I found the article.
Microsoft Screws Gamers
It’s Vista or bust for PC users
by: Chris Stead 15/04/2008
Last week we wrote an article that argued how Rockstar had Screwed Microsoft by facilitating a bundle deal with Sony for a console and GTA IV. This week it appears that Microsoft have joined in on the orgy, although it is not a corporate competitor they’re bending over the bandwagon, it's gamers. As you may have heard, from June 30 Windows XP will no longer be on sale: it’ll be Windows Vista or bust.
"So what?" we can sense you thinking. Well if you haven’t been keeping up on the goss, Windows Vista has been a colossal failure for Microsoft. While we’re sure such a comment will raise the temperature in a few hardcore PC user’s foreheads, that has been the overwhelming reaction from consumers worldwide. They’re slowly improving the OS, but the Vista image has already been tarnished: too confusing, too much incompatibility and too much of a system whore for your general consumer.
In short, for your average gamer, Vista has simply not been worth the effort with most users opting to stick with and enjoy the far superior gaming OS which is Windows XP. In fact, a recent survey by Valve revealed that less than 6% of their massive user base on Steam are using the OS - that's a damning statement from the gaming community. Luckily, till now upgrading simply hasn’t been required: developers have been coy about coding in the Vista aligned DirectX 10 because of its poor install base and performance overheads. Not to mention that Vista’s big software hope, Crysis, failed to impress on the OS, resulting in some critics calling it the final nail in DirectX 10’s coffin.
Gamers have clearly stated they don't want Vista. Microsoft doesn't care.
Want an analogy? Imagine that the Xbox 360 came out, and all the developers said, yeah it is technologically superior, but gamers can’t handle its reliability and want to play on the Xbox instead. So they continue to make games for the older machine first, porting it to the next-gen option second – a la DirectX 9 games. And that was cool for a while, because you could still buy the Xbox in shops and it was far cheaper, and hassle free. But then down the track Microsoft just took the choice away from you, removing the Xbox from shelves and pushing the inferior Xbox 360 option despite its flaws and in doing so, making a subtle statement to developers to do the same.
Yeah, we’ve smelt this type of shit before, and its fragrance ain’t any rosier.
So what does this mean for gamers? In the short term, not a whole lot: the XP install base is still massive and the industry knows that, but in the long term… say 12 months or so… we will start seeing some repercussions. It will split gamers into two camps: new owners forced onto Vista with those who have already made the upgrade, and then those hanging onto XP for dear life. This could mean compatibility issues on both sides of the fence, OS specific features alienating one side from part of the experience and higher min specs as developers begin to assume a DirectX 10/Vista future.
But this is not the big issue we foresee: it’s Microsoft’s apparent desire to port their profitable Xbox 360 Marketplace business model to PC gaming which has us worried. Live Anywhere is the naughty phrase that makes PC gamers shudder in their sleep - like ghostly visions of Windows ME - and we’ve already seen a few games dipping their toes in the slowly rising waters of Microsoft’s new world order.
Recently released RTS game Universe at War, a Games for Windows title, required you to have a Gold Membership (currently $80 for a year) to get access to all the multiplayer features. Unlike the company’s Xbox 360 console, PC gaming usually requires the gamer to only invest in the product once, at the time of purchase. Maps, wallpapers, patches and online play made freely available over the Net. Even a wallpaper – called a theme – can set you back a few bucks on the Xbox 360’s marketplace.
Universe at War would indicate that Microsoft wants to do the same for PC gaming, and Vista is their tool. And why not: it’s big, big business. And it’s an income stream that would benefit not only Microsoft, but its third-party supporters. And since it’s too much of an ask to implement such an initiative into the old warhorse that is XP, they’re actively phasing it out and pushing Vista onto users whether they like it or not.
We understand that PC users are a different beast to console gamers, but in aligning DirectX 10 with Vista, and pushing the concept of Live Anywhere on publishers, Microsoft is looking to take full control of online PC gaming in the coming years. It’ll be slow going and will meet incredible resistance, but in the end what choice do you have? Linux? Sure some publishers won’t play ball, but can you really see the likes of EA or Activision - whose love and misuse of the marketplace is famed – not supporting a PC landscape where they can get an indefinite income stream on released games?
Imagine paying to play Quake V online. Or paying both Microsoft and Blizzard to play World of Warcraft. That would fucking suck.
http://www.gameplayer.com.au/Home/FEATURES/FEATURE/tabid/1488/Default.aspx?CID=d66f85ba-08e7-4705-96c3-5137ab3f616f&v7Pager=1
