Intel and Microsoft shared statements on GDC indicating that Windows gaming is going to heat up in the next coming months.
Intel was the more open of the two, pointing out that desktop unit shipment volume is actually on the upside, although certain PC segments, such as all-in-ones, have been on decline since 2009. Intel plans to pursue new opportunities outside of the familiar gaming towers, with miniPCs and mobile all-in-ones, but make no mistake, they are still heavily invested in making monster PC CPUs. On the way are an Extreme Edition Core i7 for X99 chipsets, a Pentium Anniversary Edition CPU, a new processor code called Devil’s Canyon, and a hint of their 5th generation iCore products, codenamed Broadwell.
Now, Microsoft has been talking about their tentative plans for Windows gaming since last year, but we have yet to see anything solid to come out of it. Phil Spencer says we should be hearing from them very soon:
We have a longer term plan for multiplayer gaming and marketplace on Windows. We understand what we have today in market … isn’t great. We do understand there’s some continuity of getting from where we are to where we want to be [and] that shutting the lights off [on Games for Windows Live] isn’t exactly the right thing to do.
We’ve got to make sure we’ve got a thoughtful plan that supports the people that currently have games on Games for Windows Live. It’s a conversation we’re having.
It’s encouraging to know they recognize the problems with the system they have in mind, and this makes me hopeful that Windows gaming will be in the rebound in the near future. Expect to see Microsoft to unveil their plans for Windows gaming within the summer.
