Paul Thurrott - Windows 8 Secrets

Desktop games (and applications) cannot run on Windows RT. They are designed only for Windows 8 (and perhaps older versions of Windows, too).

Oddly enough, Microsoft does allow developers to advertise legacy desktop games and applications in Windows Store alongside Metro-style games and apps. These games do not necessarily offer any of the formal capabilities provided through true Metro-style games, and, because of this, Microsoft doesn’t let you download those games from the Store. Instead, you’ll be directed to visit the developer’s web site.

Let’s quickly see how this works.

When browsing through Windows Store, you’ll come across some game and app tiles that include the notation “desktop app,” as seen in Figure 10-10. This indicates that the game (or application) is for the desktop, and not the Metro environment, so you will not see a rating or price, as with Metro-style apps and games.

Figure 10-10:Desktop games (and applications) will include a “desktop app” note on their tiles in Windows Store.

View the game’s landing page, as in the example in Figure 10-11, and you’ll see that desktop games and applications cannot be downloaded from Windows Store. Instead, you can click the link, Get app from developer, to visit a website and proceed from there.

Figure 10-11:The landing page for a desktop game

Xbox LIVE began in 2002 as a feature of the original Xbox console. It was an offshoot of the multiplayer features in the first Halo game, and essentially formalized those features across an online network that other games could then use. But the Xbox LIVE service as we now know it appeared in 2005 alongside the Xbox 360, Microsoft’s second video game console. At that time, Microsoft greatly enhanced Xbox LIVE, providing the core capabilities and experiences that Xbox 360 gamers—and Windows Phone and now Windows 8 games gamers—still enjoy today.

Video game historians will note that the first video game console Microsoft contributed to was the Sega Dreamcast. But when the Windows CE-based environment in that console proved unpopular with game developers, Microsoft took things into its own hands and created the Xbox.

Many of these third-party services, of course, require a separate subscription as well.

Microsoft also offers two types of Xbox LIVE accounts: a free account that’s simply called Xbox LIVE and a paid account called Xbox LIVE Gold. Xbox LIVE Gold members pay about $50 a year and are rewarded with some unique features. Looking just at the Xbox 360 console, gamers who opt for the Gold subscription get online multiplayer gaming, party and party chat functionality, and video chat capabilities. But they also get access to many multimedia services, including Netflix, Hulu Plus, HBO GO, Sky Player (UK only), Last.fm Internet music streaming, Xbox Music and Video services, and a lot more.

Microsoft’s Xbox entertainment services, Xbox Music and Xbox Video, used to utilize the Zune brand. Windows 8 includes apps for these services, too, which we discuss in Chapter 9.

Microsoft account used to be called Windows Live ID.

Signing up for Xbox LIVE is one of many ways in which you can create a Microsoft account. (Other popular methods include signing up for Hotmail or the Xbox Music Pass subscription.) Xbox LIVE, like other Microsoft services and, now, Windows 8, uses the same underlying identification service. So at the time of sign-up, you can use your own e-mail account, no matter where it’s from, and Xbox LIVE will convert that e-mail address into a Microsoft account. Or, if you already have a Microsoft account through Hotmail, MSN, or wherever, you can simply use your existing account. For purposes of this discussion, we’ll assume that you’ve created a Microsoft account, since you’ll be using this same account for gaming purposes on Windows 8, just as you do on the Xbox 360 (and Windows Phone).

Next, let’s examine what your Xbox LIVE account provides.

Microsoft’s Xbox LIVE service is always changing, so it’s possible and even likely that there will be additional features offered in addition to what’s outlined here.

Your Xbox LIVE account is your online persona on that online service, the thing that represents you in whatever virtual worlds you decide to use. Each Xbox LIVE account consists of the following general features:

• Gamertag:This is your identity, or name, on Xbox LIVE, and it will be the same name you previously established for your Microsoft account. If you’re not happy with this name, you can change it at any time, but Microsoft charges $10 each time in order to prevent kids from constantly changing their names while playing games. Yes, really.

• Gamer Zone:This item describes what type of gamer you are and can be set to Recreation, Pro, Family, or Underground.

• Gamer Picture:This is a small, usually simple picture that represents you online. Subscribers to the free Xbox LIVE service have one Gamer Picture, which is shown to all users, while Xbox LIVE Gold gamers can have two: one for friends and one for the general populace. (See? That $50 annual fee does make sense.) If you have a video camera add-on for the Xbox 360 console, you can use that to take a still photo of yourself as a gamer picture, but only for friends to see.

• Motto:This is a 21-character textual representation of who you are and what you stand for. I’ve used such bon mots as The end is listless and Pwned .

• Avatar:Based largely on the Nintendo Wii’s similar Mii characters, an avatar can be designed to look (somewhat) like you, albeit a slightly rotund and cartoonish you. A typical avatar is shown in Figure 10-12.

Figure 10-12:Cartoonish avatars are now used to represent your Xbox LIVE identity online.

• Name:This can be your real name or a nickname.

• Bio:A text box providing up to 499 characters for describing your history or other relevant information.

Just a common sense bit of advice: Don’t be too specific with your location.

• Location:A text field with up to 40 characters of space for describing your general location.

• Privacy Settings:You have fine-grained control over various privacy settings, including those related to voice and text, camera, profile, online status, video status, friends list, game history, member content, Xbox marketing, and partner marketing.

• Profile:Your Xbox LIVE profile consists of the Gamertag, Gamer Zone, Gamer Picture, Motto, Avatar, Name, Bio, Location, and privacy settings information described previously.

• Rep:This is your rep, or reputation score, on a scale of one to five. Every Xbox LIVE member starts with a rep of 3, but it can go up or down from there based on your experience (where the more you play, the higher the rep) and whether any other gamers complain about you online (the more you misbehave, the more people complain, and the more your rep declines).