Selling Windows 7, this could do it!

Geoff Spick
05 June 2009, 4:28 PM

Windows 7 needs something to spark the imagination of the buying public to help it shift... perhaps this for instance.

This video of Ubisoft's RUSE strategy game from the e3 expo in Los Angeles might just be a hint of the "big thing" to come that helps tip gaming and nudge Windows 7 adoption forward a little.

Tried out on one of Microsoft's expensive Surface technology demonstrators, it nonetheless highlights how gaming could evolve with Windows 7 touch features at larger screen sizes. Real time strategy gamers in particular will be salivating over the prospect of marshalling their armies and sending them off to battle without the endless point, click, zoom, repeat method of mouse-controlled games.

Don't expect any games that can be played like this for a few years, there would be a lot of work on updating control and command systems to a point where consumers will be comfortable playing. However, out of all the gaming goodness on show at e3, and all the wacky controllers on show from Microsoft and Sony to rival Nintendo's Wii remote, it shows that how we play games will continue to evolve.

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Halcon (User):

This is totally ridiculous!
A game always will be a game no matter what is the kind of techno-trickery used on it.
This approach will not drive sales up in the newest incarnation of the OS, the one thing that really will do that is if the pricing is more affordable and the wording of the licence is more acceptable instead of one computer to at least 5 computers, for home or personal use.
It must be seen what will be Microsoft offerings in the coming days or months leading to the release date of Windows 7.
Up to this moment is just speculations nothing else!

05 June 2009, 4:53 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend

gankul (User):

true, but it is a pretty cool demo showing the concept of RTS on windows 7 and gaming with touch....

agreed it wont be for most consumers the selling point, but gamers is actually a big market for them.

05 June 2009, 5:04 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend

Tin (User):

Riiiiiight... The comment that it'll be popular for RTSes is so far wrong... Surface, as fancy as it is, lacks a lot of control that even casual players would find annoying. Inaccurate, lacks extra mouse buttons, and would really make things awkward if you still want keyboard shortcuts (since the monitor and keyboard would need to basically be in the same place).

I can see some games being great on multitouch things... But only stuff where you don't need any accuracy or massive lists of commands. Card games, some puzzle games, some RPGs, etc. But not anything that involves fast action.

05 June 2009, 6:10 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend

todd_h86 (New user):

Quoting Tin:
Tin Riiiiiight... The comment that it'll be popular for RTSes is so far wrong... Surface, as fancy as it is, lacks a lot of control that even casual players would find annoying. Inaccurate, lacks extra mouse buttons, and would really make things awkward if you still want keyboard shortcuts (since the monitor and keyboard would need to basically be in the same place).

Im pretty sure the article and demonstration where indicating that this may be a possiblitly with the touch technology in Windows 7, not that the Surface was now a game machine. I would love you play a RTS on a huge table screen, have the map in the middle and all the 'extra buttons' around it, and also why would you use touch for an FPS/fast action games? That just seems ridiculous!

05 June 2009, 6:50 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend

Sp33d d3mon (New user):

RTS games suck

06 June 2009, 1:04 AM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend

Your Average Joe (User):

Quoting Sp33d d3mon:
RTS games suck

Yep! Especially on consoles, and for people who can't play them!

A coffee-table sized screen would be great to play C&C or CoH. Few years off though it looks like.

06 June 2009, 1:51 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend

Raindog (New user):

Quoting Your Average Joe:
Yep! Especially on consoles, and for people who can't play them!

And for those of us with lives. :>

Kerfuffke over shoot-em-up performance is hardly a pressing reason for upgrade.

07 June 2009, 9:05 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend

GeoffSpick (New user):

Like I said, this, as a practical whole, is a few years off. Developers have to sit down and come up with a whole new control scheme, make it intuitive AND get it to work 100% - no one will ever go for it if your army walks off the cliff at the wrong flick of a finger or if the cat jumps on the table.

Also, this level of hardware won't ever be mainstream BUT as an aspirational thing, it looks hard to beat and LCD makers already have plans for table top displays, link it up to Microsoft's new Xbox Natal visual system (unveiled at e3)to cut down costs and you have the hardware. So, given time I don't see why it isn't doable.

06 June 2009, 5:23 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend