Microsoft just made me die a little inside

[GSZX1337]

I gave up following the corporate/majority gaming trends years ago. This has been obvious many times for me. When my roommate bought a copy of Halo Reach while I picked Deathsmiles instead, and then proceeded to explain why it is a better game

Explain it to me, too. I think Reach > Deathsmiles easily.

I too need explaining. How can Death Smiles be better than Halo when they're so different?

[Gamerforlife]

A Halo game better than Deathsmiles?

I'm rather skeptical

There are very different though. That's a fair point, but it seems like Halo stopped being good after....well, the very first Halo

[jfrost]

OK, maybe I'm stupid, but this is really bothering me now - How on EARTH do I VIEW the linked Kotaku article. Whenever I follow them, I just get a list of links to OTHER articles.

You have to put "us.kotaku.com" in the url.

[Anayo]

Burn it with fire.

[wip3outguy7]

Microsoft has never made it a secret that they would like to force a Xbox Live-like environment into Windows - even possibly charge PC gamers a monthly fee to play games online through the Windows OS. This video may be internal marketing material, but it shouldn't come as a shock to anyone. The problem that people have completely failed to realize is that PC gaming is no longer PC gaming, it's Windows gaming. Microsoft wants to reign in that control and make some cash out of it. "Look at all these people traveling over our roads for free every day after an initial investment! We should be able to continue charging them on a daily basis for using our street!" A silly oxymoron statement? Maybe. But this is how the big dogs think.

This next decade is going to be about control for software developers and hardware manufacturers. We will begin to see more platforms integrating "walled garden" style apps instead of world wide web styled openness. Systems joined by apps and social infrastructure but completely closed off at their core. The success of Apple's Apps store and the mobile device buy in requirement to get into it has everyone wanting a piece of the pie. Microsoft's "me to" track record will no doubt, have them working toward something similar with the entire Windows platform, whether it be games or otherwise.

Microsoft is also no longer just an Operating System maker. They are an all-in hardware manufacturer with the success and continued development/manufacturing of the Xbox 360. They may have been afraid of what Uncle Sam might do back in the early 2Ks, but we will eventually see a day where Microsoft starts making their own PCs. Again, no one should be surprised where this is going.

[YoshiEgg25]

even possibly charge PC gamers a monthly fee to play games online through the Windows OS.

The day this happens is the day I switch to Linux.

[J T]

even possibly charge PC gamers a monthly fee to play games online through the Windows OS.

The day this happens is the day I switch to Linux.

Ditto. I think that would be the motivation I need to suddenly love penguins.

[wip3outguy7]

even possibly charge PC gamers a monthly fee to play games online through the Windows OS.

The day this happens is the day I switch to Linux.

I'm sure many would. But not every PC game runs in Linux. Many popular ones still don't (maybe never will). Microsoft will pay developers to keep it that way. They do it with Xbox 360 (or at least ensure that version runs better than anywhere else), why not do the same with Windows. I'm glad someone auto fired the Linux response. Good luck to you when/if that day comes. And actually... what are you waiting for? Make the switch now.

I'm just trying to say, don't be shocked when the switch is flipped. People can pout about it and cry Linux, but the fact remains that that video will be the brave new world in one form or another. The biggest travesty is that the generation who will be driving the video game market 5 years from now will demand this structure. They won't want to be bothered with open networks and searching for the best or free method to get something working... just give it to me on an apps store plate and make sure it talks to facebook in the background every time I collect a coin.

No my friends, PC gaming isn't dying. It's just being Stepford Wive'd.

[GSZX1337]

The problem that people have completely failed to realize is that PC gaming is no longer PC gaming, it's Windows gaming.

The only time PC gaming wasn't Windows gaming was when it was DOS gaming.

[MrPopo]

The problem that people have completely failed to realize is that PC gaming is no longer PC gaming, it's Windows gaming.

The only time PC gaming wasn't Windows gaming was when it was DOS gaming.

There was that period where Quake 2 ran on Linux, but yes, ever since DOS it's always been Microsoft gaming.