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Microsoft's official Minesweeper app has ads, pay-to-win, and is hundreds of MBs
- adamrezich 2y agoThis has been the case for well over a decade now, why is this news today?
- imbnwa 2y agoWhat is the vision over there at Microsoft?
- nevir 2y agooutsource all the things?
- hypeatei 2y agoMoney.
- imbnwa 2y agoI mean, they bought the biggest video game publishers for like $70b or something absurd in lieu of obvious antitrust, which they lost, only to be come a bloated 3rd party publisher, and are now dropping rants about how evil Sony is for having exclusives. They're packing minesweeper with P2W and ads? Who is in charge over there?
- sickofparadox 2y agoDon't forget closing a bunch of studios that they spent a ton of money on right after buying them, some of which made games that earned multiple GOTY awards the same year they closed.
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- imbnwa 2y agoHow is there no cost for the heads of gaming over there who’s ridiculous strategy utterly failed and cost other people’s livelihoods? Definition of a ossified management layer.
- ElectronBadger 2y agoI think it's "we'll milk all the suckers".
- stephenr 2y agoSo still the same vision they've had since the early 90s at least
- delichon 2y agoIf the cows are still queuing up to be milked why change?
- stephenr 2y agoNo it makes sense from a profit making perspective, absolutely. Related: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37035733 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37035733
- prerok 2y agoIn my view, that's unfair to the early versions of Windows, at least up to Win7. Sure, they were charging a hefty sum for the OS but it was the best choice for a home and even office user. They used some dirty tactics on the business side of things but the end user was never so blatantly abused. Nowadays, they still charge for the OS but you also get all these ads shoved in your face. Wish I could convince my non programmer friends to switch to Linux.
- aembleton 2y ago> Wish I could convince my non programmer friends to switch to Linux. Why? If they're happy with Windows then how does that affect you?
- prerok 2y agoWell, because they keep asking me how to log in after they forgot their password for their Live account. Or, how to keep using windows live mail, since it's been replaced by this Mail client, which is horrendous. Or, how they decided to drop support for older drivers and now, after getting Win11, they can't use their scanner. And while trying to tackle that I am bombed with these ads, that propagate products which are expensive, or subpar or both. I need to get the T-shirt that says "No, I will not fix your computer" :)
- dagw 2y agoThere is none. Someone somewhere was given a KPI to increase their departments ad revenue by X%, so that is what they are doing, rest of the company be damned.
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- CobrastanJorji 2y agoOften when you see this, it is because the manager most in charge oof the thing is being awarded for their team's success and not for the company's success. Does this make Microsoft look worse? Yes. Does this provide fuel for a lot of negative narratives about the company? Sure. Is it worth it? No. But, will it help this one specific team make more money and justify their leader's promotion? Yes, it will. The "vision over there" that causes this is "I will get promoted to a more senior leadership position, make more money, and retire in style." Nobody ever got promoted for limiting the success of their own little fiefdom in defense of the greater whole.
- dvh 2y agoIs that dialog genuine? It looks like one of those "Your PC has a virus" dialogs found on some dirty websites.
- firtoz 2y agoWhoever is the highest bidder
- whaleofatw2022 2y agoIirc even 5+ years ago, the 'new' minesweeper was bigger than a win98 simple install
- andrewflnr 2y agoI'm going to need some independent confirmation. If this is true it's beyond parody. Edit: welp.
- leftnode 2y agoThe standard Windows Solitaire game is littered with ads - which you can disable for $2.49/month.
- tmpz22 2y agoI'd love to see the market demographics behind these games - gut says its elderly who forget about the subscription entirely. GameDevs who build games for such demographics should feel bad for preying on them.
- silverquiet 2y agoMy grandfather was happily playing card games (as well as using productivity software) on a DOS machine up until he passed in 2011. For the most part, I don't understand modern software (despite working in it). That said, I personally eliminated all Microsoft products from my life a few years back and I wish more people could do the same.
- soupfordummies 2y agoHad to check the date to make sure we weren’t related ;) My grandpa passed away 5 years ago and still had a working Win95 box from the mid 90s that he used for card games.
- silverquiet 2y agoYeah, my grandpa was still using it with a dot matrix printer and some crazy old database program in order to send out mailers for some local community/political organization stuff. But I get it - I’d still be running Windows 7 if they’d have just let it be.
- dec0dedab0de 2y agoThis is disgusting, but not surprising for microsoft. Can we go back to calling them M$ yet? Not that google is much better these days, but their minesweeper is still just a simple game https://g.co/kgs/UAoPSsb https://g.co/kgs/UAoPSsb
- NKosmatos 2y agoOnce again, corporate greed along with soulless managers and obedient programmers created a digital abomination :-( If you want to play a very good and old school minesweeper, try out https://minesweeper.online https://minesweeper.online
- ryandrake 2y ago> obedient programmers Always good to point this out here. HN readers often forget (or deny) that behind every one of these projects is a team of complicit developers actually typing the code in. Engineering is not blameless.
- GOD_Over_Djinn 2y agoI wouldn’t exactly say “complicit”. I’m sure that many of them are desperately searching for a new job to get away from whatever idiot product manager decided to put ads and microtransactions in minesweeper. In the meantime, they don’t have much of a choice but to do as they’re told, or be fired.
- wizzwizz4 2y ago> In the meantime, they don’t have much of a choice but to do as they’re told, or be fired. Well, there is always unionising…
- WheatMillington 2y agoIt's not like you can just decide one day that you're in a union now. Do you guys even live in the real world?
- wizzwizz4 2y agoYou actually can, if everyone else also decides that at the same time. That's the necessary and sufficient condition. It reduces to a coordination problem. If everyone wants to unionise, the only hard part is doing it: but that is only as hard as just… doing it. If you think you'd benefit from a union, then either: (1) you're an outlier (unlikely); (2) you're mistaken (possible); or (3) many of your colleagues would also benefit from a union. Talking to your colleagues about unionising (over a communications channel not controlled by your employer) is a sensible next step in each of these cases.
- evmar 2y agoSince it's somewhat germane, I have gotten win2k's Minesweeper running on the web: https://evmar.github.io/retrowin32/ https://evmar.github.io/retrowin32/ , midway down the page In contrast to the above, the x86 emulator and win32 API implementation is a little over a meg of WebAssembly, hah!
- wcarss 2y agoI got very close to a win, but then: web/glue/src/log.rs:34 panicked at win32/src/winapi/user32/message.rs:206:5: assertion `left == right` failed left: 512 right: 0 I'm playing on Android Chrome 124, and had slightly zoomed in to make the tap targets larger.
- evmar 2y agoYeah not fully implemented, sorry! For reasons I haven't yet looked into sometimes Minesweeper rarely calls https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/winuser/nf-winuser-getmessage https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/winuser/... with the message-filtering params and I haven't implemented that part of the API...
- jtriangle 2y agoAlso if you have the exe's handy from windows 7, they run fine on modern windows.
- vundercind 2y agoWin 9x copies of minesweeper and solitaire and hearts (and ski free!) run on basically any desktop system thanks to Wine.
- p0w3n3d 2y agoCan you run wine under windows? I haven't found such compilation...
- vundercind 2y ago
- tavavex 2y agoThe Xbox store page says this was released all the way back in 2012, so this is definitely not new. Even then, I'm pretty surprised at how low of a bar MS has for proudly putting their name on it. I can't imagine the likes of Google or Apple publishing an in-house-made cash-milking P2W game. Why did they need this, anyways? Are the absurd profits from all other sectors insufficient to make this tiny, obscure app completely free? Why do they need to penny-pinch so hard?
- makeitdouble 2y agoThe difference is Apple and Google aren't game publishers in the first place. Microsoft has actual gaming studios producing otherwise full fledge-games aimed at making money. To note Minesweeper is no longer in Windows (looking at my win11 install, and there's actually no games anymore), so you'd have to go to the store to get this one, or any other.
- tavavex 2y agoMy point wasn't just about games - it'd be equally applicable to regular software. What I'm saying is that certain practices always come off as cheap, something that desperate developers to do squeeze the most money out of anything they make. You wouldn't see banner ads in Google Authenticator, or a Pro subscription in Apple Notes that lets you have unlimited notes. Of course, those companies still monetize their big-name software products, but they never come off as cheap as MS entrusting a P2W mobile game with the official Microsoft(tm) Minesweeper(c) name. Of course, Microsoft is also a serious game publisher - even before their shopping spree, Xbox Game Studios had published actual, real, award-winning games. Which only makes this contrast with officially sponsoring borderline mobile shovelware even more jarring.
- portpecos 2y ago> You wouldn't see banner ads in Google Authenticator, or a Pro subscription in Apple Notes that lets you have unlimited notes. Not yet. If Microsoft doesn’t experience any backlash for ad-laden freeware, I’m sure the Execs at Apple will think Notes+Ads is a fine strategy. I think Apple has been itching to do something with their Ad Server for a while.
- makeitdouble 2y agoThe store page of the game: https://www.xbox.com/en-CY/games/store/microsoft-minesweeper/9WZDNCRFHWCN/0010 https://www.xbox.com/en-CY/games/store/microsoft-minesweeper... Also the answer to many questions: this is an "Xbox games studio" game, which is a Microsoft entity, but not attached to Windows. They obviously play by different rules, even as Windows itself is also playing many tricks. The comparison point would be Microsoft Flight Simulator for instance, if any.
- Mustachio 2y agoThis is the same for Microsofts Solitaire. Shameless, really.
- runjake 2y agoHere's a pretty decent web-based Minesweeper clone. No installation of anything needed. Faithful to the original IMHO. http://www.birrell.org/andrew/minesweeper/ http://www.birrell.org/andrew/minesweeper/
- notpushkin 2y agoThere's also BrianSweeper from the WINDOWS93 application suite: http://www.windows93.net/#!mines http://www.windows93.net/#!mines (You can play normally if you disable Troll mode in Game → Options)
- alejohausner 2y agoAnd of course there’s a Simon Tatham version. https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/puzzles/js/mines.html https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/puzzles/js/mine...
- runjake 2y agoI always have to default to the Simon Tatham version of whatever. Bookmarked!
- redeux 2y agoJust want until they start integrating gacha elements into the OS. Oh, you want to print? Just spend $0.99 on the loot box to maybe unlock that feature! It’s a rare feature that has a 1/20 chance of being found. Good luck! Honestly, it doesn’t feel too far off unfortunately.
- switch007 2y agoand if document.ai_analysis.is_urgent: price = 250 else: price = 99
- eliseomartelli 2y agoThey already do something like that for the HEVC video codec[0]. It's only $0.99! [0] https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9nmzlz57r3t7 https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9nmzlz57r3t7
- airstrike 2y agoThat 5-star review is wonderful > 5.0 | Typical 5 star-reviewer > I enjoy putting my hand into a garbage disposal and giving money to large corporations. > Ezra , 5/21/2024
- SahAssar 2y agoAt least in that case they probably need to pay (some of) that into the multiple patent pools for HEVC. It's the corporate centipede of microtransactions. HEVC is a garbage fire from a rights/patent perspective.
- EMIRELADERO 2y agoHow come ffmpeg can do it for free then? Are they violating patent law?
- SahAssar 2y agoFrom https://ffmpeg.org/legal.html https://ffmpeg.org/legal.html: > Q: Bottom line: Should I be worried about patent issues if I use FFmpeg? > A: Are you a private user working with FFmpeg for your own personal purposes? If so, there is remarkably little reason to be concerned. Are you using FFmpeg in a commercial software product? Read on to the next question... > Q: Is it perfectly alright to incorporate the whole FFmpeg core into my own commercial product? > A: You might have a problem here. There have been cases where companies have used FFmpeg in their products. These companies found out that once you start trying to make money from patented technologies, the owners of the patents will come after their licensing fees. Notably, MPEG LA is vigilant and diligent about collecting for MPEG-related technologies.
- geodel 2y agoSeems reasonable. The much loved here (most likely for being free) VSCode is not gonna fund itself. Someone has got to pay for free stuff.
- qwertox 2y agoI think all of our governments are already paying them more than enough.
- segasaturn 2y agoSame with Solitaire. An absolute travesty that we can't even have a simple card game come with our computers without all of this rent-seeking behavior! Even the version of Solitaire that comes with Windows 3.11 is better than the "Solitaire Collection" version that comes with 10 and 11.
- makeitdouble 2y agoDid you actually get it with your computer ?
- amatecha 2y agoYeah it's bundled with the OS, installed by default.
- makeitdouble 2y ago＞ Microsoft removed Minesweeper from Windows 8 and instead published it as a free game on the Microsoft Store. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Minesweeper https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Minesweeper
- segasaturn 2y agoMicrosoft Solitaire Collection comes with Windows 11, Minesweeper has to be installed from the Store.
- amatecha 2y agothe game being discussed was Solitaire not Minesweeper ;)
- qwertox 2y agoNext they'll move their European HQ from Ireland to Malta.
- mrweasel 2y agoDoes Microsoft management or business people in general not see that this is looking like the act of a company desperately try to save itself from bankruptcy? I get that this isn't the case, but it looks really desperate or excessively greedy. Some one at Microsoft should try to explain this, not sure they can without looking like immoral assholes.
- footlose_3815 2y agoMicrosoft is the industry leader in enshittification. They will optimize everything to optimal marketing standards. This goes for all the brands they gobbled-up as well. Activision / Blizzard / Bethesda IPs are essentially done for under Microsoft ownership.
- Apocryphon 2y agoMaybe the dissolution of Arkane Austin was a mercy. And come to think of it, couldn't all of the terminated employees simply regroup and form a new independent studio?
- AlexandrB 2y agoI think a lot of the veteran employees already quit before Redfall even shipped[1]. Hopefully they find something worthy of their talents to work on. [1] https://www.pcgamer.com/report-most-of-arkane-austins-prey-veterans-quit-during-redfalls-development-and-the-ones-that-stayed-hoped-microsoft-would-cancel-it/ https://www.pcgamer.com/report-most-of-arkane-austins-prey-v...
- AlexandrB 2y agoThe "good" news is that ActivisionBlizzard was cooked already.
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- anthk 2y agoAs a replacement, you can get SGT Puzzles and Pysol.
- TreetopPlace 2y agoThis is so cheap, nasty and abhorrent. What a strange branding position for Microsoft to take.
- emperorcezar 2y agoOf all the things in the world, this made me feel a jolt of sadness.
- myaccountonhn 2y agoThis is something I really appreciate about the Linux ecosystem... If I find a free tool or game on iOS I hold my breathe and wonder if 1. it will do what it says 2. will extract all my data and send it somewhere 3. will be riddled with ads and slowdowns. Within the Gnome ecosystem and CLI ecosystem, apps then to be very small and focused and they are not riddled with this bullshit.
- pram 2y agoThe sole game for Linux (Tux Racer) remains free as in beer and freedom.
- bee_rider 2y agoI’m more of a Linux fan, but honestly, I sort of miss brutally competent Microsoft. This is just pathetic. Who’s going to take care of all of the non-technical users?
- avsteele 2y agoYeah it's pretty silly. My son liked to play this, and the solitaire card games, word games, all by Microsoft. They all have absurd ads and nonsense like this. It all comes off feeling shoddy and low-class. I would think one of the world's wealthiest companies would have a bit more 'self-respect', or whatever the organizational equivalent is.
- fidotron 2y agoI think people underestimate where the games market, especially the casual end, is and where it is going. I spent many years in games and oversaw various big transitions (games as live services, premium to f2p etc) and it still shocks me. Essentially today players have their pre existing habits formed. The only cost effective way to get attention is within those habits. There are not new distribution mechanisms appearing which make this viable. I did a fairly decent Reversi web clone: https://luduxia.com/reversi/ https://luduxia.com/reversi/ as an experiment for all this and the results are not good. Microsoft absolutely should not have ads etc in Minesweeper or Solitaire. For Microsoft it is just milking that preexisting audience for every last cent, something many seem to believe US public companies are obliged to do. That audience are not going to look anywhere else for alternatives, and that is the difficult part.
- jmclnx 2y agoSlackware 15.0 comes with xminesweep and has no ads. And is much smaller: VSZ RSS SZ CMD 5908 4160 1477 xminesweep Size: 37464 bytes Just saying :)
- TiredOfLife 2y agoBut can it play audio, access the internet or play video/scroll webpages without screen tearing?
- jmclnx 2y agono screen tearing and it cannot phone home telling someone what I am doing.
- anthk 2y agoYes, yes and yes. Altough I hate smooth scrolling on the web.
- TiredOfLife 2y agoA year ago Fedora couldn't. So good that there is progress.
- palsecam 2y agoA faithful remake of the good ol’ Minesweeper is at https://minesweepergame.de/ https://minesweepergame.de/ Since it’s a PWA, you can also install it. It’s also open-source: https://github.com/phartenfeller/minesweeper_js https://github.com/phartenfeller/minesweeper_js
- omoikane 2y agoI prefer Simon Tantham's version: https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/puzzles/js/mines.html https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/puzzles/js/mine... The puzzles are guaranteed to be solvable without guessing, and middle mouse button works as expected, unlike minesweepergame.de.
- staticfish 2y agoIt looks really cool, but i'll make an argument to how faithful it is. I opened the page, and clicked on a square. Immediate bomb loss. This does go against the rules of Windows Minesweeper.
- phartenfeller 2y agoThanks for the feedback. Didn't know this was the case. I created an issue and will implement this the next time I find time :)
- phartenfeller 2y agoOh, this is the origin of the recent HN traffic. Thanks for the shoutout! I started this six years ago during boring university lectures to get better at Web dev. Now I get on average 50 users per month; it's nice to see when others enjoy it.
- AlexandrB 2y agoI was very pleasantly surprised recently when I installed Animal Well[1] and it was only 32MB. With the way things are going I was expecting a 1GB executable or something. [1] https://store.steampowered.com/app/813230/ANIMAL_WELL/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/813230/ANIMAL_WELL/
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- amatecha 2y agoIt's the same with the Solitaire and other games bundled with the OS. I have an older family member who has been really upset that what used to be included-for-free plain old card games are now basically adware.
- alejohausner 2y agoI prefer Simon Tatham’s version[1]. It’s free, and configurable, and available online, and multiplatform. But the best thing about it is that you can always win, if you use deduction. As such, it’s more a puzzle than a game of chance. 1. https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/puzzles/js/mines.html https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/puzzles/js/mine...
- rrrrrrrrrrrryan 2y agoPeople that are into minesweeper play many games in a row, and part of the game is identifying if a game contains a coinflip guess, as early in the game as possible. Then you make that guess as early as possible so you can quickly move onto the next game if you get it wrong. (If you get it right, there's a little slot-machine-like thrill.)
- butz 2y agoBut does it have Copilot to help you play the game?
- schwartzworld 2y agoHere's my free web implementation (not optimized for mobile) Https://letter-press.netlify.app/scooper/
- BeFlatXIII 2y agowhat was wrong with winmine.exe?
- drewcoo 2y agoImagine the embarrassment when the pay-to-win Minesweeper user list leaks.