When Windows 8 launched last year, it was accompanied by several game releases most would classify as casual games. Now Microsoft plans to focus on “core” games, however, according to a company executive.
In an interview with Shacknews, Microsoft Studios Executive Vice President Phil Spencer said first-party games will now concentrate on the core gaming market. Spencer admitted Microsoft “lost our way a bit in supporting Windows games,” but assures the company is now focused on major titles.
“You"ll see us doing more stuff on Windows,” he told Shacknews. “We probably have more individual projects on Windows than we"ve had in 10 years at Microsoft Studios.”
Spencer added that Microsoft “covered” the casual market with Windows 8’s launch, which had about 30 games in the Windows Store, though the company is now “starting to look at bigger and core gamer things.” He didn’t allude to what future announcements may hold, though Microsoft has already confirmed “Titanfall” is exclusive to its Xbox consoles and Windows computers. “Titanfall” isn’t a first-party game, however, as EA is its publisher.
Microsoft may emphasize Xbox Live in its upcoming titles, as Spencer said the service is an advantage for the company, citing achievements and friends features.
What Microsoft’s Xbox Live service will look like as Windows progresses remains a mystery, as the service is integrated in the new Metro environment, though it’s largely absent from the traditional desktop area. Microsoft is in the process of disbanding Games for Windows Live, with the service expected to be canceled within a year.
Microsoft could theoretically require Xbox Live games to run in the Metro environment, though that would limit them to only running in Windows 8 and newer versions of the company’s OS. Microsoft notably required Windows Vista for its “Halo 2” port in 2007, but requiring all its first-party PC games to run on Windows 8 seems unlikely.
Several critically successful games have been released for Windows 8 in the past year, though most are smaller in scale compared to typical console releases.