Slashdot Mirror
Microsoft Closes Xbox.com PC Marketplace
SmartAboutThings writes "Microsoft is definitely changing things in its gaming department: it has now announced in a support note on the Xbox site that it will be shutting down the Xbox.com PC Marketplace on August 22nd. This comes shortly after news that Microsoft hired former Steam boss Jason Holtman, whose mission at Redmond is to 'make Windows great for gaming.' The Microsoft Points system will be retired on August 22nd as well. The Games for Windows Live client software will not be affected, at least initially, letting you play previously purchased games."
Oh, thank you! Thank you so much! I feel so special, so lucky! Thank you so much again for letting me continue to play my previously purchased games!
"and let's see if we can whip of a decent clone of Space Invaders."
Really, to make Windows more game friendly kick all that cruft out of it which pre-loads into memory just in case I want to fire up Excel, which I don't have installed and foolishness like that. To be game friendly it needs to be lean, not bloated.
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
I'm thankful I'm being permitted to play the game I bought. Fortunately I only bought one game with that "windows live" abomination strapped onto it.
Joys of DRM.
If I have been able to see further than others, it is because I bought a pair of binoculars.
See, The Xbox PC marketplace, the once or twice I used it, was never really a desirable means of doing anything. Every time I tried something, it would only be available on Xbox...because apparently hiding things that can't be used on a PC was an insurmountable task. It didn't seem to do cool things like let you play PC versions of Xbox games you own or save my game of Batman Arkham Asylum that was a GFWL title such that I could pick up where I left off after a format...
It surprises me that Microsoft has traditionally done such a piss poor job of integrating ANYTHING involving gaming or software purchasing into the OS. Maybe now with Win8 they'll take it a bit more seriously, but I'm still shocked they didn't partner with EA years ago and make a windows-integrated service that precluded the necessity of Origin in the first place.
Dude, that made as much sense as saying, "How to make a car fly: Exit the car and enter a plane". :D
Microsoft's various divisions were pitched against each other as internal competitors; all of the gaming talent was in the Xbox console division, but internal politics likely meant that the Windows team could never, ever ask them for help.
No kidding!!! What do you say at this point?
Redmonds day late and dollar short approach to rectifying its inevitable downfall in gaming is cure for the symptom and not for the cause. While Steam announced a radically new direction in gaming thats been clammoured about for ages, Microsoft basically fashioned the next generation console into a prison yard for publishers and a land mine for customers. Damage control be damned, the XBox likely will not play a huge part of 2014's next generation consoles seeing as Sony has not only achieved architectural parity but actually vocalized sympathy and support for gamers in the face of Redmond. Nintendo can make hardware mistakes but its hard to escape the notion that almost every game in their lineup is about fun and rewarding gameplay first.
If gabe is worried about the success of his shift to linux, all he has to do is utter the magic words, "Half Life 3." I'll gladly spend the next 2 days fervently compiling and patching to ensure Gentoo can run it.
Good people go to bed earlier.
Microsoft partnering with EA would be like Bubba partnering with Ray Ray to chase you down in the woods.
I'm sure they won't do this to the Windows 8 Marketplace.
Microsoft has ZERO internal commitment to gaming on the PC (which obviously doesn't impact third-party games sales), but every few years some optimistic loser manages to persuade the higher management to allow him/her to 'push' PC gaming from an official Microsoft position once again. This frequently coincides with the new console launch, when the PC may get one or two titles that Microsoft is also publishing on said console.
Of course, third party game companies that make PC games are FAR FAR FAR better of ignoring all Microsoft initiatives, and making their code as Microsoft independent as possible (essentially using DirectX and nothing else). Using newer Microsoft APIs beyond DirectX ensures massive incompatibilities between different operating systems (done by MS on purpose to strong-arm upgrades to the latest version of Windows).
Since Microsoft actively began preventing the porting of the Xbox's best exclusives (Halo and Gears of War) to the PC, PC gamers became fully clued in as to Microsoft's true agenda. Microsoft itself has formally PROMISED to prevent its own AAA Xbox One games from appearing as PC versions, and stated that the PC exists only for casual gaming (go Google if you don't believe me).
As for Live in its existing PC game activation form, please stop the FUD- that's going nowhere. Microsoft has clearly promised to ensure every game sold that needs a live connection will get a live connection. Maybe ten years after the last such game is sold, there may be an issue, but no-one is going to have issues using their games in the near future.
PC gaming has never depended on Microsoft, and never will. DirectX was a contribution, but if it had never existed, we would be using a just as good open-standard alternate universe version of something based on Open GL today, just as Open GL ES now exists for the tablets. If Microsoft had EVER been clued in, it would be responsible for the service provided by Valve that we know as 'Steam'. Initially Valve only began the Steam project in frustration that no-one else was doing anything similar in the PC space.
Thankfully, the fact that PC owners will be getting games like GTA V and The Witcher 3 has nothing to do with Microsoft whatsoever.
Valve need an alternative to Windows now Microsoft are trying to kill their business model with their own 'app store'. So they're convincing more and more game developers to start releasing Linux versions of their games.
The way I see it, MS could write everybody on /. a $10 000 cheque and slashdotters would turn around and say it wasn't done right. Just cause it's MS.
That was my first thought as well.
The problem with Games on Windows is that Microsoft keeps redeciding that Windows gaming is "second class" to Xbox gaming. The only keep it alive because certain PC games just don't work in a console setup yet. Steam does everything better and isn't "demon spawn incarnate". The founders are all ex-microsofties and the company on the beginning was run just like a "baby Microsoft".
If this guy had business sense at all he'd just close down Microsoft's pitiful attempt and move all their PC games to Steam. Microsoft has way to much NIH Syndrome to let that happen... I guess some lucky guy can happily take their money until they decide to grow up. PC gaming on Windows is a niche product.. They have no intention of ever supporting it properly, but just cannot let it go. Microsoft was almost as laughable trying to deal with outing their software on iPads via the Apple App Store...