MS confirms: It's time to invest in PC gaming

 
"I think we need to invest in this space," he told CVG. "Windows is an important space for us so we need to invest our first-party IP in it as much as anybody else. We cant really ask other companies to step up if the first party isn't stepping up."

 

On why Microsoft's appeared to snub the PC for the last few years, Luehmann said it was an issue of "focus".

"I think it was a focus thing. We started to focus on one area and now we're saying let's start to spread that focus.

"I think the whole company has been focused on console work for a long time and it's time for us to come back and bring one of our best IPs [Age of Empires] back and to a market that can really use it," he said.
 
 

 
http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=260220

I'll belive it when I see it. I don't trust microsoft, they have abandoned the pc platform for years now and giving us the drm they call games for windows live.

"

I'll belive it when I see it. I don't trust microsoft, they have abandoned the pc platform for years now and giving us the drm they call games for windows live.

"

I think they're trying to get into the free to play bandwagon, and in fact don't give a shit about the rest of PC gaming. I don't think Microsoft has the will to pull away from their precious 360. I'll stick with Valve for my PC gaming needs.

Ah, "focus" must mean they were making a shit ton of money off Xbox360 and weren't willing to give pc gamers any attention whatsoever. I fear too little too late MS, Valve has you by the balls.

Meh, Blizzard's got my back when it comes to PC gaming.

About time, whether it actually happens or not is a different matter completley.

"

I'll belive it when I see it. I don't trust microsoft, they have abandoned the pc platform for years now and giving us the drm they call games for windows live.

"

" About time, whether it actually happens or not is a different matter completley. "

Xbox Live for Windows 2!
 
In terms of bringing back the hardcore PC gamers, I don't know.  The new Age of Empires and MS "Flight" seem to be taking a more casual focus.  Which is where the money is anyways, so yea, they'll be successful.

Could have fooled me.
 
:/

Windows 7 is very successful already, a great way to push it even further is to make great games for it. They'd only be helping themselves. 

I think they mean "It's time we catered to Zynga's market!" 

I'd love new PC games, but PC gaming is dead. You can thank horrible DRM and an internet full of teenagers that advocate piracy for that.  Thanks, internet.

I came upon the realisation this week that most games I've enjoyed on the xbox I could have bought on pc for cheaper, with free online, and often with mods. So I like this news.

" I think they're trying to get into the free to play bandwagon, and in fact don't give a shit about the rest of PC gaming. I don't think Microsoft has the will to pull away from their precious 360. I'll stick with Valve for my PC gaming needs. "

I don't think the PC market needs Microsoft's support anyway. Steam was already mentioned here, and that's an online service and marketplace implemented the right way. I don't think bringing back Age of Empires in the form they are is going to be any sort of revolution, especially since they shattered the development team responsible for the good parts of that series. Even Microsoft's DirectX platform isn't necessary when pitted against an open, cross-platform solution like OpenGL. They continue to snub any sort of real gaming integration into the Windows OS (where's that dedicated gaming mode from Longhorn? Why is the crummy games explorer so useless at finding my installed games and information about them? Why are my saved game saved across 5 separate locations? Shouldn't MS be enforcing a standard?). I can't say that I care if Microsoft continues to ignore PC gaming.

" @HitmanAgent47 said:

"

I'll belive it when I see it. I don't trust microsoft, they have abandoned the pc platform for years now and giving us the drm they call games for windows live.

"

They'll have to, as to counteract Mac and Linux. If Mac and or Linux start betting on more mainstream games, Windows could easily lose a great percentage of the market.  "

" @wolf_blitzer85: I say we go to their offices and line those fuckers up against a wall! We need a revolution! "

"

I'll belive it when I see it. I don't trust microsoft, they have abandoned the pc platform for years now and giving us the drm they call games for windows live.

"

" @Jeust said:

" @HitmanAgent47 said:

"

I'll belive it when I see it. I don't trust microsoft, they have abandoned the pc platform for years now and giving us the drm they call games for windows live.

"

They'll have to, as to counteract Mac and Linux. If Mac and or Linux start betting on more mainstream games, Windows could easily lose a great percentage of the market.  "

Haha, what? "

it just means they are going to release crappy games to windows. i think they are already beaten with valve and blizzard. there hasn't been great games that have been released in a while. starcraft 2 has been the only great game that has been released in a while.

" @Jeust:  I don't think the Mac audience is the audience that plays PC games. I see Microsoft retaining market share superiority for the next 10 years. "

I really don't want to play Age Of Empires, Microsoft.

Maybe Im being cryptic, but I read into this "we're going to try something like OnLive in a couple years and want to build up a PC library". 
Anyhow, I'd love a new Age of Mythology game.

What do they mean?  So they can put out games that require the clunky awful Windows Live thing to run?  I hate that thing so much, and I'll actually avoid playing some games just because of it

Microsoft can suck a dick leave it to steam.

This after MS refused to aknowledged ME as a PC game

" @Jeust:  People haven't bought Macs for games since the 1980s, and only three people use Linux, so I guess we don't have to worry about a market shift in gaming! "

i just want to see more PC exclusives 

It's funny how ppl are talking about macs taking over, that's hilarious, they only own 5% of the market, so don't worry. If there are 20 mac users here, there are probally thousands of pc users on this forum. Microsoft owns 91% as usual.

  
proof

"

It's funny how ppl are talking about macs taking over, that's hilarious, they only own 5% of the market, so don't worry. If there are 20 mac users here, there are probally thousands of pc users on this forum. Microsoft owns 91% as usual.

  
proof

http://www.netmarketshare.com/operating-system-market-share.aspx?qprid=8     "

Don't get ridiculous guys. No matter what you think, Macs are still far too cost prohibitive for an enormous percentage of the casual market to get into, and developers are always going to develop for the largest possible audience. 
 
This is entirely discounting the corporate level, which is still almost entirely Windows-based; but the corporate user base has no impact on gaming, so that's unimportant.

If you own a macbook and know anything about gaming, you already used bootcamp to partition your drive with Windows XP. Its kind of a none-issue, whether a mac version exists. You can play the PC version on the macbook.

Great. Now MS is going to make the PC suck.
 
Zing!

" @No0b0rAmA:   Hummm the Ipod and Iphone are still some of the best selling platforms, and I don't think Apple will lay down and die. They are fairing very well. So let's see.  "

" @Jeust: Ah, worry not Comrade Jeust! We shall have certain victory against the Apple pigs! Our Comrades at HTC and Google shall win the war using the next generation of Android phones with the 3.0 Android version "Gingerbread"! We will burn Cupertino, California to the ground! Victory over fascist Steve Jobs!  I will end my anti-Apple propaganda there.  I guess in terms of the Ipod, there really is no actually competition against Apple. That might be where they succeed, with the music players. "

" @Jeust said:

" @No0b0rAmA:   Hummm the Ipod and Iphone are still some of the best selling platforms, and I don't think Apple will lay down and die. They are fairing very well. So let's see.  "

Well Android has overtaken them in monthly sales. It's not surprising, of course, but Android is going to eventually have a far greater marketshare solely because there's so many hardware-makers looking to license an OS for their new phone. "