Valve boss Gabe Newell calls Windows 8 a 'catastrophe'

[Mormolyce]

Windows has been marketed on fluff that has nothing to do with an OS since at least 98.

[Simca]

Those claims were always false after XP came. Just check some sites, theres no question whatsoever.

Unless "better performing" is ment by thing like... touching my display rather than pointing with a mouse or something. Again. It's all marketing.

If you look at the quote you just responded to, he said nothing about XP. He said "Windows 8 performs better than Windows 7", which is a true statement.

Also, the difference in performance between Windows XP and Windows 7 is extremely slight. There is maybe a 3% difference with Aero and everything else enabled.

Anyway, it doesn't matter now. XP is now irrelevant because security breaches discovered in a few months will never be solved. Microsoft has a very 'closed' operating system when it comes to Windows Updates, so most people relying on XP will probably have to move on before the inevitable issues occur.

[Lassira]

He also said the PS3 was a certain failure and Sony would be dead within the year.
8 months later he began work on steam for PS3.

[Deleted]

The real problem is the fucking terrible interface of Windows 8. How the bloody hell they thought that was a good idea for PC I'll never understand. Why fix something that ain't broken?

Horrible freaking interface.

But oh well, every other Windows that's been released has been terrible. So let's put our hopes on Windows 9.

Though I would definetly like to see a lot more support for Linux systems as a great thing. I'd definetly be interested.

[Ianus]

i guess blizzard agrees http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/tec...39_736762.html

so it isn't just gabe and steam because they want to all games come through windows store shit..something like apple store which is in my opinion total Bullshit.. So i hope they go Linux route with games and driver developers for gpus.. i would switch immediately..

[Deleted]

switching to linux.. wont be buying windows 8. GG microsoft.

He also said the PS3 was a certain failure and Sony would be dead within the year.
8 months later he began work on steam for PS3.

dont talk rubbish he never said that.. what he said.. Lets face it the ps3 is a massive massive failure compared to what the ps2 and how much of the market it owned.

I think gabe is/was right..

[Edge-]

dont talk rubbish he never said that.. what he said.. Lets face it the ps3 is a massive massive failure compared to what the ps2 and how much of the market it owned.

I think gabe is/was right..

Well, worldwide Wii has a biggest current gen install base so his prediction was correct. Sony has come a long way in improving the PS3 (a bit part was dropping the disgusting 600 dollar price tag) and I know it was struggling for a while.

And if you compared it to the PS2, it hasn't even come close to living up to the same levels of success.

[Deleted]

When did windows not start creating a 'bad' windows version straight after a good one?

[Solidito]

It actually angers me when i think of people who like this on their PC. Sure w.e use it on those crappy tablets etc i don't care, but having it on a PC is ridiculous, can't wait for Windows 9 if it's a normal OS.

Anyone who gives Microsoft money for Windows 8 needs a slap.

---------- Post added 2012-07-29 at 12:42 AM ----------

Many gamers moved from Win XP to Win 7 skipping Vista entirely because it sucked. I can see the same thing happening with Win 8.

It's what i'll be doing and quite a few people i know.

[Rukh]

Any support for Linux is only a good thing.

[Gracin]

I personally, have no intrest in using a tablet/phone style OS on a PC, and will be completly skipping over 8. I understand Windows desire to be competative in the tablet/phone market, but why must PC users suffer 2-3 more years before we get something worth a damn?

[Deleted]

I have to agree with Gabe here. Even though people think he is only trying to protect his own profits his point is valid. Trying to make Windows have it's own store to shut out competition is just a bad idea. I really doubt it will take off at all as people will just stick with Windows 7. I haven't met a single person yet who is looking forward or even slightly interested in Windows 8.

[The Ogdru Jahad]

That's not what their goal is. Their goal is integration. Their goal is to have people line up outside the new MS retail stores (which I applied to work at recently) the way they line up outside the mac stores. Their goal is a bigger market share of peripherals. Phones, tablets etc etc. At the former retail store I used to work at they had a philosophy that was along the lines of they wanted to have a family of products that would cause them to be the one store you would stop at. That's what MS want's to do as far as I can see and part of that is allowing for a high degree of integration between devices so that users don't get frustrated with their experience.


It's about control to. Controlling the experience as much as possible. I don't mind so much because previous iterations of windows still allow me a greater degree of freedom than 8 does so I can still resort to using them. Unlike mac os which is basically always mac os and basically always a giant fuck you to anyone who isn't a mac geek.

Pretty much this, as a consumer myself who knows little about the inner workings of computers. It's easy to see that Apple has a pretty tight grip on the mobile market with the iphone and ipad. iTunes is a 1 stop shop pretty much at this point. Microsoft realized they're missing out on a huge market and their business model is evolving to meet the demand and maybe grab a slice of the pie Apple has been feasting on for far to long. Good luck to them, but as I see it now, Windows 8 looks terrible.

[Dazzy]

It kind of reads as if he's only mad at windows 8 because there's an app store. I'm sure there's more to it but of this all there is to his belief than I see no reason why it's a catastrophe.
/hides from Valve fanboys.

Microsoft is basically tightening up the source, making it harder for companies to make software compatible, and trying to charge those that do make software for it.

I use linux occasionally (because there isn't much software for it), but for it to be widely used by the average consumer it needs to become a lot more interface friendly. I'd love it though.

[bbr]

MS has a reputation for making an awful windows release after a good one,.
win 7 was considered good, so 8 will be shit.
9 should be great again.

so, ill wait for that.

[Deleted]

MS has a reputation for making an awful windows release after a good one,.
win 7 was considered good, so 8 will be shit.
9 should be great again.

so, ill wait for that.

Not only that but even with its "good" windows 7 OS microsoft has been losing its grip on the pc market.. they already posted 6% drop in revenues this year and even DELL is going to be offering an alternative OS with its systems. If steam and other software companies decide to jump ship with their digital distribution and software and focus on linux or another "open" OS then it could be a disaster.. and lets face it people had problems with windows 8 long before gabe said anything so this going to be very interesting to see how this turns out.

building a new pc in jan so hopefully valve will have my full library up and running in linux by then.

Not sure if anyone has posted this but Rob Pardo Executive Vice President of Game Design for Blizzard said this on twitter "nice interview with Gabe Newell - "I think Windows 8 is a catastrophe for everyone in the PC space* - not awesome for Blizzard either "... lol at the reply

anyone waiting to see how EA is going to handle this.. this could have massive implications for the next XBOX aswell

[SirRobin]

I agree that Window's days of dominance are definitely on a downward slope. Personally I'm pondering that Google might pull a rabbit out of their hat and come out with a new desktop slash laptop OS. Possibly another Linux offshoot. Big Boy Android? Hell, they are even testing the ISP waters.

Internet Bit Linky: http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/07/...and-tv-service

So with Apple making a comeback and new players branching out? Microsoft could be in deep doo doo.

[Deleted]

I agree that Window's days of dominance are definitely on a downward slope. Personally I'm pondering that Google might pull a rabbit out of their hat and come out with a new desktop slash laptop OS. Possibly another Linux offshoot. Big Boy Android? Hell, they are even testing the ISP waters.

Internet Bit Linky: http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/07/...and-tv-service

So with Apple making a comeback and new players branching out? Microsoft could be in deep doo doo.

google / android take massive cuts on smartphones, the same will happen with an OS.. apple do the same. Valve, Blizzard.. soon EA will likely follow (especially since they have been saying PC is the future), then we might get some interesting things happening in the market.. which big OS is going to bend over to big developer pressure first?

Also im pretty annoyed with hotmail changing its name to outlook.. eurgh. annoying as hell for some reason.