by Windows 8 is launching with less then stellar reviews across the board. Some developers have called Windows 8 everything from a mess to a catastrophe. Some developers that have been strictly loyal to Microsoft and its Windows OS are debating a change of heart. The real question is that with the mistake that Windows 8 may be shaping up to be, will Linux be the new OS for the gaming nation?
Windows 8
There have been several very public complaints about the new Windows 8 OS. The complaints range from how secretive Microsoft was about the launch to the organization of the final product and everything in between. Developers were put in the dark and only allowed minimal access to the OS. The developers that were permitted to see the system had to jump through hoops in order to see it, and this did not sit well with the developers. The delay left the developers scrambling to update their games and other products in order to be able to be downloaded and used with the Windows 8 OS.
Windows 8 will be launching for the PC at almost the exact same time that it is being released on new Smartphones. This means that developers not only had to update their products to work with the PC, but they also had to make their products available in the app store for the new Windows 8 system. The late release of information has led the app store for the Windows 8 powered phones to be dramatically smaller than that of other Smartphones.
How it Changes the Gaming World
There are certain developers, such as Blizzard, that have been extremely loyal to the Windows OS and Microsoft. They have not only neglected to make a downloadable version for Linux on some of their more popular games, but they have blocked Linux’s efforts to find a way around their no Linux process.
Blizzard develops some of the most popular computer games that are available on the market. WOW and Diablo III are both games that have been blocked from the Linux system. It is possible to download a lot of the Windows games to your Linux powered system when you implement the use of a Wine, but Blizzard made sure that games like WOW and Diablo III would still not be able to be downloaded to a Linux powered system.
It is never a good sign when some of your most loyal major developers are not showing and regret about publically expressing their concern over your new system. It only takes a couple developers like Blizzard to express their concerns or interest in working with Linux to develop them gaming software specifically for Linux before the rest will soon fall in line. Blizzard has not publically stated that they will no longer be developing their games for Windows, nor have they even made an announcement that they are planning on creating a version for Linux, but the seed has been planted.
Linux developers know that this may be there chance to break into the gaming world where they have been locked out for years. Linux has not only publically mentioned how interested in working with many of the game developers to help adjust their games to a version that will work in Linux, but they have also stated that Blizzard has mentioned that they did have some in-house development that had been done for the games to work with the Linux system but it has never been launched. Only time will tell if Windows will be able to rectify the actions that have made so many developers displeased with them, or if Linux will be able to work their way in as being the new gaming OS.
