Microsoft has insisted that gaming is vital to the success of Windows 7, with the company insisting that the support for DirectX 11 and the continued popularity of the PC with gamers gives it a 'strategic advantage' over rival Apple.
Microsoft's Windows has long been the platform of choice for PC gamers and this gives the Redmond software giant a clear advantage over rivals Apple with OS X and, next year, Google with Chrome OS.
One of the key arrivals with Windows 7 in October will be the support for DirectX 11 – the application programming interface that will power the next generation of PC games.
Showcase for Win 7
"DirectX 11 is fantastic," Microsoft's Leila Martine told TechRadar. "I met with Nvidia this week and we're taking a look at some of the demos they have, what the gaming line-up is for Christmas and what we can showcase. That's because it is an important component of Windows 7.
"Consoles are more important than they were five years ago but PCs are always going to be an important component – people enjoy PC gaming because it's more flexible, a huge amount of games are developed for PC platform before they are for consoles.
"It is absolutely important and a strategic advantage for us over, for instance, Apple.
"So should we be focused on involving and putting on features such as DirectX 11? Absolutely we should."
Powerful force
Although consoles are now gaining a huge amount of press, the PC remains a powerful force in gaming – with MMOs like World of Warcraft picking up massive audiences.
Software giants like Valve still insist that they are focused very much on PC gaming as the cutting edge, and Microsoft insists that it does as well.
DirectX 11 should help gamers take full advantage of the multiple cores now increasingly common in CPUs and GPUs, bringing the likes of tessellation and multi-threaded rendering.
Your comments (5) Click to add a new comment
dreamhunk
July 30th 2009
5. sorry I forgot to add epic games billy cliff trash talking pc gaming
http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2008/02/gears-of-war-cr/
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dreamhunk
July 30th 2009
4. here is 2 more links that proves how mircosoft love pc gaming
http://www.edge-online.com/features/is-microsoft-really-committed-pc
http://www.edge-online.com/news/microsoft-pc-gaming-still-a-priority
In fact microsoft has their game devs trash talking pc gaming right here.
http://kotaku.com/5058402/molyneux-says-pc-gaming-market-in-tatters
you want to know who started the pircay garbage about pc gaming
billy cliff from epic games
http://kotaku.com/5058402/molyneux-says-pc-gaming-market-in-tatters
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unfriendlyfire
July 29th 2009
3. I haven't touched a console since my Atari 2600. Once you learn to use the fine-tuning aiming and positioning of a mouse, a console controller just doesn't cut it. It's too mechanical in every way. Consoles lack absolute positioning input, and until they attain such control, I'll continue to be a PC gamer.
The cost argument doesn't hold up either. I still play games that I bought back in the '90s on my 64-bit Vista machine.
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dreamhunk
July 28th 2009
2. yea we all know how microsoft loves pc gaming!!!!
these links speak for them self
http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/53403
http://news.bigdownload.com/2009/07/12/has-microsoft-killed-pc-gaming-in-retail-stores-one-site-says/
http://downloadablesuicide.com/2009/07/16/pc-gaming-its-problems-stem-from-mistreatment/
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optimaximal
July 28th 2009
1. What a load of bull...
"Consoles are more important than they were five years ago but PCs are always going to be an important component – people enjoy PC gaming because it's more flexible, a huge amount of games are developed for PC platform before they are for consoles."
Firstly, that's wrong - games are developed ON the PC, for consoles. The majority of developers out there certainly aren't taking advantage of the PC's strengths OR are just taking advantage of the areas that make them money i.e. micro-payment models and the MMORPG market.
Secondly, Microsoft couldn't be doing MORE to damage the PC market. Buying exclusives for the Xbox 360 and preventing/delaying certain in-house games from coming to the PC (Fable 2 springs too mind) is just silly. Don't get me started on Games for Windows: Live, which is the most hideously transparent and half-baked attempt to port the Xbox Live model to the PC.
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