Microsoft: Our Goal Is Just To Support Steam

Kevin Unangst, senior director for PC gaming in the Xbox group, was more forthright in his assessment of Games for Windows than expected when we caught up with him at Gamescom today.

"Games for Windows was a prior approach where it was more, at that time, like 'how do we take things?'" he said, "We knew we wanted to help make great multiplayer, we knew we wanted to bring things over... but it wasn't the right approach. It was the approach of 'let's just take those things and transplant them'."

With the launch of Windows 10 and a renewed push to unify Xbox and PC into one huge ecosystem, it's a busy time for Microsoft. PC gamers who had to put up with the old Games for Windows system have cause to be cynical, however. Will the refreshed Windows Store included with Windows 10 be any different, and is Microsoft planning to use the Windows userbase to challenge Steam?

No—at least not according to Unangst: "We are not intending to compete with Steam," he told me, "If anything, we want Steam to be even more successful—they've done great things for PC gamers in terms of having a single store.

"Over time do we want more developers to come over to our store and offer it in addition to Steam? Absolutely. Is competition good for people? Absolutely. But our goal right now isn't to do anything else other than support Steam and help it run great on Windows 10."

http://www.pcgamer.com/games-for-win...ays-microsoft/

It's an interesting statement to be sure- although the fact that the Windows 10 covers all purpose software instead of just games probably means that competition in this case will be less direct with Steam- to use an analogy, it's more like Best Buy vs GameStop.

I might buy an Xbox One

They mentioned they would be supporting steam during their press conference too. But I will continue to take whatever MS has to say about PC gaming with a grain of salt.

If you can't beat em, join em

Isn't that what the 'Steam' consoles are for? Maybe we will see HL3 but only on a Steam machine...

Steam is just an online store + DRM, no way will Microsoft want to or try to take them out, it will be impossible. Even if Microsoft shut out everything but Windows apps (will never happen) Steam could make an app or even just go full Amazon and just have a website.

Competition is good, there are more online stores than just Steam, having another won't hurt.

When MS mentions anything about PC gaming, I start to have anxiety attacks and flashbacks.

Microsoft and Steam in the cut???? Now thats a scary site....

Too bad Gaben fucking hates MS lol

@charizard1605: It really sounds like Microsoft is going to put their Win 10 PC games on STEAM. That would be smart. Hopefully we'll get some form of STEAM on the XB1. That would be even smarted.

If you can stream steam games to the x1... well... then awesome finally hits pc gamers.

So basically they'll do nothing like they always have.

Does that mean all XB1 exclusives will come to PC? :D

"Over time do we want more developers to come over to our store and offer it in addition to Steam? Absolutely. Is competition good for people? Absolutely. But our goal right now isn't to do anything else other than support Steam and help it run great on Windows 10."

So basically, MS won't do squat and will let Steam do all the work for them.

@ianhh6: probably

So since MS is trying to unify xbox and pc gaming, that means most xbox exclusives will be shared with pc and that will mean there is no reason to buy an xbox one.

lol and pc users still dont understand that Steam is DRM.

@WilliamRLBaker: Of course they do. Don't be a potato.

Anywho, I'll believe MS when I see Killer Instinct on Steam. Until then it's just more suits talking

We're well aware. It's why we also have GOG.

As the other two said, of course we do. DRM isn't always bad though and Steam is far less restrictive than any console. At least we don't need to pay our DRM for access to online games.

Hmmmm, we'll see how it goes

2 outcomes:

Steam coming to Xbone.

Xbone going to Steam.

@tormentos said:

Okay I admit this made me laugh lol!

Well see how committed they are...

They will make some more PC games and put them on Steam. Then Steams app will get put on the XB1. Then there will be even more millions of sales for Steam and Microsoft. Steam and XB1 games will be streamed to even Microsoft platform including PC. End of story.

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No, most XB1 exclusive will be streamed to PC and you will still need an XB1 to do that. Not everyone wants to play games on a PC either. Why do you think the XBox 360 sold over 85 million units. Why do you think the PS4 is already at 25 million units. It's because millions of gamers aren't eager to play video games on a PC.

Hahahahaha, Gabe totally fisted Microsoft on this one. Remember his views on Windows 8 and their store and the whole SteamOs project that spawned from it.

Now Microsoft roll over, doesn't happen very often.

As for the Steam DRM, it's so easy to circumvent it might as well not be there, you can crack games with generic Steam emulators by editing a text file.

MS has a unique position . Gaming PCs use windows, but they also have their console platform. it's kinda disingenuous for them to say this when the initial plan for the always online Xbox was really to make Live a direct competitor to steam. But like I said in their position they can always just say if we can't beat them now, join them

I don't care care what they do just get a deal so I can play my steam library on my Xbox. I'll be a pretty happy camper.

DRM was born on PC reason why is not such a shock to gamers there,as piracy has been huge for decades,without having to mod your hardware you can copy pirate a game all drakonian DRM are tied to PC and since PC is mostly digital they don't care by the way Live is DRM so is PSN the term that apply to digital games bough online is different to those bought on disc you should educated your self that is true for both PS and xbox.

Think yourself lucky you're probably too young to remember a game called Microsoft Soccer one of their early PC 'exclusives'. The words to describe how bad that game was do not exist.

They can talk the talk, for sure.

I'm waiting for an update on their walking status.

I really do think MS is transitioning to PC rather than consoles.

It would require uPlay like system though,..ie you would buy and even launch from Steam but after that it would still need to load the game through Windows Marketplace. Since those games are supposed to be crossplatform and it's impossible on Steam.

don't think they've announced any PC exclusives yet so im not sure what you mean . All i see microsoft doing is something they should have done from the start which is support both platforms.

Shrug.... I hate Valve and Steam! I sure hope they can work with GOG and support DRM-Free games.

Yea because its impossible for those gamers to play on another platform as well.

Most of the X1 games are ending up on PC....

All I've seen is Microsoft trying really hard to make the Xbox One a wannabe PC, making PC games come to Xbox One in mass numbers no matter what genre it is. And a lot of the games they're "giving" us would of came to PC anyway or to the PC first. Basically Microsoft is taking away PC exclusives and dividing up developer attention.

Can you name them?

PC retail is dead. Microsoft knows that Steam is the little guy and would probably be frowned upon by squashing or buying. So you do the next best thing. Support them.

If Heil68 was here, he would give the whole by gamers for gamers mantra line.

Thank you Phil for recognizing the difference between a friend and a foe. Damn he is a genius.

No it's not.

Well Microsoft investors know where the most obtainable profits are at.

They've been far more impressed with steam's momentum and sales than they've ever been with Xbone.

Yet Valve Corp tried to make a wannabe Console with the PC, your point?

Retail pcgaming is only dead in USA though. In Europe it's still huge and this won't change anytime soon.

Microsoft is clearly trying to merge Xbox with PC gaming since they want the success of PC to trickle down to Xbox One. Like I said they're trying to get PC games of all kinds no matter what genre it is.

Consoles have adapted more in trying to be like PCs. PCs are open platforms so it can be made to be anything, Gaming PCs could be called wannabe consoles a long time ago since there were small cases and controller support around for a long time and it wasn't like TVs couldn't support video inputs that PCs used.

Valve is only trying to make PC gaming more accessible from the couch. Steam Machines are just PCs with an alternate OS and a controller to offer versatility for mouse and keyboard and controller centric games. Even though they stated they're not competing with consoles they're already are with making living room devices. And eventually there will be a Linux vs Windows 10 fight going off.

Xbox now has a early access program, is trying to get in on PC's MOBA scene, Halo Wars 2 a freaking RTS game for console and PC when RTS have already proven to suck and have no market on consoles,

It gives less reasons for consoles to exist the more they try to immitate PC gaming but still try to enforce a closed platform. Closed down hardware so you know that all games made for the system will run is pretty much all they have left. Exclusives are becoming are smaller reason this gen just look at what was the pinnacle of Sony's E3 this year.

So if you own a PC there is virtually no reason to own a Xbox one ?

Because that's all I get from this.

Isn't that the primary goal? Get everyone to abandon consoles to join PC gaming? Valve is making PC gaming accessible, yes, but that's also consolizing PC gaming as they now prefer the control pad method.