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'Windows 8 is kind of a catastrophe,' Valve boss says
by Andrew Yoon, Jul 25, 2012 1:15pm PDTValve head Gabe Newell is not a fan of Windows 8. "I think that Windows 8 is kind of a catastrophe for everybody in the PC space," he said rather bluntly. "If that's true, it's going to be a good idea to have alternatives to hedge against that eventuality."
What is the cause for Newell's vitriol against Microsoft's next OS? He sees a movement away from open platforms to a closed one. Perhaps there's other reasons as well: Windows 8 brings about features like the built-in Windows Store app marketplace and Xbox Live integration--both which threaten Steam's stronghold in the PC gaming scene.
Newell argues that open platforms are important for innovation to thrive. "Valve wouldn't exist if it weren't for the PC," he said at Casual Connect (via VentureBeat). "Id Software, Epic, Zynga, Facebook, and Google wouldn't have existed without the openness of the platform."
With both Apple and Microsoft increasingly focused on closed app store-based operating systems, Valve's increasing investment in Linux starts to make sense. The company recently launched Left 4 Dead 2 on the OS, and has bigger plans for its future. "We have to start finding ways that we can continue to make sure there are open platforms. So that involves a couple of different things. One, we're trying to make sure that Linux thrives."
"Our perception is that one of the big problems holding Linux back is the absence of games. I think that a lot of people--in their thinking about platforms--don't realize how critical games are as a consumer driver of purchases and usage," Newell said. "So we're going to continue working with the Linux distribution guys, shipping Steam, shipping our games, and making it as easy as possible for anybody who's engaged with us--putting their games on Steam and getting those running on Linux, as well."
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Valve head Gabe Newell is not a fan of Windows 8. "I think that Windows 8 is kind of a catastrophe for everybody in the PC space."
Valve head Gabe Newell is not a fan of Windows 8. "I think that Windows 8 is kind of a catastrophe for everybody in the PC space." : Shacknews
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Now, Microsoft is pushing Windows 8, with the Start Screen trapping things into full-screen WinRT apps that are purchased from the Microsoft Store with a Microsoft Account. This is where Microsoft wants most future consumer programs to be sold and distributed, not through Win32 / Win64. Win32 / Win64 are still THERE, but for how long? The requirement of a Microsoft Account is another demand that I'm unwilling to meet. "It's free! All you need to do is give them your email address and create a login!" Yeah, that's too high a price for me. I only create logins for services and vendors who I'm truly going to use in the next few years. I got sick of handing out email addresses, or having to create stub honeypot email addresses, or having to manage tons of logins with Keepass.
As for the future of open computer program development without having to sign up for some developer network, it's at risk. Gabe sees this too, as it's putting at risk the ability for a company to create a service of their own. Steam on PS3 only got done because of deals with Sony, and I'm guessing it still requires a PSN account. Remember back when Microsoft was under anti-trust scrutiny after the Netscape vs. Internet Explorer days? Maybe those days are "quaint" by today's standards, but there should be OSes that don't trap in people; that's basically whittling down to Linux and other hobbyist OSes like NetBSD.
Anyway, these are thoughts, about to get picked apart by the Windows 8 / XBLA fanboys.
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