As for fickalities, I had never before said I wouldn’t move on to later versions of Windows such as XP, Vista, and 7.
I tend to wait a while for the drivers to get stable etc., but I always have planned on moving up eventually.

Except this time. I am waiting to see how it works out, but for now this is the first time I have considered moving to another platform should I ever get tired of Windows 7 and Windows XP.

That's good sense. As for the game ratings, if that's true, that doesn't bother me on any personal level as I don't play any of those games. However, how much sense would it make to have Skyrim, for example, banned on one Microsoft platform, yet it's also one of the biggest titles on its other platform, Xbox 360? I think push will come to shove, if that's true at all.

I for one supported Vista, and loved it. I love Win 7 also.

From a short-term consumer perspective, I feel Win8 will benefit consumers and developers. From a long-term perspective, I feel it will harm both (though the consumers won't realize it).
However, I feel Windows 8 will be a success whatever I do, so my games will eventually have to be released to Metro or else not be on Windows at all.

However, I'm sure Microsoft won't alienate their huge enterprise clients by removing Win32 support entirely, so I'll probably skip Win 8, and jump to 'Windows 9 for Enterprises ([size=2]With built-in Windows 7 Virtual Machine)' (i.e. Win 9 Professional) as a development OS.

My biggest developer gripe is the "closed garden" of Metro/Windows Store. If there was alternative stores (like Steam) that were equally visible to consumers (even if they had to be installed), I wouldn't have a problem.

My biggest consumer gripe is that, from my only half-formed opinions without actually using the OS, it seems like the system is being dumbed down for consumers. That's great! It promotes ease-of-use for non-techy users. But for techy users, it might remove useful features to simplify the interface for the average user (if Windows 9 becomes Metro-only like Windows RT is). Also, I don't use touch, I use a keyboard and mouse. Why is my Desktop interface optimized for Mobile interaction?
I've always used a mouse (I'm in my early twenties). Supposedly, keyboard-only (or keyboard-primary) interfaces were more flexible and feature-full, and allowed for quicker interaction and better productivity (hence why we are more productive when software support hotkeys well). Example: Ctrl+C. Mouses slow things down (you have to shift your hands accurately, click to drop open the menu, shift the mouse and click your desired action), but simplify (move your mouse cursor to point). Touch slows things even further (you have to move your hand entirely, instead of shifting your hand to move the mouse), but simplifies further (press with your physical finger).

When helping others use their computers, I am silently surprised that they go to the Edit menu to select "Copy" or "Paste". Sometimes I use Right-click "copy", but 80% of the time I just use Ctrl+C. I'm sure people that are really hot-key heavy are just as surprised that I don't use hotkeys and keyboard keys as much as I could be.

I'm sure I'll get over my consumer gripes quick enough, if I ever migrate though.

Supporting Windows 8 is easy and opens you to a huge marketplace. It would be just as foolish to ignore it as it would be to ignore iOS.

For most existing DX11 games it wouldn't be more than a week of effort. You only need to do three basic things:

1) use the new WinRT APIs where they are required (the compiler will tell you).
2) add touch support (possibly the hardest task depending on your game).
3) don't include porn.

In the end Microsoft only wants a safe and friendly marketplace for consumers. They don't care if your game is fun or even if it even sells a single copy. You can in fact put the game in their marketplace and use your own sales system that allows you to keep *every* single penny of a sale.

This is the opposite of Valve and Steam... they just want games that will make them money (see the Greenlight popularity contest). If your game isn't that... you will not be allowed into the store. Period.

- Tom

<br />my games will eventually have to be released to Metro or else not be on Windows at all<br />

The desktop isn't going anywhere.

Do you really think Visual Studio will become Metro only? Do you think any programmer inside of Microsoft that works day in and out using Visual Studio thinks that is the future of all applications?

If you look closely at the new WinRT API you'll see it supports multiple Window objects in a single application. While you currently have no way to create a second window... that obviously won't be true forever. WinRT is "Metro" style apps only right now... within a year I expect the next WinRT revision will allow desktop applications as well.

People seem to think WinRT and Metro is about killing the desktop and open distribution of apps... it is not. The real goal is replacing the 20 years of legacy APIs that keep Windows from being secure and performant on lower end devices.

- Tom

I heard that rumor but never saw the official word on it.

Seems they can be pressured after all.


[EDIT]

Games rated ESRB Adult or games only rated PEGI 18, meanwhile, will still be barred from the marketplace.

[/EDIT]
So, Skyrim is still banned along with half of that list?


L. Spiro
[/quote]
Silly question. If Steam and its ilk are allowed in the Windows Store, in the end does this really matter?

<br />Seems they can be pressured after all.<br />

This had nothing to do with pressure... it has to do with the definition of "adult" games. In Europe the PEGI system has adult games with graphic sexual material at the "PEGI 18" rating. They have no rating above PEGI 18.

In the US the ESRB has a M+17 rating which is what 99% of all games fall below. Then there is an adult AO rating... that is for graphic sexual material.

Microsoft wanted to keep the crazy hardcore games out of the store... things like "RapeLay" and not games like "Mass Effect 3". To do that they went with Mature in the US and PEGI 16 in Europe... keeping things simple defining what ratings are allowed and which are not. The problem is it kept games like "Mass Effect 3" which are rated PEGI 18 out of the store in Europe.

So the change is to allow PEGI 18 games, but they are subject to refusal if the content violates the terms of the store. More difficult to certify, but keeps the very few PEGI 18 games there are in the store.

I believe this guy is a Microsoft troll. I live in the U.S. and can tell you 99% of games are M rated (Also it is 16+) Not a single game I've got in some time has been T rated or below. The ESRB is very strict, and their rules are constantly becoming stricter.

I believe this guy is a Microsoft troll.

I'm a fact troll... when I see they are missing I am compelled to add them to the conversation.

I live in the U.S. and can tell you 99% of games are M rated

I live in Dallas, Texas. Checkmate!

You just misread what I said...

"In the US the ESRB has a M+17 rating which is what 99% of all games ***fall below***."

... or more clearly there are almost no AO games in the US marketplace. I make this point because Microsoft allows M rated games in the store... they always have. The issue is only with the PEGI system in Europe.

99% of games are M rated

You are wrong. The vast majority of games are rated less than M. Here are the stats for 2010:

http://kotaku.com/5782792/just-5-percent-of-games-were-rated-m-last-year-says-esrb

Still as far as sales are concerned... I would expect M rated games sell way more... but that is a guess. Personally I don't think I've bought a game not rated M in a while which is probably why you believed they were the majority.

Also it is 16+

You are wrong... M is 17+. See the ESRB site:

http://www.esrb.org/ratings/ratings_guide.jsp

The ESRB is very strict, and their rules are constantly becoming stricter.

I disagree... I would argue they are becoming less strict. They just started to allow mobile/downloadable game developers to "self rate" their games online for free:

http://www.pcgamesn.com/indie/esrb-launch-free-rating-system-downloadable-games

It is great to be a indie developer right now.

- Tom

I believe this guy is a Microsoft troll. I live in the U.S. and can tell you 99% of games are M rated (Also it is 16+) Not a single game I've got in some time has been T rated or below. The ESRB is very strict, and their rules are constantly becoming stricter.

Granted he wasn't very clear when he stated it, but that M+17 was inclusive, not exclusive, which was made clear by the next sentence. Microsoft's intention was never to block "top games", it looks like a simple oversight in converting between the ESRB and PEGI systems which was corrected as soon as the mistake was noticed. Anyone who thinks Microsoft doesn't want top games to be built for their "Modern UI" is an idiot.

<br />Microsoft's intention was never to block "top games", it looks like a simple oversight in converting between the ESRB and PEGI systems which was corrected as soon as the mistake was noticed.<br />

Yep. That was the point I was trying to make... I just didn't do it as well as you just did.