I've been a vocal critic on Microsoft about Games for Windows (a very complex initiative, with a somewhat unclear vision), their lack of investment in PC Gaming, and their move to kill Ensemble Studios. On top of this they killed some of the best franchises which made Windows the Bentley standard for gaming, like Flight Simulator X.
I was pleasantly surprised to hear that they are finally coming around and re-investing in PC Gaming. Microsoft is bringing back two of their best gaming franchises via Microsoft Flight and Age of Empires Online. They probably realize that their over emphasis on console games is killing the quality of content, turning games into commodities, which ultimately makes Windows pointless in a few years.
I think in a few years Windows is basically insignificant without gaming. Not dead, but not worth the current sticker price. With Google Chrome OS/Android, Apple MacOS/iOS, and HP Palm webOS coming into the mix you will see a world where the operating system become a key differentiator in a product ecosystem. The game developers will create content for the largest platforms and that's that.
I think Microsoft has realized that great games drive the industry hard, they push the limits of the imagination, they keep hardware on the bleeding edge. Great games help pave the way for premium content creation applications to take advantage of the latest in technology to deliver the best experiences to their customers.
If gaming were to continue on the path to which it's currently on the content will become less important, the quality of the games will drop, and games will be consumed like bubblegum or candy bars. Granted there are a few exceptions, but for the most part you buy it, you play it for a couple of days, and you wait for the next one.
..on the other hand if all Microsoft produces with Age of Empires Online and Microsoft Flight are stripped down browser based versions of their previously earth shattering titles then we have a problem that probably won't be fixed by Microsoft.
Many of us built insanely successful companies on the back of an industry that Microsoft created and Microsoft accidentally helped to destroy. This goes out to the folks at Microsoft who get it... Make sure these games are awesome... Don't port Halo 2's anymore. Bring back the creative studios like Ensemble and give them the resources and time to blow our imaginations away. As a long time Microsoft fan I'm really hoping you can bring back the fire!
