Is there anyone in the forums that has C.o.D running successfully on Windows 8

[AirHog71]

I don't see any real need to use Win8 on my home system right now, but thats just me.

What I am interested in however is what the simluation developers of today are deciding to do over the next few years. Because I think we're in a similar time when MS-DOS was the choice for gaming and then Windows 95 was released. As we all know MS-DOS died off in a few years.

If critcal mass is reached i.e. enough users flocking the new WinRT/8 UI, developers will be forced to sell thier games through the Windows App Store. This will spell the end for the likes of STEAM because under their App Store policies, an application is not allowed to install an executable, which is basically what STEAM does. This is why STEAM is moving to Linux and they're devloping their own Linux based gaming console.

Is it possible that Linux will become the OS of choice for flight sims?

[PopBot]

Originally Posted by AirHog71

I don't see any real need to use Win8 on my home system right now, but thats just me.

What I am interested in however is what the simluation developers of today are deciding to do over the next few years. Because I think we're in a similar time when MS-DOS was the choice for gaming and then Windows 95 was released. As we all know MS-DOS died off in a few years.

If critcal mass is reached i.e. enough users flocking the new WinRT/8 UI, developers will be forced to sell thier games through the Windows App Store. This will spell the end for the likes of STEAM because under their App Store policies, an application is not allowed to install an executable, which is basically what STEAM does. This is why STEAM is moving to Linux and they're devloping their own Linux based gaming console.

Is it possible that Linux will become the OS of choice for flight sims?

I think there's a lot of misinformation going around about Windows 8. No one is forced to develop games or sell their software through the Windows App Store. Games can still be installed and run through Steam or by standalone installs exactly the same way they are done on Windows 7. The app store stuff is a side feature of Windows 8.

When I was running 8 at home and work, I almost never interacted with the Metro interface. I didn't have anything adding a start button to it either.

As far as Linux goes, it would be great if Steam takes off and more companies port old titles and develop new titles for Linux. Flight sim developers will probably have to wait until a significant Linux gamer population exists. The Windows-based flight sim community is already small enough; splitting off another segment of users running Linux may not have enough return on the development investment.

[AirHog71]

Originally Posted by PopBot

I think there's a lot of misinformation going around about Windows 8. No one is forced to develop games or sell their software through the Windows App Store. Games can still be installed and run through Steam or by standalone installs exactly the same way they are done on Windows 7. The app store stuff is a side feature of Windows 8.

When I was running 8 at home and work, I almost never interacted with the Metro interface. I didn't have anything adding a start button to it either.

As far as Linux goes, it would be great if Steam takes off and more companies port old titles and develop new titles for Linux. Flight sim developers will probably have to wait until a significant Linux gamer population exists. The Windows-based flight sim community is already small enough; splitting off another segment of users running Linux may not have enough return on the development investment.

Of course no one is "Forced" to use the Win App Store ... but that is now

I was thinking ahead to the next few years.

With the release of Win8 you effectively have two environments. The new UI - Metro and the old - The Desktop. The Win App Store is solely for applications that use the new Metro UI, but the significance of this is MS have imposed rules around developing apps for the new UI, and they're going to take a cut for each app sold through the store. Now if history is anything to go by, the "Desktop" will soon be unsupported and eventually will die off, which means developers will no longer have a "Open" Windows OS to develop software / games.

A case in point. I develop business applications for my employer, they're small custom built applications. Currently I just need to digitally sign them during development and then distribute them digitally via our deployment software. The problem I may encounter with Win8 and future Window versions is that my apps may need to be authorised by MS first which means they will have access to very sensitive code around server access.

Now we're currently looking at method in Win 8 where we can bypass this via a "side install" (I think that's what its called) but in order to do this it means that every terminal that needs my app will need to belong to our domain group. The problem with that is, we'll to need a major hardware upgrade because we have offices all over Australia and Asia and that will cost millions. And it presents a security risk because we'll have a single domain where are the moment we break up all our business units deliberately to prevent internal fraud and make it easy to track fraud.

The game developers, in particular, Valve (STEAM) can see that in the next few years abandoning Windows because of the closed environment. Right now STEAM would not be able to exist if it wasn't for MS keeping the "Desktop" alive. But again they're most likely going to kill it off in a few years time because let's face it, Apple are doing very well under their development model.

[AbortedMan]

If Steam and Linux gaming are successful...a new era of gaming unity will come and bring countless gaming platforms together and out from under the iron fist that is Direct3D.

OpenGL for all!

[AirHog71]

There is a down side to a Linux gaming era. Varying standards, just like when we used to have 3DFX, OpenGL, WinG and DirectX. Oh man those were the days.