Gaming on VMs?

[ghostpatch]

yep, with a little porting and optimisation they got Left 4 Dead running faster on Linux then on Windows7


but if I recall correctly you don't need to use the Windows8 app store to sell or get programmes and games. Did it change?

 

[WizardStan]

I don't think it has changed yet, but Valve is seeing changes and isn't liking where they're going. Maybe it isn't locked down now but will be one day. Maybe it won't be. Maybe nothing changes, maybe Microsoft puts more effort into their app store and developers can only use the best libraries if they license for distribution from Microsoft. No one knows what the future will hold for certain, but they have tipped their hand a little and what they've shown is enough to make Valve consider other venues. They're not abandoning Windows, they're just expanding, ready just in case one of the doomsday scenarios does play out. Or maybe they're bluffing in an attempt to steer Microsoft away from the dangerous strategies that could be forming. The game is afoot and the next few years are promising to be interesting.

 

[skeezix]

Writing is on the wall, so to speak -- MS is fairly predictable over the decades; introducing something new, and dropping support for something old. Given Win RT (the ARM branch) is totally locked down, and theres a big push for the locked down store on Win8 desktop ... its akin to MSDOS and Win3.x etc .. The traditional desktop 'do as you want' is on the way out, they've got plans but aren't quite suicidal enough to hang their existing customers yet.


I imagine they'll cut to closed shop (since they want to be Apple) in a couple years, and keep an Enterprise side-install option.. of course, its all guess work.


but do _you_ want to base your company arond guesswork? Surely Gabe cannot, so he has to plan.


(FWIW, recall that Valve has enjoyed many yers as essentially the defacto game store for Windows.. but as a consumer, its at least a little better to have an independant doing it, than Microsoft. But really, with Apple and MS both doing walled gardens, and Android half way there.. its an ugly spot to be in for consumers..)


/me sighs


jeff