Update: Thanks to everyone who’s pointed out the inaccuracies in this article. Instead of retracting this article entirely, Johanna has clarified some of her statements in a post.
The PC Master Race is facing a threat from Microsoft, a threat that both Valve’s Gabe Newell and Blizzard’s Rob Pardo have spoken out against. The threat is Windows 8. Earlier this week, Newell spoke at videogame conference Casual Connect, where he said Windows 8 was a, “a catastrophe for everyone in the PC space.” He went on to say, “I think that we’re going to lose some of the top-tier PC [original equipment manufacturers]. They’ll exit the market. I think margins are going to be destroyed for a bunch of people.” Pardo (Executive Vice President of Game Design) responded by tweeting, “nice interview with Gabe Newell—‘I think Windows 8 is a catastrophe for everyone in the PC space*– not awesome for Blizzard either”.
Newell explained that he was trying to make Steam and Valve’s games compatible with Linux, as a way to make alternatives in case Windows 8 becomes a reality. But why is Windows 8 such a problem for developers and distributors of PC games (or everyone, for that matter)?
Former executive of Palm and Apple Michael Mace wrote a very thorough analysis of Windows 8 on his blog, Mobile Opportunity. He states:
From a user perspective, Microsoft Windows is being killed this fall and replaced by an entirely new OS that has a Windows 7 emulator tacked onto it… It combines an interesting new interface with baffling changes to Windows compatibility, and amateur mistakes in customer messaging. Add up all the changes, and I am very worried that Microsoft may be about to shoot itself in the foot spectacularly. Even the plain colorful graphics in Windows 8 that looked so cool when I first saw them are starting to look ominous to me, like the hotel decor in The Shining.
Windows 8 uses an interface known as “Metro”, which turns everything into an app. Windows 8 is trying so hard to be a tablet-compatible UI that it undermines itself. Business Insider writes:
Worst of all, the traditional desktop is buried — it’s just another Metro app — but there are still some things you can only do from the desktop, and some only from Metro. That means you have to switch between the two interfaces frequently. That’s not nearly as smooth as it should be.
This means that programs like Steam won’t be able to run on Windows 8 without turning itself into a Metro-friendly application. Furthermore, all of the applications will be full-screen, although you can adjust them to 1/3rd or 2/3rd of the screen, which isn’t really an improvement—forget about moving a window out of the way to view another, and forget about the Start button: there isn’t one, not even on the desktop. And for those of you with battle stations: Windows 8 doesn’t currently support multi-monitors, so forget about playing a game on one screen while browsing online on the other. One screen has to be devoted to Metro at all times.
In short, the primary issue with Windows 8 is that it’s not designed for PCs. It’s meant to be used with tablets, and then only Windows 8 compatible tablets (if you have a Vista-based system, you’re out of luck). Microsoft won’t even allow you to simply test the OS out and decide later—you can’t remove Windows 8 after you’ve installed it. You need to have the original installation disks that came with your computer and risk wiping your hard drive to do a new install from scratch.
Imagine, then, being a developer like Valve or EA that have programs like Steam or Origin, trying to decide whether they should invest the time and money into figuring out how to get their program to work with what is essentially a mentally disabled iPad in a PC’s body, especially when the future of the program is extremely uncertain.
Most of this article is inaccurate. I’ve been using windows 8 and the current version of steam works fine on it. There is nothing that requires one screen on a multi monitor setup to be dedicated to metro either.
Agreed. This article is misleading and wrong.
1) Steam works.
2) There most-definitely is multi-monitor support. Has been since Day 1 of the Dev Prev.
3) Of course developers will invest time and money as Microsoft owns 80-90% of the market. Who else would they develop for? Mac (<10%)? Linux (<2%). C'mon.
I'm not a fan of Windows 8 either, but at least I'm fair about it.
Agreed as well! I too have been using Windows 8 since the dev preview was released and I have nothing but good things to say.
A) Steam works great.
B) Multi monitor works like a charm.
I’m excited to hear that Steam is coming to Linux, as I’m a Ubuntu user as well, but let’s not make things up to instill opinions in people before they’ve tried it for themselves.
I’m on Windows 8 right now…. in multi monitors….. with metro on half of the right monitor and wmp on the left of the right monitor. With this sight open in half of the left monitor and steam in the other half. I can’t believe the innacuracy I’m reading.
this is a terribly inaccurate article
Exactly! What a poor poor misconception this article is leaving.
The inaccuracies and made-up facts of this article really showcases how awful journalism is becoming.
Wow. A TROLL in a journalist’s clothing. Not only are you completely wrong, you just made yourself look like the worlds’ biggest moron.
That was for the author of this article, not you, Charlie…
Oh, why didn’t I see this coming?
This is just another excuse by developers to “Not adapt”. Who the hell are they to say that Win8 is a catastrophe for every PC user? I’ve been using it since the developer preview and they are, to say the least “Full of SH**” Yes, it’s not perfect, Yes, there are some things that should have been improved, but the biggest “bit**ing fest” is about the “no start button”. Oh come on. Swapping one start button for another is no big deal and METRO is not so complicated to use. With a minor change in the search option, and it’s as good as gold.
Many developers will use Win8 as an excuse to move completely to Consoles, when it comes to games. Or just so that they can say “oh we don’t support win8″ to cover up their laziness.
The worst thing about this whole “windows 8 sucks” drive is the Apple fanboys. Today, everyone is using “apply” and believing that it’s the best all-round solution out there. Many of the people who say that probably never even worked on windows long enough to make a proper comparison. Why is it that if iOS is so great, why is Windows still the leader in Enterprise and Business sector, with the most used OS? I will get windows 8, not because i’m a fanboy, but because I’ve worked a lot on MAC and Windows, and windows has always been simpler, economical, and all-round better in every single department. And don’t try to say well “design wise mac is better’ because I’ve used mac for designing and there is nothing mac can do that windows can’t, and the things that is only mac is pretty much only true because it’s not worth having on windows.
Windows 8 is no way a catastrophe, and if you believe that, you haven’t spend enough time on win8 to qualify to make such a comment. Ultimately, i’m just SICK and TIRED about all of the million articles attacking MS and Win8, as most of the reasons are so pathetically small and insignificant that it’s stupid. No one says you have to upgrade to win8, but don’t expect everyone to be as full of sh** as you and follow your idiot logic.
This is possibly the single stupidest article I have ever read on the internet. I want those 5 mins of my life back.
I don’t like the direction Windows 8 is heading in, either, but inaccurate articles like this help no-one.
Does anyone in this article own Windows 8? I do; and I can tell you it’s awesome. It’s most;y like Windows 7 (which is great), except it boots in 15 seconds! There is nothing that could be done in Windows 7 that has to be done through the metro; it just works normally. There are only three problems I can think of:
1. An extra click to get to the desktop, though it stays there after that
2. You have to make desktop shortcuts for documents, control panel and computer; there’s no longer a windows button.
3. It’s unnecessarily difficult to turn the computer off.
There was one compatibility issue I ran into running Supreme Commander, but I’m sure that it will be fixed in later updates.