+ 3 - 10 | § ¶Videogames and Vista
(This is a bit of a rant, and it may be the "new" way I post here for the most part. It's quicker and impulsive, but hopefully moderately entertaining.)Speaking as a gamer and a geek, Windows Vista is a brilliant marketing maneuver. Follow my reasoning:
1. I am extremely unlikely to ever buy a PS3. Between the price, the general arrogance of Sony, and the fact that most good games will likely be cross-released this generation (given the incredible development costs they want to maximize their potential profits), there is really no compelling reason to get a PS3.
2. I am relatively likely to buy a Wii. However, I recognize that, though it is likely to be extremely fun (especially for quirky games and multiple players), it is unlikely to ever fulfill the "real" game requirement (e.g. the FFX/GTA/Soul Calibur/other major non-Nintendo franchises).
3. I will *never* buy Vista. There are too many reasons to list here, but even ignoring the issues of DRM and such it really just doesn't offer anything I want. If I'm getting another laptop in the future, I'll likely try to scrounge up the cash for a Mac. If I'm getting a desktop, I'll install Linux (the Beryl Project is doing things far more impressive than "Windows Aero"), and *maybe* stick 2k/XP in a virtual machine for emergencies. I don't use any professional applications likely to require Vista, and I'm just happier without it.
Add these three things together, and I'm actually pretty likely to want to buy, of all things, an Xbox 360. Why? Well, I've accepted that the PC games of yore (LucasArts Grim Fandango/Monkey Island and such) are gone - there is no longer a market for them. But there are still at least some PC games I will want to play, and they will likely start being developed with DirectX10 (a Vista exclusive). However, they will also probably be crossreleased for Xbox (as Microsoft is really pushing that sort of "compatibility" with the Xbox controller and such).
So, Xbox360 will probably get most major PC games this coming generation, and as I said above, it will also probably get most major PS3 games. Add on the fact that it's substantially cheaper than a PS3 (plus at $399 actually clocks in as the same as "Vista Ultimate", as amazing as that is), and you get the picture.
Mind you, I'm not saying that I really will take the plunge on all these bits of consumer impulse. I'll be waiting for price drops on all the aforementioned items regardless, and may well just not end up going for them at all. But I can say with relative confidence that it is far more likely that I'll get a Wii/Xbox360 now that Vista is out.