Blizzard Doesn't Like Windows 8 Either

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It looks like Blizzard Entertainment is the latest game developer to jump on the Windows 8 hate bandwagon.

Rob Pardo, the executive vice president of game design at the Diablo 3 studio, quoted Newell's comments on his personal twitter account before adding that Windows 8 is "not awesome for Blizzard either". The quote: "nice interview with Gabe Newell - "I think Windows 8 is a catastrophe for everyone in the PC space* - not awesome for Blizzard either"
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Would they mind getting specific? What the hell is wrong with it for gaming exactly? I've BEEN gaming on Win 8... it works. Steam works. Blizzard games work.

WHATS THE PROBLEM?
 
Advil said:
Would they mind getting specific? What the hell is wrong with it for gaming exactly? I've BEEN gaming on Win 8... it works. Steam works. Blizzard games work.

WHATS THE PROBLEM?
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Pretty much have to agree with this. Been playing WoW, D3 and my entire Steam library on Win8 and it's fine.
 
Eulogy said:
Pretty much have to agree with this. Been playing WoW, D3 and my entire Steam library on Win8 and it's fine.
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It's not about working fine, it's about them transitioning away from the PC...

You people need to learn to read the articles/quotes before you comment. It specifically states not good for the PC. This isn't exactly a revolutionary thought from Blizzard considering it's what nearly everyone has been saying about win8 for months now.
 
pelo said:
It's not about working fine, it's about them transitioning away from the PC...

You people need to learn to read the articles/quotes before you comment. It specifically states not good for the PC. This isn't exactly a revolutionary thought from Blizzard considering it's what nearly everyone has been saying about win8 for months now.
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Actually, per the article, it has nothing to do with any supposed transition:
It appears that his claims were centred on criticisms that that Microsoft will want to have more control over various applications and purchases made through its next operating system. The full details have not yet been announced by Microsoft.
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So again, what's the problem?
 
What do you think controlling purchases/applications via the OS sounds like, PC or tablet?
 
It appears that his claims were centred on criticisms that that Microsoft will want to have more control over various applications and purchases made through its next operating system. The full details have not yet been announced by Microsoft.
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This seems to be a pretty big problem. I hate the idea of it. This is one I'll definitely give to apple that someone is copying them (even if it's not true that they did it first, as I'm sure someone has done something similar).

One thing that I really liked about Windows is that it's a free for people to write programs on without restrictions, and sell them. Sure, you could get your program verified to further your legitimacy, but the key is you didn't have to.

That said, I haven't read the article, just the quote you posted.
 
pothb said:
This seems to be a pretty big problem. I hate the idea of it. This is one I'll definitely give to apple that someone is copying them (even if it's not true that they did it first, as I'm sure someone has done something similar).

One thing that I really liked about Windows is that it's a free for people to write programs on without restrictions, and sell them. Sure, you could get your program verified to further your legitimacy, but the key is you didn't have to.

That said, I haven't read the article, just the quote you posted.
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Here's the issue:

No one is restricting the Win32 applications which Valve and Blizzard are used to making. And to be clear, Gabe Newell's comments are not very clear about whether he was talking about Windows 8 as a whole, Metro, or the clear fact that the Windows 8 Store competes with Steam.

What they seem to be whining about is that because it will be so "easy" to buy indie games from the Windows 8 store since it's installed on every computer, no one will buy games from Steam (and that affects their bottom line, regardless of whatever they say after this comment). We've seen this argument before with the Mac App Store. Nothing forces people to buy from there, but because it's so stupidly easy, a lot more money gets spent in that ecosystem than from a random online store setup by a 3rd party developer. And at that point, it really just sounds like whining to me.

While large developers may be complaining about Windows 8 (and they probably said similar things about the App Store and it's 30% cut), indie developers think it's the best thing since sliced bread. You make an app, and the OS vendor hands you millions of potential customers with credit cards already setup such that they need to click twice to buy your product. Who wouldn't love that?
 
Who cares what Blizzard thinks? Blizzard is a terrible company now, and they are being quite hypocritical.
 
Eulogy said:
Actually, per the article, it has nothing to do with any supposed transition:


So again, what's the problem?
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I don't remember Valve bitching when Apple launched the Mac App Store after they launched Steam. And that competes with Valve even more than Microsoft's App Market since you can only install Metro applications through Microsoft's - you can't even install desktop applications.

I really do not understand the criticism here. There's nothing to back up anything they claim.
 
I think Blizzard is a catastrophe for everyone in the PC space* - not awesome for Windows 8 either
 
Blizzard not complaining about quality, but instead quantity. Doesn't surprise me. I stopped caring about that bitch when she cheated on me and left me for

She used to be awesome when we were young and in school, but she became a corporate girl and I just couldn't be with her anymore.
 
dagamer34 said:
While large developers may be complaining about Windows 8 (and they probably said similar things about the App Store and it's 30% cut), indie developers think it's the best thing since sliced bread.
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Wasn't there a recent story about an indie developer who thought rather differently, stating it cost many thousands of dollars to put up a bugfix?
 
dagamer34 said:
What they seem to be whining about is that because it will be so "easy" to buy indie games from the Windows 8 store since it's installed on every computer, no one will buy games from Steam (and that affects their bottom line, regardless of whatever they say after this comment). We've seen this argument before with the Mac App Store. Nothing forces people to buy from there, but because it's so stupidly easy, a lot more money gets spent in that ecosystem than from a random online store setup by a 3rd party developer. And at that point, it really just sounds like whining to me.
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If that is the case of their complaints.,.. then I have to agree.

Not that I like having such things controlled, but Valve does the same thing, ... actually probably everyone else that does something similar.
 
Blizzard needs to go the way of the dodo. They are stinking PC gaming up now.
 
John Smedley of SOE tweeted saying he agreed with Gabe and Rob Pardo. Yes they all have businesses to look after but it isn't as black and white as that.

Microsoft are looking at what Apple are doing and they're attempting to do something very similar. If it works, Windows 9, 10 or 11 could end up being a closed OS like Mac is now. There's more money to be had when you control everything.

Linux could very well be the only major OS out there for anyone who wants to use an OS to express themselves.
 
Someone make a mod for w8 that strips out all the Metro garbage(online log in) too, makes the old standard windows interface the default, then tests it against w7 and out preforms it, I might consider it.
 
Game Master 128 said:
Valve's profits from PC's > Valve's profits from Mac's
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And yet it's still absolutely no threat to them because you can not purchase desktop applications through Microsoft's marketplace.

So what they say is a "catastrophe for the PC" is really just a "catastrophe for my company's bottom line."

It's not based on the fact that Windows 8 is horrible for gaming. It's based on the fact they have competition now.
 
WBurchnall said:
The third option not listed: Phone?
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Last I heard, PC gaming isn't doing well on tablets and phones :)

It's not just about the Microsoft store and approved apps, it's also about Microsoft stepping away from the desktop.
 
Could always slap MS with another anti trust lawsuit. Or do we actually have to wait for them to pull the trigger on that part first. :p
 
dagamer34 said:
Here's the issue:

While large developers may be complaining about Windows 8 (and they probably said similar things about the App Store and it's 30% cut), indie developers think it's the best thing since sliced bread. You make an app, and the OS vendor hands you millions of potential customers with credit cards already setup such that they need to click twice to buy your product. Who wouldn't love that?
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Games for Windows Live proves how insanely great Microsoft is at distributing and controlling software.

:rolleyes:
 
dagamer34 said:
What they seem to be whining about is that because it will be so "easy" to buy indie games from the Windows 8 store since it's installed on every computer, no one will buy games from Steam (and that affects their bottom line, regardless of whatever they say after this comment). We've seen this argument before with the Mac App Store. Nothing forces people to buy from there, but because it's so stupidly easy, a lot more money gets spent in that ecosystem than from a random online store setup by a 3rd party developer. And at that point, it really just sounds like whining to me.
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No it will be shit for indie games. The money they make is going to be pilfered and a massive 30% cut will go to Microsoft, whereas stores like steam/origin etc can offer flexible offers to indie games, and help promote them. The content control and censorship is another concern. Games like the Binding of Issac with more "questionable" content may find themselves banned.

A GFWL style market isn't exactly a great selling point. SFWL isn't an exciting prospect. Microsoft's methods of selling games on the Xbox i thoroughly crappy, charging developers for free updates and patches and other rather stupid things. You can expect the same nickle and diming corporate behavior to sneak in here, and an enphasis on pushing consumers to the shitty Metro closed system.
 
tlkimball said:
Games for Windows Live proves how insanely great Microsoft is at distributing and controlling software.

:rolleyes:
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Exactly.

Microsoft is clearly moving towards a closed system. One day all games may have to go through the app store, and be required to use Live.
 
RedSh1rt said:
John Smedley of SOE tweeted saying he agreed with Gabe and Rob Pardo. Yes they all have businesses to look after but it isn't as black and white as that.

Microsoft are looking at what Apple are doing and they're attempting to do something very similar. If it works, Windows 9, 10 or 11 could end up being a closed OS like Mac is now. There's more money to be had when you control everything.

Linux could very well be the only major OS out there for anyone who wants to use an OS to express themselves.
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Express yourself how?
 
dagamer34 said:
Here's the issue:
What they seem to be whining about is that because it will be so "easy" to buy indie games from the Windows 8 store since it's installed on every computer, no one will buy games from Steam (and that affects their bottom line, regardless of whatever they say after this comment). We've seen this argument before with the Mac App Store. Nothing forces people to buy from there, but because it's so stupidly easy, a lot more money gets spent in that ecosystem than from a random online store setup by a 3rd party developer. And at that point, it really just sounds like whining to me.
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In order to collect the 30% from the app store, the applications has to be using the Metro style interface. To avoid the 30% loss, developers will have to avoid using it. Meaning they could alienate themselves from the Metro UI, which doesn't sound bad for those of us who hate it, but a lot of people will.

Another possibility is that we don't know the full details of the Windows app store. Developers would know before the public does, and maybe under NDA. For all we know any sale on Windows 8 is required to pay Microsoft 30%. Apple profits 30% of all iOS microtransactions, so how will Microsoft do this with Windows 8?

Lets say you're a sneaky developer, and you sell World of Warcraft through the app store, but only the Blizzard downloader is received through the app store for $1, or it could even be free. The rest of the transaction takes place through the Blizzard Battle net account, which is not a metro application. So in a way Blizzard would avoid the 30% loss.

Microsoft could require that all sales done through Windows 8 must give 30% to them, regardless how it was sold. Microsoft must have taken into account that developers would do something tricky like this, so this may apply no matter how the sale is done. Which would effect Steam sales and World of Warcraft sales. Valve already takes 30% from developers, so this would be like double dipping into the profits.

Developers aren't upset for no reason. It isn't the UI, cause game developers couldn't care about the UI when the game is running. They can easily circumvent the app store by doing what they do now. They could just put free downloads to Steam or Blizzard's Battle net if they need to get peoples attention to games. It doesn't have to be on the app store ever, cause game sales have been doing fine without one anyway.

Microsoft must have put restrictions on how developers can avoid to pay the 30%.
While large developers may be complaining about Windows 8 (and they probably said similar things about the App Store and it's 30% cut), indie developers think it's the best thing since sliced bread. You make an app, and the OS vendor hands you millions of potential customers with credit cards already setup such that they need to click twice to buy your product. Who wouldn't love that?
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Because the sales of those apps would have never sold otherwise. There are a good deal of people who would treat the app store like the home shopping channel. They have an empty void that needs to be filled with crap.
 
I expected many things from Blizzard. Haven't seen anything come through.. I held out for so long. But it's time to move on to better things. Hopefully a new generation of developers will start making games for the enjoyment, not for the money.. and hopefully those generation of developers somehow stay employed. :|
 
tlkimball said:
Games for Windows Live proves how insanely great Microsoft is at distributing and controlling software.

:rolleyes:
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On the other hand theyre doing just fine On Xbox/Xbox live/Arcade? Which is what theyre switching to in Win8 correct?
 
I guaran-fucking-tee you Microsoft backtracks because of the divide Metro and Windows 8 are causing on the desktop. I give it a year... two tops... and 'Windows 8: Desktop Professional Ultimate Edition' will be sold at retail sans metro and with a new spin on the Start menu to make it seem like it was their idea.
 
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