Microsoft takes a new approach to PC gaming with Vista

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For all the talk about the security features of Windows Vista and the controversy surrounding its inclusion of a number of utilities and file formats that have some up in arms, there's one aspect of Vista that hasn't gotten much attention -- gaming. Microsoft looks to take a new approach to gaming with Windows Vista and is using the operating system as a launch pad for its new "gaming centric" focus.

With Vista, Microsoft is putting a lot of emphasis on DirectX 10 technology which will offload all rendering to the graphics card as well as most computational functions. DirectX 10 will be a Vista-only proposition making Vista the only choice for a number of hot titles launching in the coming months and Crytek proclaims that DirectX 10 is the only way to go to see Crysis in the way it was intended by the developers.

Microsoft is also bridging the gap between the XBOX 360 and PC gaming with the XBOX 360 Wireless Gaming Receiver. The USB peripheral plugs into your PC and allows you to use all of the 360's wireless peripherals including the upcoming Wireless Racing Wheel and Wireless Headset.

View: Full Article @ Daily Tech

News source: MSFN

(2 replies) #1 kyrio on 03 Oct 2006 - 12:47

So were these Crytek guys planning to sell any copies of their game that I haven't heard of until this article?

#1.1 HawkMan on 03 Oct 2006 - 14:51

How's life in the bunker ?

#1.2 Smigit on 03 Oct 2006 - 15:03

LMAO. Far Cry is widely regarded as "one of" the better fps of recent times. IMHO Crysis has been getting alot more attention and hype lately than UT2007 which has seemed a tad quiet of late.

But yeah, I do think those guys plan on selling a few copies. Hell my pc upgrade which im dropping a few grand on is more or less so i can play this game how it was made to be seen. I can also see this title being the poster child of Vista Gaming, being the real standout title atm announced for DX10.

(4 replies) #2 Fubar on 03 Oct 2006 - 13:10

ok so gaming companies want to make a directx10 only game i.e only runs on vista , do they want to make alot of money or put out a good game with nice graphics and go bust ? i can hardly see alot of people going out upgrading everything in their comp and buying vista just to play some games , if they where gonna do that theyd go buy a ps3 cos end of the day even that would be probably cheaper than buy the latest pc kit , MS is nuts they seriously are , lets just hope most pc game makers stick to the big picture and make games for both directx9 users and directx10 users

#2.1 Smigit on 03 Oct 2006 - 15:07

"Crytek proclaims that DirectX 10 is the only way to go to see Crysis in the way it was intended by the developers"

are you referring to this by any chance? The game will be backwards compatible. The above is really just a way to say it'll look better with DX10. Infact I havent heard of any DX10 games that wont be backwards compatible. The exception being Halo 2 but I'm sure thats more a marketing thing than anything being a MS game and I'm not sure if it's still a DX10 only title or if that stance changed.

#2.2 toadeater on 03 Oct 2006 - 19:04

Quote - Smigit said @ #2.1

If Vista sells 10 million copies to consumers in 2007 and 10% (being optimistic) of those people buy hardcore games like Crysis... you do the math. Releasing DX10-only AAA games is financially impossible until there's at least 50 million copies of Vista sold to game-buying consumers. The PC market is very small compared to consoles.

MS on the other hand, will do anything to promote Vista, so they will say "Get DX10 now, no matter how much it costs!"

Well at least Vista supposedly will play DX9 better than XP, so maybe it's not a complete waste of time to buy it early if your PC can support it.

#2.3 Magallanes on 03 Oct 2006 - 20:24

The word "Only ~~for nintendo~~ for Vista" is not for free, MS must paid a lot of money for crysis for create a game can run only in the vista machine.

Anyways, people will discover that a graphics card that run new crysis games and dx10 will cost almost the same that a xbox360.

#2.4 Danrarbc641 on 04 Oct 2006 - 07:32

Quote - Magallanes said @ #2.3

Crysis isn't Vista-only...

(1 reply) #3 MichaelBL on 03 Oct 2006 - 14:06

"Microsoft is also bridging the gap between the XBOX 360 and PC gaming with the XBOX 360 Wireless Gaming Receiver. The USB peripheral plugs into your PC and allows you to use all of the 360's wireless peripherals including the upcoming Wireless Racing Wheel and Wireless Headset."

Can't wait

#3.1 wst50 on 08 Oct 2006 - 14:22

I can. They're only good for driving games really. I can't exactly play Tribes with it can I?

#4 Smigit on 03 Oct 2006 - 15:09

Hmmm I want a 360 for xmas early next year. I've held back from getting a control for my pc as I havent really needed it yet but soon will be playing games to suit it. Now I dont know whether to get a corded one or hold out for the wireless which would be more usefull.

I guess it depends on when I get my widescreen monitor, the gamepad from my bed with this 17" would be pretty lousy.

and further into the article I must say Kudos to MS for pushing game development on the x64 platform.

#5 dangel on 05 Oct 2006 - 15:05

End of the day DX10+Vista means less DX overhead/no context switching penalties = better framerates. People who build bleeding edge system (hard core gamers) will all upgrade anyway - just like they'll all leap on the latest graphic card from nVidia or ATI. Nothing new there..

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