Microsoft didn't build it, but now they want it

[Madmick]

You clearly made Gabe Newell as some kind of hero, shunned by all and then proven right in the end with Steam just to have evil Microsoft come and try to steal the goodies.

Seriously, Microsoft is the last one on the picture to go for such system, this is just relic hate for microsoft for the monopoly they had in the 90s, like those that claim Steve Jobs was some sort of nice guy and not a corporte ruthless individual.

Wrong. This is more conceptually dense language than I typically write on this forum. Every word matters. You're one of our stronger readers, in my estimation, but I'm aware you're ESL, so a hall pass is freely given, here.

I presented Gabe as a visionary, and a corporate powerhouse, and yet one that can still be stomped like a bug by the titans like Microsoft, and pushed off a revenue stream he generated. Notice I chide him for abandoning game development in favor of turning to Steam for its greater profits. I'm a huge Bill and Melinda Gates fan due to their foundation. I have consistently defended them over the years to CTers who have accused them of using their charity to perpetrate some OS monopoly on the world. Accusing me of holding on to old anti-Sherman pitchforks is woefully misguided and inaccurate. But Bill ain't Microsoft, nor is Microsoft presented any more sympathetically than Apple; in fact, the opposite is quite evident from my language. Google/Samsung wasn't spared. It was PC nerds who bemoaned this influence (of the smartphone world) long, long before posters in here started pointing out that the major smartphone companies were doing it before Microsoft.

Everyone who thinks what I've written is specifically about pissing on Microsoft grossly misinterpreted what I wrote. Etheist stoked those flames by waving the Microsoft flag (this has already been explained to him, and yet he's still trying to frame the conversation as corporate cheerleading when he is the only one holding pom-poms, so maybe you guys should be curious why he's so pro-Microsoft). This isn't about bullying poor little old Microsoft. This is about the last remaining open range of the free digital landscape wheezing and gasping.

Its ridiculous to assume that oppression in the internet is going to come through software, its not.

As long as you can assemble your own PC and as long as the internet companies are net neutrality is a thing, then whatever the software companies conspire is going to be meaningless

Thats why im not scared of Microsoft as opposed to Apple, because Apple has its own hardware and its own standards.

Wrong. They can lock you down at the hardware level per device. They start with the bootloader. No amount of piracy or "deep web" can save you from that. Megaupload/PB/KAT getting raided isn't the great threat to freedom on the internet. The control that matters is the control of the mechanics of the mainstream market. That is real on hardware, software, and connectvity levels.

On the device level they can install a governor on a car engine that you can't take off. It's built into the engine. You can change how you drive, but you can't press the pedal any farther to the floor. This is specifically why I mentioned Samsung. They've already shown that you can exert this control over an OS at the hardware level by virtue of dominating that platform's sales. Now imagine what Windows can do to the desktop environment who possess a far more powerful monopoly over the desktop market. Any hardware manufacturers that hope to play will have to conform if this is where Microsoft is able to successfully steer itself.

This article written by nerds smarter than me seem to think Sweeney is an idiot.

http://arstechnica.com/information-...microsoft-will-use-windows-10-to-break-steam/

I also doubt M$ will ditch win32 and make millions of programs obsolete just so they can create a walled garden.

Ars Tecnica is one of the best sources in existence for tech coverage, so I'm not sure why they are deliberately misinterpreting Sweeney's predictive commentary rooted concretely in the context of what is happening with Steam. Nothing about his comments suggests that he believes Microsoft intends to "suddenly break millions of Win32" applications. They have to first build the foundation for the wall. As soon as every app is UWP compliant, then they can force the gate-keeping he is predicting. That's why they wouldn't dream of breaking Steam today. First they have to ensure they have a similar infrastructure in place, attached to their Windows store, to replace its services. They must prepare and facilitate migration so that users don't get mad. Then they won't care who Microsoft screws.

It even cites Microsoft adding backwards compatibility on the Xbox as some sort of indication that Microsoft cares about opening up their platform. Now that's ridiculous. First, backwards compatibility for the Xbox is exclusive to the Xbox. They're talking about hardware that already exists in a "walled garden". Second, this effort, to any seasoned VG observers, is clearly an effort aimed at winning back share of the hardware console market which they utterly blew at launch when they revealed the true face of their software market strategy as a company going forward. The motivation is pure self-interest and profit (which is understandable, but not a defense against Sweeney's omen).

 

[Rod1]

Wrong. This is more conceptually dense language than I typically write on this forum. Every word matters. You're one of our stronger readers, in my estimation, but I'm aware you're ESL, so a hall pass is freely given, here.

I presented Gabe as a visionary, and a corporate powerhouse, and yet one that can still be stomped like a bug by the titans like Microsoft, and pushed off a revenue stream he generated. Notice I chide him for abandoning game development in favor of turning to Steam for its greater profits. I'm a huge Bill and Melinda Gates fan due to their foundation. I have consistently defended them over the years to CTers who have accused them of using their charity to perpetrate some OS monopoly on the world. Accusing me of holding on to old anti-Sherman pitchforks is woefully misguided and inaccurate. But Bill ain't Microsoft, nor is Microsoft presented any more sympathetically than Apple; in fact, the opposite is quite evident from my language. Google/Samsung wasn't spared. It was PC nerds who bemoaned this influence (of the smartphone world) long, long before posters in here started pointing out that the major smartphone companies were doing it before Microsoft.

Everyone who thinks what I've written is specifically about pissing on Microsoft grossly misinterpreted what I wrote. Etheist stoked those flames by waving the Microsoft flag (this has already been explained to him, and yet he's still trying to frame the conversation as corporate cheerleading when he is the only one holding pom-poms, so maybe you guys should be curious why he's so pro-Microsoft). This isn't about bullying poor little old Microsoft. This is about the last remaining open range of the free digital landscape wheezing and gasping.

Wrong. They can lock you down at the hardware level per device. They start with the bootloader. No amount of piracy or "deep web" can save you from that. Megaupload/PB/KAT getting raided isn't the great threat to freedom on the internet. The control that matters is the control of the mechanics of the mainstream market. That is real on hardware, software, and connectvity levels. .

1.- Fair enough, but Valve isnt just a small startup, its a billion dollar company that also reaps a lot of benefits from the work of others thanks to their market presence.

I also dont think that Microsoft is moving to "Get them" considering the amount of revenue they bring compared to what Valve is worth.

2.- Microsoft marrying software and hardware would be the end of that company, when i said they cant do shit as long as "blank" hardware is being sold, is not me claiming that we will have windows despite what Microsoft does, the claim is that if Windows becomes MacOS then it would be opening it share of the market to other OSs.

Windows is Win32, without it Microsoft brings nothing to the table.

EDIT

Note, we have seen it many times that at least in the software world, you cant really force people to buy your product, you need to make your evil plans so convenient that people will walk on their own or you will fail.

Just look at how Google wanted to force everyone into Google+, failed miserably. Same with Microsoft and Windows Vista, Bing and Xbox One.

 

[Revolver]

lmao @ playing video games.