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Greg Kasavin
Executive Editor

Now Playing: Pokémon Ruby (GBA), Pokémon Sapphire (GBA), Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven (PS2), Final Fantasy Tactics Advance (GBA), Animal Crossing (GC), Capcom vs. SNK 2 EO (Xbox)

You're Reading This on an Xbox

I've never hated Microsoft. Growing up, I was friends with a number of Mac users who seemed to firmly believe that the makers of Windows were in league with the devil. Others around me were less emphatic in their disdain for Bill Gates' megacorporation, but would still complain about DOS or Windows or Internet Explorer or some other Microsoft product. The fact is, most Americans hate monopolistic corporations just on principle. If Family Feud contestants were challenged to name a "gigantic, greedy business," you know you'd see Microsoft in the top three. As for me, I've always admired Microsoft's success, if anything. The company systematically zeroes in on profitable business models relating to software and technology and then eventually establishes its dominance in those categories.

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Microsoft intends to bring the advantages of console gaming to the PC.
Knowing this, I wasn't surprised when Microsoft first announced the Xbox, and now, I'm not surprised that the system is doing pretty well, nor that it's good. What does surprise me is how many people seem to truly love the Xbox, as this is certainly the first Microsoft product that so many people actively use without holding any grudges. Microsoft may be losing money on every Xbox it sells, but if you consider the value that company probably puts on having a loyal customer base, you'll know that there's absolutely no chance that Microsoft will be leaving the video game business anytime soon. Thanks to the Xbox, for the first time in history, Microsoft seems to have a large contingent of die-hard fans. At any rate, I think Microsoft will only continue to become more and more important as far as games are concerned.

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Is this going to come bundled with every new PC? I'll believe it when I see it.
What got me thinking about this lately is the announcement of Microsoft's big plans for the PC. Make no mistake, this is indeed big news. Essentially, Microsoft has stated its intentions to single-handedly change the face of PC gaming, partly by means of the next version of its operating system. Some of the most bold and most controversial aspects of this announcement include the facts that the company is developing a standard controller for PC games, as well as developing technology that will allow PC games to play straight off a disc--no installation required. Furthermore, the company is seeking to consolidate and standardize system drivers and system requirements and allow users to much more easily identify and install new driver updates for their hardware. Basically Microsoft wants PC games to become a lot more user-friendly, and it intends to take specific steps to see that happen.

I can point you to a demonstration of what PC gaming will be like after these plans come to fruition: It's called the Xbox. All this is a stomach-churning prospect for many PC gamers--these are people who actively choose to play PC games instead of console games because of all the particular benefits that PC gaming still has over console gaming. If they wanted a console gaming experience, why, they'd go out and get consoles. So what does Microsoft think it's doing?

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This is why PC gaming isn't as popular as it could be.
People dislike change, even when the change is for the better. There was a time when I too probably would have read Microsoft's announcement very cynically, thinking that here's yet another perfectly good thing that Microsoft's going to step into and completely ruin. But for the life of me I can't see it that way now. Point for point, I think everything on Microsoft's agenda for PC gaming sounds like a wonderful idea.

I've played games on all platforms all my life because I've always recognized the various advantages of each platform. When I think of the advantages of PC games, I think of their complexity, their depth, their lasting value, their technological edge, and their adaptability. I don't think of lengthy installation routines, misleading system requirements, crash bugs, and compatibility issues with my video card. In fact, these are the aspects of PC gaming that have pushed a number of developers and gamers away from the platform these last few years.

I appreciate that there are some PC gamers who enjoy their elite status, knowing that the average Joe could never overclock his system like they could, and could never squeeze those last 10 frames per second out of Unreal Tournament 2003 like they could. But you shouldn't be surprised to know that I'm a big proponent of the notion that games are for everyone, and that there shouldn't be some big barrier of entry for getting into them. Yes, games should be challenging, complex, and deep. No, they shouldn't be a complete pain in the ass to get up and running. All Microsoft is trying to do is impose some standards and set up some systems to ensure that your PC can run all the latest games. I daresay that's the best news I've heard all year.

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If Microsoft has its way, we'll be seeing more PC games like Age of Mythology. Oh, the horror!
Is Microsoft a good Samaritan? Does Steve Ballmer have the Nobel Peace Prize locked up? No, it's not like that. Microsoft's a business and it's designed to make money. Yes, this announcement represents a business initiative. Yes, if this plan succeeds, Microsoft will make a lot of money, perhaps by bundling its standardized controller in with most every new computer that's sold, and perhaps by seeing the sales numbers of its PC games go even higher, since more people will be able to play them. But the company's initiative really ought to be seen as good news by most every game publisher and most every game player. Some of the biggest headaches associated with PC game development come from just making sure that the stupid game works with every stinking graphics card and sound card that's out there. Microsoft is trying to streamline this process, and if the plan works, then not only will PC game development cycles become more efficient, but sales should also theoretically increase. More people will play PC games if Microsoft succeeds.

What Microsoft isn't doing is trying to dumb down PC gaming. In the same week that the company announced the plans I've described above, it also announced that its hit real-time strategy game, Age of Mythology, has sold more than a million copies to date. Age of Mythology is a fantastic, highly complex game that epitomizes the sorts of things that the PC can still do much, much better than consoles. And you'd better believe Microsoft knows this better than anyone. Yeah, the company's trying to have its cake and eat it too by dominating both the PC gaming and console gaming markets. But what do I care? If the result is more games like Age of Mythology and Halo, I'm all for it.

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