Rated: 80% (5 votes)
Loading ...Why is there no Windows Vista Gamer Edition?
garethogden
Given that Microsoft has made a fairly big deal about Windows Vista’s gaming credentials with talk of DirectX 10, Games for Windows and Games for Windows – LIVE (an extension of the Xbox Live! network to the PC), it’s more than a little disappointing that Vista has so far done fairly little for PC gaming.
In fact, if the Windows Vista website is anything to go by, Microsoft doesn’t really consider gaming as high on its list of priorities anyway. On its list of ‘100 Reasons You’ll Be Speechless’ from Windows Vista, the first mention of gaming (proper gaming that is – not Purble Place) arrives at number 51 on the list, which is hardly what I’d call a prominent position.
That’s not to say that Vista doesn’t include anything beneficial for gaming, because I happen to be in favour of the Games for Windows program, which, theoretically at least, should mean games undergo a higher standard of quality testing by the Publisher and by Microsoft and that they work on both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows. I also like the Games Browser and love the concept of Games for Windows – LIVE too, although Microsoft will need to do more than just support has-been titles such as Halo 2 and obscure, zero-interest titles such as Shadowrun to make a success of it.
However, the above features do not a gaming operating system make and I think Microsoft should be doing much more to make PC gaming better. And the way in which I think it should improve matters is to produce a gaming specific version of Windows – Windows Vista Gamer Edition.
And why not? There’s a Professional Edition of XP and a Business and Home Edition of Vista, so why not a Gamer Edition? It’s not like there aren’t enough PC gamers in the world to justify one, and making a gaming focussed OS could provide numerous benefits.
Some of the benefits could come from simply stripping down the OS to make it leaner and less bloated, for example by removing the photo, contacts and calendar management tools, getting rid of the overprotective UAC system and generally optimising the OS for speed.
Added focus should then be put on features that improve the performance of games, such as optimising DirectX and driver performance, particularly disk performance, which should be optimised for fast game loading times. Network protocols should also get a makeover with the focus on optimising performance for online gaming, perhaps by taking a few cues from the excellent Killer NIC. Graphics drivers should also automatically update to the latest versions, including support and optimisations for new games as the games are released, not weeks afterwards.
Aside from optimisations, Microsoft could also add some new gamer-specific features. For example, integrating voice and text chat programs into the OS, such as TeamSpeak and having them automatically update to include new features, and integrating a server browser and monitoring app that works with all games. Many of the features of LIVE could also be more closely integrated so that gaming and communicating with fellow gamers becomes a fundamental part of the operating system, rather than a bolt-on.
The Games Browser could also be enhanced so that each game you have installed automatically updates itself, a la Steam, and includes information about how to get further updates, such as add-on packs and even third-party enhancements, such as the Reality Mod for BF2.
A version of Windows Vista that’s built with gaming at its core and is optimised for running games at the highest possible levels of performance, with features specifically designed to help gamers communicate with fellow games and game online, would surely be a massive success. It would show that Microsoft is truly serious about PC gaming and it would also provide a huge incentive for games publishers to renew their efforts in the PC sector, rather than focusing on boring console games that have to be dumbed down for the typical console audience.
A Jolly good idea sir, and one that has flited across my mind also. It seems an obvious route, yet MS don’t seem interested as you say. I would hope the gamer edition would also come in at a subtably lower price, would be prefect fo me now I’m using linux for my non-gaming endevours, Vista Gaming Edition on it;s own little partition would be perfect.
i just e=mailed this to Microsoft sorry if i didnt ask
Regretably they seem to have exhausted all their marketing speak selling XBOX’s
Firstly, microsoft would not want to endanger it’s dedicated gaming pc. the Xbox. Secondly it won’t sell that well. Reality is though, that what we like about the PC is it’s flexibility. Most pimple covered kids convince mum and dad to buy them a PC for “homework” and “internet research” - of course they use it for games and, um.. “internet research”.
However, Microsoft have been talking about a reduced kernel recently - primarily for the use of remote VM sessions - but it seems to me a special kernel with all the bells and whistles removed may also be great for gaming. Using a dedicated hypervisor for gaming would be marketable, and in many ways actually an advantage.
Remember that most game developers make PC games just because they have to. the PC is a dangerous place for games makers. Piracy is rampant, and all the different configurations makes for a bi@#$ of a quality assurance cycle.
Maybe Microsoft could try to make a more secure hypervisor mini-OS. It could be a boot option on standard windows (or even run within windows as a VM for older games that don’t need the horsepower). Standardised drivers sets, and without all the apps that tend to build up on a general-purpose PC. This way games developers could be more trusting of the platform with less chance of piracy, some inbuilt gaming oriented features (as previously mentioned) could be included The game and driver auto-update idea is also excellent. They could also make a comeback of the MPC standards, where the system autochecks which games will run well, and allow steam-style subscriptions and purchasing options.
Also consider the advantages related to compaibility modes, different visors for different compatibility modes. You could have two levels of directx, test new GFX drivers, or have a visor ready to run some old game.
A dedicated gaming OS won’t work. But a gaming hypervisor has all the advantages without losing the general OS flexibility.
Just something I’ve been thinking about.
Maybe they should consider making games for a different platform, one that can be optimized for gaming performance? maybe its time to leave windows in the dust? A company that takes 5 years to release a sub par OS. I welcome things like BeOS and other projects like Linux, BSD to be taken seriously for their contrubutions to making OS’s that dont have MS’s and Mac’s shortfalls. ReactOS is another. If MS wont provide move on! There are already a few titles that run in linux - unreal series, quake, serious sam, alien arena etc. Stop moaning and actually figure out a solution.