Phil Spencer talks about PC gaming and Windows 10
Last night during the PC Gaming Show, Xbox division head Phil Spencer took the stage and admitted that at times Microsoft has “lost its way” when it comes to PC gaming. The statement isn’t surprising, given that Microsoft seemingly disowned the PC gamer over the last decade and a half as it pushed the three Xbox consoles into the living room.
So, what’s different now? Why this sudden push back into the PC gaming limelight? Blame it on Microsoft’s unified platform called Windows 10. Not only will it be a free upgrade to those using Windows 7 and Windows 8.1, but it will also come packed with DirectX 12. Those two factors should entice Xbox One owners, PC gamers, and game developers to jump on the Windows 10 bandwagon.
“We have Windows 10 coming out in July, and one of the early moves was to make it a free upgrade,” he told moderator Sean “Day[9]” Plott. “Really, we thought about that from a developers’ standpoint, that as developers look at a common ecosystem, with everybody on one version of Windows, it just makes it easier for people who are developing games. Building DirectX 12 and making it common across our platform, and Xbox Live with the same API set and same service—we’re just trying to make it easier for developers as they’re developing Windows games.”
Spencer was then asked about cross-platform titles that play on Xbox One and Windows 10. He noted that there will be games played solely on Xbox One, games that only play on Windows 10, and those that will be cross-platform; where a game resides is up to the developer. He later confirmed that Killer Instinct will not only reside on Xbox One, but Windows 10 as well.
And what about first-party games from Microsoft? Are there any in the near future? “There’s been a lot of push for us to do more in first-party, and we will,” Spencer said. “We’re dedicated to that. As our portfolio builds out, you’ll hear more from us.”
In addition to Phil Spencer, The Coalition’s Rod Fergusson dropped a big gaming bombshell during the show, announcing that Gears of War: Ultimate Edition will be a Windows 10 title. The game’s graphics will be upgraded to 4K and the game itself will be compatible with DirectX 12. He added that Ultimate Edition will include five new campaign chapters and 60fps multiplayer framerates. The multiplayer aspect will include 19 maps.
While cloud-based games like Farmville and Candy Crush Saga helped lead gamers back to their faithful PCs, Windows 10 seems to be set to open the doors wide for PC gaming. This is definitely an exciting time for gamers, and will be even more exciting when we see PC-based and Xbox One games take advantage of DirectX 12 and cross-platform gameplay later this year.
From maximumpc
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