Tim sweeney says it, whoever that is :) ( he was a developer on Unreal Engine and a bunch of other stuff)
I thought I'd ask the real experts over at SG.

I know some of you folks have put a small fortune into buying things for/on steam:
what will happen if steam disappears, what would you do ?

Does Microsoft have enough power to destroy steam?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y99g7Uj6irI

http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2016/07/now-tim-sweeney-thinks-that-microsoft-will-use-windows-10-to-break-steam/

and also THIS :)

8 years ago*

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Will windows 10 destroy Steam?

View Results
Yes probably
No never!
Yes and I'll end up losing 1000s of dollars worth of games
No windows 10 will fail before it can do any harm (people will switch operating-system, if windows keeps supporting older versions)
Steam will fail even without windows 10
Google will buy Valve and create a Steam machine running a new ReactOs-like-operating-system that can run windows games, and they'll partner up with Htc to create the GooglePlay-Vive-Steam VR solution of the century!

No but Windows 15 will.

It does raise a point it can't be compatible with old games forever.

8 years ago
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Windows 15 will be released next year, Microsoft will just skip 11 through 14 ;P

8 years ago
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Haha good point :)

8 years ago
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Windows '15? It will be outdated by 2 versions already if released in 2017 :P

8 years ago
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there are already plenty of DOS games on Steam that use DOSbox to run on newer windows :p

8 years ago
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True, but alot of games just past that era that are Windows (95/XP) and won't be so easy to get it running.
Too bad there isn't a Windowsbox.

8 years ago
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Too bad there isn't a Windowsbox. YET XD

8 years ago
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Like Microsoft will ever allow that.

8 years ago
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Actually their own tech for compatbility mode partially revolves around running old windows engine files on a virtual machine in which the game is run after init.* Running older games (for instance on linux) using virtualisation is a hot thing for me :) Still of course copyright matters. There won't be something easy as DOS to be emulated (as in DOSBox). ReactOS could jump in but then they have have a floating target too. Newer versions could already target a windows api level too high for the oldest windows games to run comfortably on.

*you'd better google for details. I heard that they do such things for the difficult targets like 98/ME/2000.

8 years ago
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There is. It's called a VM with Windows (whatever version you want) installed in it.

8 years ago
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There sort of already is between WINE and ReactOS.

8 years ago
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Someday we might need to port WINE to Windows so that Windows can run Windows programs... :P

8 years ago
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WINE actually runs both an ancient Win95 game (spaceboy) and Win3.11 game (Stars!) much better than Windows 7 does. Both fail for the 64bitedness of todays OS'es for me.

But why not... get CoLinux* runing and install wine. If you'd succeed to get the x11-server working. Then have some fun ^^

*A Linux kernel running (partially) in Windows Userspace

8 years ago
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no

8 years ago
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IF Windows 10 kills Steam, Windows 10 will have killed Windows 10. They already tried to do something very similar with Windows 8, and we all know how that ended. Microsoft is not stupid enough to shoot itself in the foot.

8 years ago
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I think they just made windows 8 crappy (removing the startmenu and all) hoping people would upgrade to windows 10

8 years ago
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Plus I think for them to at least cripple Steam would be an ugly but very lucrative move. Maybe they know people will eventually choose the path of least resistance (or in other words the best working -easiest -system (ios Iamlookinatyou))

8 years ago
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Nope, they tried to make an OS good for PCs, Phones and tablets all together.
Basically, it was a prototype released as a full OS. Of course a lot of things were not ok and most of their users refused to use it.
The reason why they skipped W9 is they acknowledged their failure and didn't want the next system to have anything to do with W8.

Then they started this aggressive policy with W10 forced upgrades and silent watching. Now everybody hates MS, and they deserved it.
Still, I think it as participiopassado. There's a lot of gamers out there and they keep themselves informed about this kind of stuff.
If W10 becomes a problem for Steam, Microsoft will no longer see a lot of users again.

8 years ago
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Good point

8 years ago
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Frankly, I think MS would do the job right and shoot themselves in both feet.

I'm already at the point where the only thing keeping me out of Linux is the amount of software that won't run on it.

8 years ago
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Just to add to what I've already said, I've been using Windows 10 for a few months, and I've been enjoying it a lot, so much that I even bought Office 365 (university and sh*t). But man, if Microsoft really makes a move to potentially kill Steam (or Win32 programs altogether), I'm going back to 7, mark my words >:(

8 years ago
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Marked.

M$ will try to convince you otherwise by trying their best offering you software bound to the windows store. You'd loose those apps subsequently if you'd move back to 7.

8 years ago
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I honestly don't believe Microsoft would be this stupid. If they really did as you said, I would simply stop paying for Office, and wouldn't buy Windows 10, as would many of its current users. Windows 10, as much as it may have a slight focus towards the common user, still has the vast majority of its programs in Win32, and Microsoft knows that. It also knows that UWP apps are not nearly as versatile as Win32, and for devs (be them small, indie developers, or big companies such as Adobe) to adapt to the UWP would mean an inhuman destruction of the work that has been invested in the past decade or so to Win32, and as I said before, Microsoft would be shooting itself in the foot by destroying (or replacing) the platform that made Windows so big and popular in the first place.

8 years ago
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Killing was here as in replacing.

Microsoft want's to push a store but wait... there are already stores for windows. (Steam & co) So its an uphill battle to thwart the competition.

8 years ago
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Of course they are. They weren't like 10 years ago but now? They do all kind of stupid shit. Plus look at GFWL. They should just stay away from gaming cause they are just not good at it, period. They want to control everything but they won't.

8 years ago
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Sweeney is known to talk a lot of shit. He is just still pissed that MS bought off Gears of War and now they need to actually hire game designers again.

8 years ago
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I would think he'd be happy about that.

8 years ago
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He is also the head of Epic games which develops the Unreal4 Engine. As such he is clearly interested in Windows as a open platform. A jammed tight ecosystem wouldn't exactly help boost sales + support.

8 years ago
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The Unreal engine's income comes from licensing it to others, mostly for console games. Windows could turn into OS X v2 for all they care, it wouldn't really hurt their licensing income anyway. I'd guess the real reason would be that Epic recently tried to do a new-ish publishing type for the Unreal Tournament remake (or UT4, but it seems it is trendy to lose numbering again), and he thinks MS may ruin that.

8 years ago
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literally?

Hum, nevermind, I'll move on, imagining a knifefight between gabeN and gates.

8 years ago
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Who wins?

8 years ago
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they've changed to armed mechsuits now. hard to tell.

8 years ago
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View attached image.
8 years ago
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So accurate! Those looks in their eyes!

I'm a big fan of Dark Souls, so right now I have a vision of Steve Jobs impersonating Nito and joining the fight.

8 years ago
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Steve Jobs Where did he come from all of a sudden?

View attached image.
View attached image.
8 years ago
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I guess while the megafight did some collateral damage, leading to the deaths of thousands of innocent people, it also awakened the ... uhm "first of the dead".

View attached image.
8 years ago
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oh nooo

8 years ago
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Gates has already killed Kaz Hirai, so I don't think that gabe will be much of a problem to him.

8 years ago
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every opponent is different.

View attached image.
8 years ago
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xbox wins!

8 years ago
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I don't think Microsoft will lose their OS flexibility to end up like Windows Phone...

8 years ago
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Well Windows Phone turned into windows 10 which might just have a real chance as a mobile platform?

8 years ago*
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Sure, just like Zune killed the iPod.

8 years ago
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Haha yes that was painful

8 years ago
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Yes. But only if they make an update that makes Steam impossible. Otherwise no chance, microsoft has no sense for games, and they fuck up their DRM one after other. They have no share in the gaming but act like a big dog.

8 years ago
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No.. if anything microsoft is causing an increase of developers willing to devolop software & games for additional platforms due to their latest practices, but they arent capable of killing steam without killing windows userbase down to corporate or media usage only.

i do on the otherhand see them EVENTUALLY ditching xbox as the sole console and bringing everything over to the pc side to compete more directly with valve. (making the xbox systems themselves just a alternative pc made by them with windows os)

8 years ago
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They have done the second thing indeed, considering they have confirmed Halo Wars 2, Halo 6, Crackdown, Gears of War, etc. will come to PC.
Even if through the horrendous Windows Store.

8 years ago
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yeah, kinda a step1 of it =)
even the store icons are labeled with the "xbox live" tag

but i think the really big step will be them making windows10 consoles to force the devs to really start making them for pc instead of solely for console purposes like it has been.

8 years ago
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I guess, but I mean, they are going to release the Play Anywhere program and let you play on both platforms without having to pay twice.

And, at least Halo Wars 2, are showing care about the PC version.

But anyways, it seems like no, there's no longer Xbox exclusives if you're sticking to PC, which is good.

8 years ago
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yeah i think thats so when they do their next systems it wont instantly kill their prior systems.. i still would not be interested in their consoles either, but certainly would look forward to more games coming to PC in general. though personally would love it if every dev would make everything on linux as well, but at least a pc option of any sort is better then console only games.

8 years ago
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No, Win10 isn't a THAT GOOD system to make people switch, and gamers have so many games on Steam already that if Microsoft stops supporting it, then they're going to switch.

8 years ago
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Switch to what? Osx?

8 years ago
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Either an older system (7 or 8) or to Linux or OS X. Whatever is compatibile with the highest amount of games. But honestly I really don't think it's going to come to it. When MS sees that people are turning away from them because they're trying to monopolize the market, I'd say that they will stop doing it.

8 years ago
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Microsoft could choose to stop supporting windows 7/8/etc. and linux is hardly an alternative.
I don't think steam will be gone any time soon either though. Mainly because people have put so much money into it. They will not accept Microsoft raining on their parade, if that makes any sense.

8 years ago
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No. They know that Steam is a large driver for their success. If I didn't need Windows to run Steam and my library of games, I wouldn't use it at all. However, since it's the best OS available for me as a gamer, I have purchased several Windows licenses over the years for assorting gaming computers.

8 years ago
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however if they wan't you to switch to their service, the only thing they would have to do is make it difficult or impossible for you to run the games you own.

8 years ago*
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But then I'd just revert to an older version of Windows, one of many I have laying around. I keep copies of drivers, too. Won't take my Steam library from me!

8 years ago
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That's kind of illegal. The thing about limiting not-outdated software on a MS OS.

8 years ago
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No, Steam is already an entrenched platform. W10 might pull a few sales away, but most people will still keep spending money on Steam.

8 years ago
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I still don't get it why steam is the only one mentioned, I am pretty sure games aren't the only ones that use Win32.

8 years ago
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That's why this theory sounded a little bit far fetched to me. That they would remove Win32 all together.

8 years ago
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I strongly doubt....if steam dies, i'll die with it ;____;

8 years ago
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Who cares, we have Linux :3

8 years ago
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Exactly. The only reason I still keep copies of win 7 installed is steam.

8 years ago
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No, Tim Sweeney is a reactionary aresehat.

8 years ago
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We had this thread already. This is just speculation from Tim Sweeney and nothing more. He also claimed MS is planning to monopolize the gaming platform but MS debunked this months ago.

8 years ago
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oh I couldn't find anything when I was looking through the threads. anyways I know very little about Tim Sweeney, but a lot of folks say that he is exaggerating.

8 years ago
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He is. Microsoft knows if they make Steam non-functional, the majority of PC gamers will move to Linux and MS's OS department will see a decline in sales.

8 years ago
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Linux is not really an option. Many games don't run properly (or at all) on Linux, plus what about drivers for hardware? Companies like Nvidia rather dislike the open source community, and would gladly support Microsoft if they asked them not to support Linux.
Especially with the new VR tricks in the gtx1080, Gsync and so on and so forth, not having Nvidia aboard is annoying for developers.

like Linus Torvalds said Nvidia fuck you :)

8 years ago
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not a problem. If one can switch to Linux, why not ditch Nvidia?

8 years ago
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Ok granted :)

its possible, inconvenient but possible

8 years ago
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Things greatly changed since then and Nvidia also made some effort for proper support of their GPUs on Linux.

I'm not trying to say that you can ditch Windows entirely and switch to Linux - that won't happen anytime soon, I'm not even sure if happens at all, but truth is that gaming is slowly moving onto Linux and it has some major players in Linux game already, including Valve and their SteamOS.

When gaming on Linux becomes more common, companies will notice that and make proper ports. And that will happen for sure if Microsoft decides to suddenly say "no" to Steam - Valve will be first company to either bring Steam back on Windows, or bring other players to Linux, which is both great for enduser.

I don't like Windows, if I wasn't a gamer, I'd actually entirely move to Linux, because it's no longer some weird OS for geeks but very usable, faster, less resources heavy and more optimized solution. Google already proven that they can use Linux for building Android, so I can't see why we can't finally build desktop based on Linux, the thing which in fact Linus Torvalds wanted since beginning.

To be honest I couldn't care less if Microsoft will finally annoy me to the point that I'll drop Windows entirely. They're too self-confident with the market share they made during all this years, so if they want to annoy majority of their customers, let them do that.

8 years ago
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I know, but if Steam were to not work on Windows like Tim said, you wouldn't be able to play any of your games compared to Linux's few supportable games.

8 years ago
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According to Sweeney, Microsoft is also planning to release the T-Virus while shaking hands with the Illuminati and the Big Brother.

8 years ago
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That's like asking if Burger King will kill McDonald's. Yes they are offering similar products, but McDonald's(steam) is too popular to ever get run into the ground.

8 years ago
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Except Microsoft makes the operating system needed to run steam. If Microsoft wants to make it inconvenient for gamers to use steam and more convenient to use their system (which they are planning to release in windows 10) they probably could, the question really is if it would be such a tactical move.

8 years ago
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Tim Sweeney is said to have said about it:

Slowly, over the next five years, they will force-patch Windows 10 to make Steam progressively worse and more broken. They'll never completely break it, but [Microsoft] will continue to break it until, in five years, people are so fed up that Steam is buggy that the Windows Store seems 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're certainly trying.

8 years ago
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well next version of Windows after 10 with be Windows 1984

8 years ago
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Could they? Sure. Will they with what Tim Sweeney is saying? No. Win32 applications is their cash cow. It's what companies use and it's where the majority of their licensing is made. It'd be like amputeeing your leg to get rid of a blister on your foot.

8 years ago
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Haha you're probably right :) It would be kind of dumb

8 years ago
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The Know people who commented brought up good points, though.

To quote a comment from them :

"because Sweeney's accusation boils down to Microsoft ultimately destroying every third party gaming storefront. If their aim was to put everything through the windows store they'd also have to go after Origin, Uplay, and all the others, which would drive third parties away from Windows gaming, and they'd ultimately lose money. Which is why it's unlikely. They're a business, not a super villain."

That being said, Microsoft is still pretty damn scumbaggy and someone brought up a good point in another comment of Linux being a decent alternative and apparently it's actually a really good OS, so hey why not?

8 years ago
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Yes I think whoever wrote that has a good point. However Linux is not ideal either (yet).

8 years ago
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This is so stupid.

Even if it happens Microsoft would get DESTROYED by everyone and we could just switch back to windows 7...

Edit: And Valve would sue them anyways

8 years ago*
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Win10 no, but Skynet will.

8 years ago
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This comment was deleted 10 months ago.

8 years ago
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Thanks for Skyrim

8 years ago
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Oh nice... Maybe Tim Sweeney has DR DOS and the so called AARD code in his mind, and MS may do such dirty tricks again:

"What the [user] is supposed to do is feel uncomfortable, and when he has bugs, suspect that the problem is DR-DOS and then go out to buy MS-DOS." (Microsoft Senior Vice President Brad Silverberg)

8 years ago
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Closed 8 years ago by terrificterry54.