Thrik Posted September 23, 2004 I was reading this article on GameSpot earlier, and it seems quite interesting. It looks like Microsoft are keen to blur the lines between consoles and PCs by making gaming a far more simplified process - something that often draws people away from PCs, and that people use in their "PC vs Console" arguments. Key quotes: Lester reaffirmed Microsoft's dedication to making Longhorn's game functionality be as accessible as that of a modern console. However, he said the company wants to retain the strengths of the PC platform, including high-end graphics and sound hardware, online communities, post-release community support, and content updates like modifications and maps. One example was the conventional game installation system that requires users to sit through several lengthy loading screens. Lester stated flatly, "we need to make that go away." Ideally, Microsoft would like to make PC game installation as easy as the plug-and-play experience of console games, which can be played the instant a disc is dropped in the drive. Xbox 2 peripherals will all work on PC," said Lester, clarifying that Xbox controllers, steering wheels, and other console-related peripheral functionality will all be brought into Longhorn's portfolio, as will Xbox Live functionality. For game players, this will make for, if nothing else, an added convenience, since playing a game on their PC or their Xbox will [ideally] come down to little more than unplugging the controller from one, and plugging it into the other. I don't know about you guys, but I like this move. At the moment, there is a kind of barrier between hardcore PC gamers and hardcore console gamers. Generally, people stick to either one and rarely venture into the others' territory. Having this barrier broken down so that the two work with each other rather than alongside each other seems like an awesome concept to me, and I must say that I fully support Microsoft in this particular endeavour. Feel free to leave your thoughts. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Salka Posted September 23, 2004 [edited - should have read the whole article first] I am highly aroused at the prospect of using my Xbox 2 Peripherals on the PC. Or at least, I will be, if the Xbox 2 controller is more cleverly designed in such a way that I'd want to use it on my PC. But, you know what I mean. According to Lester, the plan is to simplify the process of selecting a good PC for games without having to be an expert on hardware. He provided a hypothetical example that a PC with a "level 5" designation might have a medium processor speed, amount of RAM, and mid-range video card What about a 3.6Ghz Pentium 4 with 512MB RAM, and an Intel EXTREME!!! 32 bit graphics card? Where do they fit in? Microsoft is also considering applying this simplified designation system to a game's system requirements. That is, while game publishers will still be able to print detailed technical requirements on the back of a game box (speed of 3.0GHz and at least 512MB of RAM, for instance) Yeah, it's a good idea in theory. But you can't exactly change the value of designated ratings, if you know what I mean, as technology progresses. So it could get messy. Also, you can't really garauntee a PC game will run even on a PC that should technically be able to run it... it's a little hit and miss. So really, it's only going to benefit mothers going out to buy a christmas or birthday present for their son/daughter, who knows that their PC is a Level 3 or whatever. Although I don't know why that mother can't just learn off the amount of RAM and the speed of the PC... I don't know. It seems kind of pointless to me. And wasn't there already something you could buy to use your PS2 controllers on your PC? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Thrik Posted September 23, 2004 From a report I read a few months back (don't take this as fact), Longhorn itself has some pretty hefty system requirements. Therefore, Microsoft can assume that if you are using the OS, then you can support the hardware. It makes sense. As for CDs, by 2006 I wouldn't be surprised if they are bordering upon obsolete. With DVD drives/burners coming down in price, there is soon going to be no incentive to use them at all for anything. Assuming the DVD drives which are cheap in 2006 are fast enough to allow almost instantanous loading (which wouldn't surprise me), then it should be fine. As for the other hardware, the article also goes on about how they're considering giving different hardware "levels", and then indicating that level for the system requirements on a box. So, if you want a "level 7" game, you need a "level 7" hardware setup. It may sound pretty dumbed down for tech savvy people like I'm sure we all are, but for the average console grunts that is ideal. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Salka Posted September 23, 2004 Yeah, the ratings system sounds retarded. Level Five? Level Ten? That doesn't tell me shit. And what about home-built PCs? They're still going to need to include System Specs on the back of the box anyway, as well as the rating. PC gamers are probably going to know what hardware they're running anyway, so I don't really see who this is aimed at... except, as I said, mothers. But, like... even then...it just seems messy and unecessary. It's not even going to make keeping up with technology more easy, because the ratings can't be variable. If, in 2006, a 'Level Five' rating means a PC with 2GB of RAM and 6.0Ghz with a ATI Radeon 1000000 (It's the future!) it's still going to have to be a level five rating in 2010, when technology has moved further still, because otherwise all the NEW games that need a level five PC will be lying. So you're going to have to keep up to date with all these ratings and shit anyway. On the other hand, it's going to make a lot of people feel under pressure to get 'Level Ten' PCs instead of 'Level 1' PCs, in the same way as people would rather be seen driving their kids to school in a 04' instead of a 94' car. So I'll make more commission. It's also going to piss people off when they're blatantly shown just how fast technology DOES move on and how quick their PC becomes obselete. When they buy a 2.0Ghz Pentium 4 with 512MB RAM while it's the latest thing, and they a 3.0Ghz Pentium 4 with 1gig of RAM is released, it doesn't seem quite as blatant as when they buy the Latest LEVEL 4 PC, only to find the LEVEL 5, 6 and 7 released the next day. Civilization, and the economy, will fall apart, house prices will boom and all hope will be lost. It's a fucking stupid idea. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Thrik Posted September 23, 2004 It's a match made in heaven! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Salka Posted September 23, 2004 Hey, Chris... what do you suppose the rating for your PC would be? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Thrik Posted September 23, 2004 Argh, sly edit. I can appreciate that to anyone with the slightest of knowledge of PC hardware it's daft, as I said. But trust me, there are a lot of people out there who avoid PCs simply because they can't get their head around what a Geforce 6800 is as opposed to a Radeon X700, with a Hyperthreading 3.04GHz 64bit tgurfhtf is. To put it bluntly, gamers on average are thick. Without simplified titles and such to indicate exactly what they need, they find it hard to adapt from their plug 'n' play lifestyle that a console brings. Whilst a PC can never truly be as simplistic as a console, taking steps to make it blatantly obvious what you need to run what will probably help. For example, what's easier to say to a guy who's never looked into PC hardware in his life? "You'll want 1024mb of DDRAM, plus a 2.6GHz Pentium 4, along with at least a Radeon 9800 graphics card", or "You need a level 5 system"? It sounds overly dumbed down and such to anybody with the slightest knowledge of computers, such as yourself Yufster, but it will help the generally retarded gaming public out. Your point about the numbers getting higher and higher is valid though. I'm not sure how exactly they'd go around that. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Salka Posted September 23, 2004 .... a Geforce 6800 is as opposed to a Radeon X700, with a Hyperthreading 3.04GHz 64bit tgurfhtf is. Ah, yes... the oft-overlooked 64bit tgurhft... Also: it's a stupid idea, those people are stupid, you're stupid, and I hate all of you. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Thrik Posted September 23, 2004 :( Edit: Whoa, that's a weird smilie for :(. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wormsie Posted September 23, 2004 Microsoft is doing this just to help us. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MrHoatzin Posted September 23, 2004 Longhorn freaks me out. I like PCs because I can use shady software on them. The whole trusted computing that Langhorne stands for leaves a bad aftertaste in my mouth. It means no more Photoshop, no more Corel, no more 3d Max or Flash... It is highly likely that I will not be switching to it any time soon. Call me paranoid, but I see the advent of that operating system as an end of an era embodied in the murkiness of free information, an era where I was comfortable. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chris Posted September 23, 2004 The whole trusted computing that Langhorne stands for leaves a bad aftertaste in my mouth. A sly reference?? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Erwin_Br Posted September 23, 2004 Longhorn freaks me out. I like PCs because I can use shady software on them. The whole trusted computing that Langhorne stands for leaves a bad aftertaste in my mouth. It means no more Photoshop, no more Corel, no more 3d Max or Flash... It is highly likely that I will not be switching to it any time soon. Call me paranoid, but I see the advent of that operating system as an end of an era embodied in the murkiness of free information, an era where I was comfortable. I remember Windows XP freaked me out too, when I first heard about it. I mean, with the activation system and registration of your hardware components and shit. Well, I have never needed to register or activate anything!! --Erwin Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Intrepid Homoludens Posted September 23, 2004 Good god, Erwin, you just reminded me that I was supposed to register my recent XP! You know, that little cartoon bubble that constantly pops up on the lower right hand side of your screen, saying "Only 3 days, 16 hours, 43 minutes, and 9 seconds left to register Windows XP!". Well, I completely forgot about it until now. Strange......nothing happened when the deadline elapsed. My computer didn't implode or anything. Maybe some innocent little baby somewhere in some remote part of the world suddenly upped and choked and dropped dead because I didn't register. Hmmmm.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MrHoatzin Posted September 24, 2004 A sly reference??It wasn't subliminal enough?I've been typing "Langhorne" over and over many times as of late, it was merely a malapropism in this case. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
