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On Windows, Microsoft is trying to extend the Xbox-exclusive store to cover Windows 10 gaming. On Mac you can distribute outside Apple’s App store[1,2,3], as y

On Windows, Microsoft is trying to extend the Xbox-exclusive store to cover Windows 10 gaming. On Mac you can distribute outside Apple’s App store[1,2,3], as you can on Windows. But Microsoft is laying groundwork for shift towards Apple’s model. 1. https://setapp.com/ https://setapp.com/ 2. https://www.gog.com/games?system=osx_106,osx_107&sort=popularity&page=1 https://www.gog.com/games?system=osx_106,osx_107&sort=popula... 3. https://store.steampowered.com/macos https://store.steampowered.com/macos

flohofwoe 6y ago
Microsoft has been trying to "boil the frog" for a long time now, but that has always failed, and it will fail as long as Windows remains relevant as a gaming platform. MS might be the captain of the ship, but they never owned the ship, despite their best attempts. For gamers, the current power equilibrium on the Windows platform with multiple competing stores is pretty much perfect. Even Microsoft caved in and started to offer their games on Steam too instead of insisting on making them Windows Store exclusives.
- pjmlp 6y ago
  Their only mistake was not making the store Win32 from the get go, but as their Windows 10X roadmap and Project Reunion reboot shows, that will eventually arrive. Classical PCs are now a niche in a consumer world full with laptops and tablets. Little frogs will keep complaining without noticing that it has actually already taken place.
  - flohofwoe 6y ago
    Microsoft can do what they want with their own store because nobody cares about it anyway. And the moment they try to "ban" Steam, Epic Store, Gog etc, they essentially kill Windows as gaming platform and turn it into a business-only offering. I don't think that's in their own interest (as their renewed interest in PC gaming demonstrates).
    - pjmlp 6y ago
      Apparently you missed what Windows 10X is all about. "How Windows 10X runs UWP and Win32 apps" https://youtu.be/ztrmrIlgbIc https://youtu.be/ztrmrIlgbIc Due to the situation we are all in, Windows 10X plans have been put aside for the time being, but rest assured they will be back when the world returns to business as usual. Windows as gaming platform has managed quite well without Steam, Epic Store, Gog, no need to pollute my OS with third party garbage.
      - Macha 6y ago
        What games are you playing? Digital PC games pretty much universally have launchers needed, whether it's a store like Steam or Epic, or publisher specific like Uplay, Paradox or Blizzard's. Physical PC sales have barely been a thing for the last decade. Even when you could get it, by the end they were usually a key for a given retailer and a disc that had a much outdated version of the game to initially install on only to download as much in patches.
        pjmlp 6y ago
        Plenty of places to buy physical games in Germany, and when not plenty of XBox games are available on Windows store.
        Macha 6y ago
        I guess from my point of view the Windows Store is not different to the other stores, especially Steam which been the defacto standard for years. As for physical games, what are you playing it on? Looking at my local PC retailer, none of their gaming desktops or laptops and only 1/47 of their other laptops actually have a disk drive. Even many of the cases have no 5.25" bays.
        pjmlp 6y ago
        ThinkPad graphical workstations. External and pluggable drives do exist. Plus there are docking stations. As for the surviving desktops, all models still on sale around here do come with drives. Steam doesn't come on my Windows OEM discs.

flohofwoe 6y ago

Microsoft has been trying to "boil the frog" for a long time now, but that has always failed, and it will fail as long as Windows remains relevant as a gaming platform. MS might be the captain of the ship, but they never owned the ship, despite their best attempts. For gamers, the current power equilibrium on the Windows platform with multiple competing stores is pretty much perfect. Even Microsoft caved in and started to offer their games on Steam too instead of insisting on making them Windows Store exclusives.

pjmlp 6y ago
Their only mistake was not making the store Win32 from the get go, but as their Windows 10X roadmap and Project Reunion reboot shows, that will eventually arrive. Classical PCs are now a niche in a consumer world full with laptops and tablets. Little frogs will keep complaining without noticing that it has actually already taken place.
- flohofwoe 6y ago
  Microsoft can do what they want with their own store because nobody cares about it anyway. And the moment they try to "ban" Steam, Epic Store, Gog etc, they essentially kill Windows as gaming platform and turn it into a business-only offering. I don't think that's in their own interest (as their renewed interest in PC gaming demonstrates).
  - pjmlp 6y ago
    Apparently you missed what Windows 10X is all about. "How Windows 10X runs UWP and Win32 apps" https://youtu.be/ztrmrIlgbIc https://youtu.be/ztrmrIlgbIc Due to the situation we are all in, Windows 10X plans have been put aside for the time being, but rest assured they will be back when the world returns to business as usual. Windows as gaming platform has managed quite well without Steam, Epic Store, Gog, no need to pollute my OS with third party garbage.
    - Macha 6y ago
      What games are you playing? Digital PC games pretty much universally have launchers needed, whether it's a store like Steam or Epic, or publisher specific like Uplay, Paradox or Blizzard's. Physical PC sales have barely been a thing for the last decade. Even when you could get it, by the end they were usually a key for a given retailer and a disc that had a much outdated version of the game to initially install on only to download as much in patches.
      - pjmlp 6y ago
        Plenty of places to buy physical games in Germany, and when not plenty of XBox games are available on Windows store.
        Macha 6y ago
        I guess from my point of view the Windows Store is not different to the other stores, especially Steam which been the defacto standard for years. As for physical games, what are you playing it on? Looking at my local PC retailer, none of their gaming desktops or laptops and only 1/47 of their other laptops actually have a disk drive. Even many of the cases have no 5.25" bays.
        pjmlp 6y ago
        ThinkPad graphical workstations. External and pluggable drives do exist. Plus there are docking stations. As for the surviving desktops, all models still on sale around here do come with drives. Steam doesn't come on my Windows OEM discs.