Microsoft Caves In, Allows Mature Games in Windows Store

[exfileme]

For those who actually use the Windows Store, games like Grand Theft Auto IV are now available.

Microsoft Caves In, Allows Mature Games in Windows Store : Read more

 

[apache_lives]

Windows 8 is good i don't care what anyone else says i truly love it.

 

[A Bad Day]

As long as MS only allows mature content created by reputable people and block the other mature content eye-melting crap that is littered throughout the internet, I don't mind.

Though I'm hoping they got the parental controls ready to handle such contents.

 

[kracker]

Of course you don't.... You really must be attached to all your phones, you didn't know what a computer is until Windows 8!
"Oh Yeah! Now I get it! a big phone!"

 

[echondo]

Just use Steam...even if you buy Skyrim on the Windows store you will still have to go through Steam, so I don't see the point in this.

Windows 7/Ubuntu and Steam

 

[A Bad Day]

If MS store can actually compete against Steam in the prices of the software (rather than using EA's tactic of locking products out of Steam), I don't mind the competition.

 

[NuclearShadow]

[citation][nom]A Bad Day[/nom]If MS store can actually compete against Steam in the prices of the software (rather than using EA's tactic of locking products out of Steam), I don't mind the competition.[/citation]

Normally competition is a good thing but I would actually be weary of that if it actually succeeded to produce better deals and attract the majority of users. Since Microsoft is the creator of Windows if they become the main distributor of software and games made by 3rd parties they could be tempted to further Windows to be a closed platform and removing competition entirely. Then prices would skyrocket.

 

[alidan]

[citation][nom]echondo[/nom]Just use Steam...even if you buy Skyrim on the Windows store you will still have to go through Steam, so I don't see the point in this.Windows 7/Ubuntu and Steam[/citation]

alot of people dont know, here let me put it this way

lets say that ios had 3 marketplaces

apple
google
and amazon

most people would only look at apple and nowhere else
if apple doesn't allow the content but lets say google and amazon will, it would only reach a fraction of the group and only a fraction of them would buy it.

excludeing it from the store dooms many

now lets take this away from big games
lets say an indie game like hotline miami didn't come out there...
do you think that it would still do as well as it did if it wasn't there?
what if it was... how much more would it sell.

there is also the angle of microsoft controlling what you can see and buy, which is never good.

 

[bigdragon]

I'm an adult. Stop making it hard for me to buy games. I want to spend my money in exchange for adult games. I really don't care if someone's child manages to pick up a copy of GTA and learn about gangs, catch a glimpse of boobs in God of War, or get offended by the content of a fighting game. I want my shooters, adventure, and sandbox games.

This is a good move by Microsoft. It's also not one that was unexpected. I'm not sure who is making decisions at Microsoft right now, but these people clearly have very little idea about what they're doing. Hopefully they've been removed by now rather than simply caving to public pressure on the issue of mature games.

 

[A Bad Day]

[citation][nom]bigdragon[/nom]I'm not sure who is making decisions at Microsoft right now, but these people clearly have very little idea about what they're doing. Hopefully they've been removed by now rather than simply caving to public pressure on the issue of mature games.[/citation]

That's the issue. The topic of mature rated games is quite controversial, and EA has only been fueling it as a strange marketing purpose (gain fame and free advertising through notoriety I think).

 

[bystander]

[citation][nom]NuclearShadow[/nom]Normally competition is a good thing but I would actually be weary of that if it actually succeeded to produce better deals and attract the majority of users. Since Microsoft is the creator of Windows if they become the main distributor of software and games made by 3rd parties they could be tempted to further Windows to be a closed platform and removing competition entirely. Then prices would skyrocket.[/citation]
I doubt antitrust laws would allow them to do this. They've had to deal with antitrust stuff for years already.

 

[echondo]

[citation][nom]alidan[/nom]alot of people dont know, here let me put it this waylets say that ios had 3 marketplacesapplegoogleand amazonmost people would only look at apple and nowhere elseif apple doesn't allow the content but lets say google and amazon will, it would only reach a fraction of the group and only a fraction of them would buy it. excludeing it from the store dooms manynow lets take this away from big gameslets say an indie game like hotline miami didn't come out there... do you think that it would still do as well as it did if it wasn't there?what if it was... how much more would it sell. there is also the angle of microsoft controlling what you can see and buy, which is never good.[/citation]

Uh, what? I would choose a Google store over Apple/Amazon, just like I would choose Steam over the Windows store.

People with common sense will know that there is more than one store/option to choose from, unless you are a Mac user, you are pretty limited with options on that end.

 

[assasin32]

[citation][nom]echondo[/nom]Uh, what? I would choose a Google store over Apple/Amazon, just like I would choose Steam over the Windows store.People with common sense will know that there is more than one store/option to choose from, unless you are a Mac user, you are pretty limited with options on that end.[/citation]

It's not common sense, it's lack of knowledge in a given field. Just like how people refer to tablets as iPads or MP3 players as iPods, tissue paper as kleenex, etc. After awhile someone will generally dominate a market and their name will become synonymous with said thing, and sometimes people just don't know any better that there are good alternatives out there and only know of the one product.

 

[sykozis]

[citation][nom]assasin32[/nom]It's not common sense, it's lack of knowledge in a given field. Just like how people refer to tablets as iPads or MP3 players as iPods, tissue paper as kleenex, etc. After awhile someone will generally dominate a market and their name will become synonymous with said thing, and sometimes people just don't know any better that there are good alternatives out there and only know of the one product.[/citation]
So, what you're saying is.... Now that MS has it's own "app store"...suddenly every PC user in the world has forgotten that Amazon and other etail sites exist?

 

[falchard]

VICTORY. Now I can finally sell Fifi's Sex Adventure on a broadly accessible source.

 

[madjimms]

Now when will we get AO (adult only) rated games? I've been waiting for those for over a decade....

 

[thillntn]

Yay, now if we can get them to cave in and give us the start menu back .

 

[apache_lives]

[citation][nom]thillntn[/nom]Yay, now if we can get them to cave in and give us the start menu back .[/citation]

Who cares about that old thing

 

[s997863]

Mature customers cave in too. Ironically it seems that 'mature' games are being pushed for the younger auriences. No adult that I know of cares about 'mature' content. Many are even turned-off by it, but buy the game anyway cause they don't have many other entertainment options. It's not a religeuos thing either, it's just bad quality. For example, when I saw the trailer for Protoype2, I found the Shaft-wannabe protagonist's swearing in every-single-line so annoying that I decided that this game isn't for me; not unless there's an option to disable the moronic voice-acting & dialogue.
Now to get back to my newly bought Grand-Prix-2-mint-in-box while my Pentium3 still lives ...

 

[JonnyDough]

About time. Censorship is for children, not for adults who are free to live and be who they want to be.

 

[tomfreak]

[citation][nom]A Bad Day[/nom]If MS store can actually compete against Steam in the prices of the software (rather than using EA's tactic of locking products out of Steam), I don't mind the competition.[/citation]+1 I welcome competition, nothing beat getting valve market share down to 50%, games get cheaper.

 

[unreal9400]

I prefer steam

 

[shafe88]

[citation][nom]apache_lives[/nom]Windows 8 is good i don't care what anyone else says i truly love it.[/citation]Yes windows 8 is good for smart phones and tablets, but not for desktops and most laptops. I don't care for the app store, I'd rather have a physical copy than a virtual copy, especially games. The only way I'll buy a virtual copy of software is if I can back it up to CD or flash drive.

 

[alextheblue]

[citation][nom]NuclearShadow[/nom]Normally competition is a good thing but I would actually be weary of that if it actually succeeded to produce better deals and attract the majority of users. Since Microsoft is the creator of Windows if they become the main distributor of software and games made by 3rd parties they could be tempted to further Windows to be a closed platform and removing competition entirely. Then prices would skyrocket.[/citation]
Google is the main distributor of Android and ChromeOS apps. Apple is virtually the sole distributor of iOS apps. But it's OK because they're not MS? :/[citation][nom]shafe88[/nom]I don't care for the app store, I'd rather have a physical copy than a virtual copy, especially games. The only way I'll buy a virtual copy of software is if I can back it up to CD or flash drive.[/citation]While I often prefer to own a hard copy of my favorite titles, it has little to do with having a physical backup. Steam and the Windows Store already do a better job of backing up your software.

 

[npcomplete]

Their exact policies are still very unclear. If you look at the actual text in section 5.1 - 5.8:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/hh694083.aspx
it seems to contradict what this post states, depending on how you interpret a clause in 5.1, despite some revision. I had raised this concern back in March on their forums and other individuals did as well. But it wasn't until the big studios showed any interest that Microsoft acknowledged the problem.

So far, it seems like these are specific title exemptions, and it seems it would be limited to games, as opposed to apps. If that's true, that means Indie developers would still be out of luck in trying to submit the same content. I posted a long comment on their blog citing many issues. I doubt it'll make any difference though.