Vista Not So Beautiful, say Casual Devs

With Windows Vista set for release on Jan. 30, you'd assume video game developers are geared up and ready to deal with the changes that each new version of Windows invariably demands. But, from the considerable chatter among developers of casual games, it appears that many are bracing for the worst, including higher production costs, pressure to get their unrated games rated, and having their games mysteriously disappear from consumers' desktops.

Discussion among members of the Casual Game Developers SIG of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) began on Dec. 18 when David Selle reported in a posting that "about 80% of the games we get from third-party developers have some kind of issue with Vista." Selle is vp of content acquisition and developer relations at Wild Tangent, a Redmond,Wash.-based developer and publisher of casual games -- small, downloadable games such as "Bejeweled" that are targeted at a mass-market audience.

"Just under half of that number are severe issues that will significantly impact a user's ability to play the game," Selle wrote. "In our network, these will have to be pulled once our OEM partners start shipping Vista on new consumer machines. Outside our network, these will die a slow but equally inevitable death (if nothing is done to fix them) as consumer adoption of Vista marches forward."

But Microsoft vehemently denies that Vista is "casual game unfriendly."

"I personally have been out talking to game developers about Vista for four years now," says Chris Donahue, group manager, Games for Windows. "I've given a ton of speeches at developer conferences, and my team of nine engineers and evangelists have scoured the world talking to anybody who will listen. This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone."

[DJ]

"Microsoft didn't take into account whatsoever the needs of the download online community," he says. "And because, over time, games are going to be delivered more and more electronically, that's a big oversight."

That's pretty sad. I didn't realize how much ESRB ratings cost, or even that Vista had parental controls for games built in. Wierd how their treating PCs like game consoles.

[sovietsoldier]

great..now i have to have problems cause parents dont want to spend the time to watch and play with there kids..great!

[DJ]

"And as I stood there..watching my kids..play these violent videogames, powerless to do anything...I couldn't help but wonder..where the system has failed?"

[nice_cuppa]

this is so stupid.. vista is the shizney for downloads and dx10 munches cows all day long whats not to love.
it seems people will moan during any transition as they are still going for ps2, xbox, xp or whatever and didnt time there transfer properly....got stuck having to work more and spend more to move up.....

its a shame but its there fault nobody else's

[nice_cuppa]

adserving.cpxinteractive.com/i mp?z=2&Z=300x250&s=1805 71&t=3
as it contains spy ware and im sick of PC-cillin telling me this ...

you have attempted to open a dangerous web site.

credability . dangerous

category . spyware

suggestions . close your web browser window and do not reopen this web site.

.....thanks

[calderra]

Yup. Let's take parental responsbility away and make computer do it, so when kids go crazy, it's the machine's fault. That's some 1984 talk there.

Anyway, this headline should read: "Indie developers find new challenges in new software, for some reason are surprised" and for another point "Indie developers hoping for random silly feature to be included which would do their work for them, are left in the cold as tehy still have to do something they need to be in control of anyway" (relative to downloads).