Gamers React to Vista Launch

As cranky as IT folks are about having to roll out new Vista installs, support them, update them, etc, gamers are matching them in irritation. Ars Technica recommends you dual-boot XP and Vista if you want to keep gaming on your PC. Voodoo Extreme explores Vista's crappy audio setup, while Computer and VideoGames reports that some small developers think Vista will ruin PC gaming (a comment we've heard before). C&VG does have a slightly more hopeful article up too, talking about the future of Vista gaming and what the new OS could mean for games ... once all the kinks are worked out.

Comments

A gamer's reaction...

[Endo13]

I'm a gamer. In fact, the only reason I still use Windows at all is for gaming. And yes, I play all kinds of games, from little java games in a web-browser to WoW, HalfLife2, Medieval 2:TW, etc. etc.

And my reaction is that Vista is going to have to offer a whole lot more than DirectX10 to get me to switch. There's far far too many items on the minus side, and only one on the plus (for my purposes, at any rate). At this point, I've decided that unless the landscape has drastically changed by the time games start requiring DX10, I'll just be living without those games.

Some positive side effects

[Ruprecht the Monkeyb]

It breaks WildTangent stuff? Cool. There's a good reason to upgrade to Vista now.

There might be some other positive aspects. For one, I noticed last night a demo wouldn't install on my PC running Vista x64, because it's crappy copy-protection (and what morons put copy protection in a freakin demo?) couldn't install it's drivers because they were unsigned. Maybe at the least, if we're going to have to live with obnoxious copy protection in games, the developers of the crap will have to be a little more responsible and careful before just crudding up someone's PC.

Re:Xbox?

[Anonymous Coward]

But then why make DX10 Vista only?

If they didn't limit some of the new functionality to Vista, why would users move off of 2000/XP? Limiting the release of particular features can be a way to force users of your older products to your newer products.

Jim

Re:Whoa, A collection of FUD articles...

[Mephistophocles]

As an audio engineer, I'm not convinced that software-based sound is such a great idea. It might work for gamers, but I'm not convinced that it's going to meet the needs of small-time engineers and higher-end home studios who rely on powerful hardware-based sound cards. I also think this trend may exclude PC's from the professional audio world (though considering the fact that Apple already holds the vast majority of that market, that's a small loss).

Either way, the impact of this trend on small-time and independent project/home studios will be interesting. I don't think anyone from the project-studio world is going to be touching Vista for a long time (if ever).

Re:My Reaction is...

[MeanderingMind]

Actually, hunting around to find keys/buttons is something games like WoW are designed to minimize.

The very nature of the game is such that as you progress with your character the user-interface and the placement of all the icons/key-bindings evolves with you. Anyone else who sits down in front of Yendolf the Finger-Waggler will be baffled at the setup, and will hunt around for buttons. However, assuming you play good ol' Yenny the majority of the time, you'll pretty instinctually find what you're looking for.

It may look like a disorganized mess, but at least it's one that your wife won't organize for you when you aren't looking.