NPD: Windows 8 hasn't 'stimulated' PC gaming

Microsoft's new operating system Windows 8 has not provided the jolt to the PC gaming crowd that its arrival was expected to bring. That's according to research firm NPD's Stephen Baker, who told Digital Trends that Windows 8 hasn't been a detriment either.

"It hasn’t made the market any worse, but it hasn't stimulated things either," Baker said. “It hasn't provided the impetus to sales everybody hoped for."

One major player in the PC gaming community is Valve, which owns and operates the Steam digital distribution platform. According to Valve's hardware and software survey for November 2012, just .44 percent of Steam's 50 million members are running Windows 8 32-bit, though a healthier 4.25 percent have the 64-bit version installed.

Windows 7 remains the most popular operating system for Steam users, with the 64-bit version accounting for 58.58 percent of all users. The highest ranking Mac version is Mac OS 10.8.2 64-bit, which makes up just 1.49 percent of all users.

Windows 8 has officially sold 40 million copies since launch in late October.