Games For Windows: Empty Hype?
Valve marketing manager Doug Lombardi expressed doubts about Microsoft's Games For Windows Initiative in a recent interview. "Right now (the Games for Windows Initiative) seems like it's part of the marketing push to help Vista. To really back a platform is a sustained effort over years and years, so we'll see if in two years Microsoft is still spending money to put Games for Windows sections in retail, and having PR people preach that message that we were just talking about, which is that the PC isn't dying, in fact it's actually bigger than all the consoles put together. You know, if it were to sign up for that, that's great. If it's going to use it to promote sales of Vista, that's really not good for the industry, it's good for Microsoft in the short term."

Apparently, he's not alone in this. Epic President Michael Capps stated his opinion at GDC that you have to "Drink the Kool-Aid for that to work."

Valve, at least, remains committed to the PC platform. Many other publishers are moving away from the PC to consoles (or at least to multiplatform). Id Software and Epic sited piracy as a leading factor in their migration from the PC as their platform of choice. More smokescreen, or fulfillment of a situation software developers have been warning us about for years? I suspect those people who don't actually pay for their games will assume the former, and game developers will point to the latter and say, "We told you so." I have already said my piece about piracy. Maybe not the final word, but after saying, "please don't, it really does hurt," what else is there?

As for me... console games are my day job. Well, a console game is currently my day job. Next project could be another PC game - unlikely, but possible. And I certainly enjoy many console games. But my passion is still PC games. Or I should say, "Computer Games," as I wouldn't want to rule out Mac. I see a bright future for PC games... and I'm not just talking casual games and MMO's, either.

So what do you think? GFW: Mere hype to promote Vista this year, or long-term marketing strategy that Microsoft will be willing to put sustained cash into?

Labels: Biz

- posted by The Rampant Coyote @ 7:00 AM (Permalink)