Microsoft Launches Play Service: Xbox Games on Your Windows Phone or PC

[Guest]

Microsoft's Play service wants to bring XBLA titles to your Windows 8 device.

Microsoft Launches Play Service: Xbox Games on Your Windows Phone or PC : Read more

 

[ddg4005]

This only the beginning. I think it is Microsoft's strategy to eventually port all, or most, of the Xbox 360's game library to Windows. That would allow them to retire from the console market with their games continuing on in Windows.

 

[gamerk316]

[citation][nom]ddg4005[/nom]This only the beginning. I think it is Microsoft's strategy to eventually port all, or most, of the Xbox 360's game library to Windows. That would allow them to retire from the console market with their games continuing on in Windows.[/citation]

Very much doubt it, due to the architecture differences. You can get away with this for XBLA titles simply because of how non-resources intensive they are, which allows CPU side emulation of the PPC instruction set. But for 360 titles? Simply not enough horsepower for emulation to work. (Hell, emulation the 400MHz PS2 CPU is a major challenge!)

 

[dozerman]

I was hoping for a built-in xbox emulator.

 

[Antimatter79]

If they'd market a PCI-E card based Xbox 360 emulator for a hundred bux, maybe even 150, I'd buy that. I wouldn't mind playing a few 360 games if I could do so on my PC.

 

[leakingpaint]

That will be awesome I reckon, be nice to be able to eventually play anything on any platform. Never understood why devs & publishers divided the gaming community in the first place. Can you imagine the online gaming boom if at some stage ps3, xbox and pc players could all jam together - very cool (not sure that will ever happen but it's nice to dream)

 

[Marco925]

[citation][nom]gamerk316[/nom]Very much doubt it, due to the architecture differences. You can get away with this for XBLA titles simply because of how non-resources intensive they are, which allows CPU side emulation of the PPC instruction set. But for 360 titles? Simply not enough horsepower for emulation to work. (Hell, emulation the 400MHz PS2 CPU is a major challenge!)[/citation]
That's for emulation though, trying to actually run PowerPC instruction sets on an x86 CPU is resource heavy, but if it's written in a language that's platform independent like C++ then the difficulty of porting over to the other architecture is much less difficult.

And the PS2 uses MIPS

 

[triculious]

A nice first step. Here's hoping they will make it available for Windows 7 in the near future.

 

[DRosencraft]

Not certain on the feasibility of this, but could they not just make a full-screen app that itself contains an emulator? Just from a feasibility perspective it's not as though the performance level of the 360 is more than a desktop can handle, and min. requirements should be part of any game. Just saying, despite the difficulties, I would imagine doing an official emulator app would be a lot easier than sifting through the entire 360 library for whatever games can be found to port over one by one.

 

[ojas]

But...this isn't new, they announced this with Windows 8's launch...

 

[Guest]

Aren't there rumors that the next Xbox will have an x86 core in it? So I can theoretically play next-gen Xbox games on my PC (and maybe Windows Phone 9 with Intel Atom in it)? That would be a smart decision.

 

[sockso]

Finally! I'll be able to play minesweeper on windows.

 

[RADIO_ACTIVE]

who cares... its on windows 8...

 

[bak0n]

[citation][nom]Antimatter79[/nom]If they'd market a PCI-E card based Xbox 360 emulator for a hundred bux, maybe even 150, I'd buy that. I wouldn't mind playing a few 360 games if I could do so on my PC.[/citation]

But then you'd have to pay $50 a year to connect with your friends to game....

 

[bluestar2k11]

Let my windows 7 PC play 360 games and we'll talk. I'll give a cookie if I could play xbox and 360 games.
But seeing as it's likely win8 only as the article shows, I likely won't ever get to try. Unless win9 is 8 without the screw ups.

 

[dimar]

[citation][nom]Antimatter79[/nom]If they'd market a PCI-E card based Xbox 360 emulator for a hundred bux, maybe even 150, I'd buy that. I wouldn't mind playing a few 360 games if I could do so on my PC.[/citation]

I'd buy one too!

 

[alvine]

oh my god good news I want forza on my pc

 

[edogawa]

[citation][nom]gamerk316[/nom]Very much doubt it, due to the architecture differences. You can get away with this for XBLA titles simply because of how non-resources intensive they are, which allows CPU side emulation of the PPC instruction set. But for 360 titles? Simply not enough horsepower for emulation to work. (Hell, emulation the 400MHz PS2 CPU is a major challenge!)[/citation]

Old games, maybe not.

New games, sure.

The next Xbox may be using PC components, which if true, will allow for you to buy and play your game on Windows or Xbox for a single purchase; a major selling point. If the next Xbox is using the same architecture as a PC, expect all games to be made for both Windows and Xbox.

It would make sense since: Xbox/Windows Live Games merge, Windows 8 Metro(buy your games through Windows 8 game store for Xbox/PC).

 

[lradunovic77]

Another fail by MS. Last thing i want to see is any type of XBOX, Game Live in my PC games. Please MS, stop trying ruining PC.

 

[edogawa]

[citation][nom]lradunovic77[/nom]Another fail by MS. Last thing i want to see is any type of XBOX, Game Live in my PC games. Please MS, stop trying ruining PC.[/citation]

I may tend to agree with you, but Microsoft is taking a step in one direct I find good, the Xbox is becoming a PC potentially. A closed walled system still perhaps, but an interesting one.

 

[dameon51]

[citation][nom]Antimatter79[/nom]If they'd market a PCI-E card based Xbox 360 emulator for a hundred bux, maybe even 150, I'd buy that. I wouldn't mind playing a few 360 games if I could do so on my PC.[/citation]
Here's a thought. Just buy an xbox.

 

[Guest]

I think that this is the most obvious first step pointing towards the death of a gaming console. We'll probably see things like the steambox live on though.

 

[anxiousinfusion]

[citation][nom]edogawa[/nom]Old games, maybe not. New games, sure. The next Xbox may be using PC components, which if true, will allow for you to buy and play your game on Windows or Xbox for a single purchase; a major selling point. If the next Xbox is using the same architecture as a PC, expect all games to be made for both Windows and Xbox.It would make sense since: Xbox/Windows Live Games merge, Windows 8 Metro(buy your games through Windows 8 game store for Xbox/PC).[/citation]

This would be the tipping point in my decision to buy Windows 8.

 

[neblogai]

If next-xbox games were made to be emulated on PC, then there is no need to make a PC version of them. And it means, Microsoft is taking away all distribution from independent stores, like Steam, Gamersgate and others. And as soon as those close- low prices- good bye!
It's Microsoft at it's best- at their usual business practice. Best is to boycott this company.

 

[alidan]

[citation][nom]gamerk316[/nom]Very much doubt it, due to the architecture differences. You can get away with this for XBLA titles simply because of how non-resources intensive they are, which allows CPU side emulation of the PPC instruction set. But for 360 titles? Simply not enough horsepower for emulation to work. (Hell, emulation the 400MHz PS2 CPU is a major challenge!)[/citation]

i remever reading this somewhere...
emulation required 7-8 times the power to do so...

current pcs, the gpu alone is 12 times more powerfull. on the higher end, the highest its 16 times.
i could see a ligitimate 360 emulator possible right now.