Q&A: Gaming’s Vista

Prying Vista open - come on, this won't hurt one bit.It might be seen as, well, a cast-iron female dog to upgrade to – considering the RAM, the video memory, the OS, God knows what else – but Microsoft is positioning Windows Vista as a PC gamer’s paradise, which usually means people are tempted to look under the hood and see what Vista can deliver. Well, apart from a Flight Simulator X reel that would make Maverick piss his flight suit.

So, in this interview with Games for Windows (MS’ department, not this blog) director Rich Wickham, and a “Microsoft Spokesperson” (whoever he or she is), Action Trip pries into Vista’s gaming-specific features. Some of this stuff we’ve heard on the web before, a few bits are new, but it does help to give a better picture of, well, the next-gen OS.

  • We know Vista will be tightly integrated with the Xbox 360. Non-gaming, this will mean the same streaming PC media to the Xbox as with the Media Center PC. Gaming-wise, it’s Live on Windows Vista, including cross-platform multiplayer – for example, Shadowrun on the PC and Xbox 360.
  • Games Explorer, Vista’s way of organizing, saving, and learning more about their games. Rich says it will launch off the Start Menu, but no further details. We can only imagine a gaming-specific Windows Explorer with gaming-specific functions.
  • A “rich set of parental controls” to protect kiddies from the inappropriate material of Mature-rated titles. Or lawsuits from a certain attorney. Which probably amounts to the same thing.
  • DirectX 10. Enough said.
  • Games which will have the Games for Windows certification will “support all (of Vista’s) features (and more).” Which should mean – unless Rich’s not telling Action Trip something – DX10, the parental controls, Games Explorer, Live, and probably more. And the games should still “play great on XP”.
    • Speaking of going back in time, says Rich, “I don’t think compatibility concerns should keep a gamer from upgrading to Windows Vista, even from day 1. We’ve been testing hundreds of games for Windows Vista compatibility for more than a year now.”
  • Games for Windows (Vista) to look forward to in 2007 (barring unforeseen delays)? Supreme Commander, Hellgate: London, Unreal Tournament 2007, Crysis, among others. And no Gears of War on PC, for those who keep asking.
  • Windows Vista will be made broadly available on January 30, 2007.

Prying Vista open - come on, this won't hurt one bit.It might be seen as, well, a cast-iron female dog to upgrade to – considering the RAM, the video memory, the OS, God knows what else – but Microsoft is positioning Windows Vista as a PC gamer’s paradise, which usually means people are tempted to look under the hood and see what Vista can deliver. Well, apart from a Flight Simulator X reel that would make Maverick piss his flight suit.

So, in this interview with Games for Windows (MS’ department, not this blog) director Rich Wickham, and a “Microsoft Spokesperson” (whoever he or she is), Action Trip pries into Vista’s gaming-specific features. Some of this stuff we’ve heard on the web before, a few bits are new, but it does help to give a better picture of, well, the next-gen OS.

  • We know Vista will be tightly integrated with the Xbox 360. Non-gaming, this will mean the same streaming PC media to the Xbox as with the Media Center PC. Gaming-wise, it’s Live on Windows Vista, including cross-platform multiplayer – for example, Shadowrun on the PC and Xbox 360.
  • Games Explorer, Vista’s way of organizing, saving, and learning more about their games. Rich says it will launch off the Start Menu, but no further details. We can only imagine a gaming-specific Windows Explorer with gaming-specific functions.
  • A “rich set of parental controls” to protect kiddies from the inappropriate material of Mature-rated titles. Or lawsuits from a certain attorney. Which probably amounts to the same thing.
  • DirectX 10. Enough said.
  • Games which will have the Games for Windows certification will “support all (of Vista’s) features (and more).” Which should mean – unless Rich’s not telling Action Trip something – DX10, the parental controls, Games Explorer, Live, and probably more. And the games should still “play great on XP”.
    • Speaking of going back in time, says Rich, “I don’t think compatibility concerns should keep a gamer from upgrading to Windows Vista, even from day 1. We’ve been testing hundreds of games for Windows Vista compatibility for more than a year now.”
  • Games for Windows (Vista) to look forward to in 2007 (barring unforeseen delays)? Supreme Commander, Hellgate: London, Unreal Tournament 2007, Crysis, among others. And no Gears of War on PC, for those who keep asking.
  • Windows Vista will be made broadly available on January 30, 2007.

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