Microsoft is launching Xbox Play Anywhere this fall, which allows games that are purchased on Xbox Store and Windows Store to be available on the other for no additional cost.
To our site, this means that these games will also be available on Windows 10. Moreover, Microsoft has announced that “every new title published from Microsoft Studios will support Xbox Play Anywhere and will be easily accessible in the Windows Store.” So this means that, starting with Re-Core, Microsoft should publish all of their games on the PC.
Update (July 6th @ 3:33pm EDT): Turns out that it was updated to clarify "at this year's E3". So the list of games on XboxPlayAnywhere is all they're announcing so far.
That said, it will all be done through Windows Store, and so we'll need to remain concerned about the openness of that platform. The obvious example is when Games for Windows Live was shut down, bricking all software that the developer didn't patch out (or patch over to Steam). There's also concern about people being able to distribute software independently and anonymously as well.
That said, Microsoft is free to publish their own software however they like, and it's nice to see them supporting the PC again. I just want to make sure a strong, alternative platform exists (like Win32 or a strong Web standard) that cannot be (legally or technically) pivoted into Windows RT (or iOS), which forced all browsers to be re-skins of Internet Explorer (or Safari in iOS's case), forced content guidelines on games, etc. Someone will abuse any restrictions that are made, now or in the future.
When are BS article like this
When are BS article like this going to stop. Drivel like this is why I can’t support PCPER on patreon. It makes me question the technical competency of the editors/authors.
Microsoft offers the ability to buy a game once and play it on multiple platform, oh the horror. It must be some trick to steal your precious computer from you. I constant hear from Ryan and others how great competition is at pushing companies like Nvidia and AMD to create better products but somehow Microsoft creating its own store to compete against Steam and others is something to be viewed with suspicion.
The openness of the Windows Store has the same concern as Steam or even boxed software to be still sold in a store. First off, are you questioning the items sold in the Windows store as an appx package or the UWP APIs? You do realize that starting the coming Windows update, it will be possible to publish Win32 apps in the Windows store wrapped as an APPX. So the store supports Win32 and doesn’t require the use of the UWP APIs. It is also interesting if you actual look at the APIs allowed and supported by the UWP. Amazingly you will find a subset of Win32/COM APIs. As has been stated on many occasions, UWP applications can be side load and do not need to be signed by Microsoft.
Win32 is not some open platform that could not be closed. This was demonstrate with Windows RT OS/devices. How do you think they prevented non-Microsoft Win32 binaries from running? Hint, it had nothing to due with the devices running on ARM. Hmm, maybe it was the fact that only binaries signed by Microsoft would running. This was done using the exact same code that prevents non-signed drives from running in the kernel. Just a simple flag set during compilation.
“There’s also concern about people being able to distribute software independently and anonymously as well.” – What actual valid concerns are there. If you want to distribute software independently or anonymously just continue to do it however you are currently doing. Nothing is changing.
There’s little preventing
There's little preventing sideloading from being removed, and the requirement of a CA to develop and distribute (except through web browsers) can be scary. Also, you're missing the forest from the trees regarding the "Win32 is not some open platform that could not be closed" argument. Yes, Win32 software could be closed, such as with Project Centennial, but, if Microsoft did so, they would need to toss out support for the not-closed Win32 software. That would sink their compatible software catalog, which forces Microsoft to not do that.
The new app model is more resillient to retroactive changes, which means that we should be concerned about retroactive changes. These are some of the issues that need to be addressed, technically or legally, before someone can guarantee that Windows is a good platform to express themselves with, especially in jurisdictions that are hostile to art.
Actually I am not missing any
Actually I am not missing any forest. My argument is Microsoft can close Win32 at any time and did so with Windows RT, but that also doesn’t prevent anyone from distributing their software. This same issue exists any time you write software that depends on someone else’s platform be it macOS, iOS, Steam, a web browser, … Even open source OSes have this issue (Andriod), sure you can fork their OS but if that platform is the one everyone uses have fun getting people to switch to your platform. Also, a web browser is no exception, if they are that hostile then why not just require a specific cert (root signed) to view the web site.
So because this new app model can adapt to change and better handle deprecation of APIs it is bad. So the average user should not use Windows because there are some jurisdictions in the world that “hostile to art”? What a nebulous statement. Google Play, Apple App Store, …..
What possible sensible legal or technical requirements could be made to prevent a platform owner from changing their platform?
So because you can imagine the worst happening a platform should not be used? I can imagine Steam requiring all new games to be ported to SteamOS and use proprietary Steam APIs that only found on SteamOS.
Is the platform actually technically bad?
First, they did so with
First, they did so with Windows RT, and, as I've been saying, the lack of compatible software killed the platform. Thus, Win32's technical hurdles prevented Microsoft from effectively closing it.
Second, some web browsers are requiring HTTPS for certain protocols, and I've been vocal with them about these issues, too. The concensus is generally that local files are secure, though. That can change of course, but the Web platform is compatible across any browser that wants to implement it, so that's a legal protection for art. Linux has a similar structure, which can be forked if the main branch starts being anti-expression. I'm consistent. Lol.
You say "have fun getting people to switch to your platform" but, really, it's not switching to a platform. At that point, it's choosing a fork in the platform. All value up to that point is preserved in either direction (provided the fork occurs soon enough).
As for sensible legal or technical requirements for Windows 10? Not sure. Sideloading is a very good start, but it's not anywhere near robust enough yet. That's why I keep talking about it: to raise issues for us to figure out collectively, as a society.
The NVIDIA/AMD comparison
The NVIDIA/AMD comparison isn’t really apt. For example, if you wanted to avoid NVIDIA you can buy an AMD graphics card that can perform the exact same function. However if Microsoft publish a game through this new, highly restrictive service, and not through steam, it’s the only way you can get that game.
This is particularly a problem when publishing games from cherished, preexisting IP.
So you don’t want Microsoft
So you don’t want Microsoft to publish this game through a restrictive service… instead through Steam! THat’s the same thing. You’re locked to one store or another. And considering Steam has been having a hate-on for competition and trying to make their own OS, what happens if they actually do this?Steam is your DRM. Basically the Windows store suffers from the same problem Orgin does.. “Not Steam”
TBH, I’m okay with this. Full on. I mean, If they are making sure that If i buy on one platform and get for another, I don’t see the Doom and Gloom in that. This is just the select games that support this feature. Or I guess we just continue to build the Steam Monopoly in the PC game market.
Scott, I love what you post,
Scott, I love what you post, but I do share some of the feelings of the Anonymous author of this comments. I’m not questioning your competency on this topic. I just see where the commenter is coming from in his comment. Through listening to the podcast and reading articles from some, not all of the writers, there seems to be an overall lack of knowledge in what programming for and releasing on the Windows Store involves. I feels like Ken is the only one on the podcast that has actually been paying attention to what Microsoft is saying about the Windows Store, and the one that know that this is not Steve Ballmer’s or Bill Gate’s Microsoft.
Microsoft had failed at doing the Games for Windows Live platform, but this is not the same Microsoft. Their execution may be rocky, but I don’t see any reason to be any more concerned with the Windows Store as I should be with Steam or any other service that I have invested money into.
Yeah, I realize that
Yeah, I realize that Microsoft is not the same as the Vista era, where they were trying to ban mods. The problem is not a distrust of Microsoft, though.
The road to Hell is paved with good intentions. I strongly believe that Microsoft wants to rid themselves of the malware, bloated, etc. stigma (which has been a concern of theirs since XP). The problem is that good intentions are blinding, and a well-meaning platform can be abused, even by those who abuse it believing they're doing right by it (ex: banning content, like LGBT expressions, because they believe it's immoral, or by banning encryption utilities). Some of these groups, such as foreign governments, have authority over Microsoft. That's a concern.
Lets take that for a second
Lets take that for a second that you don’t distrust Microsoft, even though that seem directly at odds with your third paragraph of the article where you state “… so we’ll need to remain concerned about the openness of that platform…”.
Reading your second paragraph in your comment above I should be able to replace Microsoft with Steam/Origin/… You should be posting how all online stores are bad since “foreign governments” have authority over all of these stores in their countries. I am not sure how these groups have authority over Microsoft but no one else.
I recall that China just announced that all new games regardless of the delivery mechanism must be approved before being sold. This is an actual example of what you seem to be concerned of and wait a minute it doesn’t just apply to Microsoft but Apple, Google, Steam, and the rest of the software development/delivery world. It doesn’t matter if the game was written for Win32, UWP, iOS, Android, PS4 or whatever.
So are you really complaining about censorship or the Windows Store. These are two completely different issues. I do fully understand that the Windows Store could be utilized to implement some groups censorship agenda, just like any other distribution platform, Steam/Google Play, Apple App Store.
I’ll break this down
I'll break this down paragraph by paragraph.
The obvious example is when
I know there were lots of rumors about this a couple years ago but as far as I can tell it never actually happened. My Steam copy of Street Fighter X Tekken never had GFWL patched out but it still works fine and is even able to log into Xbox Live.
They did close the marketplace but I think any games you bought can still be downloaded though the client. I just launched the client and I can even download Flight and the DLC I bought even though that game was shut down a couple years ago.
Scott you may want to know
Scott you may want to know that the source of your source has changed what you quoted after the fact to “Every new title published from Microsoft Studios that we showed onstage at E3 this year will support Xbox Play Anywhere and will be easily accessible in the Windows Store.”
IMO it probably still means the same thing in practice “we intend to make all our games available on PC until we choose not to” but still might be worth mentioning.
Lol. Of course they did.
Lol. Of course they did. Thanks! I'll fix it.
M$ will be trying to explain
M$ will be trying to explain away things like this:
http://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/microsoft-play-anywhere-dead-rising/