I hate "Games for Windows"

Pfff, I'm just trying to play Gears of War on my PC, it takes nearly 20 minutes to install after which it doesn't start the game automatically like it said it would and it doesn't leave shortcuts in the start menu or on my desktop (presumably because I had the audicitiy to choose a custom program location).

Secondly I can't actually save my progress on the SINGLE PLAYER campaign until I've signed up with Games for Windows Service, then Xbox Live then Windows Live each requireing filling out lots of forms. When did playing single player games start to require form-filling who's idea of "fun" is this? And why oh why is it necessary to register online to play a single player campaign?

Then I try to play the game but oh no, I have to update the program first which requires a shutdown and restart of my PC (a good job I wasn't doing anything important eh?). Finally I reboot, then the start the game, it fails to login having failed to remember my password and won't let me change it.

I finally get the password changed, it logs in, and ALL the settings for my keys and video settings have been lost. I redo all my settings.

I find the game runs too slowly at the default res, can't change the f---ing res in game so have to exit, logout, change res to lower, log back in. Restart campaign find it's still too slow in places. Repeat above process. Find that the res does just drop in places.

If this is the future of gaming on the PC, then "ARGH! I QUIT" is my response. It's all so unnecessary, so annoying, and wastes so much time. I will definatly be looking to avoid "Games for Windows" games in future. How do people on Xbox's put up with this crap all the time?

Darkheart

I gave up playing PC games years ago. Nuff said.

they don't, gears is simple to setup and run on xbox360.

I understand how you feel....-=Darkheart=-

I never like PC at all.

I like it when you put Disk or CD or CARTS in and play games just like Amiga, Xbox 360 and all the retro console.

I wish there was New Amiga computer today.

Amiga Rules :)

Apparently there is one in development, but whether this is vapourware is anyones guess... Check www.amiga.com

Don't shout too loud. What do you think we're developing games for?

yeah buy indie games

Must be your lucky day.

I haven't. But then again I was still using my Amiga halfway through 2002 (ten years after Commodore went down the drain), so I'm probably not the best litmus test candidate.

Because you know, there are simply tons of "indie" games that are comparable to Gears of War.

As the subject seems to have gone astray a little, I'll just clarify that what I'm taking about here is Games for Windows and not all games written for Windows per se.

Darkheart

What crap? There's no logging in, or logging out, or signing up, or form filling. Updates are optional and painless. All games ( at least all the ones I own ) play perfectly at all resolutions. All that stuff only happens when you've bought a £2000 PC to play.

I managed to play gears of war without all the windows live stuff by disconnecting my internet connection and running the game. It just tells you that you cant earn achievements in the game with this campaign if you run the game localy. Lets you create a local profile without any forms or anything and off you go.

Gears of war runs very well on my system. 1280x1024 all setting on maximum except for DX10 edge smoothing since I don't have a DX10.

My system that runs well at 1280x1024 everything maxed is:

Nforce 3 250 chipset
Athlon 64 3000+ OC 220mhz (Socket 754)
AGP 7800GS 256mb (GPU 450mhz RAM 1300mhz)
2GB PC3200 DDR ram (Latency 2)

So not what you would call high specs at all, video card came out almost 2 years ago and everything else is 4 years old.

I don't like the game and took it back, got a copy of crysis reserved in its stead.

Its basicly a simple game where you control a brutish grunt crossing a large room repeatedly using walls and pillars for cover, rinse and repeat. Disjointed weak story, quite nice graphics if dreary monochromatic pallet, typical console game that lacks a lot of the depth of games developed for PC gamers.

The Crysis demo and engine are better in every department.

PC games > all

...by the way, if you're programming, shouldn't you be able to install a game? :P

> If this is the future of gaming on the PC,
> then "ARGH! I QUIT" is my response.

PC gaming has actually been like this for more than 10 years, and you've only JUST noticed? :)
If consoles didn't exist, I think I would get a new hobby. There's no way I would put up with Windows. The only thing I play on Windows is my own games, and emulators.

Consoles are king, turn on machine, pick up joypad, pop in disk, Bob's your uncle.

Indeed.

I agree, but i'm concerned with the use of hard discs and dashboards, and media players being installed on them. Next consoles to come out. What will they have installed on them? Will the point come when installed software will be running in the backround of your games?

Xbox360 dashboard is already running alongside your games.

i cant even play doom3 and quake4 on this system cos its gfx is a shite onboard jobbie

but having said that ive not looked up the cost of a decent replacement, but i have thought of 360ing it instead
you know that in 2 years the game you buy will work with the system you have and not be another gfx cpu upgrade to install

when consoles start acting TOO MUCH like pc's then ill worry

Its getting very annoying with all the BS you need to trundle through too (for example that damn steam thing) But until consoles supply a mouse, a little keyboard AND controller as standard, supported by all relevent games, im not interested, as FPS/strategy SUCKS on a normal controller

That's just because too few people are thinking out the box. Nobody (except possibly Nintendo) cares about interfaces and accessibility anymore. Pikmin was an excellent strategy game and worked well with the GC controller. Resident Evil 4 and Red Steel work reasonably well with the WiiMote/Nunchuck and in time I think people will be looking at the same degree of disgust at playing FPS games with "wasd" layout and a mouse, as e do now by having to play a FPS using only the cursor keys and space/control.

Whe wimote is a clumsy controller for FPS, with laggy response its a really awkward thing to use for many types of games. Seems to be popular for casual games and a first system for new gamers. But there are hardly any games for it and most arent very good.

Maybe when the next gen of systems comes out there will be more accurate versions, but for now they are more of a novelty item than anything else. It's good that someone tried though, otherwise no one would have done it.

It doesn't have laggy response - at least not anymore laggy than other wireless controllers, and certainly nothing you would be able to register without special equipment.

So is a mouse or trackball or any type of unfamiliar controller - until you get used to it. It took me ages to get used to the GameCube controller, coming from the N64.

I tried the wimote and theres no way you can move the thing with a great deal of precision unless its with very slow fluid movements. Like your doing yoga or something.

Well you're entitled to your opinion, but you're wrong. But then again I'm not the one afraid to commit time to develop skills at videogames. :o>

This is getting old.

But true, none the less.

I have the Wiimote hooked up to my PC, and it responds just fine, in my own code and in others. Sure it's a bit awkward to use, because most existing games use the mouse as pointing device input metaphor, and the Wiimote is a different kind of pointing device.

Just because you're intentionally using the wrong metaphor to prove a point, doesn't make it empirical. Quite to the contrary.

I wasnt talking about the wiimote (as this can be used as a pointer for strat and i guess it would be cool for FPS)

I was talking about the normal xbox/ps style. There are FPS moves you can do with a mouse and keyboard that is virtually impossible with these crontrollers. Likewise strategy or any game that needs rapid a point and click approach is too slow with analog 'nipples' controlling a cursor.

Im not saying theyre always bad though and for some types of games there is no substitute (which is why i said "mouse, a little keyboard and controller".

I agree on the analogue 'mouse' pointer ... the only one ive tried on the xbox is the sims busting out ... it can be a bit laborious compared to the nippyness of a mouse ... a trade off i guess, i dont think they wanted to give users a hair trigger movement.

megalomania on the mega drive ... i tired this once 3 years ago having only played the ST or Amiga demo
yikes !!!

...

as for impossible moves, well xbox games work within the confines of the controller so optimise the layout, the more options you add, the more keys you need ergo the more buttons you need on the joypad ... jaguar anyone ???

although in the days of home computers with the atariesque controllers with one button vs nes 2 and snes/mega drive plenty (for the time)
alternate button a and b to make runner faster became waggle joystick left and right till joystick or wrist broke

a kick
b punch

then trying to do street fighter 2 with one joybutton :0

Evak I'm really surprised it runs so well for you as I have at least 2 generations on of hardware it runs poorly at 1152x864. The only difference is I am running Windows Ultimate with an X1950 and an Intel E6600 (which should knock that AMD X2 and GS7900 for six).

Darkheart