DRM News

Through the closing of Age of Empires developers Ensemble Studios to the focus on content for the Xbox 360, Microsoft has not exactly been at the forefront of pushing the PC forward as a gaming platform in recent years. That may be about to change.

Kotaku has obtained a copy of an internal Microsoft document that indicates a possible shift towards PC gaming. In a Q&A that’s part of this document, Microsoft addresses whether Fable III being brought to the PC platform is the beginning of a change in business philosophy.

Q: Does "Fable III" on Windows signal a larger reinvestment by Microsoft in PC gaming? How is this different from the previous times you’ve announced a reinvestment in PC gaming and not quite come through with a robust offering?

There definitely have been previous announcements of a new PC push by Microsoft that have turned out to be nothing but the sound of crickets.

A: In terms of revenue, Windows is far and away the largest gaming platform in the world, so it’s an incredibly important part of Microsoft’s business. From core games like "Fable III" to casual, social and Facebook titles, more gaming happens on Windows than anywhere else. Windows 7 is a world-class gaming platform, and you can bet Microsoft has a vested interest in using it as a platform for amazing first party content. "Fable III" on Windows as well as Xbox 360 this holiday is a great first step, and we’ll have more news for you later this summer.

So, Microsoft does acknowledge the profit potential of game releases on Windows PC’s. I wonder if maybe Fable III is being used as a bit of a test bed to see what the response is like to the PC version announcement?

Hopefully this isn’t just more empty words from Microsoft.