Microsoft's (lack of) committment to PC gaming

[Sonarman]

In the wake of last weeks news about the demise of Flight Sim & Rail Sim here is an interesting article from the Uk's Edge magazine on Microsoft's commitment or lack thereof to PC gaming.

[SteamWake]

Its not just Micro$oft.

[Sonarman]

Originally Posted by SteamWake

Its not just Micro$oft.

No that's true, but for a company that set it's self up as the saviour of PC gaming with their "Games for Windows" initiative they seem to have turned tail & run pretty quickly.

[SteamWake]

Originally Posted by Sonarman

No that's true, but for a company that set it's self up as the saviour of PC gaming with their "Games for Windows" initiative they seem to have turned tail & run pretty quickly.

Yep well remember "New Coke" :rotfl:

One of the biggest problems for PC games is after their release and it hits 10's of thousands of different platforms, many of which will 'fail to launch'. Hell just read SH4's forums for a bit to see some examples.

Game producers just dont want to have to deal with that. Espically with a (for the most part) wholy ungreatfull public. "Your crappy game wont run on my machine and its all YOUR fault !!!"

[Sonarman]

Yes, In some way what we really need is just a console with a keyboard, that would bring back a level playing field as we had in the days of the Amiga, where games were almost guaranteed to work. But the last thing console manufacturers seem to want to do is add a keyboard for gameplay or allow the development of complex software like sims on their "oh so cool" platforms .

[Enigma]

I'd actually read that 5 more FSX expansion packs would be released this year.

Which actually doesn't effect me, as I'm still using the far superior FS2004....

[Zachstar]

It seems the whole gaming industry is interested in more outsourcing. Look at the cuts to the Xbox teams and such.

Frankly I think PC gaming is going to suffer alot over the next few years. These big companies have been salivating over the chance to drop US workforce to go to India or elsewhere where they can hire 2-3 workers for the cost of 1 over here.

This will mean less team members worried about the so called "quality" of the game and more people just getting it out as fast as possible.

It had to happen. These companies are stunned at the cost of making games these days.

[Sonarman]

Originally Posted by Zachstar

These big companies have been salivating over the chance to drop US workforce to go to India or elsewhere where they can hire 2-3 workers for the cost of 1 over here.

Sometimes it works, I'd take the Romanian produced SH3 over the US produced SH2 any day of the week!

[nikimcbee]

Originally Posted by Zachstar

It seems the whole gaming industry is interested in more outsourcing. Look at the cuts to the Xbox teams and such.

Frankly I think PC gaming is going to suffer alot over the next few years. These big companies have been salivating over the chance to drop US workforce to go to India or elsewhere where they can hire 2-3 workers for the cost of 1 over here.

This will mean less team members worried about the so called "quality" of the game and more people just getting it out as fast as possible.

It had to happen. These companies are stunned at the cost of making games these days.

Just look at all of the games coming out of Russian studios. Having been in the frontline trenches in the "gaming industry", I think it's pretty $#^$ed up place to work. I'm so glad I got out of it.

The big companies only worry about the deadline, quality be damned; and the small companies don't have the capitol to do much.