Will Windows 8 be the death of PC gaming?

[Pulsar_t]

I have to be cynical with Microsoft as a corporation. I mean even the XBox interface has become cluttered with non-gaming crap I don't need. I don't even connect the piece of shit online anymore, yet I have to navigate several screens to get to settings for instance.. I despise Apple and their walled garden bullshit, but I hope Microsoft retains enough sense to keep the core of Windows the same, even though it has become ludicrous in this day and age to pay a premium for an operating system.

[Menegrothx]

Gabe Newell has a history of not knowing what the fuck he's talking about when it comes to other companies

He also has a history of working 13 years for the said company

[equalsign]

I don't like it. I detailed why in the other Windows 8 thread:

Liked:
-The look of the lock screen.
-How quickly it starts up compared to 7.
-The startup looks more modern and nice.
-That looping balls thing.

Didn't like:
-Metro apps taking the whole screen and not showing a clock.
-Desktop apps and games looked ugly and archaic when put in the metro UI.
-Driver issues disabled my F-keys and sound (bootcamp). These would likely be resolved upon release.
-Confusing placement of customization options.
-Corner stuff.

I wish I could have the normal desktop start menu and the metro UI. I'd probably use both. I am not going to settle for my desktop stuff looking ugly in the metro UI though.

I recently bought Windows 7 to avoid Windows 8 when it comes out. Windows 7 is clunky and slow on startup even though I have an SSD, but at least I feel comfortable and can shut the thing off without having to google it.

[ZeroAX]

I had xp for about a decade. I have 7 for only 2 years, and I still love this OS so I don't see why I should upgrade.

Also microsoft closing the windows environment will be like them committing suicide. It's relative openness compared to Macs gave it its huge install base in the first place.

[BoringSupreez]

Also microsoft closing the windows environment will be like them committing suicide. It's relative openness compared to Macs gave it its huge install base in the first place.

That's the exact reason I've always vastly preferred Windows over Mac. Mac feels so restricted and closed, like a console or phone OS. You can do literally anything with Windows if you have the know-how.

[isiolia]

That's the exact reason I've always vastly preferred Windows over Mac. Mac feels so restricted and closed, like a console or phone OS. You can do literally anything with Windows if you have the know-how.

You can do quite a lot with a Mac too, especially OSX. I think it's more stuff that Apple supports themselves, which tends to be fairly narrow.

[SamuraiMegas]

Gonna have to spend my Sega Saturn money on a laptop so I don't have to deal with win 8

[casterofdreams]

I don't know what will happen with the release of Windows 8 but I do know that I will not upgrade for a long time to come. I currently run two laptops, one with 7 Pro and the other with Vista Home. Both are stable for what I need (yes with SP 2 and the Platform Update Vista is quite fast and stable).

As far as what I've seen with Windows 8, I have no real good reason to upgrade at all.

EDIT: I forgot to answer the topic question. The answer is no. People who update will still play games on those systems regardless. They'll bitch about it but they will still fire up Steam to play Skyrim (despite all this talk about MS Store. You can buy games at either Best Buy, Gamestop or Amazon. That's all it is, another venue to purchase games or anything for that matter) People who will not update will still play games on what ever operating system they run. Simple as that.

[lisalover1]

The way I see it, the main problem Windows 8 presents to gaming comes from the new Windows RT. Windows RT, the ARM processor version of Windows, designed mainly for tablets, is incompatible with all previous Windows software. That means that no PC games will be able to run on this version of Windows. How do you explain to the average consumer that their Windows machine can't run PC games?

[MrPopo]

The way I see it, the main problem Windows 8 presents to gaming comes from the new Windows RT. Windows RT, the ARM processor version of Windows, designed mainly for tablets, is incompatible with all previous Windows software. That means that no PC games will be able to run on this version of Windows. How do you explain to the average consumer that their Windows machine can't run PC games?

The tablet form factor helps a lot. And as far as I know, all Windows Store content going forward will run on all platforms.