Microsoft Insider Claims It Should Refocus on PC

[Chiefcrowe]

http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/02/08/microsoft-insider-claims-it-should-refocus-on-pc

and I kind of agree.. I think they could spin off xbox into a separate company and refocus on PCs.

 

[CPA]

Again? LOL, what is this the 4th, 5th time in the last 10 years they've made this statement. BTW, their last "we need focus on PC's" gave us GFWL.

edit: okay, just read the article, this isn't really an "insider" in the terms of someone currently with the company, rather an ex-exec.

 

[Barfo]

Last time they refocused on PC gaming we got GFWL. Microsoft, stick with OSes and Xbox and stay the fuck away from PC gaming, kthx.

 

[Aikouka]

The thing is... Games for Windows Live could have been good, but Microsoft has quite the propensity to just put out garbage software if it isn't going to make them a lot of money. What are Microsoft's best products? Windows and Office! What are some of Microsoft's main cash cows? Windows and Office! Why is it that Windows Media Center is still stuck with annoying bugs many, many years after they were reported? Windows Media Center was free with Windows for the longest time.

 

[amish]

it is too bad that MSFT couldn't let Steam be the Live Marketplace and let Gabe have free reign over it. I think both parties would rather not work with each other.

 

[Skel]

it is too bad that MSFT couldn't let Steam be the Live Marketplace and let Gabe have free reign over it. I think both parties would rather not work with each other.

Why on earth should MS pay someone else to handle something that reaches to all parts of MS's environment (Windows/Phones/Tablets/Xbox)? Worse yet, why allow someone that kind of monopoly?

 

[BladeVenom]

Last time they refocused on PC gaming we got GFWL. Microsoft, stick with OSes and Xbox and stay the fuck away from PC gaming, kthx.

GFWL was about trying to transition PC game developers and players to the Xbox.

MS should abandon the Xbox.

 

[Genx87]

Why on earth should MS pay someone else to handle something that reaches to all parts of MS's environment (Windows/Phones/Tablets/Xbox)? Worse yet, why allow someone that kind of monopoly?

Because Valve knows wtf its doing and Microsoft doesnt in this realm? Microsoft is like the school bully that is entering highschool and everybody else grew up. They are having a hard time finding their way now that they cant squash others due to their size.

 

[Skel]

GFWL was about trying to transition PC game developers and players to the Xbox.

MS should abandon the Xbox.

I personally felt it was more like Microsoft was wanting to have their cake and eat it too. The idea behind unifying the two was sound, it's the same thing we're seeing with Apple and it's ecosystem, and a lot of the new push behind what they're doing now with branding a lot of things "Xbox". Of course it was totally botched and didn't offer any real point, compounded by Steam out there doing it all better.

Because Valve knows wtf its doing and Microsoft doesnt in this realm? Microsoft is like the school bully that is entering highschool and everybody else grew up. They are having a hard time finding their way now that they cant squash others due to their size.

This is the kind of post where I go "OK, someone is still holding onto their 90s rage". All they're doing with the marketplace is creating an ecosystem (just like Apple and Google) so they don't lose even more people to those two competing platforms... pretty much standard in tech today, lock them in and make it painful to move away.

 

[mindcycle]

The thing is... Games for Windows Live could have been good, but Microsoft has quite the propensity to just put out garbage software if it isn't going to make them a lot of money. What are Microsoft's best products? Windows and Office! What are some of Microsoft's main cash cows? Windows and Office! Why is it that Windows Media Center is still stuck with annoying bugs many, many years after they were reported? Windows Media Center was free with Windows for the longest time.

Yeah, I agree with this.. GFWL could have definitely been decent if they put some more effort into it. As of right now it's a huge piece of annoying bloatware, and from what I can tell was (still is?) mainly used for the DRM. Which is absurd because the DRM doesn't even really work. They'd be best just ditching it entirely and coming out with a cross platform front end once their next console is announced. Having PC players able to connect with their console buddies (play online games, share achievements, etc..) would put them one step above the rest and I think would be a pretty good investment on their end.

 

[Genx87]

This is the kind of post where I go "OK, someone is still holding onto their 90s rage". All they're doing with the marketplace is creating an ecosystem (just like Apple and Google) so they don't lose even more people to those two competing platforms... pretty much standard in tech today, lock them in and make it painful to move away.

I think you misunderstand my feelings about Microsoft. They are great at what they do. OS, Office, DB software, enterprise related items. They have failed at nearly everything else. So the idea that Microsoft shouldnt look at building a relationship with an established player in content delivery is simply silly. Microsoft outside of their core holds little weight. That is what my reference about being the bully is about. They cant brute force their way into these markets like they could with their core products. Knowing this why not work with a big player?

I get they are trying to force people into their ecosystem. But at some point they need to realize it may be better to think about it differently. Building an ecosystem people dont care about is worse than latching onto other companies who know wtf they are doing.

 

[irishScott]

I think you misunderstand my feelings about Microsoft. They are great at what they do. OS, Office, DB software, enterprise related items. They have failed at nearly everything else. So the idea that Microsoft shouldnt look at building a relationship with an established player in content delivery is simply silly. Microsoft outside of their core holds little weight. That is what my reference about being the bully is about. They cant brute force their way into these markets like they could with their core products. Knowing this why not work with a big player?

I get they are trying to force people into their ecosystem. But at some point they need to realize it may be better to think about it differently. Building an ecosystem people dont care about is worse than latching onto other companies who know wtf they are doing.

This. That's the strategy Google's using to great effect in the smartphone space. Even if you run an iOS phone, you likely use Google apps.

Meanwhile, look at the other Steam imitators out there. Origin? UPlay? Lol. Origin is only effective because EA established a large user base by *gasp* selling games through Steam for years.

You establish an ecosystem under two conditions:

1. You have an established, dependent userbase that you can tell "assimilate or die" to.
2. You have some phantasmagorical new idea that will have mass appeal and net you tons of new users.

Microsoft to date has neither of those, so they need to work with established players until they do.

 

[BladeVenom]

I personally felt it was more like Microsoft was wanting to have their cake and eat it too. The idea behind unifying the two was sound, it's the same thing we're seeing with Apple and it's ecosystem, and a lot of the new push behind what they're doing now with branding a lot of things "Xbox". Of course it was totally botched and didn't offer any real point, compounded by Steam out there doing it all better.

Except that MS had converted all their PC gaming studios into Xbox only gaming studios, or shut them down. That right there says to me, that they no longer had any interest in supporting PC gaming, and it was all just a transition to the Xbox.

 

[blackened23]

Last time they refocused on PC gaming we got GFWL. Microsoft, stick with OSes and Xbox and stay the fuck away from PC gaming, kthx.

Agreed. GFWL is the single worst thing to have happened to PC Gaming in the past decade.

 

[Skel]

This. That's the strategy Google's using to great effect in the smartphone space. Even if you run an iOS phone, you likely use Google apps.

Meanwhile, look at the other Steam imitators out there. Origin? UPlay? Lol. Origin is only effective because EA established a large user base by *gasp* selling games through Steam for years.

You establish an ecosystem under two conditions:

1. You have an established, dependent userbase that you can tell "assimilate or die" to.
2. You have some phantasmagorical new idea that will have mass appeal and net you tons of new users.

Microsoft to date has neither of those, so they need to work with established players until they do.

Microsoft has an established userbase with both Windows and the Xbox. They've also had the marketplace in the Xbox and the phone for years now, it's just extending that to the desktop. If it can get someone locked into using it (even better if they use it for all three) it's a great move. If you look at it ONLY from the PC game perspective you're right.. it's all new stuff to MS, however if you look at the bigger picture games are just a part of it.

Except that MS had converted all their PC gaming studios into Xbox only gaming studios, or shut them down. That right there says to me, that they no longer had any interest in supporting PC gaming, and it was all just a transition to the Xbox.

That's a very valid point. I didn't understand why they took that approach, and honestly still don't. I keep hoping they'll figure out the best approach in leveraging something that'll make dev something that works on both platforms (windows desktop and the Xbox) so devs can make one game without it being a "conversion".

 

[amish]

Why on earth should MS pay someone else to handle something that reaches to all parts of MS's environment (Windows/Phones/Tablets/Xbox)? Worse yet, why allow someone that kind of monopoly?

I see what you are getting at and I see the others have tried to answer this. I see this as a distribution issue. Apple beat them to the punch with iTunes, a terrible and bloated program that is idiot proof. Amazon is a giant that also beat MSFT to the distribution punch. It does very well at selling not only tangible items but also software and other e-crap.

Steam is right there; a tried and true, proven, distributor of all things badass (and some not so badass games from third parties). I remember when steam first came out and I thought that it was the dumbest thing ever. who was going to DL software and not have something tangible if something bad ever happened; and who was going to be connected to it the whole time? I didn't think it was going to catch on and god I was wrong. it is a good product.

So here is MSFT with some distribution success in games through XBL. Zune music, movies, and TV is a meh. along comes GFWL and people aren't happy. And here we are with, like you said; PCs, phones, and xbox. all of them need to be integrated in the future. the current marketplace that is used is...ok. I believe that had MSFT approached steam, gave them free reign (which is something MSFT has never done), sat back and collected payment things would be a little different. Steam is a great product and if both sides could have gotten over themselves I think they could have developed an apex distribution product.

also, MSFT worrying about a monopoly is a little humorous.

 

[Nintendesert]

I see what you are getting at and I see the others have tried to answer this. I see this as a distribution issue. Apple beat them to the punch with iTunes, a terrible and bloated program that is idiot proof. Amazon is a giant that also beat MSFT to the distribution punch. It does very well at selling not only tangible items but also software and other e-crap.

Steam is right there; a tried and true, proven, distributor of all things badass (and some not so badass games from third parties). I remember when steam first came out and I thought that it was the dumbest thing ever. who was going to DL software and not have something tangible if something bad ever happened; and who was going to be connected to it the whole time? I didn't think it was going to catch on and god I was wrong. it is a good product.

So here is MSFT with some distribution success in games through XBL. Zune music, movies, and TV is a meh. along comes GFWL and people aren't happy. And here we are with, like you said; PCs, phones, and xbox. all of them need to be integrated in the future. the current marketplace that is used is...ok. I believe that had MSFT approached steam, gave them free reign (which is something MSFT has never done), sat back and collected payment things would be a little different. Steam is a great product and if both sides could have gotten over themselves I think they could have developed an apex distribution product.

also, MSFT worrying about a monopoly is a little humorous.

STEAM wouldn't go a long with this. Gabe is too greedy to share any of his pie with anyone else.

You all are living in a little dream world if you think anything remotely like this could ever happen. STEAM is going to go away. They produce NOTHING. EA and all the other big developers are going to stop putting their games on STEAM in the future and you're going to see fewer people using it. This is why STEAM/Valve/Gabe are trying to branch out into consoles and other software distribution.

Those developers like EA will keep putting it all on Origin and nothing on STEAM, this way they pocket all the revenue and have to pay Valve nothing to use their service.

MS at least does produce products and that's their biggest advantage. Valve needs to start developing more products if they want to keep people on their platform. This is also why you see them pushing more indie games recently.

 

[BladeVenom]

STEAM wouldn't go a long with this. Gabe is too greedy to share any of his pie with anyone else.

If Gabe was greedy he would take the company public or sell it. Gabe can already afford all the pie he wants. Gabe wants freedom and control now more than money.

 

[TheSlamma]

Agreed. GFWL is the single worst thing to have happened to PC Gaming in the past decade.

Ubisoft and EA don't come before that? hmmm

 

[amish]

STEAM wouldn't go a long with this. Gabe is too greedy to share any of his pie with anyone else.

You all are living in a little dream world if you think anything remotely like this could ever happen. STEAM is going to go away. They produce NOTHING. EA and all the other big developers are going to stop putting their games on STEAM in the future and you're going to see fewer people using it. This is why STEAM/Valve/Gabe are trying to branch out into consoles and other software distribution.

Those developers like EA will keep putting it all on Origin and nothing on STEAM, this way they pocket all the revenue and have to pay Valve nothing to use their service.

MS at least does produce products and that's their biggest advantage. Valve needs to start developing more products if they want to keep people on their platform. This is also why you see them pushing more indie games recently.

I agree with you completely. If Gabe wanted to grow Steam he could, and should, team up with MSFT. However, it doesn't seem like he wants to grow steam. If Valve needs more money he could just go to some random forum, or tweet, "confirmed". computer nerds the world over would go into a frenzy over the thought of HL3.

 

[PhatoseAlpha]

Last I checked, Valve was in fact a software developer. One making money hand over fist, while EA hemorrhages cash. Actually expecting Origin to kill Steam is simple Madness.

Teaming up with Microsoft would be a terrible idea, simply because Microsoft doesn't want to be partners with Steam, they want to take it's place. Would be the equivalent of Apple letting Microsoft run the iPhone app store - not much to be gained, lots to be lost.

 

[VulgarDisplay]

Last I checked, Valve was in fact a software developer. One making money hand over fist, while EA hemorrhages cash. Actually expecting Origin to kill Steam is simple Madness.

Teaming up with Microsoft would be a terrible idea, simply because Microsoft doesn't want to be partners with Steam, they want to take it's place. Would be the equivalent of Apple letting Microsoft run the iPhone app store - not much to be gained, lots to be lost.

EA doesn't expect Origin to kill steam. They expect Origin to sell their games without giving a cut to anyone else. It does a fantastic job of that.

 

[Nintendesert]

Last I checked, Valve was in fact a software developer. One making money hand over fist, while EA hemorrhages cash. Actually expecting Origin to kill Steam is simple Madness.

Teaming up with Microsoft would be a terrible idea, simply because Microsoft doesn't want to be partners with Steam, they want to take it's place. Would be the equivalent of Apple letting Microsoft run the iPhone app store - not much to be gained, lots to be lost.

No, not just Origin. All of the developers are pushing towards their own software distribution. Blizzard already does it, we have Uplay, Origin and even CD Project has their own. Valve sees the writing on the wall, they are a distributor and when others distribute they lose out and that's why they are branching out in what they do.

 

[Skel]

I see what you are getting at and I see the others have tried to answer this. I see this as a distribution issue. Apple beat them to the punch with iTunes, a terrible and bloated program that is idiot proof. Amazon is a giant that also beat MSFT to the distribution punch. It does very well at selling not only tangible items but also software and other e-crap.

Steam is right there; a tried and true, proven, distributor of all things badass (and some not so badass games from third parties). I remember when steam first came out and I thought that it was the dumbest thing ever. who was going to DL software and not have something tangible if something bad ever happened; and who was going to be connected to it the whole time? I didn't think it was going to catch on and god I was wrong. it is a good product.

So here is MSFT with some distribution success in games through XBL. Zune music, movies, and TV is a meh. along comes GFWL and people aren't happy. And here we are with, like you said; PCs, phones, and xbox. all of them need to be integrated in the future. the current marketplace that is used is...ok. I believe that had MSFT approached steam, gave them free reign (which is something MSFT has never done), sat back and collected payment things would be a little different. Steam is a great product and if both sides could have gotten over themselves I think they could have developed an apex distribution product.

also, MSFT worrying about a monopoly is a little humorous.

What does the marketplace not do? Why does it suck? You've made some points on how super awesome Steam is and had MS gone with them they'd have had a perfect product, but I'm unclear on what it doesn't do.. It serves up applications (yes... including what some, though not many elitist here would say, are games), music, movies, and such.. takes payment well.. not sure what Steam would offer in terms of not just Steam's gaming library, which I must add isn't blocked from Windows 8, you can install it just fine.

Personally I'd prefer to see more than just a couple of marketplaces, I would hate to see any one group control what I get. IF Microsoft ever kicks everyone off the desktop, I'll move on.. well more as I mostly run Linux.

 

[power_hour]

Again? LOL, what is this the 4th, 5th time in the last 10 years they've made this statement. BTW, their last "we need focus on PC's" gave us GFWL.

edit: okay, just read the article, this isn't really an "insider" in the terms of someone currently with the company, rather an ex-exec.

Article sounds a bit negative. Perhaps an ex-exec who never got invited to the BBQs. Xbox is a cash cow for them.

The bigger question mark is if the rumours of Xbox720 are true. Online only and no used games are the two big negatives that could be a problem. Much harder sell at that point.

Microsoft and EA need to go play laser tag and loser exits the PC gaming business forever.