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You Won’t Be Able to Buy Adult Games on Windows 8’s Marketplace Casey Muratori wrote a great piece yesterday speaking out against Microsoft's Windows 8 for all kinds of reasons, but one point that struck me was his suggestion that, because there are age restrictions on the operating system's marketplace, this would affect adult video games. Surely not, I thought. Microsoft wouldn't be that stupid. That must be a rule for regular apps, and games will be just fine. Turns out they won't be. A Microsoft representative confirmed with Kotaku today that, yes, section 6.2 of the Windows App guidelines applies to video games as well. That section reads: For the United States, that's not exactly an issue. Not many major video games ever receive a rating beyond "Mature", the only notable exceptions being the PC version of Manhunt 2, the Director's Cut of Indigo Prophecy and, during the "Hot Coffee" scandal, Grand Theft Auto San Andreas. But for other markets, it's a bit of a disaster. Europe especially. Here are some games that have, only recently, been awarded Europe's PEGI 18 rating, which under Microsoft's rules would mean they'd be excluded from the Windows 8 marketplace. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim The Witcher II Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Max Payne 3 The Walking Dead Sleeping Dogs Dishonored Mass Effect 2 Mass Effect 3 LA Noire Spec Ops: The Line Fallout: New Vegas Deus Ex Assassin's Creed: Revelations So, yeah, nearly all of the biggest and best games released in the past three years. Good thinking there, Microsoft. Of course, this doesn't ban the games from the operating system entirely. You can still install them and boot them up like you do now. It just means that, unless the publishers could be bothered cutting all adult content from their games, they won't be available from Microsoft's own store, and because of that won't be able to access a lot of Windows 8's fancier functionality. I'm trying to think of a reason for this beyond Microsoft's US staff simply not thinking through the ramifications this would have on European publishers and gamers, really trying, but I just can't find one. If you haven't yet read Muratori's piece, you really should, as it goes on to explain why this "bifurcating" of the operating system—in which a schism opens up between games supporting Win 8's marketplace and those which don't—could wind up a complete disaster for Windows 8 and Microsoft itself. Of course, he's not alone in his overall thoughts on the matter: Valve's Gabe Newell suspects the OS could be a "catastrophe". source -
Intel Corp. (INTC) Chief Executive Officer Paul Otellini told employees in Taiwan that Microsoft Corp. (MSFT)’s Windows 8 operating system is being released before it’s fully ready, a person who attended the company event said. Improvements still need to be made to the software, Otellini told employees at a company meeting in Taipei yesterday, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the meeting was private. Microsoft is eager to get Windows 8, the first version of its flagship software designed for touch tablets, into computers next month to help it vie with Apple Inc. (AAPL)’s iPad during the holiday shopping season. Releasing the operating system before it’s fully baked is the right move, and Microsoft can make improvements after it ships, Otellini told staffers. Intel, the biggest semiconductor maker, is Microsoft’s closest partner, and Otellini’s remarks echo criticism from analysts such as Michael Cherry at Directions on Microsoft. While Windows is fundamentally sound, the operating system lacks a wide range of robust applications and PC makers haven’t had enough time to work out kinks with so-called drivers, which connect software to such hardware as printers, Cherry said. “We are concerned at the level of bugs and fine tuning that appears necessary to get the beta systems we demoed ready for prime time,” Alex Gauna, an analyst at JMP Securities LLC in San Francisco, wrote in a Sept. 13 note in response to versions of Windows 8 shown at Intel’s recent developer forum. Intel shares rose 0.5 percent to $22.65 at the close in New York, while Microsoft declined less than 1 percent to $30.17. Vista Flops Technology vendors often release software before it’s completely ready and make adjustments on the fly. Still, the practice can backfire. Vista, a version of Windows that debuted in 2007, was introduced two years late. It was met with poor adoption as the software initially didn’t work with many applications and drivers. “With over 16 million active preview participants, Windows 8 is the most tested, reviewed and ready operating system in Microsoft’s history,” said Mark Martin, a spokesman for Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft. Laura Anderson, a spokeswoman for Santa Clara, California- based Intel, declined to comment on the internal meeting. She also said that the company “believes Windows represents a tremendous opportunity for our business and we’re looking forward to working with Microsoft on enabling a host of new experiences on a variety of devices.” Intel’s Sales During the meeting, Otellini declined to elaborate on the company’s outlook following the announcement this month that it’s cutting the third-quarter revenue forecast. Lackluster demand for PCs won’t be bad enough to cause the company to lay off workers, and the market will grow in 2013, he said. Intel said on Sept. 7 that third-quarter sales will be $12.9 billion to $13.5 billion, from a prior projection of $13.8 billion to $14.8 billion. Analysts on average had estimated sales of $14.2 billion, data compiled by Bloomberg show. Intel said orders in emerging markets and demand for chips used in business machines are lower than expected, compounding concern that the PC market may not grow this year as consumers flock to smartphones and tablets. Microsoft plans to release Windows 8 on Oct. 26. source
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Upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for $39.99 We set out to make it as easy as possible for everyone to upgrade to Windows 8. Starting at general availability, if your PC is running Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7 you will qualify to download an upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for just $39.99 in 131 markets. And if you want, you can add Windows Media Center for free through the “add features” option within Windows 8 Pro after your upgrade. When you use Windows.com to purchase an upgrade to Windows 8 Pro, the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant makes upgrading simple by walking you through the upgrade process step-by-step from purchase to download and then of course installation. The Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant will check to make sure your PC is ready for Windows 8. It will provide a detailed compatibility report that lets you know of anything you may have to address before or after the upgrade and outlines actions to take. It will also inform you of any application or device compatibility issues. It will ask you what you want to keep from your current Windows installation. You will be able to upgrade from any consumer edition of Windows 7 to Windows 8 Pro and bring everything along which includes your Windows settings, personal files, and apps. If you are upgrading from Windows Vista, you will be able to bring along your Windows settings and personal files, and if you are upgrading from Windows XP you will only be able to bring along your personal files. Of course, if you want to start fresh, you can choose to bring nothing along. Or if you prefer to format your hard drive as part of your upgrade experience, you can do so as long as you boot from media and then format your hard drive from within the setup experience for installing Windows 8, not prior to it. Once you purchase your upgrade, the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant kicks off your download. It has a built-in download manager that allows you to pause and continue your download at any time as well as a check to ensure your download completes successfully. After your download finishes, you can choose to proceed with the upgrade (“Install now”) or install later either from your desktop or by creating your own media. If you choose to create your own media, you will be able to create your own bootable USB or .ISO file which can be burned onto a DVD for upgrade and backup purposes. If you prefer, you also have the option of purchasing a backup DVD for $15 plus shipping and handling. We believe that your upgrade experience in Windows 8 will be a breeze by offering a faster experience, a single upgrade path, and compatibility from prior versions of Windows. We’ve continued to listen to our customers and have expanded the ability to download to over 100 countries and 37 languages. We have simplified the Windows upgrade experience with the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant which supports you during your upgrade with everything from selecting your language to pausing your download to built-in compatibility checks - it’s seamless. And if you’re an enthusiast you will have the flexibility to download and control how you upgrade. If you prefer to shop at a local store, a packaged DVD version of the upgrade to Windows 8 Pro will be available for $69.99 during this promotion. This upgrade promotion for Windows 8 Pro both online and at retail runs through January 31st, 2013. We wanted to share information about this upgrade promotion with you as we continue to drive toward the RTM milestone for Windows 8. We will of course have more to say and more details to provide closer to general availability. Oh, and by the way - if you’re not upgrading from a prior version of Windows and are building your own PC or installing Windows 8 in a virtual machine or a separate partition, you will be able to purchase and install the Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro System Builder product. source
