Games for Windows Push Underway

[Tommy Tallarico]

Microsoft today revealed the first wave of Games for Windows titles as part of the company's plan to renew its commitment to Windows gaming and the PC as a gaming platform in general. The games will come in new Games for Windows packaging. More within,,,

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(Link to GameDaily.com)

[MarkRyan]

This is the first time I've heard about this Games for Windows branding ('cause frankly I don't really pay attention to PC gaming). Seems like the best thing to happen for PC gaming, though, at least based on my surface-level understanding of it. PC gaming gets pretty jacked at retail, and any efforts to streamline PC game installation are good by me.

Who knows how this'll actually end in practice. Microsoft might be fleecing publishers that want to get on board. And no idea how well Microsoft will simplify PC gaming installation and other pains that keep me away from gaming. May end up seeing more DRM obstacles. *shrugs*

[Changeling]

This is the first time I've heard about this Games for Windows branding ('cause frankly I don't really pay attention to PC gaming). Seems like the best thing to happen for PC gaming, though, at least based on my surface-level understanding of it. PC gaming gets pretty jacked at retail, and any efforts to streamline PC game installation are good by me.

Who knows how this'll actually end in practice. Microsoft might be fleecing publishers that want to get on board. And no idea how well Microsoft will simplify PC gaming installation and other pains that keep me away from gaming. May end up seeing more DRM obstacles. *shrugs*

I don't see how the installation process is anything but painless. The hardest thing about PC gaming nowadays is getting the latest patch and video drivers.

Why would you let these trivial things get in the way of playing Battlefield 2?

[Diff-chan]

The very existence of an installation process, with ridiculous 30-digit key codes and spewing files everywhere, is a travesty. There's no good reason for such an outdated relic to exist in the year 2006, especially since Macs have been doing it right since the mid-1990s.

I hope GfW mandates games being on DVD. I can't take another 6-disc install.

[MarkRyan]

I hope GfW mandates games being on DVD. I can't take another 6-disc install.

Fo real--if they're going to include six discs in the box, why not make it seven and include a DVD for people that've managed to make it out of the stone age?

And yeah, why's a game have to install and leave a two-gig (or more) footprint on my PC?

I'm interested to see what sort of standards Microsoft sets, 'cause there's definitely room for a positive something like this in the PC gaming market. Make installs simpler/obsolete, share graphics and other hardware settings across games, etc. Microsoft's done a pretty solid job setting standards with Xbox 360 and Live stuff. Hopefully they can do something similarly positive for the PC.

[Frogacuda]

This is the first time I've heard about this Games for Windows branding ('cause frankly I don't really pay attention to PC gaming). Seems like the best thing to happen for PC gaming, though, at least based on my surface-level understanding of it. PC gaming gets pretty jacked at retail, and any efforts to streamline PC game installation are good by me.

Who knows how this'll actually end in practice. Microsoft might be fleecing publishers that want to get on board. And no idea how well Microsoft will simplify PC gaming installation and other pains that keep me away from gaming. May end up seeing more DRM obstacles. *shrugs*

This is a start, and it'll help pc games get a little more leverage at retail, but it won't make them any more accessible. I think they need to start branding compatibility standards to make determining if a game will run simpler. Intel is attempting something like that with Viiv, but it won't catch as long as it's tied to one particular component manufacturer.

And yeah, why's a game have to install and leave a two-gig (or more) footprint on my PC?

because they're generally designed for CD with an optional DVD version that's basicallly just the CD version on one disc. Some European games (where DVD is the standard... don't ask me why it's not here) do actually have small installs now. World Racing 2 is a recent example that comes to mind.

[Mikey]

Maybe Microsoft is trying to lock gaming to Windows because there's a danger that more games might be released on Intel Macs now.

[MechDeus]

Maybe Microsoft is trying to lock gaming to Windows because there's a danger that more games might be released on Intel Macs now.

Games are primarily developed and released for Windows because it's the dominant platform, not because of the processor it uses. This whole thing is because of PCs vs. consoles and how they don't want to wipe out one platform because of the other from what's essentially self competition.

Besides, you can just install Windows on an Intel Mac and run it that way. Until Directx 10 takes off there's even less reason then before for developers to spend the extra time making an OSX port.

p.s. Windows Media Center edition can blow me. It should be a program for XP, not a hacked-together OS in and of itself.

[Diff-chan]

I hope Microsoft can influence better quality control as well. Virtually every PC game I play nowadays is a mess. Civ IV was completely unfinished and didn't reach an acceptable level of polish until this March (it came out October 2005). If its not an abundance of bugs, its a lack of content (reminded of DoD Source launching with like six maps), poor performance on midrange machines (Civ IV, Oblivion, etc.), or unbalanced and unfinished gameplay systems. Usually its a combination of all four. This is not helping the platform.

I don't like console game patching but on the consoles patching is like what it was when I first got into PC gaming, general tweaks or clean-ups. PC games nowadays really are being pushed out at a late beta/release candidate stage.

[Grave]

Besides, you can just install Windows on an Intel Mac and run it that way.

Confirmed. My MacBook Pro has killed any desire I may have had for ports, when I can play them the way they were developed to be. BTW, Steam is awesome, pretty much every problem I had with the idea was addressed in the execution... then again, I haven't tried to play my games while offline yet, so I'm not positive. But the simplicity (as in, you don't need to do anything other than buy it and then download it) of installing, setup, etc is wonderful. Also, games being tied to your account and not to files that may be lost... that's the main reason I don't use the iTunes music store, and I'm glad that Valve had the sense to do it right. I'd like to see more games distributed in such a manner.