Microsoft often talks up just how important Windows and PC gamers are. Unfortunately, those words rarely match up with the tech giant's plans, and PC gamers who doubt Microsoft’s commitments beyond the Xbox brand certainly have lots of evidence to back up their claims. Dead Rising 3, formerly an Xbox One exclusive, may be coming to PC this summer, but gamers may have noticed that Microsoft’s E3 press conference was entirely focused on the Xbox One.
Xbox boss Phil Spencer followed up the conference by explaining why PC gamers were snubbed at the expo, saying that E3 is “a retail show, a console show, so it didn’t really feel like the right place for us to talk about Windows.” He also reiterated how important PC gaming was to Microsoft, stating “Windows and gaming on Windows is critical to Microsoft’s success.”
It looks as though Windows is not critical to the success of certain franchises, however. According to developer 343 Industries, Halo: The Master Chief Collection will not be coming to PC — at least, not yet. Over on Halo Waypoint, community manager Andy Dudynsky confirmed that the developer’s “current focus is on the release of Halo: The Master Chief Collection on Xbox One.” The news has also been confirmed by 343 general manager Bonnie Ross, who said that 343 was “focused on Xbox One” in an interview with Eurogamer.
This news may not come as a surprise to a lot of PC gamers — in fact, an online petition for a PC release of the game was created two weeks ago. It took two years for the original Halo: Combat Evolved to be ported to PC, and aside from the Windows 8 device spinoff shooter Halo: Spartan Assault, PC gamers haven’t had a Halo title since Halo 2 Vista. That said, it’s still a kick in the teeth for gamers looking to get their hands on the 1080p versions of the first four Halo titles.
At least PC gamers still have a glimmer of hope: a future port of the collection has yet to be ruled out. The same can’t be said for Xbox 360 owners. In the same Halo Waypoint blog post, Andy Dudynsky also dropped the news that Halo: The Master Chief Collection would not be making its way to the Xbox 360, citing that the game would be too much for the console to run.
“We are dedicated to bringing a full and fun experience to Halo: The Master Chief Collection on Xbox One, providing you with dedicated servers, a unified interface, increased visual fidelity, and gameplay running at 60fps. We do not have any plans to bring the game to Xbox 360 as the game size, enhanced features and technical specifications simply can’t support it.”
What do you make of the announcements? Is it another case of Microsoft letting down Windows gamers? Do you expect a PC release at any time in the future? And does this mark the end of the Xbox 360 as a contender for new titles?
Halo: The Master Chief Collection is set to be released on November 11, exclusive to Xbox One, and comes with Halo 5: Guardians multiplayer beta access.
Source: Halo Waypoint