Leaked video shows possible Microsoft plans for PC gaming and social features

Aol | Mail | You might also like GameDaily, Games.com, PlaySavvy, and Joystiq

BIGdownload

Breaking Stories

Leaked video shows possible Microsoft plans for PC gaming and social features

Posted Mar 20th 2011 2:00PM by John Callaham
Filed under: Video

Microsoft says it's fully behind PC gaming now after relaunching the Games For Windows web site last year and planning to release at least two PC games this year (the PC port of Fable 3 and Age of Empires Online). Now an internal Microsoft video has been leaked that shows some possible future plans for PC gaming via Windows.

The video was discovered by ZDNet which states that was first made back in May 2010 which means that some, if not all, of the things in the video may have been changed or dumped since then. The video from the Windows Gaming Experience team shows Xbox 360-like avatars doing things like purchasing more avatar outfits via Microsoft points, playing games on Facebook, finding new games to play and getting invites from friends to join online games. It's all pretty tame stuff, actually, and nothing that isn't available already via third party programs and companies.

Oh, and apparently Microsoft doesn't know how to spell "pwned".

[Via PC Gamer]

Tags: Games-for-Windows, games-for-windows-live, Microsoft, windows-8, windows-gaming-experience

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

So the future of gaming is playing Farmville and buying points from Microsoft to buy outfits for your avatar? Hopefully they have dumped those, because it's utterly stupid, and insulting to real gamers.

I am already not happy with half of the "Games for Windows" games requiring you to install the Live client and make an account and sign in, even to play single-player games. Trying to force an even higher integration with a XBox Live-like network isn't going to go over well.

I miss when Microsoft supporting games meant they put a sticker on the box, and released a game from one of their studios for the pc, instead of just for the XBox.

Posted at 3:06PM on Mar 20th 2011 by Drakkenfyre

What I gathered from this video is that the social aspect is being simplified and there's going to be lot's of micro transactions so basically avatars from the xbox for windows live and more casual games.

Even though I've bought a couple games on the GFW platform I don't play them that often because the live software seems bloated. I usually just use steam instead.

I think that avatars are by far more suited towards consoles rather then pc's. But If MS can pull it off and make most of these things optional and not bloated feeling maybe it can work out on pc as well.Posted at 4:16PM on Mar 20th 2011 by Access Granted [Doktor! Mediiic! Schnell Raus RAUS!]

Drakkenfyre, I hate to tell you, but the future of gaming on the PC is social gaming on Facebook and other such social networks. Do you see how many companies are expanding into these networks (Insomniac is the biggest one that comes to mind) and putting mega money behind Facebook/social games?

It's sad, but it's true. Of course, there will still be retail and digital games for us PC gamers. I'm pretty sure those will never stop, but meh, more Facebook games are certainly the future sadly.

For now....Posted at 4:38PM on Mar 20th 2011 by LOC

Oh, the horror! Thank god it's Steam (and other digital platforms) who dominates the PC now.Posted at 11:30PM on Mar 20th 2011 by Andysk8