Windows 8 doom and gloom and entitlement from Casey Muratori at Gamasutra:
However, it is clear from Microsoft’s publications on Windows 8 that in order to participate in the new user interface, you must distribute your application through the Windows Store. That means as of October, Microsoft itself will become the sole source of software for everything you run on a Windows machine that isn’t relegated to the older desktop ecosystem.
It’s every American’s God-given right to use Microsoft’s new APIs however they want!
He goes on to predict the future:
For any developer keen on creating the breakthrough software of the future, it should be abundantly clear that the closed nature of Windows 8’s new ecosystem will be catastrophic for the platform. There’s no question it should be opened. But developers aren’t the people in charge of the policies for Windows 8.
Abundantly clear!
The most insightful bit in the article comes from the first commenter, who wisely points out that this is much more likely to be a move toward pushing the Xbox as Microsoft’s games platform and Windows as its productivity platform. My own guess is that they’re feeling out a variety of paths right now. Digital distribution on both dedicated and general purpose platforms, Apple-like content control for tablet devices, and continued support for classic Windows game development on non-RT Win8 platforms. They’re hedging their bets while testing the waters.
One question for the “they can pry my gaming PC from my cold, dead hands” crowd – How much longer will PC gaming remain truly relevant? This past generation already saw a larger dip than normal in its relevancy, with only World of Warcraft and the occasional Steam sale keeping interest alive at all for several years. Windows has been regaining strength as a platform of late to be sure, but how much of this can be attributed to the extended console cycle this generation has seen? My current video card is two generations old, and rarely has trouble keeping up with new releases. I’m not claiming we’ll ever reach a point where a pimped out PC isn’t noticeably better than a console, but I do think we’re heading to a point, probably in the next generation or two, where people will stop caring.