[WhiteKnight77]

Apparently rumors are true that MS intends to integrate Xbox Live Will Be Built Into The PC so gamers can play XBox games on the PC. Now, I know that are people that like their XBox, but why play games XBox games on the PC, especially when you already have the XBox? If you do not already have an XBox, why not buy one if you want to play such games?

MS failed at getting PC gamers to buy into the Games For Windows Live deal and ended up having to make it a free service. One would think that they learned their lesson after that little fiasco and now they are trying to force XBox Live down gamers throats by integrating it into the OS.

There are already many entertainment options with Netflix already being able to stream movies right to the PC. There is Ventrilo, Teamspeak, Steam and Xfire for finding games, screenshots, video, VoIP and ways to find games. Does MS think people will give up those options to pay to use XBox Live options? I honestly do not think so, but people do crazy things.

[MONOLITH]

LoL. You're such an Xbox hater.

I don't think you're required to use it. I'm sure you could avoid it completely. There's tons of things that came with my PC that I never chose to use.


Console bias and "such games" aside, it may be a huge opportunity for friends to cross platform. You may not like anything related to Xbox, but that doesn't make this direction evil. It just may turn out to be a great thing for a lot of gamers who couldn't Co-op previously.


I hate spinach, but I don't trash spinach farmers. I just eat other things.

[WhiteKnight77]

I am not necessarily an XBox hater, I just dislike MS trying to get PC gamers to pay for something as they have in the past (GFWL), especially as they had offered PC gamers something for free in the past (MSN Zone or The Zone). If it were offered as something that could be installed as one wished instead of integrated into the OS, then I am sure that PC gamers would not mind.

We also know about crossplatform gaming. It wasn't pretty and MS knows it.

[Bota:16]

How deep XBox Live is integrated into Win8 is up for discussion, but I doubt they will force PC gamers to use it. If they did Ballmer would have angry nerds with pitchforks and catapults storming his house.

[Fixxxer]

If in doubt, keep using Windows 7 and wait to see what happens. I'm sure if Windows 8 constains intrusive (should they be so) Xbox Live features in the OS that give the user no option but to use it, Windows 7 will likely last until they either remove that or make another OS without it after a negative response.

But then again I'm the guy still running an outdated 5 year old system that doesn't mind turning the settings down just so he doesn't have to dump money into being able to play games in DX11 (or 10 for that matter).

[dporter]

I usually take these articles with a grain of salt when their source is an "industry insider" (aka pulled the information from my ass).

[Nemesis]

Re: MS to Integrate XBox Live Into Windows 8

I dont know anyone that I regularly would game with that uses a Xbox nor would I be interested in using Xbox over the PC....a mute selling point IMHO only.

[WhiteKnight77]

Even if it allows for playing XBox games on the PC, wouldn't one think that special hardware would be needed that reads the disk properly? Would a gamer shell out for more hardware (think about the PhysX card)?

[Whisper_44]

Quote

Would a gamer shell out for more hardware (think about the PhysX card)

I'd say that enough folks did, making it a good enough business proposition that nVidia had to buy them

[WhiteKnight77]

Notice though, that the PhysX card was done away with and integrated into the GPU now though.

Sure, some people would buy a special card to allow for use of an XBox game in the PC, but I do not think it would sell like hotcakes.

[Bota:16]

WhiteKnight77, on 16 July 2011 - 08:32 AM, said:

Even if it allows for playing XBox games on the PC, wouldn't one think that special hardware would be needed that reads the disk properly? Would a gamer shell out for more hardware (think about the PhysX card)?

The only major difference between XBOX 360/PS3/PC is the processor architecture. Which I'm guessing if they are planning it for the next Xbox (720?) and Windows 8 and not backwards compatible with the 360, that they would you use x86/x64 architecture in the new XBox. If they did this then no special hardware would be necessary.

[WhiteKnight77]

That is assuming that MS uses DirectX for the next XBox. As it is now, XBox 360 games use a different API than DX. There would need to be an emulator or piece of hardware (additional video card?) to enable said game to run in a DX environment such as Windows. Will Windows 8 use DX? Why would MS dump it? You would think that would mean a whole rewrite of code for the OS and other media to interact with two APIs since MS has been using DX since Win95. As it is now, DX is made to work with the OS and the apps that access it. The XBox version is made to work with the XBox OS, not Windows.

Maybe John could shed some light on how it could work when he has a chance.

[ratoa]

XBOX360 uses DX9