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Games for Windows Lives! No, wait. We’ve used that one, haven’t we? Ok, let’s go with a demand of some sort. “Deliver on your promises!” Something like that. Oops, that one’s also an oldie. How about a nice, protracted metaphor about getting with your sister, then? Huh? We’ve done that too? Darn! Well, you get our point: Microsoft’s come to us on its knees begging for forgiveness time and time again, only to take baby steps toward improvement while everyone else makes strides. So forgive us for being a bit skeptical here.
“Other companies should look to Microsoft for leadership, but I’m not sure they do. It is our job to lead the way on PC. And in some ways we are doing that and in other ways we are not. So we need to step up,” Microsoft Games Studios’ general manager Dave Luehmann told MCV.
“We are putting some real investment and big IPs behind the Windows platform. We’ve spoken of the first three, Fable III, Age of Empires Online and Microsoft Flight. However we are not going to stop there.”
Microsoft, Luehmann explained, now hopes to test the waters in all sorts of new business models – Age of Empires Online being the biggest example – clearing the way for third-party developers to dive in as well.
Granted, between what seems to be an admission of “Yeah, we screwed up just a bit,” and some tangible, soon-to-be-playable evidence, this seems to be Microsoft’s biggest PC gaming push in quite some time. And whether the software behemoth’s sentiments are sincere or not, new business models like free-to-play mean fertile soils in which to plant its money trees.
The bottom line? We’ll get a few games out of it, at the very least. And who knows? Maybe -- just maybe -- Microsoft will actually stick around this time. We, however, aren’t getting our hopes up.
Comments are closed on this article
rosesmark
September 28, 2011 at 3:05am
Gradually,Personal computer game deveopment increased.More companies focus on game development just like Angry bird.Now we also play angry bird on PC.Which is so good for Pc users.
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steevonson
September 26, 2010 at 10:28pm
By getting back into pc gaming they can further insist on consumers having the most up to date specs, i.e. Microsoft 7
Glycerin
September 25, 2010 at 6:36pm
So Kinect's creator says PC gaming is dead and Microsoft says they need to step up 3D gaming? hrmm
publicimage
September 25, 2010 at 2:25pm
My Brilliant Idea (tm) is that MS should make GFW an integral part of the Zune desktop software. Zune's interface is far superior and would get more people on board with both services. Which, in turn, I expect would create some momentum for the addition of many more titles too.
If they could also tie GFW more directly to XBox Live services, but on the PC and without the yearly fee tyvm, that would be a step in the right direction as well. As is, GFW isn't that horrible, but it's just kind of a bastard step-child to two more attractive, and more user friendly, siblings.
If they were to partner with someone, I disagree with partnering with Valve. I'd rather see them partner with one of the "little guys" like GOG or Impulse. Competition and choice is a good thing!
One issue I don't see going away anytime soon is, let's say in the case of Batman: AA, buying a game from Steam which then forces a launch of GFW. Or in the case of GTA: IV, there's three sign ins: Steam, GFW, and GTA's own multiplayer log-in too, yeesh...
I Jedi
September 25, 2010 at 9:46am
You know what Microsoft's problem is? Their problem is that they, often times, require that you have Games for Windows software, so that you can do extra features. Batman: Arkham Asylum and Halo 2 PC are pefect examples of this. Nobody should be made to put software they don't want to unto their computer. Next, these Xbox only titles need to stop, seriously. It's not enough that the PC gaming community gets shunned from good games, without Microsoft telling its own platform on the PC to go fuck itself. Examples are Halo 3 and Gears of War 2. It's time that developers/Microsoft recognized the true potential of the PC gamer market, and started developing ways to incorporate the PC into their ranks. When Microsoft finally starts releasing major Xbox titles same week as on the PC, I will then begin to believe their message of hope that they are now trying to spread.
Btw, Microsoft, in terms of the PC gaming platform, you remind me of some young man telling his girl that he'll never hurt her again. Always saying,"Just one more chance, baby, come on!" Somehow you manage to get the PC community to accept you again, only to say,"I done with you, girl! I'm going to go tap this other girl (Xbox) now.
ocnier
September 26, 2010 at 2:40am
Very true sir, the thing that gets me is that valve has it figured out for quite some time. You'd think MS would at least try to copy that model. Pretty lame on their part.
bingojubes
September 25, 2010 at 9:32am
i think it was in another recent article, where, the creator of the XBOX Kinect system bashed the PC world, saying that FPS games on kinect will overtake PC gaming? if MS continues to support their console platform, and then all of the sudden claim that they want to lead the way in PC gaming as well, seems hypocritical. Good OS, and Good Office suite are nice, but i think MS should back this "Leading the way business" by allowing PC users to play multiplayer/online with console users, as lopsided certain games might be (unless they make MMOs accessible to both platforms), and because i don't think the playstaion network supports PC + PS3 users at the same time, yet.
i think that was the core of what GFWL was supposed to be, but i guess it never took off properly. at least steam allows MAC and PC users to play together online.
igoka
September 25, 2010 at 9:27am
Don't you think we already heard that . Microsoft still makes Xbox360 exclusive games and by that they are saying " F**k you PC " . GFW was a joke !
Joe The Plummer
September 25, 2010 at 8:18am
"It is our job to lead the way on PC. And in some ways we are doing that and in other ways we are not. So we need to step up"
He calls a console port, a MMO and a dumbed down version of one of the best PC franchises (maybe not in sales) in history as their way of stepping up?
If you truly want to step up, create IP that is PC ONLY. That takes advantage of the advantages of playing on a PC vs. a console.
Microsoft has actually endangered their empire by ignoring the PC as a gaming platform and focusing on Xbox. Why? People upgraded their PC's and PC's ran Windows so developers only made games for DOS/Windows. Since the move to the console Windows is irrelevant as a gaming platform as developers develop for the consoles. And with Steam having a Mac client it shows the Mac OS is gaining steam, pardon the pun.
And if Google can make a go out of a Chrome OS Microsoft is going to lose tremendous market share for their OS and Office suite. Which is their bread and butter. They really screwed up not optimizing their OS for games. It could be their downfall.
Because who needs Windows if the best cutting edge games are on an Xbox, PS3 or Wii? And if you need to play games on a computer, you don't need a Windows machine, you can get a Mac. And if games are not your cup of tea at all and all you want to do is surf the web and email grandma, why pay a lot of $$ for a computer with Windows when you can get a much much cheaper one with a free OS from Google? Sounds far fetched? It's a beginning reality.
festiva_man
September 25, 2010 at 7:22am
Would love to see game devs get behind a version of Linux. I would kiss M$ goodbye. Granted, I do love Win 7 but I would much rather have a free OS running games. The only reason I use Windows is for gaming. Anyone know if it would be possible for devs to make a push for Linux, or is the kernel just incompatible?
gothliciouz
September 25, 2010 at 5:46am
and they need to release halo 3 and halo: reach for pc if they truly wish to support the pc community, also it's kind of lame to require to be logged on "windows live service" in order to save your progress in "single player" profile.
majorsuave
September 25, 2010 at 4:58am
At this point I believe MS should outsource GfW 'licensing' to the company that has the edge :Valve and its Steam service.
I understand some users believe Steam is a pain to install and use but it is much more straight forward than the GFW app.
It already has an achievment system, Cloud and automatic updates all things that make gaming easy. The only feat it lacks is connection to LIVE.
And nothing should prevent Valve from distributing non "licensed" games, just like you find GFW games as well as PC-DVD packages in stores
Audiogabby
September 25, 2010 at 4:50am
Microsoft need to make registration and login into GFW Live easier. That has been keeping me away of buying any of their games since Bioshock II. I had a heck of a time trying to figure things out.
rosesmark
October 10, 2011 at 8:46am
Yes,Microsoft need some more innovation and fresh tools for users because as you seen the Google+ impact on facebook.Only one day 200 million users registered account in Google plus.
RedAnt751
September 25, 2010 at 10:56pm
GFW was stillborn from the start,let the damned thing just die. Microsoft's GFW was a bad idea and should just wither and die.
I use steam for all my PC games and never looked back.
