Windows 8 Valve boss Gabe Newell calls Windows 8 a 'catastrophe'

[V_R]

Operating system Windows 8 will be a "catastrophe" for PC game makers, according to Valve Software's boss.

Speaking at the Casual Connect game conference in Seattle, Gabe Newell said the next version of Windows could mean big changes to the PC market.

Many took his comment as a criticism of the changed user interface in Windows 8 as well as its built-in Windows Store.

The Windows Store could dent the success of Valve's own online market, Steam, through which players buy games.

Hat tricks

Mr Newell, who worked for Microsoft for 13 years on Windows, said his company had embraced the open-source software Linux as a "hedging strategy" designed to offset some of the damage Windows 8 was likely to do.

"We want to make it as easy as possible for the 2,500 games on Steam to run on Linux as well," said Mr Newell.

"Windows 8 is a catastrophe for everyone in the PC space."

The arrival of Windows 8 would be likely to drive some PC makers and others out of the business because it put so much pressure on their sales margins, Mr Newell added.

He said the success of Valve, known for its Half Life, Left4Dead and Portal titles, had been down to the open nature of the PC.

"We've been a free rider, and we've been able to benefit from everything that went into PCs and the internet," he told the conference. "And we have to continue to figure out how there will be open platforms."

Continued here... http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-18996377

 

[muckshifter]

wow, he's a bit slow ... my only consolation is, GW2 will be out before Win 8 and runs quite happily on Win7. Should last me till I'm in my grave.

The next time I need a new OS, I'll buy a cut-throat razor and slit my wrists, or I may try Linux ... again.

 

[Abarbarian]

Blimey your contemplating complentating trying linux again

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/07/26/gabe_newell_windows_8/

Newell, who oversaw the first three versions of Windows under Bill Gates among other roles during his 13 years at the software giant, has reportedly called the touchscreen-friendly Windows 8 a “catastrophe for everyone in the PC space”.

Newell’s tongue-lashing came after a Gartner analyst got everyone bent out of shape with a single word summary of Windows 8 when a touchscreen isn’t available: "Bad".
For once, it was a mercifully succinct comment from an industry analyst. However, the Gartner man has since retracted the statement, claiming he was taken out of context. But it reminded everyone that analysts' advice and views are partisan and often paid for: if their declarations are not slyly touting their services to vendors, then their words have been bought by companies to trumpet the brilliance of some new product or strategy.
This is why Microsoft pays IDC to write nice vapid things about how each new version of Windows will produce multi-million-dollar market opportunities around the world.
Question is, do the words of an ex-Microsoftie have more credibility?

Sell your Microsoft shares and buy Vale is my tip for the year.

 

[muckshifter]

Blimey your contemplating complentating trying linux again

NO! I was joking.

MS have made mistakes in the past ... Win ME & Vista just to name a couple ... I also think Win 8 is in there with a shout at being the biggest load of crap yet. JMHO

No, what Valve/Steam is really afraid of is, the Windows Shop!!

I'm no "fanboy" of any OS, I'll use whatever gives me the best for my needs, same with hardware. OT, asus, logitech, nVidia, suck.

 

[Abarbarian]

NO! I was joking.

I knew that

MS have made mistakes in the past ...

Yup they should never have gone into business

No, what Valve/Steam is really afraid of is, the Windows Shop!!

In the short term I'd agree.Valve are also looking to maintain their dominant position at an early stage of the game when Microsoft finally collapses.