In July, Valve boss Gabe Newell proclaimed that Microsoft?s upcoming Windows 8 OS was a ?catastrophe to everyone in the PC space.? On the surface this felt reactionary, perhaps a response to Microsoft?s ?walled garden? approach of selling apps and games via the Windows Store. But one month after Newell?s stinging remark, Valve revealed plans to begin selling non-gaming software via its Steam distribution platform. Earlier this month a Valve job listing calling for an Industrial Designer lent concrete evidence toward the fact that not only is Valve aligning itself to be a direct competitor to Microsoft in the software space ? they have hardware plans as well.
Did Windows 8 deserve this black eye? Is it truly so catastrophic for ?everyone in the PC space?? I decided to speak directly with the game developers and gather their insights and observations from hands-on experience.
In the coming weeks leading up to the late October release of Windows 8, I?ll be publishing a series of articles replete with multiple counterpoints to Newell?s argument. Today, we journey to Australia to speak with Daniel John, Distribution and Production Manager at Halfbrick, the studio famous for Fruit Ninja and Jetpack Joyride. He manages the team focused on Windows 8 projects.
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Does the Windows 8 environment allow you to quickly develop games across Windows 8, Windows 8 RT and Xbox?
This is a bit of a tricky question as it would depend heavily on the type of game, and its complexity. Windows 8 heads in a new direction by making a single solution for PCs, tablets and other home devices; whereas previously, there were different OS designs for different platforms. We?ve been working pretty closely with Microsoft to bring our games across to Windows 8, and have found the process pretty smooth. We?ve also incorporated Xbox LIVE features into our game, which will be available on Windows 8 and Windows 8 RT. Windows 8 has streamlined the process of reaching different devices, which in turn will help to shorten development times.
Has Microsoft improved their tools for developing on Windows 8 compared to Windows 7/Windows Phone OS?
In short, yes. Previous versions of Windows Phone were fairly intensive to develop for. They would pretty much require a full rebuild from the ground up. Windows 8 is a lot friendlier in that respect, allowing us to get a build up and running relatively quickly.
Will the continuing fragmentation of Android cause you to gravitate more towards Windows 8 mobile?
For us, the important thing is to deliver a quality game to as many players as possible. This means supporting as many platforms as possible. This has been a tough job, as we?re a comparatively small company with very limited resources. Our plans are to continue to support Android and Windows 8; one won?t affect the other. One of the great things about Windows 8 is that it allows us to reach PC and tablet users, as we don?t have much penetration in the PC/Desktop market.
The takeaway here is that for Halfbrick, the DirectX core running through all versions of Windows 8 facilitates faster development time, while simultaneously bringing exposure for their games to multiple Microsoft platforms.
Stay tuned for conversations with more developers, as well as hands-on impressions of the Windows 8 gaming experience from the consumer side of the fence. (Spoiler: It?s superior to Windows 7.)
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