Wednesday, July 27th 2016
Microsoft Out to Destroy Steam: Epic's Tim Sweeney
Tim Sweeney, a lead developer with Epic Games, behind the industry-leading Unreal game engine, once again raised concerns in a recent interview with print-magazine "Edge," that Microsoft is systematically killing digital distribution platform Steam, by deliberately eroding the reliability and longevity of the Win32 programming interface for PC versions of Windows, in favor of its UWP (universal Windows platform), through updates to the OS.
Microsoft, Sweeney argues, is carefully avoiding big changes to the way third-party software is distributed and used on Windows, but is definitely seen to be taking small strategic steps, "sneaky maneuvers," that could lead to Windows Store either monopolizing all third-party software distribution on the platform, or worse, making it the only way you can get third-party apps. The rising reliability issues affecting Steam, a Win32 API-based platform that distributes Win32 software, Sweeney claims are telltale signs of that dark future of the PC platform. Microsoft's biggest argument in favor of UWP is that software is inherently more secure, since it's sandboxed (covered in abstraction layers and virtualized by the OS) even further.
Below is an excerpt from the "Edge" interview.
Source:
ArsTechnica
Microsoft, Sweeney argues, is carefully avoiding big changes to the way third-party software is distributed and used on Windows, but is definitely seen to be taking small strategic steps, "sneaky maneuvers," that could lead to Windows Store either monopolizing all third-party software distribution on the platform, or worse, making it the only way you can get third-party apps. The rising reliability issues affecting Steam, a Win32 API-based platform that distributes Win32 software, Sweeney claims are telltale signs of that dark future of the PC platform. Microsoft's biggest argument in favor of UWP is that software is inherently more secure, since it's sandboxed (covered in abstraction layers and virtualized by the OS) even further.
How exactly do you think Microsoft is locking down the PC to make it a closed platform?
There are two programming interfaces for Windows and every app has to choose one of them. Every Steam app - every PC game for the past few decades - has used Win32. It's been both responsible for the vibrant software market we have now, but also for malware. Any program can be a virus. Universal Windows Platform is seen as the antidote to that. It's sandboxed - much more locked down. The risk here is that, if Microsoft convinces everyone to use UWP, then they phase out Win32 apps. If they can succeed in doing that then it's a small leap to forcing all apps and games to be distributed through the Windows store. Once we reach that point, the PC has become a closed platform. It won't be that one day they flip a switch that will break your Steam library - what they're trying to do is a series of sneaky maneauvres. They make it more and more inconvenient to use the old apps, and, simultaneously, they try to become the only source for the new ones.
Given that Steam is so widespread and popular, how could Microsoft truly win that battle, in terms of games at least?
Slowly, over the next 5 years, they will force-patch Windows 10 to make Steam progressively worse and more broken. They'll never completely break it, but will continue to break it until, in five years, people are so fed up that Steam is buggy that the Windows Store seem like an ideal alternative. That's exactly what they did to their previous competitors in other areas. Now they're doing it to Steam. It's only just starting to become visible. Microsoft might not be competent enough to succeed with their plan but they are certainly trying.
Isn't it the case that Microsoft is simply mimicking Apple's model, given how lucrative it's proven to be for software distribution?
Sure, that's the motivation. They're trying to copy Apple's model, but they realise you can't just flip a switch. It has to be achieved in small step changes.
79 Comments on Microsoft Out to Destroy Steam: Epic's Tim Sweeney
So no, it's not a response to Steam OS.
and win 95, 98 se, 2000, Xp, etc.
do I sometimes have to pull out something from the hardware stack to get it to work? sure, or I can sometimes emulate it in a virtual environment.
but microsoft has stopped support for alot of things that still work.
Unless they are going to launch viruses that systematically remove all win32 items...all we're talking about here is another windows update item to ignore via the registry.
If this was Apple then that would be different. They spend decades dumbing down their users to the point where all they can handle is something that fires up and is ready to use.
Microsoft has had such a terrible record that windows users are experts at exploits. They can't unring that bell no matter how much they may want to.
so go ahead and try MS. you can't stop us.
You don't want to leave it only in their hands.
Microsoft doesn’t want you to game on PC.
They want everyone using there Xbox.
Which is the platform where they make the most money.
Id love to see the demise of windows since they have gone full retard and got ride of the classic start button.
Windows 8 onwards is a mess you need yo be on LSD or some other sort of mind altering drug to get the phone gui and why you would want that on a PC is beyond me.
Sadly with the water cooler over clocking windows 10 generation coming though it looks like anyone trying to challenge Microsofts os as the os for gamers is going to be met a lot of resistance.
Years ago amiga was the platform of gamers... then it died.. A lot of the big studios developed for amiga now sadly its consoles windows and linux...
Who knows what the future holds but linux needs that one killed app...
Half life 3 exclusive to steam for 12 months aka like Sony do with some playstation titles might be an answer.
UWP will never support Vulkan so games like Doom will never be on UWP.
Win32: Strictly desktop/laptop programs.
UWP: Strictly Metro-style programs that appears on Windows 8.1, Windows 10, and Windows Phone.
I don't think UWP can replace Win32. I mean, Visual Studio 2015 is a Win32 program, for example.
And the platform will improve. As for games, the limitations will go away in future. If MS wants to compete with Steam on the short term it has to work. Their long term plan might well be an Apple-style store, but by then Vulkan has taken of. Right?
In any case, sorry for going off subject, carry on lads :)
I've used Win 10 store for 2 games (Quantum Break and Kiler Instinct). I was happy with both and look forward to playing more games on my cpu without needing to buy an Xbox.
#tinfoilhatssuck
-I've had Outlook and Edge opened at the same. Close Edge and it closed Outlook too.
-Click on link which should open Edge. It clearly did open because I can hear a video playing but the UI element of Edge refused to show itself. I had to restart computer to fix it.
-The UWP applications that are packaged into Windows 10 so if they really FUBAR, about the only option to fix them is to reinstall Windows.
I wish I knew more about that BSOD but Windows literally has no information on it can save. The only other time I've seen that in programming is when dealing with WPF (the technology behind "Metro-style" that is instrumental to UWP). I can play games all day long but the moment I get quick with Edge and other UWP applications is when it happens. There's too many coincidences for it to be merely a coincidence. I've seen these BSODs pretty much since I installed it almost a year ago.
MacOS is not iOS.
I've not noticed any increasing problems with Steam though. Has anyone else?
Why? Well, Win32 apps still work perfectly on Windows 10, and the great majority of Windows software written today, in 2016, still depends on Win32, not to mention all the millions of programs written in the last 20 years. A lot of Windows' market share relies on backward compatibility with old programs, and Microsoft actually spends time* making sure that old programs (including games) work in the latest Windows versions. If MS stopped supporting Win32 apps now, everyone would get mad and switch to Linux in an instant. Win32 is simply too huge to be entirely killed in the next couple of decades.
There's also that UWP programs can already be installed from other sources than the Windows Store.
* You can look at all the application-specific compatibity fixes that MS has included with Windows 10. It for example contains fixes that make very old games like C&C Red Alert 2 work on Windows 10 without extra hassle.