Microsoft Hires Steam’s Jason Holtman

CommanderFrank

CommanderFrank

Cat Can't Scratch It
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In what could signal renewed interest in PC gaming, Microsoft has hired former Steam guru Jason Holtman to lead the revamping of PC gaming delivery system strategy.

"Yes, I have joined Microsoft where I will be focusing on making Windows a great platform for gaming and interactive entertainment."
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Steam is optional. Anything they come up with will likely not be and therefore will be a problem no matter what they do. Anyone with half a brain knows this. So I hope they aren't thinking Steams moderate success isn't something they can model and hope make their customer's complaints go away.
 
Step 1: remove GFWL.

Step 2: profit.

Step 3: ride out success for rest of career.
 
jpm100 said:
Steam is optional. Anything they come up with will likely not be and therefore will be a problem no matter what they do. Anyone with half a brain knows this. So I hope they aren't thinking Steams moderate success isn't something they can model and hope make their customer's complaints go away.
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Whoops I just assumed this was for xb1. :/

Maybe Microsoft has realized they need to look elsewhere for a while.
 
Once can only hope. The PC has been the gaming industry's red headed stepchild since the 360/PS3. We get a few crumbs and scraps left over after the consoles had there fun.
 
Gibbage said:
Once can only hope. The PC has been the gaming industry's red headed stepchild since the 360/PS3. We get a few crumbs and scraps left over after the consoles had there fun.
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We've got a lot of interesting indie games on PC that are so much better than the big budget console manshoot clones that the industry has been churning out.

About the only things I'd want from MS's consoles on PC is Forza.
 
Games for Windows Live wouldn't be so bad if there wasn't another step or three in DRM also associated with each title. Just to play games I need to have 6 or 7 different social gaming software programs installed, which are just varying forms of DRM. At any given time my gaming PC has Steam, Origin, Play, Rockstar Social Club, etc. Then half of those have games that also use GFWL. Enough is enough. Maybe we'll get lucky and they'll just standardize Steam as the software of choice on Windows for managing your games. I'm not the biggest fan of Steam, but it would be better than all these fragmented services.
 
Gibbage said:
Once can only hope. The PC has been the gaming industry's red headed stepchild since the 360/PS3. We get a few crumbs and scraps left over after the consoles had there fun.
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Skyrim on PC accounted for only 14% of physical sales (the only numbers we have). THATS why we get treated like red-headed step children. I am growing to hate console players that accept a seriously sub-par experience.
 
Make no mistake; Microsoft did not hire Holtman to improve PC gaming. They hired him to increase sales through their app store on Windows 8.
 
...to lead the revamping of PC gaming delivery system strategy.
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They want to better their delivery system? That's very simple, use Steam. I'll expect my check within a month Microsoft once you start reaping the massive benefits (aka $$$$) from my decision!

But in reality, I have a feeling they want to mimic Steam, as an embedded Windows app. :mad:
 
Horray, now even more PC games can be tied to bullshit drm systems.

Dear Jackasses,

I simply want to Install my PC games..not have to run them through some crappy third party program.
 
Focus on making Windows a great platform for gaming? It's already the best platform for gaming. Job done. Now retire before you do more harm than good.
 
Spire3660 said:
Skyrim on PC accounted for only 14% of physical sales (the only numbers we have). THATS why we get treated like red-headed step children. I am growing to hate console players that accept a seriously sub-par experience.
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Those are only box sales. The vast majority of PC game purchases are done through online sites. Skyrim was a number 1 seller on Steam multiple times.
 
jfreund said:
Make no mistake; Microsoft did not hire Holtman to improve PC gaming. They hired him to increase sales through their app store on Windows 8.
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True enough. MS's only interest in PC games(ers) is how to transition them to the current Xbox and Windows Phone.
 
If it wasn't for gamers Windows sales would be quire a bit lower so don't F with us Microsoft. I would rather use Linux as my gaming OS but it is far too limited for gamers and that is the only reason Microsoft gets my money.
 
Havent we heard this same song and dance from microsoft about the pc platform?
 
MrCaffeineX said:
Games for Windows Live wouldn't be so bad if there wasn't another step or three in DRM also associated with each title. Just to play games I need to have 6 or 7 different social gaming software programs installed, which are just varying forms of DRM. At any given time my gaming PC has Steam, Origin, Play, Rockstar Social Club, etc. Then half of those have games that also use GFWL. Enough is enough. Maybe we'll get lucky and they'll just standardize Steam as the software of choice on Windows for managing your games. I'm not the biggest fan of Steam, but it would be better than all these fragmented services.
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that was a major annoyance in an otherwise fun game, Age of Empires Online. Got it from Steam, but was still required to sign into GFWL when launching the game and again inside the game.

I ALREADY SIGNED IN TWICE FFS LET ME PLAY! :-P

Be nice if there's a "merge Steam and GFWL account" option somewhere like how Facebook has a "sign in with Facebook" option in many web sites.
 
jpm100 said:
Steam is optional. Anything they come up with will likely not be and therefore will be a problem no matter what they do. Anyone with half a brain knows this. So I hope they aren't thinking Steams moderate success isn't something they can model and hope make their customer's complaints go away.
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Worked for killing Netscape. Why not work for trying to kill STEAM. Just make it an intrinsic part of the operating system and ignore the EU when they sue them and pay the pittance of a fine for billions in profit.
 
jpm100 said:
Steam is optional. Anything they come up with will likely not be and therefore will be a problem no matter what they do.
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Steam's dominance has gotten to the point where, if you're a pretty serious PC gamer, Steam isn't really optional: invariably some game you want to play is going to be a Steamworks game. I don't actually see this as a problem yet, but it could be in the near-term future. Having Microsoft be a Steam competitor might be useful, but probably won't be. 'Cause Microsoft.

lord_farfig said:
Not sure what their approach will be, but please do not use GFWL.
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Games for Windows Live is done. The nail's been hammered.

LeninGHOLA said:
Big money big money... no whammies
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Andddddddd STOP.
 
wonderfield said:
Steam's dominance has gotten to the point where, if you're a pretty serious PC gamer, Steam isn't really optional: invariably some game you want to play is going to be a Steamworks game. I don't actually see this as a problem yet, but it could be in the near-term future. Having Microsoft be a Steam competitor might be useful, but probably won't be. 'Cause Microsoft.


Games for Windows Live is done. The nail's been hammered.
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I'm all for competition, but requiring a delivery platform in order to play games? Do we need Steam, Origin, Uplay, and then GFWL2?

As for "The nail's been hammered", I hope you're right, but I predict some resurrection of GFWL
 
* by resurrection, similar product with different name. Maybe XWL? (xbox for windows live)
 
LeninGHOLA said:
It makes more sense to have a well populated games app store with no client. Otherwise, I don't see anyone jumping ship.
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It doesn't make much sense to make yet another walled garden, but yet companies are drawn to it like flies on poop. Let's hope sense wins out.
 
It might be interesting if, rather than offering a client, Microsoft just offered a number of Steamworks-like APIs that basically mirror those of the X1. But actually gaining traction by doing that? That I don't know.

I'd still like to see open standards for achievements and so forth, and that might actually be something compelling they can bring to the table. But they won't, 'cause — again — Microsoft.
 
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