Windows but they didn't really have much control over who developed for it because as soon as you start increasing the scope of a platform you also start increasing its accessibility. Windows needed to be an open platform to succeed on the PC next to other operating systems such as UNIX systems, and since they didn't own the platform they couldn't possibly say "You can't develop for it", they could only provide an easier way to develop for it. Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo spend millions upon millions of dollars on advertising revenue for their consoles which completely dwarfs the amount of money being spent on advertising PC gaming.

It hasn’t got anything to do with gamers failing the PC or pirates, it’s simply big business and what makes sense for the major companies. Windows is still a big money maker for Microsoft, outstripping the Xbox’s profits by far, but they’d much prefer to divide their market up and start to exert some real influence on a major aspect, namely gaming.

 

[Gray Fox]

The cost pf PC hardware, the frequent upgrading and the many headaches getting games to work, are the biggest factors for the decline in triple A titles for the PC.

 

[Fadeaway]

The cost pf PC hardware, the frequent upgrading and the many headaches getting games to work, are the biggest factors for the decline in triple A titles for the PC.

I saw the whole jumping ship from the PC thing come a long way off during the days of the XBox (not the 360). Actually, PC Gamer saw it first, I just kept note of it. Getting the PC to work well is one of the main problems, especially from a generation which wants its violence as quickly as possible.

Then there's the fact that games which would actually work on the PC (I'm looking at you, CoD3 - if you work on the Wii, why not on a computer?). People are asking why they should bother paying a packet for a huge PC when they can just get what they need for smooth, good graphics and gameplay for a tenth of the price.

 

[cyborgguineapig]

I was at GDC for two full days and somehow missed Valve's Booth. Heard it was bad placement. Anyways, just an off topic comment. Carry on.

 

[A.I.]

Vista is the most ill-concieved product MS ever made:

http://badvista.fsf.org/what-s-wrong-with-microsoft-windows-vista

 

[Sulkdodds]

Doug Lombardi, rolling expensive cigars in dollar bills

Fixed.