Games for Windows

from Sins Forums
Just listening to the Bodcast with Brad in it when he is talking about Games for Windows.

A few things about that:

- I always hated mini launchers. For GC I created a manual shortcut to circumvent the launcher. It's just annoying and pointless. All settings can be done in game, why would anybody want a launcher and the extra clicks involved?

- Why do people take that games for windows logo at all? Isn't it completely pointless? Who needs this big waste of space on the front of the game package? It looks ugly and it says WINDOWS there, the probably most negatively connected word in the consumer PC market (seriously, who out there doesn't hate windows but keeps using it because there simply is no alternative?). And all these restrictions that come with Games for Windows ... having to support the stupid xbox controller and all the other pointless stuff. Why do gaming companies waste time (and money) on trying to get this logo? Why not release without it? Why not make a simple "PC game" logo an their own without that hassle?
14,062 views 3 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top
Why do gaming companies waste time (and money) on trying to get this logo? Why not release without it? Why not make a simple "PC game" logo an their own without that hassle?
End of quote


Better marketing and retail shelf placement.
Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top
But is it really good for marketing? Of cause my friends and I are not a representative group but when we see a games for windows logo for us this is not a positive thing. In fact it makes me think "I hope this game doesn't use windows live crap for multiplayer" (Universe at War, a great strategy game, was totally ruined by that) or "I hope they didn't sacrifice their controller scheme for the stupid games for windows demands" and I am not the only one thinking like that ...

Better marketing is said easily but are there any hard numbers supporting that? I think "Games for Windows" selling games is about as plausible as piracy destroying the PC gaming market ;)

Of cause I have no idea what retail shelf space is all about ...
Sins sold most of its copies online, right? Obviously nobody cared for the games for windows logo there. So it can't be that important to people.
Sins of a Solar Empire II
Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top
I bought my copy in box form, and I had a hard time finding it. The quality of retail shelf space does matter.

Other then that, the logo is useful to Vista users. It means that the game isn't going to misbehave in certain ways (location of save games, using the Games Explorer, not requiring admin access to play). The last one is pretty important if you have kids and would rather they not have admin access (which is a great way to get viruses over-running your computer).

For XP users? Yeah, it doesn't really matter.