windows-7 posts

Even with the apparent success of Windows 7's launch, there are still a ton of Windows XP PC gamers out there which means most game developers are still trying to make their games compatible with that version of Microsoft's OS. There have been a few exceptions; Stormrise, Halo 2 PC, Shadowrun and most recently Shattered Horizon all required Windows Vista be installed.

Now it looks like another upcoming PC game is ditching Windows XP. According to what is shown on Steam's page for the game, the system requirements for the upcoming open world action game Just Cause 2 require either Windows Vista or Windows 7 with a graphics card that supports DirectX 10. Voodoo Extreme has confirmed with the game's community manager that Just Cause 2's system specs are accurate. Does your rig measure up? You can check out the game's PC system requirements after the jump:

Valve's Steam service lets its users voluntarily upload their PC system specs up to be compared and contrasted and every month Valve offers up updated surveys of what their users have inside their PCs. Their January 2010 survey results are in and the results show that Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system has now overtaken Windows Vista in gamers' PCs.

Combining both 32-bit and 64-bit versions, Windows 7 now has a 28.53 percent slice of the OS pie in the survey while Windows Vista's slice has 27.91 percent of Steam users. Now the Windows 7 numbers may be somewhat inflated due to the fact that some of Steam's users may still be using the free release candidate version of the OS that was released in 2009. That version will begin to become unusable in March and will shut down completely in June. It's also worth noting that the 32 bit version of Windows XP blows both Windows 7 and Vista away with 41.15 percent of Steam users still using the now 10 year old OS in their PCs.

Valve's Steam service allows them to (with permission) look at the hardware specs of their user's PC rig. The latest such survey for the month of December 2009 is now out and gives a solid view of what PC gamers have inside their machines.

The latest results are not exactly suprising with Intel still leading over AMD in terms of processors with just over 69 percent and Nvidia is still king of the dedidcated graphics kingdom with 63.46 percent. Windows XP is still the OS that gets the most use with 44.77 percent of Steam users. Windows 7 in only installed in 7.45 percent of Steam users' PCs. Ironically the 64 bit version of Windows 7 is in more systems with 15.61percent.

PCs that use Windows 7's native multi-touch display features are still something fairly rare but this week at the Consumer Electronics Show gaming PC maker iBUYPOWER announced plans to release a gaming-oriented laptop, the Battalion Touch, with multi-touch features.

The first version of the new laptop line, the Battalion Touch CZ-10, will be shown at CES 2010 later this week and will be made available for pre-orders on January 7. The first models are scheduled to ship on January 20. Other than the fact that the CZ-10 will have a 15 inch monitor no other tech specs were reveal nor was a price stated.

One of the big problems with Windows Vista was the fact that Microsoft's next-gen 3D graphics API DirectX10 was exclusive to the OS. That was likely the big reason why game developers were reluctant to offer a lot of DirectX10-supported games since the audience for such games would be limited. The release of Windows 7 last week brought out a new version of the API, DirectX11, but Microsoft promised that it would make an apperance on Vista.

That time has apparently come as a new automatic update for Vista has now implemented DirectX11 support for the nearly three year old OS. With two versions of Windows now supporting DirectX11 we expect game developers will embrace using the API in their games than they did with DirectX10.

[Via Blue's News]

This past Thursday, Microsoft's latest PC operating system, Windows 7, was finally made available to the public via upgrades or new PC's pre-loaded with the OS. We've already talked about what PC gamers should know about Windows 7 and given you a history of Windows PC gaming. We've asked if you should even upgrade to Windows 7 and even given you the opinions of many game developers if they think Windows 7 will boost PC gaming. Now we want to do some speculation and maybe give Microsoft some advice on how they could take the opportunity to improve PC gaming now that they have a fresh new OS to play with.

Check out our ideas for Microsoft after the jump:

As part of the Windows 7 launch, Microsoft opened up the first retail Microsoft store on Thursday in Scottsdale, Arizona (a second store in California will open next week). In addition to selling items like PCs, Xbox 360s, Zunes and the like, That VideoGame Blog has posted up word that Microsoft are selling PC games in their new retail location, but in a rather cool manner.

Instead of a boxed product you go to a kiosk in the store and select which PC game titles you wish to buy. After you pay for your games, a store employee then creates the disk, case, insert and game manual in the back of the store and hands them to you. The entire process supposedly takes just a few minutes. Perhaps GameStop should consider such a move. It certainly will allow them to offer more PC games than anemic few titles they have in their stores right now. We also wonder why Microsoft failed to mention this rather cool feature in their own promotions about the Microsoft Store.

[Via Joystiq]

We were wowed by the interactive video table used in the original R.U.S.E. trailer, and a real-life version of it was used to demo the game at E3 2009. However, it looks like Ubisoft doesn't just want to tease us with cool technology. It was recently revealed that R.U.S.E. will be the first game to support multitouch input through Windows 7. Although we can't be certain that using a touch screen would necessarily make the game any easier, it's certainly fun to watch.

Download HD R.U.S.E. 'Multitouch' Trailer (54 MB)
Check out all R.U.S.E. downloads

Today, lots and lots of PCs are being sold and many other are getting their upgrades to Microsoft's newest OS Windows 7. Every reviewer agrees that Windows 7 is a massive improvement over the buggy and performance poor Windows Vista. But will the launch of Windows 7, and its parallel launch of the DirectX11 gaming graphics tech, be a boon or a bust for PC gaming?

Big Download decided to contact a number of game developers to get their comments about the launch of Windows 7 and how, or even if, the new operating system will be a benefit for the PC gaming industry. As you will read opinions are extremely varied from one spectrum to the other. We want to thank all of the people who responded to our inquires.

Windows 7 launches officially in stores and inside new PCs today and Ubisoft used the occasion to announce that their upcoming RTS game R.U.S.E. will be one of the first major PC games that will use Windows 7's native touch screen features.

The WWII-themed strategy game was first introduced earlier this year via a trailer that used a fictional touch screen interface to show off the game's unique RTS features such as no fog of war and using deceptive units to throw off opposing players. At E3, Ubisoft showed the game being demoed on a table that used Microsoft's Surface touch technology. Today's announcement means that any PC running Windows 7 with a supported multi-touch monitor will be able to manipulate R.U.S.E. on the screen itself instead of just the usual mouse and keyboard set up. R.U.S.E. is currently scheduled for a first quarter 2010 release date.

[via email press release]