Microsoft: Games for Windows ‘raises the Quality Bar’

The E3 Media & Business Summit has more than passed us by now, but belated updates still keep pouring in at the aftermath, and gamers on their ol’ trusty personal computer aren’t left out of the aftershock. During E3 2007, Microsoft Game for Windows’ Chris Early and Kevin Unangst didn’t let up from their constant campaign for Windows Vista and the new PC gaming initiative, telling Gamasutra how Games for Windows (GfW) raises the “Quality Bar” for PC games.

“Games that carry the Games for Windows branding go through a process where we actually look through and test the games on roughly 25 different areas,” said Unangst. Included into those 25 different “areas” are compatibility with the Xbox 360 controller, widescreen support, Windows Vista Games Explorer compatibility, and an easy install mode.

In a nutshell, of course, the GfW initiative actually has a team of testers run any PC game through certain categories, of which Halo 2 for Vista and Shadowrun have likely passed. Whether or not PC gamers would agree is still up for question, since Vista’s online multiplayer issues, including some on basic casual games, have beat back many gamers in the PC community with outrageous feedback.

The E3 Media & Business Summit has more than passed us by now, but belated updates still keep pouring in at the aftermath, and gamers on their ol’ trusty personal computer aren’t left out of the aftershock. During E3 2007, Microsoft Game for Windows’ Chris Early and Kevin Unangst didn’t let up from their constant campaign for Windows Vista and the new PC gaming initiative, telling Gamasutra how Games for Windows (GfW) raises the “Quality Bar” for PC games.

“Games that carry the Games for Windows branding go through a process where we actually look through and test the games on roughly 25 different areas,” said Unangst. Included into those 25 different “areas” are compatibility with the Xbox 360 controller, widescreen support, Windows Vista Games Explorer compatibility, and an easy install mode.

In a nutshell, of course, the GfW initiative actually has a team of testers run any PC game through certain categories, of which Halo 2 for Vista and Shadowrun have likely passed. Whether or not PC gamers would agree is still up for question, since Vista’s online multiplayer issues, including some on basic casual games, have beat back many gamers in the PC community with outrageous feedback.