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> http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/d...ws_6108247.html
>
>
> Windows Gaming general manager Dean Lester updates GameSpot about
> next-generation consoles, XNA, and what Microsoft's new OS will mean for PC
> games.
>
> Recently, GameSpot sat down with Windows Graphics and Gaming general manager
> Dean Lester to discuss the current status of Longhorn, Microsoft's next PC
> operating system, which is due in 2006. Lester reaffirmed Microsoft's
> dedication to making Longhorn's game functionality as accessible as that of
> a modern console. However, he said the company wants to retain the strengths
> of the PC platform, which includes high-end graphics and sound hardware,
> online communities, post-release community support, and content updates,
> like modifications and maps.
>
>
>
> Microsoft is already working with major hardware manufacturers, such as
> Nvidia, ATI, andIntel (along with OEM manufacturers), to create prepackaged
> PCs with varying levels of midrange to high-end hardware with appropriately
> varying price points. Under such a plan, prepackaged PCs with certain
> processor speeds, certain amounts of RAM, and certain types of video cards
> would be given simple classifications or "levels."
>
> According to Lester, the plan is to simplify the process of selecting a good
> PC for games without having to be an expert on hardware. He provided a
> hypothetical example that compared a PC with a "level 5" designation that
> might have a medium processor speed, a medium amount of RAM, and a midrange
> video card, to a "level 7" PC that might have a faster processor, more RAM,
> and a higher-end video card. As you might expect, the "level 5" PC would
> also be less expensive than the "level 7." Either way, the "level"
> designations are not final, and they may not even be used at all. However,
> Microsoft is considering employing them to help newer users figure out what
> PCs they would need to be able to play the games they want to play.
>
> Microsoft is also considering applying this simplified designation system to
> a game's system requirements. That is, while game publishers will still be
> able to print detailed technical requirements on the back of a game box
> (speed of 3.0GHz and at least 512MB of RAM, for instance), these
> requirements might also be given a simpler designation. In essence, this
> system would let newer PC game players quickly and easily determine that
> they need computers of at least "level 5 or higher" to play a game with
> certain specific requirements rather than trying to figure out exactly how
> much RAM they currently have.
>
> Lester went on to explain other features that Microsoft's Games for Windows
> group wishes to improve on or simply wants streamline out of existence. One
> example was the conventional game installation system that requires users to
> sit through several lengthy loading screens. Lester stated flatly, "We need
> to make that go away." Ideally, Microsoft would like to make PC game
> installation as easy as the plug-and-play experience of console games, which
> can be played the instant a disc is dropped into a drive. Lester also
> outlined a more-streamlined display-driver model that would alleviate
> confusion with different graphics driver versions. This would be especially
> helpful in situations where certain versions of some drivers would work
> better with some games than others, depending on the hardware.
>
> When asked about Microsoft's first-party PC game publishing strategy, Lester
> replied that although he can't speak directly for Microsoft Game Studios
> (currently headed up by MGS executive Shane Kim), Microsoft's plan is to
> publish "platform-defining titles" for the PC. Lester clarified this
> statement by saying that in previous years, Microsoft's PC game division
> attempted to develop games that competed directly with high-end games like
> Half-Life 2 or Doom 3. This had the effect of taking away market share from
> that game's publisher, and it gave hardcore PC game enthusiasts a tougher
> choice about where to spend their gaming dollars. Meanwhile, more-casual
> players were put off by said games' complexities and technical requirements.
> Citing a much-higher quality crop of PC games this year (including The Sims
> 2, Doom 3, Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault, and [hopefully] Half-Life 2),
> Lester explained that Microsoft's game publishing strategy wasn't
> necessarily designed to compete with these high-end games, but its strategy
> was to help fill out the PC game roster as a whole--possibly in game genres
> that aren't as strong as they once were, such as sports games.

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>
> To that end, Longhorn will natively support the XNA development system, and
> Longhorn-based PCs will directly benefit from this. "Xbox 2 peripherals will
> all work on PC," said Lester, clarifying that Xbox controllers, steering
> wheels, and other console-related peripheral functionality will all be
> brought into Longhorn's portfolio, as will Xbox Live functionality. For game
> players, this will make for, if nothing else, an added convenience, since
> playing a game on a PC or an Xbox will [ideally] come down to little more
> than unplugging the controller from one and plugging it in to the other. For
> game developers, Microsoft hopes that the introduction of XNA will help
> standardize development on both platforms--to such an extent that "you won't
> have to choose between Xbox or PC" to develop games...and, ideally, so that
> players won't have to choose between the two platforms to play these games.
>
> When asked about Longhorn's schedule and the current state of Microsoft's
> DirectX API, Lester affirmed that the next full upgrade to DirectX will be
> bundled with Longhorn, as previously announced. As such, Windows games
> should continue to have DirectX 9 as a stable platform on which to develop
> games, which is similar to the way in which console game manufacturers can
> stick with and specialize in developing for specific console hardware. The
> most recent point release, DirectX 9.0c, was to enable support for Shader
> Model 3.0, which is now being incorporated into newer games.
>
> We then asked Lester one final question. Considering how the next version of
> DirectX, released with Longhorn, will essentially be a new development
> platform--similar to a new console release--would Xbox 2 be based on
> Longhorn? Unfortunately, but unsurprisingly, Lester declined to comment.
>
> GameSpot will have additional details on Longhorn, XNA, and Microsoft's
> next-generation console as they become available.
>
>
>