MS Apologizes for lack of Windows Gaming Support, and...

...says they are BACK into PC gaming business.

http://games.on.net/2013/11/microsoft-on-pc-gaming-we-lost-our-way-promises-a-better-future/

Hopefully this means better support and good future games.

Let's hope that this is more than just a knee-jerk reaction to the Steam OS announcement.

I want Microsoft to care about PC gamers, who use a keyboard and mouse, and spend hundreds of dollars on video cards. It's just the last 3 years or so have been pathetic. Microsoft has done nothing significant for us in a long time. I would love to see some of the recent Halo games be ported over, or a new Age of Empires game that lives up to the past games.

They'll most likely change their mind once the Xbox One comes out.

@FelipeInside:

*steam has 65 million users. half of them need to upgrade from a 9800gt. a $400-$800 steam machine is on the way.

*ps4 just stole 1/3 of xbox 38 million user instal base with the huge fail of xbox one

*most people don't use pc anymore because they can check email on smartphones or tablets and hate win 8 - 8.1 - nothing left to install windows onto

= microsoft is at the end of it's rope. so they come begging at the feet of the pc gamers who they shafted for the last 8 years while holding back pc gaming with garbage last gen console to pc ports.

I've been done supporting Microsoft for many years. Their greed hopefully may one day be their downfall.

Nope. It will mean none of the above.

For people getting their hopes up. This is MS's various statements on their promise to PC gaming.

• 2005 - We care about PC gaming, Longhorn (Vista) to usher in modern PC gaming with "Tray and Play"
  Vista launches with none of the stuff MS promised, Vista itself sucks the ass of a thousand camels.
• 2006 - MS: Don't Count PC Games Out
  MS announces GFWL and how utterly amazing it will be, suckers everywhere rejoice in the eventual ass reaming they don't know is coming yet.
• 2007 - MS continues PC push
  MS launches GFWL...and it has a $50 a year fee, and they announce a whole slew of games to include Shadowrun with cross platform play and Gears of War 1! What are you paying for you ask? Jank ass software that crashes and has the most unintuitive updating system known to man. Load a game, game says you need update. Signs you out, downloads update, you jump back in...oh GFWL client has a update too! signs you out, downloads up date and you log back in...
  
  MS will shortly thereafter disband Ensemble because MS feels that they're (MS) moving in a different direction! But don't worry we tots <3 you PC gamers.
• 2008 - MS: PC gaming is A-okay
  Yea we've looked at some money pie charts and can see that PC gaming brings in billions in revenue. Here is our open letter to how awesome PC gaming is and our promise to support it! We finally put some new titles up on GFWL! Oh and we got rid of the $50 a year fee for GFWL, see we're serious about PC gaming! If that's not a sign of commitment, I don't know what is!
• 2008 - MS: PC gaming is not dead!
  Look at this event we're throwing for PC gaming, you think we'd throw this if we didn't truly care about it?! Look at these games that will be on GFWL. We <3 PC gaming. You want fixes for GFWL issues? We'll look into that.
• 2008 - MS bolsters PC gaming with all new Games for Windows Live!
  Hey gaiz remember those GFWL client issues you were having...well we didn't fix those per say but....here is the same shit in a slightly newer skin! PROGRESS
• 2009 - MS: PC gaming still a priority for us!
  Okay gaiz look, this time we're serious about our upcoming push in PC gaming. It's so vital to us at MS that we give the PC our love and support!
• 2010 - MS: "We're doubling down on PC gaming
  By doubling down we mean we're keeping this shittastic GFWL client around because! We might even throw an update at it to fix the problem of game saves being randomly deleted or rendered worthless...maybe.
• 2010 - MS Launches Games for Windows Marketplace
  Hey gaiz, we're making GFWL even better because it's now called Games for Windows Marketplace. Everything is brand new and easy to use, anonymous journalists have even said it's better than Steam. We had 3 interns and a janitor work on this, so you know we're committed!
• 2010 - MS: Windows 8 is going to relaunch gaming!
  Hey gaiz, MS again. With Windows 8 we're totally going to put our full weight behind PC gaming just like we promised back in 2006! Pls be excite.
• 2012 - MS: We won't ditch GFWL!
  We're committed to PC gaming and we absolutely think GFWL is the best play to get PC games and play with others. Our client is awesome....ly bloated and deletes shit randomly, but that's really one of the charms of PC gaming that we captured! It's a balanced experience! Hope you rike!
• 2013 - MS to discontinue GFWL
  Hey gaiz new manager here, so like a bunch of your games might stop working come 2014...but that's okay! We expect there to be transitions as we build out new investments, but we remain committed to bringing first party gaming services and games to Windows for years to come. We will share more details in the future!
• 2013 - MS promises core first party games coming to PC
  We're so committed we swear!

Sorry, but all MS is doing is blowing smoke up the ass of gullible people. So yea go ahead and get your hopes up and get excited. In a year or two when none of what they say comes to fruition...I'll pretend to act shocked.

Well, we have to wait and see.

They have promised things before and not delivered, and they also have promised and delivered.

Like they said, at the launch of Win8 they had 30 casual games out, and now they are concentrating on bigger titles.

I don't recall them ever apologizing like they have though...

I think trying to hold water in a colander has more weight to it then this PR.

lol. I don't think anyone is going to believe them until it actually happens.

MS? PC Gaming? Yeah, right...

It seems like every year somebody at MS is reaffirming their love for PC gaming yet nothing ever changes. I've heard this spiel way too many times before from MS. It simply rings hollow.

I agree. It's promising that they are saying that, but people need to see actual evidence of it happening now.

We've waited for nearly 10 years. Same result. Nothing major ever happens.

This is completely disregarding the fact that their first party strategy isn't particularly focused on traditional PC games.

Speaking on Microsoft's strategy on Windows 8 gaming, Booty said that "we have got everything from very, very casual games, like our very much improved and reimagined Solitaire, all the way to graphically complicated games like The Harvest."

But I interrupted him, pointing out that people could argue that The Harvest is not AAA-tier like Gears of War. I asked if he felt that, from a first-party perspective, Microsoft's focus on Windows 8 is on the lower-end.

"We're talking about console games, but there could be some franchises that also end up with a PC game," Booty responded. "When I think about more connected experiences across those platforms, it's things that show up within that family of devices where we've got Xbox Live, like Windows Phone and Windows 8," and "not what you might consider a more traditional desktop PC game."

Eh, better studios are on the way!

This and only this. To ponder Microsoft and supporting PC gaming is a waste of time... When it happens, THEN we can talk.

Im pretty sure they said this before a few years ago.

@Mozuckint: LOL thanks for that. Until they put out a steady stream of first party games and really get XB1/Windows 8.1 integration going, this article's just another one for the list.

God damn, just need Halo on the PC.

I've heard this song and dance before. It's probably a backup plan if the XBONE sells badly.

I don't expect anything from them.

@Mozuckint: Lol.

One of the best posts I've read in a long time, thanks.

The stars are aligned in their favor. Everything is running the Windows 8 Kernel and x86 and basically the same APIs for everything. Looking forward to see decent console ports this time around. Titanfall coming to PC is a good sign.

Never really cared about Microsoft when it comes to PC gaming. We've got better companies out there doing more for the PC, so why bother? Only thing I rely on MS is operating system lol.

Microsoft can suck my dick.

If PC Gamers had a collective brain, we would standardize on Linux for PC gaming.

MS is going to keep playing the angles, not caring who they hurt, and only pulling back when they're in danger of losing their core businesses to Android, Apple and whatnot.

As stewards of the PC OS, they have long since proven unworthy.

I don't believe I'm being melodramatic when I say, we have no true friend or ally, even Valve is only in it for the big bucks, they will **** us in the ass without hesitation for profit motive.

The only way we'll ever be free is if we create and control our own platform.

This sounds like the hatred for ea..Yo ea you suck balls to yada yada..Yet we all have pcs..These posts at Microsoft make me laugh..

Yeah well badwill is badwill.

I only use their product because I am forced to, so they better keep on top of their monopoly.

If given a choice I will never give them a cent.

I would be happy just to get Halo 3 released on PC

Doubt it. They have said that many times before. And all we've gotten is shut down F2P games and Windows Phone ports. Yay !

Thanks for posting this. I hope people don't get their hopes up because they are just empty words.

MS has totally ditched PC gaming the moment they launched the Xbox.

I'm not sure what to expect. What things could they offer if they supported PC gaming again? Could they actually develop some AAA games for the platform?

They've done nothing but talk for a decade, and haven't done anything productive. They already tried to scam the PC users with GFWL this gen

Talk means nothing.

I want to see Flight Simulator 11. If they ever come out with Combat Flight Simulator 4, I'll smooch their shoes.

Seeing the now defunct FSX still selling in stores should give MS a clue.

They're just polishing the brass on the Titanic at this point.

as far as GFWL is concerned, i feel they are only getting rid of it because now they can say that the windows store in windows8 is supposed to be a good alternative.

I wonder if this will have more of an impact than when they said they were back into PC gaming last year.

what? who does not have PC or Mac these days? smartphone can't replace PC. you are all using these forums on a phone?

These past years, Microsoft has cared about PC gaming about as much as Sony has. And that's saying something.

Also not talking bad about Sony as they've clung to Consoles since my way of telling a girl I liked them, was to punch her in the arm between class

So true. Why doesn't microsoft just stop with the empty promises and actually announce something for once ?

That would only tickle the fancy dustbusters of the wide-eyed Microsoft hopefuls. They should announce some sort of super-friendly, accessible, not-drm restrictive service and a video game or two. I'm not saying this service has to be something like Steam, Uplay, or Origin, but something like they were talking about; the game streaming service where they could stream Halo 4 to your PC. I think that would be cool. They mentioned it in their reiteration of "trying to appease to PC gamers" article but like I said, I haven't given them an ounce of hope.

I would like it if they announced PC ports of some 360 titles. Because to them the 360 is pretty much played out and there is no reason for them anymore to keep games exclusive.

But a streaming service that allows us to play Halo 4 at 360 level quality graphics and at the same resolution it was on 360? That doesn't sound interesting.

at 360 level quality? Naw, no way. But yeah, I did forget that Halo 4 is Xbox 360. Perhaps, Xbox One games but even those are only 720p, upscaled 1080p. Ports? Xbox 360 barely had any exclusives let alone interesting ones. After giving it some more thought, there really isn't anything that Microsoft has right now that I care about loll.

In the end, PC-PS4 all the way.

Yup, I'm also going with 3DS and WiiU. But when it comes to microsoft games there is barely anything I want.

Though I would like Quantum Break, but just like the previous Remedy title, Microsoft will do everything to keep it exclusive while Remedy wants their games on PC as well.

Yeah, when they were talking about their streaming service it implied playing 360 games at 360 level of quality. I don't know who would want that. Ports would be way better. I'd personally like some ports of Gears of War 2&3 and Halo 4 and Anniversary.

But if MS completely ignores PC like they did in the past, I won't mind much. PC has been doing fine without them, so many games coming out for PC it's crazy.

All I really want from them is another Age of Empires. But they are too busy with Xbone and I have no clue who would make it after the closure of Ensemble. But if they don't have any interest in making one, I'd rather they just sell the franchise to someone more capable.

These past years, Microsoft has cared about PC gaming about as much as Sony has.

No, Sony is a little better than Microsoft. Sony gave us Planetside 2 at least. Microsoft hasn't given us anything in recent years.

Heard it before. The only way we'd ever see marginal support for PC gaming would be if the Xbone failed.

how about you guys add windows support for that XB1 controller? eh microsoft

being a little harsh on sony there i think.

Sony, they who wanted to kill the PC as a platform around the PS3 launch, they who have no vested interest in the PCs success and are a major console manufacturer, make more PC games and put much more resources into PC gaming than MS have since, really, the first xbox was released. hell they still make games only for the PC and put some serious effort into it. I was just reading up on the new everquest and the way the world is created. looking very cool. they know a lot more about PC gaming than MS does.

Agreed. Although, I'm gonna wait for the PS4 to age a bit like a year or two and then get it.

They missed there chance with GFWL it seems to me these big corporation are full of themselves maybe Microsoft can redeem itself.

Good news.

But it's Microsoft - hopefully they won't add or reignite some hated garbage like GFWL.