While it was already a relief to hear that Halo: The Master Chief Collection’s PC version will hit Steam, and not just be locked to the Microsoft Store, there was still some residual confusion about whether or not the title will be locked to Windows 10 only. Given that Windows 7 is technically an obsolete product with retired support, and that Microsoft is still pushing Windows 10 for all it’s worth, it wouldn’t have been unreasonable to suppose that Halo would be exclusive to the latter.

However, it seems like it will also run on Windows 7. Speaking on Reddit in an AMA, 343 Industries confirmed that the game will support both Windows 7 and Windows 10, although Windows 8 support was curiously not yet committed to (you’d think it would be easy if they’re supporting the two OS’ surrounding it).

“Currently our focus is on Win10 and Win7. Win8 is still being investigated,” they said.

On the whole, given that Windows 7 and Windows 10 are the two most popular PC gaming OS’, I think Microsoft has covered its bases pretty well here.

Nvidia’s Game Ready Drivers are continuously updated, with the support from the GPU manufacturer helping games both look their best and take minimal effort to get looking that way. Version 397.64 (WHQL) now out brings optimizations for several new releases, including Conan Exiles, Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire and the new Destiny 2 expansion, Warmind.

You can find some of the updates below, including both some now fixed and some still open issues for both Windows 10 and Windows 7 users. You can find those closed issues just below the story, but we’re going to call out some of the bigger persisting issues and their workarounds.

Far Cry 5 players trying to use HDR with non-native resolutions can resolve the green flickering by restarting the game while in their desired settings, or [Alt+Tab] out of the game and back into it. Wolfenstein II and Gears of War 4 players may also still experience crashes occasionally, regardless of their OS.

Fixed Issues

• [Starcraft 2][Kepler GPUs]: Black screen appears when exiting the game. [2070566]
• [SLI][GeForce GTX 780 Ti]: There is no display output when connecting the DisplayPort and two DVI monitors. [1835763]
• [Netflix]: Netflix playback may stutter intermittently. [2094867]
• [GeForce GTX 1060]: Windows Device Manager may report Code 43 error. [2109135]
• Event Error 14 appears in the Windows Event Viewer when booting into Windows.[2109510]
• GDI objects increase every time an application queries NVAPI. [2109232]
• [Windows 10]: Driver may get removed after the PC has been left idle for an extended
  period of time. [2110591]

Remedy Entertainment’s Quantum Break has suffered a delay on PC. It will now be out for Steam and through retail on September 29th.

The developer explained that, “Due to additional time required for mastering and manufacturing the Quantum Break – Timeless Collector’s Edition for retail, the decision has been made to move the release to September 29th. This concerns both the Steam version as well as the retail edition.”

The Timeless Collector’s Edition is more than just a retail version of the game – it includes the game’s original soundtrack, a Making Of Blu-ray, A3 poster and premium packaging for just $40. Both the Steam version and Timeless Collector’s Edition include the latest updates for the game thus far.

Quantum Break is currently available for Xbox One and Windows 10 PC systems. If you haven’t yet played it for Windows 7/8, will you buy it on September 29th? Let us know in the comments and stay tuned for more information.

Microsoft’s DirectX 12 appears to be the next generation PC gaming graphical API of choice- which makes sense, given the ubiquity of Windows when it comes to PC gaming, and DirectX’s deep integration with Windows. That said, however, there are now alternatives to DirectX, viable alternatives that developers could be using, and open ones, rather than closed proprietary solutions like DirectX is- such as Vulkan.

But possibly because of Windows ubiquity, and because of all the hooks that DirectX has with Windows, or maybe because of all the other pushes for DirectX adoption that Microsoft have made, such as the aggressive push for Windows 10, or bringing DirectX to Xbox One, the fact remains that more and more developers are supporting DirectX 12 over Vulkan, or any other alternative, for their PC games- and this is something that Axel Gneiting, engine programmer at id Software, doesn’t necessarily approve of.

Speaking on Twitter, Gneiting said that developers using DirectX 12 over Vulkan ‘literally makes no sense.’ Elaborating on his stance, and in response to some questions, Gneiting pointed out that with Windows 7 forming a major chunk of the PC gaming market, and with DirectX 12 being incompatible with Windows 7, using DirectX in an attempt to have ‘one codebase’ makes no sense, since developers would need to create two separate ones anyway. He pointed out that the argument that programming for Xbox One and Windows 10 becomes easier by using DirectX 12 is moot too, because DirectX 12 on Windows and on Xbox is very different, necessitating two separate code paths anyway.

He also made some observations about how a lot of the perceived benefits of DirectX 12 are not exclusive to it, noting that both Vulkan and DirectX give similar performance benefits anyway.

I guess my question here is- if that is the case, why does it bother him at all that DirectX is the preferred code path for developers over Vulkan? I suppose there is something to be said for pushing open solutions like Vulkan, over proprietary and closed ones like DirectX, which effectively trap developers in Microsoft’s development ecosystem, so I can see some of his reasoning. But then, I suppose that DirectX benefits because it is not open- it has Microsoft to evangelize it, because Microsoft have a vested investment in seeing it widely adopted. Vulkan being open by definition has no such custodian, and that is why there is no one to pitch it to developers to the extent that Microsoft do with DirectX.

I'm really getting annoyed by everyone adopting DX12 instead of Vulkan even for PC exclusives. This literally makes no sense.

— Axel Gneiting (@axelgneiting) July 1, 2016

@nlguillemot Availability is now not an issue anymore, you will need two code paths on PC for Win 7 compat making the Xbox stuff invalid

— Axel Gneiting (@axelgneiting) July 1, 2016

@nlguillemot Wider HW support? How so? HLSL is the only valid point I can understand

— Axel Gneiting (@axelgneiting) July 1, 2016

@nlguillemot @Isaboll12 This is complete FUD. Vulkan on Windows 7 has no higher driver overhead than on Windows 10.

— Axel Gneiting (@axelgneiting) July 2, 2016

@nlguillemot @Isaboll12 GPUs have virtual memory. All samplers into one giant desc set, index it by push constant, done.

— Axel Gneiting (@axelgneiting) July 2, 2016

@nlguillemot @Isaboll12 Memory residency is managed by WDDM. Page table is updated by driver, virtual addr stays the same. Problem solved.

— Axel Gneiting (@axelgneiting) July 2, 2016

@nlguillemot @Isaboll12 Mantle btw also supported bindless and this worked just fine on Win 7. Don't buy all MS propaganda.

— Axel Gneiting (@axelgneiting) July 2, 2016

@kenpex @baldurk @nlguillemot Fermi isn't supported with DX12 either, Intel Vk drivers are coming

— Axel Gneiting (@axelgneiting) July 2, 2016

@kenpex @baldurk @nlguillemot Xbox needs special path anyway. Xbox DX12 is not Windows DX12. At least not if you want full perf.

— Axel Gneiting (@axelgneiting) July 2, 2016

@AndrewLauritzen @nlguillemot @Isaboll12 I didn't argue that, I'm just saying that perf benefit of DX12 and Vk is massive even without it.

— Axel Gneiting (@axelgneiting) July 2, 2016

Compared to Windows 7 64-bit with a 55.11 percent share and normal Windows 7 with a 13.40 percent share, this seems somewhat paltry. However, this still makes it the third most used OS for Steam and marks a 1 percent month to month increase for the OS.

It’s general market usage is still low, as a recent study several months ago showed that 3.17 percent of the net browsing public used it for surfing. However, Windows 8 has sold 60 million licenses since its release late last year.

The majority of PCs nowadays, including high powered gaming laptops, are being shipped with Windows 8 though. So it remains to be seen how many people are gaming with Windows 8 by choice.

Source: GIBiz

A chart from the latter compares the uptake of Windows 8 versus Windows 7 and Vista (the OS people loathed before Win8). Net Applications monitors operating system usage by looking at the OS version of users who access around 40,000 sites it monitors for its clients.

Within the same amount of time, Windows 8 usage uptake has somehow slipped behind Vista in the same point in its release. Windows 8 online usage share is around 1.6 percent of all Windows PCs, whereas Vista had a 2.2 percent share in the same period two months after release.

While it doesn’t spell the end of the OS, it must be more than a little worrying for Microsoft when your most-loathed OS in history did better than your so-called revolutionary one.

(Special thanks to Reddit)

Here is a ten minute developer walkthrough of Assassins Creed Revelations.  Ezio, in his final chapter, will be releasing November 15th for the… hold on.. Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC, Android Phones/Operating Systems, iPhone, Windows 7/Windows Phones and Coleco Vision.

The news just keeps pouring out of Gamescom, so much that I going to have to learn German by next years event.  But here are games that are set to hit the Windows 7 Phone soon.  No dates were announces but IonBall EX was released today, August 17th for $2.99.  In addition there will now be DLC for some games and even Avatar Awards

• Chickens Can’t Fly (Amused Sloth – Action): Join the ranks of our scientists and see what chickens are capable of! Conduct experiments throughout four Laboratories and when you’re confident of your skill, try the Survival mode or take part in the Global Weekly Challenge. Similar to unlocking Achievements, players will be able to unlock Avatar items. These items will automatically appear in their Avatar Closet and can then be worn to show off their gaming accomplishments.
• Toy Soldiers: Boot Camp (Signal Studios – Action): Wage war on a tiny scale in “Toy Soldiers Boot Camp” which brings the fun and addictive shooting gallery mini-games from “Toy Soldiers: Cold War” to your Windows Phone. Additionally, earn bragging rights in “Cold War” on Xbox 360 through an integrated mobile leaderboard.
• Kinectimals (Frontier Studios – Simulation): Coming this fall, “Kinectimals” for Windows Phone takes all the fun of the hit, Kinect launch title “Kinectimals” beyond the living room.  Players can care for and bond with their favorite pet cat or bear cub by feeding, petting, playing and nurturing them on-the-go from their Windows Phone.
• Beards & Beaks: Cave Area DLC (Microsoft Game Studios – Strategy): Gnome Town, an idyllic place of gnome mellow … suddenly overrun with murders of crows so audacious that even Hitchcock would take refuge behind a toadstool. Who knew the two could get so down and dirty in a turf war that knows no bounds? Fifteen challenging new levels lie ahead in the “Cave Area” Add-on Content. A new gnome ally and enemies await.
• Bug Village (Glu Mobile – Simulation): This is Bug Village – a tiny town where you build and nurture a colony of active ants and busy bees! Construct homes to attract playful bugs and direct them to the garden, where they can gather resources to expand your village. Feed your bugs to keep them energized and healthy. Add cute decorations and flowers to make the colony buzz with excitement! Small is beautiful in “Bug Village”!
• Gravity Guy (Miniclip – Action): In a world where gravity laws were broken, a brave guy was held captive for defying the rules. Not happy, he decided to escape. Your job: guide him through a world of impossible mazes, flipping gravity at will.
• Farm Frenzy 2 (Alaware Entertainment – Simulation): If you think the big city is crazy, wait until you get a load of country life. Manage a wild and wacky farm by growing grass, feeding chickens, collecting eggs and taking your produce to market.
• Orbital (Bitforge – Puzzle): An addictive puzzle game that challenges you to destroy as many orbs as possible.
• Burn the Rope (Big Blue Bubble – Puzzle): Burn as much rope as you can in this challenging puzzle game. The catch? Fire only burns upwards. So you’ll have to madly tilt and turn your phone to keep the flame alive.
• Fight Game: Rivals (Khaeon Studios – Fighting): Become the king of kings among tournament fighters around the world. Enter different tournaments on distinct locations, earn credits and unlock devastating attacks and skills.
• IonBall EX (IronSun Studios – Action): A modern twist on a classic Breakout-style game, all delivered in a unique steampunk style.
• MUSH (Angry Mango – Puzzle/Platformer): This puzzle platformer (and Windows Phone exclusive) gives you control over how your character feels. Change their emotions by drawing smiles and sad faces, and by rotating or shaking the phone.

Indie games mostly from developer GameHouse:

• Collapse! (GameHouse – Strategy): GameHouse’s very first PC game comes to Windows Phone. It’s a match-three puzzler in which a stack of blocks rises from the bottom of the screen. Players frantically tap groups of three of more colored blocks in order to eliminate them. Customizable characters, multiple gameplay modes, and bosses make for a full-featured package.
• Delicious! (GameHouse – Strategy): Like GameHouse’s Sally’s Salon Luxury Edition, Delicious! is a time management game. Players control Emily as she serves customers at a variety of food venues. Each location features unique minigames, keeping the gameplay fresh and tasty.
• TextTwist 2 (GameHouse – Card and Board): A word jumble game in which gamers receive a selection of letters and try to find all possible words that those letters can spell.
• Cake Mania: Main Street (GameHouse – Strategy): A time management game with four totally distinct locations: a bakery, a flower shop, a fast food joint, and a sushi house. Wacky problem customers like vampires and pirates keep the pressure on.
• NCIS: The Game from the TV Show (GameHouse – Adventure): Help the cast of the popular crime drama solve several different cases by completing various minigames.

Source

SCE CEO Kaz Hirai has told Japanese media that the PlayStation Suite might be implemented in more platforms and not only be confined to Android ones.

“We’re focusing first on Android,” Hirai told the roundtable of local media. “There’s also Windows, iOS and so forth, but we don’t have the resources to make it compatible with everything from the start.

This is great news since the services that the PS Suite promises will prove to be a match made in heaven if its indeed comes to the Windows 7 platform as there are a lot of capable phones who’re using it.

More as it arrives.

In addition, Xbox Live continues to grow, with 30 million users worldwide now. Keep in mind that the service isn’t even offered in all countries the Xbox 360 is sold in, and not all Xbox 360 consoles are online. Achieving a penetration rate of more than 50% in this context speaks volumes.

Other Microsoft success stories include Windows 7, which is now selling upwards of seven copies per second, with a marketshare that now stands at 20% of the total.

For us gamers, though, the success story of the Xbox 360 is doubtless what will matter the most- in selling so many units, and doing so at a profit, and achieving the kind of brand penetration and recognition that it has speaks volumes. The system now joins the Playstation 2, the Playstation, Wii, and NES in an elite league. Here’s looking to the next 50 million Xbox 360 sales!

[Gamespot]