Friday, February 26th 2016

Windows Store Games won't have VSync, SLI/CrossFire, Fullscreen or Modding

Microsoft is looking to cut itself a lion's share of the game digital downloads pie, by making Microsoft Store (which comes included with Windows 10), sell contemporary AAA games, such as "Rise of the Tomb Raider." Unlike other cross-DRM transactions (eg: purchasing a Steam DLC game through UPlay store), Microsoft Store will serve both sales and DRM roles. You must be thinking "it's a free world, always room for more competition," right? Think again. There are several pitfallls to buying "Rise of the Tomb Raider" or any other AAA game through Microsoft Store, as users on Reddit found out.

To begin with, games purchased through Windows Store are built on Microsoft's Universal Apps Platform, and not the conventional desktop-based executable. The game is essentially a "modern UI" app, and not a conventional Windows application. This has great limitations - no NVIDIA SLI or AMD CrossFire support; no real fullscreen mode (just borderless windowed mode or pseudo-fullscreen); and V-sync being always-on. Other major downsides of UAP apps include no support for modding, and mouse macros. What's more, since UAP apps don't have *.exe extensions, you can't add them to Steam, and so no Steam Controller support. The Store in itself doesn't have a good refund policy along the lines of Steam and Origin limited full-refund policies; and you'll never be able to play your games on Windows versions older than Windows 10.
Source: Reddit
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91 Comments on Windows Store Games won't have VSync, SLI/CrossFire, Fullscreen or Modding

#51
FordGT90Concept
"I go fast!1!11!1!"
I wouldn't read too far into that. Fallout 4 launching on the same day trashed Rise of Tomb Raider sales on Xbox One. Additionally, it isn't clear what the relationship is here between Square Enix and Microsoft. There had to be some kind of deal for Xbox to gain temporary exclusivity but we don't know how invested Microsoft is in Rise of the Tomb Raider. We also don't know if the Windows Store version of the title was part of that arrangement.


Let's assume that, given a platform, the number of reviewers is more or less even. Windows Store version has 123 reviews; Steam has 8955 reviews. It's pretty safe to assume that the bulk of the PC sales did not come from the Windows Store. Microsoft said they are pleased with the sales figures so it is very possible Microsoft is blissfully unaware how poor Xbox and Windows Store numbers were compared to Steam.

Square Enix, on the other hand, would be very aware of how poorly Microsoft performed. I think it's safe to assume Square Enix won't agree to another time-limited release with Microsoft.
Posted on Reply
#52
ShurikN
HisDivineOrderwww.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-update-rise-of-the-tomb-raider-first-month/2300-6429698/

That's right. Xbox One sold less copies of Rise of the Tomb Raider, even after Fallout 4's fallout was over than the PC version.

Because everyone is buying the game on PC. Microsoft needs to make Xbox on PC work if they hope to keep Xbox relevant.
They chose a really bad date to launch Rise of TR, and that affected the sales as a whole. Once the F4 chaos was over, TR came out on PC. And people basically chose the better platform. Plus there are more people who have only a PC as a gaming platform.
FordGT90ConceptThere had to be some kind of deal for Xbox to gain temporary exclusivity
Yeah and its called "mucho dinero"
Posted on Reply
#54
Ubersonic
Title should have read "Windows Store Games won't be any good"
Posted on Reply
#55
raptori
Deep interaction with the hardware is what games is about and what MS is telling us that DX12 will do , yet they come with this retard app store that kill games before its birth .... what a bunch of idiots , another reason to not buy anything from ms .
Posted on Reply
#56
Octopuss
I don't get it, are developers so retarded they would spend time programming special castrated versions of their games so they could be sold in shitty Microsoft store?
Posted on Reply
#57
FYFI13
OctopussI don't get it, are developers so retarded they would spend time programming special castrated versions of their games so they could be sold in shitty Microsoft store?
They aren't retarded, they're getting paid for that. Pay me 30 euro/hour and I'll make you lick bananas and say "meow" while you sit in a tree. I have some experience on that. Their bosses are retarded.
Posted on Reply
#58
64K
OctopussI don't get it, are developers so retarded they would spend time programming special castrated versions of their games so they could be sold in shitty Microsoft store?
The video game industry is cut-throat for the most part. There are tens of billions of dollars up for grabs and no shortage of publishers willing to do whatever it takes to get a slice of that pie. There's plenty of blame to spread around but I think the lion's share of that blame goes to publishers and to us the gamers. The publishers because they push developers to rush games and we end up with unfinished buggy sometimes broken-ass games and us the gamers who having been burned over and over by a publisher's offerings go right on and pre-order or buy the next game right away anyway. It's a loop that pretty much guarantees the status quo. Some developers are lazy minded warts that try to coast on their rep though.
Posted on Reply
#59
abundantcores
Microsoft hate PC Gamers!

They see us as a threat to their Console cash-cow, probably blame us for the XBox One not doing as well as expected.

For the past decade they have been trying to hold back PC Game development with their DX API monopoly, DX11 was junk on the day it was released and it was junk for the decade they never updated it.

One could argue "but what about DX12"
Thanks to AMD Microsoft had no choice, had they not reacted to Mantle they would have lost their DX API Monopoly entirely, they would have lost all control of PC Gaming.
What they are doing here is trying to control it in another way, and then gimp the crap out of it.

Ever wondered why the XBox One originally ran on DX11?
That Mantle API was originally meant to be bundled with AMD XBox One hardware, but it had strings attached, that it would also become DX12, those were AMD's Terms, MS refused so they never got the API.
AMD released it for Desktop anyway knowing it would force MS to react.

The argument against that is "But MS said they started DX12 long before Mantle, they worked with Nvidia on it"

Think about that, really?

Are they saying AMD can get a working low level API out before Microsoft and Nvidia combined?
And even if it was true why then did AMD have big name developers queuing up behind AMD in support of something they say they had wanted for years with Microsoft refusing?

AMD made an enemy of Microsoft for not falling into line, Nvidia just thought they would suck up to MS for day to join them in having a stab at AMD.

And before you might say "you're just an AMD fanboi" My GPU is a GTX 970, my CPU is a 4690K

Oh and of course Ashes runs better on AMD, the API its running on (DX12) was originally designed for GCN.

Posted on Reply
#60
TheMailMan78
Big Member
Don't care. Still gonna buy KI when it comes out.
Posted on Reply
#61
Octopuss
@abundantcores
I don't like Microsoft one bit, but the wall of text you produced (which I mostly skipped) is classical case of IT chemtrails. 0/10.
Posted on Reply
#62
abundantcores
Octopuss@abundantcores
I don't like Microsoft one bit, but the wall of text you produced (which I mostly skipped) is classical case of IT chemtrails. 0/10.
"which I mostly skipped"

so you call it a tinfoil conspiracy without even reading it. well done.
Posted on Reply
#63
ManofGod
I have to say I would not have an issue buying this game from their store. However, I also have not payed full price for a game in a long time so I will not be buying it right away anyways. Also, for the one who claimed a Quantum Break sales breakdown of 99% 1%, if you preorder that game now on Xbox One, you will receive a free copy for Windows 10 with your purchase.

XBox One is not dead nor is it in any danger of dying. Also, if Microsoft can fix these issues, that will make a big difference but, we will see. Oh, and Steam is a walled garden, good luck with those who think otherwise. Don't believe me? Try taking your game purchases off of steam? What's that you say, you can't? Exactly.
Posted on Reply
#64
ManofGod
abundantcores"which I mostly skipped"

so you call it a conspiracy without even reading it. well done.
Octopuss@abundantcores
I don't like Microsoft one bit, but the wall of text you produced (which I mostly skipped) is classical case of IT chemtrails. 0/10.
I read it, he is wrong.
Posted on Reply
#65
abundantcores
Its very easy to say "your wrong" and not offer up an explanation, anyone can do that... i can accept i am wrong but before considering that i'm interested in an intelligent argument as to why.
Any two word opposition is just valueless noise
Posted on Reply
#66
rtwjunkie
PC Gaming Enthusiast
ManofGodOh, and Steam is a walled garden, good luck with those who think otherwise.
In a sense, but that's not what is meant by the term. All the games on all the platforms, and even the DRM-free versions you can buy from GOG and play directly from your desktop (unless you download the Linux-enabled versions) require Windows.

By "walled garden", what is referred to is the OS, which can easily be used to prohibit any Windows-required game from running unless it is purchased from and run within the Windows Store.

Is it likely? No (for many reasons, including legal ramifications). Is MS trustworty? No. But, is it out of the realm of possibility, with their long history of shady shenanigans? Nope, not at all.
Posted on Reply
#67
DRDNA
abundantcores"which I mostly skipped"

so you call it a tinfoil conspiracy without even reading it. well done.
The Government of the USA has openly admitted to Chemtrails....just saying .....poor example
Octopuss@abundantcores
I don't like Microsoft one bit, but the wall of text you produced (which I mostly skipped) is classical case of IT chemtrails. 0/10.
OFFTOPIC:
The Government of the USA has openly admitted to Chemtrails....just saying .....poor example
Posted on Reply
#69
Prima.Vera
The question here is WHY? Why are they intentionally crippling games in WSG?? They do know that if a game cannot Cross/SLI - VSYNC and full screen, is a no brainer that people will go to another store.
Then, why all this stupid drama?
Posted on Reply
#72
Ithanul
It is that last one, "no modding," that I dislike. It the only reason I game on PC.

But yeah, they manage to out do GFWL. At least I could still put SweetFX on top of those without issue and downsample.
Posted on Reply
#73
Frick
Fishfaced Nincompoop
ms use chemtrails to make windows
Posted on Reply
#74
TheGuruStud
Have you read what they said in damage controle mode? M$ supports vsync and sli/xfire, but the devs have to support it... LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

crooks
Posted on Reply
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