Microsoft: more must be done with PC gaming
Microsoft wants to push for more games in the PC market, according to Xbox head Phil Spencer.
When it comes to gaming, Microsoft couldn't be more focused as far as the Xbox One is concerned, as it plans to announce a number of big projects for the console next week. However, that isn't the only medium that the company is reaching out for, as it intends to do more gaming-oriented content for PC as well.
Phil Spencer, Xbox head of games, explained that the PC market should get just as big a focus as console gaming. When a fan inquired about a re-release of Rise of Nations on Steam, Spencer replied through his Twitter account (via Gamespot). "Steam is a great place to sell Win32 games. We acquired the IP for future work; I'm a big fan of the franchise."
But that's not all. When a user asked if such games would come to Games For Windows (in favor of downloading Steam), Spencer was quick to respond. "I agree that Microsoft needs to up our gaming presence on Windows. Part of my Xbox role is to bring back our Windows gaming focus." However, there's bound to be a different means to bringing them to the service, as Games For Windows Live is rumored to be shutting down next month. (A new way to get games is expected to be announced, perhaps as soon as E3 next week.)
Microsoft will continue to push for new ways to get games, as it's very pleased with the progress of some developers, such as Valve. Spencer has expressed gratitude towards the company in the past, and has promised "more focus" from the PC games division as a result.
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Shacknews
replyRobert Workman posted a new article, Microsoft: more must be done with PC gaming.
Microsoft wants to push for more games in the PC market, according to Xbox head Phil Spencer.-
I'm pretty sure we've heard this before, numerous times. They need to walk the walk and not just talk the talk.
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Yep., it's almost a yearly thing. Followed shortly after by a bucket full of lip-service.
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Yep, when the big Xbox games start coming to PC too then maybe I'll believe, but I mean its just all talk at this point. Its annoying. Either get on board or get out of the way completely.
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Should we just update the counter each time MS says this? I swear this was said at the end of 2013. Then the beginning of 2013, etc.
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This is really funny coming just a few weeks from GFWL shutting down, breaking many games that people paid real money for not that long ago.
The last thing we need is for Microsoft to make another half-assed play into the PC market. I hope Steam OS eventually gains enough traction to allow us to leave Windows altogether.-
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I believe they already have.
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here is how to archive your DLC if you bought it on GFWL
http://forums.bethsoft.com/topic/952244-getting-started-with-dlc/?p=23242105
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I actually believe it this time. If you remember the days back when MS was a game studio, it really did put it's muscle and it's war chest behind PC gaming. That's really where we go DirectX. Say what you will for DX10-11.x, but MS pushing DirectX through 9 really did a number of things for the industry. MS poured money into developers to get them up and running on the standard, put money into marketing, gave us gaming focused hardware that lead to industry leaders like CM (yeah, a some lame products too, but at least they were trying). It's what most of us remember as the golden era of PC gaming.
So, can they do it? Sure, they did it before. Is Spencer the guy to do it? Well, he could be. He's got some experience and some wins under his belt to draw on. He's got this bad calls too, so it's not an automatic vote for me. But, I think there's enough that lining up to remain hopeful.
Oh, and let's not forget the added pressure from Apple. This will lead to a gaming unification between Windows desktop, phone, tablet and Xbox. That should be a pretty big win and help keep MS in front of both Apple and Sony. So, they've got a lot riding on being able to pull it off. For us, through, the question will be if it's the same closed ecosystem approach as Apple and thus they try to force Steam to either play in that ecosystem or MS tried to kick them to the curb. That obviously won't play well with any Shacker. -
They had really great tools with Visual Studio 2010 and XNA, but then support dropped off. They only recently did an XNA refresh for VS 2012/2013, but it turned a lot of developers off to have such a huge break in support. I'd like to see more tutorials for beginners, and more showcasing of up and coming developers using their platform. Since there's lots of other tools out there, they need to give some incentive for creative people to use their stuff! C'mon Microsoft. Gimmie something!
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Hah okay Microsoft. You paved the road for console exclusives, fuckers.
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What? What did they do to pave the way?
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What about the [insert basically any game to come out before halo]? Mario Games were console exclusives...
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As usual there is more to the story. Bungie was having financial difficulties and probably wouldn't have got the game out anyway. After the Myth II debacle they were in trouble. Microsoft bankrolled them and we probably ended up with a better game.
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What does that have to do with MS delaying Halo on PC for a ~year after XB?
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What? How so? Plenty of exclusives before Microsoft entered the fray.
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Word. ^^^
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Forza Horizons 2 now for 360, Xbox One and not PC. Really pushing that market.
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Forza On PC with Oculus Rift support would = really awesome
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Riiiiiight, Microsoft. Nobody believes you.
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GAME FOR WINDOWS LIVE 2
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Is Microsoft aware of the fact that they just shut down GFWL? Maybe they should look into that first.
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Except they probably don't see it that way and felt they had no choice considering how few people actually liked it.
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It was a pretty poorly designed and somewhat clunky service. Frankly it needed better support than what they gave it in order to succeed.
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I think they intentionally designed GFWL to burn people playing Windows games so badly that they can't play the game anymore without buying another yearly subscription to XBox gold.
Either that, or Microsoft has some incompetent people working on GFWL.-
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GFWL was a boycott.. on Microsoft part? Or is that something you were recommending to shackers?
I mean, I could see it being a boycott on Microsoft's part.
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It wouldn't be the first time.
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That's pretty much why Valve is pursuing Steamos.
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Do they even make 32bit processors nowadays?
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Aren't all processors capable of being 32 bit?
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my cpu is a neural net processor. a learning computer.
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Win32 has nothing to do with 32 vs 64 bit
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Are you sure?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_API#Versions-
There is lot of quirky naming conventions for windows for legacy reasons. There are plenty of 64bit libraries that go by the 32bit name like OpenGL32.dll for instance.
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Not steam, not for new games anyway "Steam is a great place to sell Win32 games."
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He should have just said "Fuck Steam" and been clearer on what he was trying to say.
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So Age of Empires announcement at E3. On Windows Phone
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They did. You can buy Halo: Spartan Assault on the Windows 8 App Store! WOO!
http://apps.microsoft.com/windows/en-us/app/halo-spartan-assault/8fe2d694-baa2-4011-99c0-3a22216223bb
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http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/02/11/microsoft-really-really-is-into-pc-this-time-apparently/
"So we’re really going after PC."
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/11/08/microsoft-still-loves-you-will-bring-first-party-games-to-pc/
“I think it’s fair to say that we’ve lost our way a bit in supporting Windows games,” says Microsoft Studios VP Phil Spencer in an interview with Shacknews. “But we’re back.”
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He added that something should be really done about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict as well.
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Exactly.
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I have a really hard time believing Microsoft. Outside of the technical side of things such as DirectX, their PC support has been all over the place. They have literally done nothing in years to help promote awareness of the PC being a perfectly viable gaming platform and leaving that to 3rd parties publishers and distributors. Right or wrong but it feels like they intentionally made PC gaming a redhead-stepchild to the Xbox business.
The times Microsoft did show an interest in PC gaming it was only to serve as a gateway to get people to buy an Xbox (GFWL integration). Killing franchises like Flight Simulator or reviving Age of Empires as a f2p game certainly didn't them any favor with PC gamers. -
"Steam is a great place to sell Win32 games." How condescending of Phil Spencer (and inaccurate, since Steam also provides access to OS X and Linux games). I notice a lot of line-drawing from Microsoft employees between "Win32" programs, "Legacy Windows" programs, and "Modern" programs. They seem to be in continued denial of WIndows 8's ultra-slow market adoption, that it's another Vista.
And unless something's changed, Kevin Unangst, the former Games for Windows Live head honcho, is still the Global XBox Marketing Director for Microsoft Studios. http://www.shacknews.com/article/83759/halo-spartan-assault-fight-onto-steam-on-april-4?id=31686985
Anything from Microsoft doing PC games at this point is probably going to involve game streaming and/or Azure, and Windows 8. I don't know if Halo: Spartan Assault is anything more than Microsoft testing the waters, but it's sad, because it's the same avenue that "Windows 8 showcase" game Skulls of the Shogun went, http://www.shacknews.com/article/79851/skulls-of-the-shogun-dev-says-microsoft-exclusivity-hurt-
I didn't see that as condescending or inaccurate. Maybe when taken totally out of context.
He was talking about Rise of Nations specifically in a response to a question from someone asking why they were bringing it to Steam. A lot of older Windows and even DOS games are given a good second life on Steam. And since they bought the rights to it, and the game has never been on Steam before, and games like that seem to do okay on Steam it makes a lot of sense. People seem really excited about it, too.
And the more stuff they get on there and sell, the better chances there are for newer properties (if any exist) to show up on other platforms like Steam as well. If they've learned anything from their past mistakes, that is. Stuff like this shows they are at least trying to branch out, but it's not much of a risk as it's already a highly regarded classic PC game.-
Maybe when taken totally out of context.
Maybe when taken totally out of context.
Maybe when taken totally out of context.
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(I did actually forget my Vitamin D this morning.)
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Microsoft: 'Something must be done about the PC games market. Just not by us.'
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Put Halo 2 on Steam with working MP and we'll talk.
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"Microsoft must be done with PC gaming." Can't believe I didn't think of that title rework earlier.
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Yeah we like the PC! Honest! *pats PC gamer's heads*
*continues throwing money at XBone and buying publishers hookers and coke*
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Problem is everyone knows they don't actually care about this stuff.
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Microsoft has no incentive whatsoever to do anything for PC gaming ahead of XBox. The best they could accomplish by doing that is to sell more copies of Windows, and it would be a pretty marginal change compared to today. They're not going to do anything unless another OS shows real signs of stealing PC gaming away from them.
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I try not to be cynical but seriously, we've heard this all before. Actions speak louder than words, Microsoft.
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Wasn't there talks about MS building an Windows OS that has a gaming mode which can boot up into a Steam OS / Big Picture mode which runs and looks similar to the 360/xbone interface which includes your microsoft friends list, games list, streaming services, store and digital downloads?
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Halo 3 or 4 on pc would be a good start!
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they are dead to me until they Ensemble some Studios to make another Age Of Empires.
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