Slashdot Mirror
Microsoft Reboots Two Classic PC Games
An anonymous reader writes "Ever since it launched the Xbox, Microsoft has had a fickle relationship with Windows as a gaming platform. On one hand PC gaming is a major driver of hardware and operating system sales, but on the other hand the PC is inherently less secure than the Xbox console, with piracy much more likely to impact sales of a PC title than a console one. Games for Windows Live has been an attempt to bring some of the success of Xbox Live to the PC, and while many games have shipped with support for Games for Windows Live, it hasn't exactly been a favorite of PC gamers. After all these half-hearted efforts, the last thing anyone expected was for Microsoft to announce new PC-only reboots of two classic game franchises, Flight Simulator and Age of Empires. But yesterday it did just that, announcing a massively multiplayer version of Age of Empires and a new Flight Simulator called Flight. The big question is whether Microsoft can make Games For Windows Live relevant in a market where Steam has taken hold, or if it's too late."
Try using your Xbox gamer tag account then
Who would trust Microsoft that it would not kill the gamestore and shutdown DRM servers (who really believe that there would not be DRM?) after few weeks/months the start?
Microsoft has not almost every done any good services. It is just ironic that Microsoft is very lousy software company but world biggest. But it was good hardware manufacturer, but almost non-existing one.
Look Microsoft game controllers, the joysticks and wheels. They were great! But even then Microsoft did kill their support for next Windows. Now the one of the best flight sticks and gaming wheels are useless as Microsoft did not make drivers for Windows XP! Windows Vista and Windows 7 are at same class... no drivers. You bought devices and soon when Windows 98 and 98SE became obsolete, the devices were obsolete as well.
Thats why at least me and my friends are not trusting anything what Microsoft brings. Not even that XBox 360 is nice console, but very lousy media center.
Age of Empires II was great game, like the first one was as well. Third was just something not so good. And now bringing those with new versions?
Even today AoE2 is game what is very fun in LAN. But... No reboots thanks... (Maybe AoE2 with just new well done graphics but nothing else!).
But Microsoft is just not investing to PC as it was at them Windows 95 and WIndows 98 time. So no thanks!