Valve and Blizzard to boycot windows 8?

[BloodOmen]

Certainly don't sound happy about it.

http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/07/27/valve-blizzard-wary-of-windows-8/

Personally I'll stick with Windows 7, 8 looks fucking horrible UI wise even tho its meant to be less of a resource hog than Windows 7 (which lets face it you just don't notice with a decent computer)

 

[Overdriven]

Saw the Valve one some days ago, Microsoft mustn't be happy. Also with Gabe saying he's going to be looking at Linux more too.. Blizzard could be a shocker.

 

[Sar]

Quite frankly, if Blizzard can get native support for Linux in their games, and Steam are successful at getting their entire catalogue to work in it as well, there will be very little stopping me switching once Win7 runs its course. Bearing in mind though that WinXP last me a good 8 years minimum.

The only thing I'd miss is the likes of Photoshop/Premiere Pro and decent video recording software.

Win8 looks to be a huge mis-step by MS, akin to WinME/Vista, only more so. And they'll turn punters away in droves if they lock games purchases down to the Windows store. Personally I don't think they're that stupid, to go down the Apple route on what is an open platform, but you never know 100% with MS.

 

[Cyradix]

Been using Win 8 for months now. Works great and is faster than Win 7. The metro UI is indeed crap for a desktop but I hardly notice it as I spend maybe 1% of my time on the metro UI
I boot straight in to desktop mode (using classic shell http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/)
Why would I as a gamer even care if the game I buy supports the metro UI? All my current games work just fine on Win 8 (and even start from their icon on the metro UI)
All just scaremongering imo...

 

[Mabs]

Quite frankly, if Blizzard can get native support for Linux in their games, and Steam are successful at getting their entire catalogue to work in it as well, there will be very little stopping me switching once Win7 runs its course. Bearing in mind though that WinXP last me a good 8 years minimum.

qft

i skip versions.. 98SE, XP, 7....?

 

[Sar]

Been using Win 8 for months now. Works great and is faster than Win 7. The metro UI is indeed crap for a desktop but I hardly notice it as I spend maybe 1% of my time on the metro UI
I boot straight in to desktop mode (using classic shell http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/)
Why would I as a gamer even care if the game I buy supports the metro UI? All my current games work just fine on Win 8 (and even start from their icon on the metro UI)
All just scaremongering imo...

The fact that you have to resort to 3rd party software to avoid the Metro UI pretty much says it all really.

 

[Cyradix]

Yeah, but that's just what it is. It's an extra UI slapped on top. Windows 8 is as open as Windows 7.
They are afraid Microsoft will limit access to its marketplace and take 30% of every sale?
Well... Valve takes 30% already at the moment!
You can still install anything you want so a game doesn't have to be on the microsoft marketplace for you to be able to play it. You can still buy a physical copy or use steam/origin/whatever.
The only difference you'll notice with a game you bought via the MS marketplace is a nice shiny metro icon...
Microsoft would shoot itself in the foot if it limits the marketplace.
Valve just sees it as competition and is making some anti Win 8 noise...

 

[Job]

When are MS going to make an OS for the next century?
They have just been rehashing the same bloated bolaks since win95.
My android phone can sit for 5 days on standby and instaboot to any app..why don't laptops do the same?

 

[ECA]

Of course Steam are negative about Win8, if there is a "games" section in the windows store it could potentially steal a lot of their income.

 

[MYstIC G]

I think the issue here is that Microsoft want to put themselves in the revenue stream for the software along the lines that Apple have successfully managed, i.e. taking millions of tiny slices instead of thousands of larger ones ends up better for them.

Frankly I don't disagree with Valve here, if you'd have to buy Steam off of Windows Marketplace for example Steam could be doing all the donkey work and Microsoft would be getting a cut for what exactly?

Everyone getting stuff running on Windows is what made it successful. If they crimp that too much they'll end up in a crappy middle ground between Apple (hand over the keys but it all works) and Linux (keep all the keys and it works if you make it) which will imho be horrible.

 

[Raven]

Windows is doomed if it locks itself down too much. The whole reason it is successful is that it just works without any fucking around (most of the time)

As soon as they start restricting stuff then they become pointless.

Only cunts who don't know any better, love being told what and where by Apple. If Microsoft try that route they will lose hard. There are only so many mouth breathers to go around.

Sticking with windows 7. It works.

 

[wolfeeh]

When are MS going to make an OS for the next century?
They have just been rehashing the same bloated bolaks since win95.
My android phone can sit for 5 days on standby and instaboot to any app..why don't laptops do the same?

Well go and stick the entire OS on flash and it will

 

[soze]

Current version of Windows 8 let's you install what you like. This is all a moot point and pointless bitching. There is nothing to suggest MS will ban the installation of non market place apps. Until that is announced this is pointless.

 

[SheepCow]

AFAIK MS have never said they're going to lock anything down

 

[Athan]

I believe they ARE locking down Windows 8 ... on ARM. It's got the whole secure boot thing as mandatory, and also, to quote wikipedia:

Windows on ARM processors (Windows RT) will only support applications included with the system (including some Office 15 desktop applications), supplied through Windows Update, or Metro applications acquired through the Windows Store. Windows on ARM will not support running, emulating, or porting existing x86/64 desktop applications to ensure the quality of apps available on ARM..

Windows 8 x86 is indeed a different matter. Try not to conflate the two in Windows 8 discussions.

 

[SheepCow]

I believe they ARE locking down Windows 8 ... on ARM. It's got the whole secure boot thing as mandatory, and also, to quote wikipedia:

Windows 8 x86 is indeed a different matter. Try not to conflate the two in Windows 8 discussions.

So they're locking down the tablet / phone / mobile stuff, not desktops

 

[wolfeeh]

Fine by me.

 

[soze]

Also with how well XBox Live works does anyone really worry about M$ adding that to the PC Platform? Live Gold carries with your account across platforms so giving the PC's the ability to do the same could be sweet, and competition could force the price down.

 

[Athan]

They already did add 'Live' to the PC platform, it's called Games For Windows Live. I could not get this working (several rounds of un/reinstalling GWFL itself AND the game) with Batman: Arkham Asylum... but it's working fine now for Batman: Arkham City without me having done anything else. It smacks of a bad API specification meaning some games only work with a certain version of the GWFL DLLs or somesuch.

I find it vaguely amusing that B:AC achievements register on both GFWL and Steam simultaneously.

 

[Aada]

They already did add 'Live' to the PC platform, it's called Games For Windows Live. I could not get this working (several rounds of un/reinstalling GWFL itself AND the game) with Batman: Arkham Asylum... but it's working fine now for Batman: Arkham City without me having done anything else. It smacks of a bad API specification meaning some games only work with a certain version of the GWFL DLLs or somesuch.

I find it vaguely amusing that B:AC achievements register on both GFWL and Steam simultaneously.

I've never had a problem with GFWL ever with any game that uses it and i've played around 12 games on the PC that use it, i don't understand how people can have problems with it.

Download the program install like a normal monkey and it works, i think people generally just fucking bash it because PC gamers are fussy cunts and MUST have it their way or the highway.

All the fuss with Dark Souls when that was announced for the PC, PC gamers have been begging for that series on the PC for some time and From Software gave them that with GFWL and the PC gamer's were up in arms and boycotting the game.

Cunts just cunts.

 

[old.Tohtori]

Hell, this happens with every windows that comes out.

 

[caLLous]

It really doesn't, but carry on.

It's a very specific point that they're skirting around with all their scaremongering. It's basically what ECA said. A MS-only app store will lock out a lot of Steam's (et al) potential income so they are making noise about how disastrous win8 will be when, in fact, they're just scared about lost revenue. Never before has MS had it's own platform in Windows for releasing apps so I don't know how it happens with every Windows that comes out.

 

[Athan]

Yeah, totally ignore that I stated that no amount of un/reinstall of both GFWL itself or the affected game could get it to work with on-line profiles.

I've not actually found any issue with GFWL in those games it's worked OK on. Indeed it could simply have been an issue with B:AA itself, but much googling around (and steam support, and GFWL support etc) didn't find a solution that worked for me.

 

[old.Tohtori]

It really doesn't, but carry on.

Meant the rabblerabble, but carry on.

 

[Ormorof]

i skipped Vista entirely and am now using Windows 7, doubt i will upgrade again unless theres something drastically wonderful in Win8 or if i get a free copy from Uni or somesuch

and from reading some articles it seems that its mostly Valve whining, i doubt Blizzard will do anything, but they might make more effort to make Linux easier to use with their games if their revenue stream is threatened

my problem with Steam is that they claim to cut out alot of the publisher crap and thus make games cheaper, but from my experience unless the game is on sale it is usually the same price or more expensive than on the high street (in one instance i found a cheaper copy in Gamestop for a game that can only be run through steam which seemed a bit bizarre)

 

[Tom]

Yeah but hats.

 

[Raven]

Also with how well XBox Live works does anyone really worry about M$ adding that to the PC Platform? Live Gold carries with your account across platforms so giving the PC's the ability to do the same could be sweet, and competition could force the price down.

It depends if they charge a monthly fee for it. Nobody in their right mind would pay a monthly fee to be able to play their games (MMOs are a different matter)

 

[Poag]

I thought from Newells interview that their concern was that Microsoft would pull and Apple and do a Windows Store along the same lines as Apple. Locking up the OS so things like Steam/Battle.net could not exist without using MS store.

Either way, windows 7 has many years of life left in it. If MS go that route then Valve/Blizz will push Linux gaming development along (which would be good either way) then when Windows 7 final gives up the ghost there should be a decent OS to install.

 

[caLLous]

Meant the rabblerabble, but carry on.

Well quote what you're replying to then. It's your first post in the thread, you make no reference to what happens "with every windows that comes out", so it's logical to assume you're responding to the original post.

Valve are just crying because they pioneered online distribution and have been a driving force of it ever since and they have absolutely no control of the situation other than trying to put people off Win8.

 

[MYstIC G]

Well they're hardly crying are they. The fact that they've got a solid working money making distribution platform is a testament to Valve.

All this really boils down to is focusing the looking glass on Microsoft to make sure that they don't kill off all opportunity going forward.