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As a PC game developer I was angry when I installed Windows 8 for the first time. It's just so bad it makes me angry. My immediate reaction was "Why are you ki

As a PC game developer I was angry when I installed Windows 8 for the first time. It's just so bad it makes me angry. My immediate reaction was "Why are you killing Windows, Microsoft?". From that moment I installed the beta I could see the destruction of PC gaming and everything that came along with it following in it's wake as clear as day. A lot of people misinterpreted Gabe Newell's dislike of Windows 8. People seemed to think that he disliked it simply because of the windows app store. Just because it might compete with Steam. The problem is much more fundamental than being competed with. He disliked it because it's a terrible release of Windows that destroys the very platform Steam is on. It's no wonder Gabe decided to go all in on Linux. It may be a slim hope getting that to stick, but at least it's a chance. If the platform you rely on is going to self destruct out from under you, you need to jump to whatever has a chance of keeping you afloat.

yuhong 13y ago
Why would it destroy PC gaming?
- rictic 13y ago
  People leaving Windows is potentially an existential threat for Steam if the platforms that they go to don't support Steam well. Consoles and iOS are flat out due to non-negotiable platform policies. Android is possible, but tough. Mac OS X is doable, though word is that Apple has historically been tepid to game developers on the platform. I believe that these are the forces that lead Valve to choose instead to invest into linux, and build an OS of their own on top of it.
lawnchair_larry 13y ago
I know some people on the Windows team. My immediate reaction when I tried the beta was, "Oh shit, I have to let them know what someone has done to their work before it's too late! The public is about to see this!". Obviously, after half a second of thought, I realized they already know and use what I was seeing for the first time. But it was so shockingly bad that I instinctively thought it was some kind of mistake that they must not have seen yet. When I did talk to them next, it was more along the lines of expressing condolences. I thought since it was objectively bad, it goes without saying that they also think it is bad, and some internal politics led to what was released, ruining their hard work. To my surprise, they defended it and claimed to really like it. I found this so baffling that I've since been struggling with several theories; "either they are crazy or I am crazy, I'm not sure which anymore", some kind of Stockholm Syndrome, or something contaminating the water around Redmond. I ruled out the possibility that it's me who is crazy after a few rounds of a game where I hand my laptop to a coworker, who uses windows exclusively (and one even develops drivers for it), and told them to try and close Internet Explorer and shut down the computer. Invariably the result was trying for 5 or 10 minutes before walking away in frustration, sometimes with colorful language.
- derefr 13y ago
  > told them to try and close Internet Explorer and shut down the computer I've found Windows 8 actually works quite well if you use the keyboard exclusively for navigation. - The Metro "start menu" (that's really all it is) works great if you use it mostly by searching (press Windows key, type, arrow keys, enter to launch.) - The Win+X accelerator menu has made me faster maintenance tasks than I ever was in W7. - Your puzzle: focus the Desktop; press Alt+F4. (This has always worked, if you're curious.) I think this might be why people within Microsoft don't "feel the pain" of Windows 8: it works great with a tablet, or with a keyboard... just not with a mouse.
  - redidas 13y ago
    Isn't using a keyboard an alternative navigation? Basically you're bypassing the UI presented on the screen with shortcuts. It's not a very strong argument for Windows 8 working well, but maybe the opposite.
    - lurkinggrue 13y ago
      Most of the "Windows 8 Works great" arguments are along the lines of how to bypass it. The whole "Install start 8 and it's awesome" arguments just show the UI was a failure.
- aleem 13y ago
  Not that I'm saying it applies to the employees but the term you are looking for is Endowment Effect[1]. [1] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endowment_effect
- sdegutis 13y ago
  I don't buy this argument at all. Just because there are new ways of doing things doesn't make it bad. This kind of attitude kills innovation. I just got Windows 8 last week. I found the vast majority of functionality I needed without any help, in just a few minutes of playing around with it. My brother (who had Windows 8 for a few months) showed me just a couple more things, but none of them were necessary, only more convenient ways of doing the same things I'd already figured out how to do.
gum_ina_package 13y ago
How does Windows 8 kill PC gaming exactly? Games run just the same as they do on any other version of Windows.
- josephagoss 13y ago
  This version of Windows is so bad, that it will drive the consumer away from the PC, eventually the large PC studios will see PC users decline in number and funding for PC games will slow and stop. Only the indie low budget games will be left. By destroying the platform entirely, the long term result will be no development for that platform. All users of the PC are running as fast as they can. Windows 8 has destroyed it for everyone, all of my friends and family have become so frustrated with the PC. Microsoft is really going to destroy the entire platform, they have no idea what they are doing.
  - computerslol 13y ago
    What? I've been using windows 8 happily since release. Evidently this doesn't apply to "everyone". There was a little learning curve, as there was with every major windows release. I've yet to find something that doesn't work. The only thing I've experienced taking any longer is turning the computer off, which requires one additional action compared to 7... Not a big deal.
vladimirralev 13y ago
Last week I experienced Windows 8.1 for the first time to see what's the fuss about. I just couldn't believe anybody though this is a good idea and somebody got paid to deliver it. As I was installing drivers and work on problems, I had to restart a lot. I couldn't figure it out, had to google how to do it. Skype is fullscreen-only now, are you kidding me? I can't do my work and chat on my 4K screen. And there is no easy way to switch between desktops like on Mac with trackpad gestures.
- duuude 13y ago
  A word of advice: Use the separate "Skype for Desktop" that can be downloaded from Skype's website. The fullscreen "Skype App" is just horrible... EDIT: http://www.skype.com/en/download-skype/skype-for-windows/downloading/ http://www.skype.com/en/download-skype/skype-for-windows/dow...
  - computerslol 13y ago
    Also, metro apps don't have to be full screen, just full height. Play around with it some more.

yuhong 13y ago

Why would it destroy PC gaming?

rictic 13y ago
People leaving Windows is potentially an existential threat for Steam if the platforms that they go to don't support Steam well. Consoles and iOS are flat out due to non-negotiable platform policies. Android is possible, but tough. Mac OS X is doable, though word is that Apple has historically been tepid to game developers on the platform. I believe that these are the forces that lead Valve to choose instead to invest into linux, and build an OS of their own on top of it.

lawnchair_larry 13y ago

I know some people on the Windows team. My immediate reaction when I tried the beta was, "Oh shit, I have to let them know what someone has done to their work before it's too late! The public is about to see this!". Obviously, after half a second of thought, I realized they already know and use what I was seeing for the first time. But it was so shockingly bad that I instinctively thought it was some kind of mistake that they must not have seen yet. When I did talk to them next, it was more along the lines of expressing condolences. I thought since it was objectively bad, it goes without saying that they also think it is bad, and some internal politics led to what was released, ruining their hard work. To my surprise, they defended it and claimed to really like it. I found this so baffling that I've since been struggling with several theories; "either they are crazy or I am crazy, I'm not sure which anymore", some kind of Stockholm Syndrome, or something contaminating the water around Redmond. I ruled out the possibility that it's me who is crazy after a few rounds of a game where I hand my laptop to a coworker, who uses windows exclusively (and one even develops drivers for it), and told them to try and close Internet Explorer and shut down the computer. Invariably the result was trying for 5 or 10 minutes before walking away in frustration, sometimes with colorful language.

derefr 13y ago
> told them to try and close Internet Explorer and shut down the computer I've found Windows 8 actually works quite well if you use the keyboard exclusively for navigation. - The Metro "start menu" (that's really all it is) works great if you use it mostly by searching (press Windows key, type, arrow keys, enter to launch.) - The Win+X accelerator menu has made me faster maintenance tasks than I ever was in W7. - Your puzzle: focus the Desktop; press Alt+F4. (This has always worked, if you're curious.) I think this might be why people within Microsoft don't "feel the pain" of Windows 8: it works great with a tablet, or with a keyboard... just not with a mouse.
- redidas 13y ago
  Isn't using a keyboard an alternative navigation? Basically you're bypassing the UI presented on the screen with shortcuts. It's not a very strong argument for Windows 8 working well, but maybe the opposite.
  - lurkinggrue 13y ago
    Most of the "Windows 8 Works great" arguments are along the lines of how to bypass it. The whole "Install start 8 and it's awesome" arguments just show the UI was a failure.
aleem 13y ago
Not that I'm saying it applies to the employees but the term you are looking for is Endowment Effect[1]. [1] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endowment_effect
sdegutis 13y ago
I don't buy this argument at all. Just because there are new ways of doing things doesn't make it bad. This kind of attitude kills innovation. I just got Windows 8 last week. I found the vast majority of functionality I needed without any help, in just a few minutes of playing around with it. My brother (who had Windows 8 for a few months) showed me just a couple more things, but none of them were necessary, only more convenient ways of doing the same things I'd already figured out how to do.

gum_ina_package 13y ago

How does Windows 8 kill PC gaming exactly? Games run just the same as they do on any other version of Windows.

josephagoss 13y ago
This version of Windows is so bad, that it will drive the consumer away from the PC, eventually the large PC studios will see PC users decline in number and funding for PC games will slow and stop. Only the indie low budget games will be left. By destroying the platform entirely, the long term result will be no development for that platform. All users of the PC are running as fast as they can. Windows 8 has destroyed it for everyone, all of my friends and family have become so frustrated with the PC. Microsoft is really going to destroy the entire platform, they have no idea what they are doing.
- computerslol 13y ago
  What? I've been using windows 8 happily since release. Evidently this doesn't apply to "everyone". There was a little learning curve, as there was with every major windows release. I've yet to find something that doesn't work. The only thing I've experienced taking any longer is turning the computer off, which requires one additional action compared to 7... Not a big deal.

vladimirralev 13y ago

Last week I experienced Windows 8.1 for the first time to see what's the fuss about. I just couldn't believe anybody though this is a good idea and somebody got paid to deliver it. As I was installing drivers and work on problems, I had to restart a lot. I couldn't figure it out, had to google how to do it. Skype is fullscreen-only now, are you kidding me? I can't do my work and chat on my 4K screen. And there is no easy way to switch between desktops like on Mac with trackpad gestures.

duuude 13y ago
A word of advice: Use the separate "Skype for Desktop" that can be downloaded from Skype's website. The fullscreen "Skype App" is just horrible... EDIT: http://www.skype.com/en/download-skype/skype-for-windows/downloading/ http://www.skype.com/en/download-skype/skype-for-windows/dow...
- computerslol 13y ago
  Also, metro apps don't have to be full screen, just full height. Play around with it some more.