Tastes Like Wine – Windows Weekly 661

Share post

Conversation 4 comments

• red77star

  27 February, 2020 - 10:34 am

  <p>I hope they turn live tiles into gadgets on desktop. it will be a mistake if they completely kill it. Live tiles are in wrong location, they should be on desktop and I agree start menu should have nice icons like Windows 10x.</p><p><br></p><p>If Microsoft can pull Windows 10x for desktop where Win32 apps will run in container with no performance penalty, kudos to them.</p><p><br></p><p>My biggest concern about Win32 running in container is compatibility and performance. </p><p><br></p><p>As much as Microsoft Store was failure, their PC Xbox Beta Pass app is a success and I believe that because it is focused on certain things, games and that's why is good! Perhaps Microsoft should replace Microsoft Store with more Store like focused apps on certain things…just an idea.</p>

  Log in to Reply

• 1armedgeek

  28 February, 2020 - 6:08 pm

  <p>I like the tiles (not necessarily Live Tiles) because I *don't* type that quickly. I use a lot of applications. I arrange them in groups. Bigger tiles for ones I use a lot. Another reason is that sometimes I forget the name of the program, so I find them quicker if I see the tiles with the logo or the name.</p><p><br></p><p>Another reason is if I have programs with very similar names like Visual Studio 2019 and <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Visual Studio 2019 Preview, I just point to one instead of searching for it (by typing).</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I think it is better for some types of people.</span></p><p><br></p>

  Log in to Reply

• orbsitron

  29 February, 2020 - 12:52 am

  <p>I think Paul and Leo may have missed what makes "Smart Delivery" on XBOX Series X so important. </p><p><br></p><p>Yes, only downloading the right assets to a given device is great (and is frankly expected and is already available on XBOX One S and XBOX One X where 4K assets of X enhanced games only get downloaded by the One X), and of course having game developers selectively segment the game such that gamers can choose to only download the parts they want or start playing once the part they first want to play is downloaded, while the rest continues to download, is also great.</p><p><br></p><p>None of that is what got the gaming community so excited about Smart Delivery, however. </p><p><br></p><p>On top of all that, is the commitment by XBOX that all 1st party games will use Smart Delivery to ensure that if current generation gamers (ie: XBOX One, XBOX One S and XBOX One X owners) buy a game and a next-gen version of that game becomes available later, gamers will not have to buy the game again to get the better experience when they upgrade their hardware!</p><p><br></p><p>That was not the case during the previous generation transition from the 360 to the XBOX One (or the PS3 to PS4). Many, many games were released with separate SKUs for each generation. A gamer who chose to play Grand Theft Auto V on release day, bought it on XBOX 360 or PS3 and if they later purchased an XBOX One, PS4 or PC, they couldn't play the previous gen version (no back-compat, no cross-buy) and if they wanted to the current gen version (often a "definitive" edition with DLC or other post-release content or features included but largely a port of the previous gen game), they had to buy the same, full-priced game again.</p><p><br></p><p>This shows how far XBOX has come as a consumer-friendly ecosystem. </p><p><br></p><p>In today's world, not only would the current gen game be forwards compatible on the Series X (thanks to Series X backwards compatibility with XBOX One) so the same gamer who upgrades from an XBOX One X to XBOX Series X gets to play the game they buy on XBOX One X on XBOX Series X at no extra charge and with no need to wait for a next gen port, but when an eventual next-gen port comes along for that game, that same gamer gets the better version of that game without any need to re-purchase it! At least for XBOX Game Studios published games. </p><p><br></p><p>Smart Delivery is also available to 3rd parties and at least one very heavy hitter committed to it immediately – CD Projekt Red committed to it for Cyberpunk 2077 and specifically called out the consumer-friendly perspective regarding purchasing once but playing the best version when it's available. </p><p><br></p><p>Purchase on current gen and play on next gen (or vice versa, I suppose), is the major value add that Smart Delivery offers, thanks to both the functionality and the publishing practice commitment by XBOX Game Studios. It's not just the tech, but it's also XBOX's policy for 1st party titles and influence for 3rd party titles (at least on one massive title to start) that will have a significant positive impact on gamers. That's what people are excited about. </p>

  Log in to Reply

• Paul Thurrott

  Premium Member

  29 February, 2020 - 9:07 am

  >>I think Paul and Leo may have missed what makes “Smart Delivery” on XBOX Series X so important.

  Well, yes. I didn’t even know what it was. 🙂

  Log in to Reply