Microsoft has been making some drastic changes in their gaming initiatives in the the few weeks. It all started when they announced Quantum Break, once a Xbox One exclusive, will also be coming to Windows 10 PC. Then earlier this week, the company announced that Forza will also be coming to Windows 10. In short, Microsoft views Xbox One and Windows 10 as a singular platform and it won’t be a big surprise if Gears of War 4 also launches on both platforms.
This has apparently made some Xbox One fans unhappy. The PC platform offers free multiplayer gaming compared to the paid model on Xbox Live. Although this debate can be subjective and it depends on what kind of features appeal to you, some fans have began started to question the purpose behind Xbox Live when according to them they can engage in multiplayer matches for free on Windows 10. This has also led Xbox fans to draw comparisons between the console and Windows 10.
Microsoft’s Aaron Greenberg recently took to Twitter to defend against such claims. When asked why one should pay for Xbox Live when one can essentially play MP matches for free on Windows 10, Greenberg explained that it’s the case of different business model, cost of ownership and essentially two different markets in PC and Xbox, while emphasizing that Xbox Live Gold memberhsip “offers an incredible value on the console” and “it’s a matter of choice.” Aaron then explained that buying a PC as powerful as the Xbox One will require three times the Xbox One’s cost but did specify that cost models of hardware vary quite differently. To sum it up it does not make any sense to compare Xbox One and Windows 10 in terms of online functionality and hardware capability. One is a static platform (for now) and other can be updated as per the user’s budget.
If Aaron’s answers are anything to go by, then Microsoft have truly embraced Windows 10 platform in a really big way. The idea of a unified eco-system sounds exciting but opinions can vary. What are your thoughts on this?