[Jopplk]

This might destroy the PC and replace it with the tablet

[Watchmen247]

Google Native Client and Chrome! This is the future. Real multiplatform! Micro$oft goto hell !

[epgomez]

Quote

PCWorld said
Post your comments for http://www.pcworld.com/a/2014338 here The rules of gaming have already been rewritten. Windows 8 is essentially playing catchup with what's happening in the "post PC era". "Although Apple iOS fans will no doubt snort, suggesting that such features have always been available on iOS, relatively few cross-platform titles exist between iOS and Mac OS. As the author acknowledges, none of this is new. It all came about in iOS through the smartphone / tablet gaming market. Exposing accelerometers, gyroscopes and touch are nothing new for game developers. Adding cloud technology and second screen displays have been done before as well through iCloud and AirPlay, etc. This is all great stuff, but lets be honest and acknowledge that Windows 8 is simply bringing this technology to the Windows gaming platform, not rewriting the rules of gaming. That ship has already sailed. To the author's point though, there is a fundamental difference in philosophy between Apple and Microsoft. Apple believes Desktops and Tablets should be true to themselves in design and not be hindered by limitations of one another. Microsoft believes in a utopia where these two devices are seamlessly combined. To date, they've delivered a jack of all trades but master of none. The jury is probably still out on which approach is better, but these devices are different. For example, some types of games like first person shooters (FPS) can be written for both types of devices. However, games like this will always be better with keyboard and mouse. Other types of games like driving games do quite well on tablets. The point being, just because the same type of game can be written for different types of devices, doesn't make the experience will be as good. I really enjoy my iPad, but it's not a replacement for my PC for gaming. There is place for both and Window 8 doesn't solve that problem.

A lot of strong subjective opinions. Windows 8 is a good OS not a master of none. Keep your fanboy opinion to yourself.

[KLanD]

waldojim, on 05 December 2012 - 02:01 PM, said:

KLanD, on 05 December 2012 - 12:04 PM, said:

Quote

While this could easily affect how PC gamers play, unfortunately, I see this as resulting in a huge step backwards for gaming. What will happen, is manufacturers will start writing games for tablet based Windows, and won't include a high quality version for PC's with powerful graphics cards. I hope I am wrong, but I just don't see why manufacturers would bother designing for both high end desktops AND tablets at the same time.

I see it differently.. I see developers using the tablet/smartphone as an extension of the current gaming experience.

Imagine playing an FPS and having a touch sensitive map or playing an MMORPG and having your inventory/spells a touch away.

Or even more AR, like Ingress.

Are you referring to gamers using both the PC and their tablet? If so, think about the number of users that DON'T have a Windows tablet to compliment their Windows 8 PC.

I'm sure there are ways to make it so a tablet isn't necessary, but if you do have one, it gives you a little something extra.

Kinda like Glass, you don't need it to run your Xbox.

[ScrewBot]

Yeah well maybe, but didn't we hear all the same hype with regards to Kinect?

[BrianNeb]

The problem with this Utopia is that the Tablets run Windows 8 Run-Time which is a severely strip down version of Windows 8 that does not support running applications written for the traditional interface. So any software maker that wants to take full advantage of the power of the traditional PC and provide a Tablet version will have to write two completely different implementations.

Microsoft could chosen to make the interface a layer on top of the OS making it easy to utilize whatever hardware was available on the machine like it has for years. But instead they choose to build the Metro Interface in a way which excludes the two interfaces from taking advantage of each other. To make matters worse the installation is not even smart enough to set the start-up interface to the one that makes sense when you are not running on a tablet.

As a developer I would love to see support for dual monitors where one would be a traditional monitor running the full OS for writing code and the other monitor could be a touch-screen enabled, or touch-screen simulated via the mouse interface for debugging Metro apps.

[BrianNeb]

So what does Windows 8 add to my PC which does not include a touch-screen? Nothing. And what would adding an expensive touch screen monitor to my PC add? Finger prints.

Touch screens are great for reducing the size requirements which improves portability. But the touch interface is just a reduced functionality interface that has been augmented by some smart hardware choices to make the best of the situation. It works well enough for my phone, or for limited applications running on a pad but it takes us back in time 20 years on a real computer.

For many people a real computer is more than they need anyway so a pad could serve them well. But for business users or developers we will stick with having a real computer to get work done.

Once the cost of the stripped down pads come down to a reasonable price, i.e. less than the price I pay for a full blow laptop then I will consider buying one to carry around to fill my spare time playing NetFlix.

[Spiffy664]

As a game developer, the notion that I will rebuild my game for a marginal crowd of people who will play the game on their tablet is ridiculous. The idea that that an online shooter between tablets and mouse and keyboard PCs being even remotely fair / balanced / anything even fun is ridiculous. I build both casual games for mobiles, and serious desktop games, and I can say for a fact few developers will be interested in putting there serious games on mobile. Most of these cross platform titles are to hype or advertise the main title, and bank a little.

The only way I see it going is casual games going to desktops, which is HARDLY" rewriting the rules of games" - nothing in this article is either sensible, or not already been done, mostly by the iOS / mac community, and I am certainly not a mac fanboy.

[ScrewBot]

Didn't Microsoft already rewrite the rules of gaming with Kinect?
Ha ha just joking.

So! Microsoft's brilliant new innovation is to copy Nintendo's WiiU concept and also the stuff Sony is doing with PS3 and PSP\Vita connectivity.

Jeez, Microsoft is clever, ground-breaking, cutting-edge! Where ever do they get their ideas?

Also: Here is an astute observation: Windows 8 is garbage.

[EnderSheep]

AHMAGAWAD I HATE THE NEW WINDOWS!
What Microsoft is trying to do (for gaming at least) is make smaller, not well known indie games popular and try to sell them, like what apple has done with the app store on their computers. Therefore, forgetting the big titles. Which makes me sad. Alot of windows 7 games like DiRT 3 don't work on windows 8. I always thought of windows 7 as a platform of gaming. But, with windows 8 they seem to have just thrown that out the window and started using touch screens. just imagine trying to play a game like far cry 3 with a touchscreen! That's where the future is heading. And for someone like me, that all sounds like bad news.

[Fellix]

BS this doesnt redefine games at all it simply adds a new platform to play games on. PC gaming is on a desktop sitting down with a keyboard/ mouse or controller similar to console gaming, you dont see many people playing Halo with touch controls on a console now do you so needless to say it hasnt changed anything other than to make the current system much more confusing.