Windows 8 will allow for Xbox 360 games to be played on PC's

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Kaos36

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Topic # 86779 13-Jul-2011 15:24

Rumor.

Teknylate.com and Insideris.com have reported that with the next versions of Microsoft’s PC operating system, Windows 8, will include the function to allow users to play Xbox 360 games on their PC’s. Interesting, Games for Windows Marketplace, the previous PC game portal from Microsoft, was integrated into Xbox.com. With rumors of the next Xbox system looming, how does this reflect Microsoft’s plan for gaming going forward?

http://www.metrowny.com/news-entertainment/archives/589-Windows_8_will_allow_for_Xbox_360_games_to_be_played_on_PCs.html

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Reply # 492924 13-Jul-2011 15:32

I have doubts if this will be true.

Emulation, piracy and this would kill the xbox console itself etc

Do whatever you want to do man.

JimmyC

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Reply # 492931 13-Jul-2011 15:56

billgates: I have doubts if this will be true.

Emulation, piracy and this would kill the xbox console itself etc

I have my doubts too but not for the reasons you suggest. First of all a gaming PC capable of matching the eye-candy of todays XBox 360 titles is a lot more expensive than the console. The ease of setup with a console, game installation, multi-player connectivity, not to mention no driver hassles, are all feathers in the console's hat.

Conversely, it's also been rumoured that PC gaming is in decline, I'd imagine in no small part because of the reasons above. Personally I doubt that rumour too, but the more titles you're able to play, the longer the PC could remain a viable option.

kiwired23

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Reply # 493114 13-Jul-2011 22:36

Rumours that PC gaming is in decline are usually based around brick and mortar retail sales. When you include digital distribution, however, I'm pretty sure you'll find it's pretty darn healthy.

Kaos36

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Reply # 493313 14-Jul-2011 13:22

I'm hoping its for real for one I am sick of the sh&tty console games ported to the pc hence Two Worlds II is the last ported game I will be buying, the controls were terrible & everything was large onscreen example the inventory the UI even at 1920x1080 res. Avoid Two Worlds II. So if this is true then its goodbye to badly done ports.

But I am probably pushing it when I say the console games available for Windows 8 will be designed for the keyboard & mouse as well and done properly minus the lazy programmer suffering from a hangover.

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crackrdbycracku

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Reply # 493333 14-Jul-2011 13:48

kiwired23: Rumours that PC gaming is in decline are usually based around brick and mortar retail sales. When you include digital distribution, however, I'm pretty sure you'll find it's pretty darn healthy.

Yeah, I would say PC gaming would be dropping as a percentage of the gaming industry as most new gamers are on consoles.

It's an interesting idea, that you could play x-box games on your PC but the two big problems I see are:

1) If it worked Microsoft would not sell another x-box, who would do that to themselves?

2) The really big strength of the x-box for programmers is that it is one system with one set of specs and it is only trying to do one thing, play games.

I'm sure crap game ports are partly because it is done as an after thought but also because said programmer does not know what sort of PC he is coding for. If MS went this way I could see a lot of really dis-satisfied customers.

If it ain't broke... and there isn't exactly a huge cry for it ...

I would say tighter PC x-box integration is more likely and an attempt at replacement.

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kiwipaul

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Reply # 499812 30-Jul-2011 17:08

That would be incredible if true.

neoprint

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Reply # 499871 30-Jul-2011 19:46

I doubt it's true, it would require either a huge increase in CPU power by the time it comes out or a huge improvement in emulation. Good luck emulating 3 hyperthreaded PPC cores on a current PC with acceptable performance

CruciasNZ

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Reply # 501541 3-Aug-2011 18:11

Your missing part of the point.

They hinted that Windows 8 (the desktop operating system) will work on PCs and the next Xbox. This gives them an excuse to make the next xbox very expensive and high quality as it becomes a "high power" gaming machine.

Essentially you can make your own high end PC, or buy a pre-made "xbox" instead and use it for a PC.

Whether this comes about we will have to see, i like the idea of having one machine. However i would want game developers to force mouse OR controller, i hate mouse FPS games but i recognize that the reflex and response time can be way better. Also would lead to problems of lag from low spec machines running the games, perhaps they would have to write severe code limiting hardware for online play.

----

Basically it has the potential to go either way, time will tell

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Reply # 502934 7-Aug-2011 11:03

JimmyC:

I have my doubts too but not for the reasons you suggest. First of all a gaming PC capable of matching the eye-candy of todays XBox 360 titles is a lot more expensive than the console.

I wouldn't think so. How old is the 360 now? The computer I just replaced due to old age could have beat the 360 quite handily.

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SaltyNZ

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Reply # 502935 7-Aug-2011 11:06

neoprint: I doubt it's true, it would require either a huge increase in CPU power by the time it comes out or a huge improvement in emulation. Good luck emulating 3 hyperthreaded PPC cores on a current PC with acceptable performance

Rubbish. Apple have done it twice: m68K -> PPC, and then PPC->x86. A modern x86 is so much more powerful than the 360's CPU that I have no trouble believing you couldn't match, if not exceed, it's performance. But maybe MS could use some help from Apple to make it work. ;-)

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Reply # 502976 7-Aug-2011 13:49

SaltyNZ:
neoprint: I doubt it's true, it would require either a huge increase in CPU power by the time it comes out or a huge improvement in emulation. Good luck emulating 3 hyperthreaded PPC cores on a current PC with acceptable performance

Rubbish. Apple have done it twice: m68K -> PPC, and then PPC->x86. A modern x86 is so much more powerful than the 360's CPU that I have no trouble believing you couldn't match, if not exceed, it's performance. But maybe MS could use some help from Apple to make it work. ;-)

+1 I have to say I almost lol! Current PC hardware is so so far ahead of what the xbox hardware is capable of and that would include the overhead of emulation.

OT Microsoft have already made it clear that they want people to be able to play the same games regardless of platform (and that includes phones) so I see this as a possible step in that direction.

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Reply # 503178 8-Aug-2011 07:12

The real question of course is, why would you want to? The PC version of a game is normally $30-$40 cheaper than the Xbox version. The performance is better. You can *aim*.

The only advantage I can see in buying the Xbox version is that you could play it on a big screen... And you could do *that* on your PC too.

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Ragnor

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Reply # 503353 8-Aug-2011 14:41

Very few Xbox exclusive games, most come out on the PC with better graphics, higher numbers in multiplayer etc. Don't really see the point of xbox emulation in Windows sounds like typical rumour-mongering :)

crackrdbycracku

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Reply # 503356 8-Aug-2011 14:47

OK, this is not my area of expertise and I am just asking a question of people who seem to know better.

Does the range of specs that come under the umbrella of 'PC' have a bearing here?

When you buy an x-box you know the processor speed, memory etc. More to the point the game developer knows.

When you buy a PC they come in all shapes and sizes so to speak, all the way from 'underpowered' laptops to custom re-built desktop gaming rigs.

Wouldn't this make it several orders of magnitude harder to develop a game and get it to market in short order?

As I said, this is a question. Put forth by someone not talking about their area.

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Reply # 503357 8-Aug-2011 14:49

It would be a damn cool project to work on though. JIT translation from PPC to x86-64 plus emulation of some of the other low level bits & pieces to make accessing emulated hardware outside of DirectX & kernel APIs still perform like the real thing.

There must be some games that do it; the new XBoxes integrate the CPU, GPU and RAM all on a single die, but they deliberately hooked them up on the die as if they were still separate chips, buses and all, so as to not change any hardware behaviour.

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