[PC] Microsoft's "Games for Windows" Initiative

It's been said and quoted many times before that PC gaming is on the decline, or at least declining compared to the skyrocketing of console sales. One of the most common reasons given is the fact that nothing is really standardized. Under most circumstances, you can't simply power up a computer, pop in a disk, and start playing. Microsoft though just revelaed further details on "Games for Windows," they're initiative to make PC games more appealing to a casual gamer, and to bolster confidence amonst developers in the future of the PC platform to be used for games.
I never actually heard of this initiative untill I finished reading this article.

Quote:

During its Gamefest event currently occurring in Seattle, Microsoft announced its intention to bring console development to the masses. At the same time, however, the company is making a big push for PC gaming, mainly driven by and in support of the new Windows Vista operating system shipping next year. Microsoft, aware that PC gaming has seen continually dwindling development support and retail sales from the core gaming segment even as casual gaming is on the rise, has a number of plans for how to reinstate Windows as a premier gaming platform on par with fixed gaming platforms. Today, Microsoft's Skip McIlvaine gave a presentation outlining the steps Microsoft will be taking as well as what will be expected out of developers to increase the accessibility and marketability of Windows gaming.

After reading the article, I think it's pretty dang cool that Microsoft would attempt this huge a task, that is standardizing the PC platform. The whole concept sounds great, and I think it could infact re-energize the PC gaming platform. There are a few things I don't like, such as Microsoft requiring developers to use DirectX to make the cut as "Essentials." I would rather Microsoft use a more open standard such as OpenGL, but realistically you cannot expect something like that from Microsoft, or any other company that has it's own product that is competing with another. In general, Essentials should work great in order to bring a common standard to PC games, making it a, hopefully, less aggravating experiance getting games to run and run well on the PC. What's everyone elses thoughts on the initiative?

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I'm sure it'll be a way to standardize their software. They're more into their XBOX than PC gaming. I don't see how the system requirements for Vista alone is appealing to gamers. I can only see it being a way to increase the PC gaming market so they can whore it to themselves.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

The thing is that it's not just a software problem, its a hardware problem as well. Think about all of the graphics cards out there that PC gamemakers have to support, as well as having taking backward compatibility into account. All of this makes developing games for the PC a lot more difficult and expensive then consoles, so Microsoft is somehow going to have to "standardize" the PC hardware as well, which I don't see happening.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.