Play Xbox360 Games on PC – Windows 8

The title says it all, you will be able to play Xbox360 games on your PC with Windows 8, Microsoft’s latest and greatest operating system. 

Although there isn’t much information about the features or limitations, one thing is for sure: You are able to play Xbox360 games by simply placing the game disk into your DVD tray.

Remember, this is Microsoft we’re talking about. Something this generous doesn’t come without a price tag. To play your Xbox360 games online, you need to dish out some cash to access a ‘live’ feature, something similar to Xbox Live, but more tuned for PC’s.

With the declining number of Xbox exclusives, this is a step in the right direction for Microsoft in terms of economics. Opening up an entirely new market without having to spend a cent is by far the most lucrative thing Microsoft has announced and here’s why:

1. No reproduction – Microsoft doesn’t have to produce new game disks or cases for its new platform.  Players can simply buy new or used Xbox360 games. Future games will just have a new graphic  on them stating it’s ‘Windows 8 compatible’
2. Subscriptions – Xbox Live alone makes up the majority of revenue for Microsoft. If the company can get the service on not only 1, but 2 platforms, profits can double. Pair that up with a DRM platform similar to Steam and EA’s Origin and your product line is guaranteed to earn profits.
3. Marketing – Microsoft is no stranger to marketing, having spent over $500m on Kinect marketing alone, you can expect Windows 8 to have an extreme presence in the media in the upcoming year. Announcing the compatibility of Xbox360 games on the PC via OS purchase is enough to pull a large chunk of the gamer demographic.

Although there’s a lot of speculation, there’s even more questions being asked. “Why would you buy Xbox360 consoles if games work on PC?” “Why would I want to buy the Xbox360 version of games?” Although I don’t have any information upon Microsoft’s new console, I can safely say that the Xbox360 is being put aside and a next generation console is in the works. So, if you have a large 360 collection and a mighty PC, you’re going to enjoy Windows 8. Stay tuned for more information.

http://www.teknylate.com/2011/07/05/xbox360-games-on-p/#more-2537

Games for Windows moving to Xbox.com

Microsoft is continuing to merge services together, which is fantastic news particularly in this case. The Games for Windows Marketplace is merging with Xbox Live's website, even though it was just overhauled back in November . We've always personally found Microsoft products to be horribly fragmented, but it seems Windows Phone 7 is the start of something magical and is driving change within the big company too. Leading to design improvements in Windows 8, advancement in mobile technology and Xbox Live, acquisition of Skype and now the combining of games for multiple platforms in one location.

"Games for Windows Marketplace will fully transition over to Xbox.com. Now you can get all of your gaming needs in one place. It’s convenient, it’s concentrated, and it’s a whole lot of great games."

In the PC world, Steam plays a heavyweight competitor to Microsoft's Games for Windows, merging the marketplace with Xbox.com should hopefully improve the dated layout. There are many Xbox gamers who also use their PC as a platform, I'm sure they'll welcome the merge with having both stores in one location. Could we see the implementation of Microsoft Points in the Games for Windows store?

http://www.wpcentral.com/games-windows-moving-xbox-com