TechRadar posted yesterday that Microsoft has plans for Windows 8 which include a push to gain back the PC gamers.
Many PC gamers feel slighted that the PC has taken a backseat in the gaming world.
Sources tell TechRadar that “Windows 8 will represent a real new push into PC gaming…Gaming will be a key component for the whole OS.” This also partially explains Microsoft’s acquisition of former Voodoo PC’s founder, Rahul Sood.
Microsoft’s console sales during 2010 were particularly strong, with research group NPD reporting that the software giant had sold 34 percent more Xbox 360 units than in 2009.
Microsoft also recently announced that sales of its Kinect accessory had topped 2.5 million, halfway toward the 5 million the company expects to sell by the end 2010.
Perhaps then, this gaming push could be deeper integration of the kind of features found on Microsoft’s Xbox Live platform, something that PC gamers can now get a taste of–though not without first downloading and installing client software.
Taking that extra step out of the process, and building that interactivity in at a system level could certainly go a long way toward giving gaming a higher profile.
I have never noticed that a version of Windows was not at least partially focuse on gaming.
Off course Microsoft has been more focused on Xbox those last years but i have not really noticed a losf of focus on gaming in Windows.
This said there is quite a few things that Microsoft can do to make of Windows a better gaming platform.
Microsoft could for example implement a true gaming mode in Windows in order to shutdown all the unneccessary apps and services while a game is playing, especially if a game requires quite a lot of ressources.
Microsoft could also implement native support of Kinect in Windows.
Btw, i wonder how Microsoft will handle legacy games if Windows 8 handle backward compatibility through virtualization, unless of course if Windows 8 natively support all the required functionnalities for games.
Personal computers with a specific focus don’t sell as well as generic one size fits all machines. Product line branches split off of the core technology can help to accommodate specific requests but regular, budget conscious users don’t want to pay for hardware they will never use. Power users could have multiple boot options for specific tasks they plan on accomplish during the session and the software could optimize all settings based on that, or perhaps be self adapting for simple users where the system morphs over time into the optimized state for their particular computing habits.