The Glade 4.0

http://www.techsual.com/2011/07/windows ... to-pc.html

Awesome if true.

That would be pretty sweet. I hope it's true.

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Los Angeles Kings 2014 Stanley Cup Champions

"I love this **** team right here."
-Jonathan Quick

Wow, that would be something. Didn't expect this.

...

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"Aaaah! Emotions are weird!" - Amdee
"... Mirrorshades prevent the forces of normalcy from realizing that one is crazed and possibly dangerous. They are the symbol of the sun-staring visionary, the biker, the rocker, the policeman, and similar outlaws." - Bruce Sterling, preface to Mirrorshades

Hmm

This seems odd to me...

Technically I can see it happening (although it may require a specific DVD reader), but I'm not really sure it makes all that much sense.

Assuming it's true, it'll be interesting to read how they are going to do this.

Why is that? It's certainly in keeping with the MS way of business (use your strengths to prop up your weaknesses).

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I prefer to think of them as "Fighting evil in another dimension"

Also explains why the kinect has a USB port.

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I prefer to think of them as "Fighting evil in another dimension"

This should be in gaming :p

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Holy shitsnacks!

I approve. Now someone go make it happen.

I'm confused. Windows 8 is 2 years out, as yet, isn't it?

Why is playing games whose design was/is limited to a console produced in 2005 on 2013 *computer* hardware an exciting feature? The only thing I can see this as doing is attempting to artificially extend the life of the XB360 games production viability, making it a legitimate platform after MS stops producing console hardware.

That doesn't excite me at all, for the record. In 2013, I want to be playing games designed for 2013 hardware on my 2013 hardware. This is just extending the current "we port console games to PC, ignoring the PC's power and expanded capabilities relative to the old console hardware" paradigm in perpetuity. Except, now we won't even get a port to give us PC control schemes and PC prices, we'll just be told to buy it on 360 and play with a gamepad and pay licensed prices.

Ah... I see. This is MS's second attempt at Games for Windows Live. Uh, no thanks.

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"Aaaah! Emotions are weird!" - Amdee
"... Mirrorshades prevent the forces of normalcy from realizing that one is crazed and possibly dangerous. They are the symbol of the sun-staring visionary, the biker, the rocker, the policeman, and similar outlaws." - Bruce Sterling, preface to Mirrorshades

XBLA on the PC? Allowing some form of backwards compatibility for the future? Unified network architecture for cross-platform play? You have a pretty bleak outlook. Who's to say that the additions aren't there to help pave the way for Xbox 720 compatibility? I highly doubt MS will be changing the network architecture or coding languages for their next console.

MS is making big changes with Windows 8, it seems a little foolish to think the same wouldn't be true for new features.

It seems strange to me. Technically, it's always been possible to run games in emulators on a PC, but it's only been done by hackers/homebrew types....

Why take this mainstream now?

Well at the very least they're giving more options to gamers. The most ambitious scenario I can see from this though would be some kind of all-inclusive service combining XBL over all platforms. I could see Microsoft turning XBL into a platform-independent Steam.

Right. Like I said, this is their next attempt because GfWL didn't work out as a decent competitor to Steam, and thus couldn't be leveraged for licensing down the road.

Also, I'm not sure how this gives more options to gamers. Perhaps I'm overly cynical, but given this option, I think the idea is to suggest to developers that you don't need to port a game to PC. Just make PC gamers buy the X-Box version.

This, of course, takes digital distribution out of the loop, forces us to pay console prices instead of PC prices, and still limits game design to console specs (precluding even including higher resolution display options/textures in the PC port, no less!).

I see this as several different ways that gamers, and particularly, PC gamers, can get screwed, with only a couple minor potential benefits.

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"Aaaah! Emotions are weird!" - Amdee
"... Mirrorshades prevent the forces of normalcy from realizing that one is crazed and possibly dangerous. They are the symbol of the sun-staring visionary, the biker, the rocker, the policeman, and similar outlaws." - Bruce Sterling, preface to Mirrorshades

yea, I think there has to be more to this than we are being told at this point...

The only advantage I can think of is that it would likely push people who have the gaming trifecta (PC/Windows, PS3, and XBox) to purchase the Xbox/Windows version of the game for more flexibility.

Otherwise, I think that this will cause more harm than good for some of the reasons Kaffis suggests...

Edit: I guess I can see where having the equivalent of XBox Live on a PC would be a good thing, especially if the XBLA games were playable (using a 360 controller), but making the 360 discs themselves playable on a PC seems whacky to me...

The belief (real or imagined) that Sony is on the ropes and now is the time to strike.

Fear that the Desktop PCs may go extinct?

Also everything Kaffis said.

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I prefer to think of them as "Fighting evil in another dimension"

Why now?

Because if they wait, momentum shifts back to the PC. Several not insignificant, sometimes trendsetting, developers are talking publically about how PC gaming is set for an explosion given the disparity in power and capabilities created once more by the stagnation inherent to the nature of console hardware.

Microsoft needs to pitch this now, get people excited about it now, and deliver it ASAP in order to pitch to developers "no, it's really worth continuing to program with the same specs because the expanded market that consoles deliver is going to stay there, not go away."

Because once all the console-only generation with their 2004 WoW-boxes upgrade and start buying impressive PC exclusives, or even the PC ports of the next few years' worth of cross-platform titles, that argument becomes a loser unless you've already sold people on buying discs on X-Box so they can stick them into their computers down the road.

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"Aaaah! Emotions are weird!" - Amdee
"... Mirrorshades prevent the forces of normalcy from realizing that one is crazed and possibly dangerous. They are the symbol of the sun-staring visionary, the biker, the rocker, the policeman, and similar outlaws." - Bruce Sterling, preface to Mirrorshades

How much money did Nintendo bring in by selling old games on the Wii?

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Buckle your pants or they might fall down.

For the record I'd never buy a console until they upgrade them to the latest hardware. I don't get why people who understand computer hardware would buy 2006 technology.

Maybe because they enjoy playing the games made to play on it?

So you'll never have a console.

Its nice to have a box that will just play a game without any fuss. I put a game in, and I play it. No drivers, no installation, no fuss.

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Holy shitsnacks!

Well...a lot of PS3 games have mandatory installs. And even if it isn't, I would still install games to the HD on the PS3 and 360 regardless because it plays better and quieter. But yeah. Consoles are pretty convenient. Mostly because you know a game will work when you buy it. With PC games, your PC might not be powerful enough. Not saying PC games are bad, though. I prefer PC games now that I actually have a PC that can play current games.

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Los Angeles Kings 2014 Stanley Cup Champions

"I love this **** team right here."
-Jonathan Quick

Actually, when they come out with next gen consoles I will most likely get one.

and you'll sell the new console 6 months after release because it'll be outdated?

Or hate it because there are no games available?