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Question for PC players about the MS buying of activision blizzard

nani17

are in a big trouble
I mainly play on PC and like most of us we're on manily steam followed by other launchers some might say too many.

Im wondering what MS will do with the MS store and the Blizzard launcher (battle net)down the line because lets be honest the MS store sucks so much for us pc gamers . Would it be better to use the to move all games and titles over to the blizzard launcher and just rename it because it works far better than the MS store or will the remain separate? If they do MS will have a sort of epic games style store by having all titles like fallout starfield doom cod etc all on one launcher and removing them from any other ones. Plus adding the gamepass on top will make it a real competitor against steam and the others

Yes its early days but it popped into my head just now.
 
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yamaci17

Member
ea games are launched through ea desktop

blizz acti games will probably launch through the battle.net application

xbox app is not that bad these days. if you join beta, you can even choose installation folders and access the folders and mod your games. it will at some point released for the main branch. then it will be even better
 
ea games are launched through ea desktop

blizz acti games will probably launch through the battle.net application

xbox app is not that bad these days. if you join beta, you can even choose installation folders and access the folders and mod your games. it will at some point released for the main branch. then it will be even better
Yup this is what's likely to happen. And I also agree that the pc gamepass app is honestly not bad. It does its job.
 

Kuranghi

Member
I didn't care about the news because I have a PC but I did realise it might mean being forced to use the MS store for games I can't get on PS anymore and thats terrible actually. So probably I just won't be buying any of their exclusive games that aren't on Steam, until they fix the MS Store's problems, but they probably won't.
 

Haggard

Banned
long term I think that they`ll try to bring the XBOX App to a point where it can actually compete with Steam.
As long as I can bundle everything to a unified launcher like gog galaxy or something I honestly don`t care which launcher runs in the background.
 

nani17

are in a big trouble
I didn't care about the news because I have a PC but I did realise it might mean being forced to use the MS store for games I can't get on PS anymore and thats terrible actually. So probably I just won't be buying any of their exclusive games that aren't on Steam, until they fix the MS Store's problems, but they probably won't.
This is why i think move it all over to the blizzard app and rename it to someting because that app works fine or at least move the devs over.

Keep in mind this one studio MS has the Xbox app battle net and the bethesda launcher there's just no need for all of them.
 

Kuranghi

Member
This is why i think move it all over to the blizzard app and rename it to someting because that app works fine or at least move the devs over.

Keep in mind this one studio MS has the Xbox app battle net and the bethesda launcher there's just no need for all of them.

I'd rather have it all be in one place but thats a runner up idea to Steam, as long as I can access all my files and modify them, it doesn't crash or just not let me press buttons all the time and it doesn't force certain display modes/API's as the WS does then I'll be happy, thats all I care about really ultimately even if splitting my library is unwanted.
 

nani17

are in a big trouble
I'd rather have it all be in one place but thats a runner up idea to Steam, as long as I can access all my files and modify them, it doesn't crash or just not let me press buttons all the time and it doesn't force certain display modes/API's as the WS does then I'll be happy, thats all I care about really ultimately even if splitting my library is unwanted.
Surley they must be thinking it someting they need ot do a few years down the line
 

AV

We ain't outta here in ten minutes, we won't need no rocket to fly through space
Let Blizzard devs handle the Xbox launcher and roll it all together.
 

Kacho

Member
Phil said he hates how fragmented the PC space is so they'll no doubt combine everything on the Xbox app. I could see some Steam releases in the future as well.
 

Xyphie

Member
Everything will be rolled together into one unified platform down the line. Xbox + Battle.net + Minecraft etc.
 

Xyphie

Member
This is what I think should happen and like AV AV said let the blizzard devs handle the launcher

Battle.net is a launcher which PC gamers are actually fine with, have installed and buy games with. It's not a futile Epic Games Store attempt to bruteforce themselves into the market. Getting everything consolidated is probably a >5 year project though.
 
Out of curiosity. What does Microsoft need to do to make the store better? What is the major hangups?
What do the multiplayers need?
(This is from someone that doesn't play multiplayer and only buys single player stuff off Steam)
 

LiquidMetal14

hide your water-based mammals
The only thing I really worry about is having to use that terrible Microsoft store. But if I can still get the games for steam or better yet they integrate Game pass interesting or at least into battle net that may be acceptable.
 

T-Cake

Member
Out of curiosity. What does Microsoft need to do to make the store better? What is the major hangups?
What do the multiplayers need?
(This is from someone that doesn't play multiplayer and only buys single player stuff off Steam)

They taking the right steps - the beta client now allows you to pick an installation folder (instead of just a drive) and it's unencrypted. But the download process is still flunky at best. Installations can hang, corrupt and all manner of things. So that needs working on.
 

EverydayBeast

thinks Halo Infinite is a new graphical benchmark
I’d like to see 1 store, too many launchers and stores is wrong but that’s the story and history with pc gaming.
 

Zug

Member
Along with Sony, Microsoft should buy Steam as well, and then put everything into the Microsoft Steam app.
 

GHG

Member
If they keep their policy of releasing all their games on Steam then I'm happy. In fact I'd be ecstatic.

If they force the windows store then I'd actually rather they kept things on the Activision Blizzard launcher.
 

Holammer

Member
I wonder if MS intend to eventually retire battlenet and its account system, as a launcher and a store it's *supremely* barebones, there's just a dozen or so titles on the thing.
Migrating existing users into MS services could be a public relations shit show.
 
Bnet can be turned into something like the Total War launcher but exclusively for Blizzard games (not COD and whatever else is there now).
The Total War launcher offers some options, news/info and a mod manager for all TW games on Steam. That's the right way to do it.
 

twilo99

Member
They should put everything in the xbox launcher and make that client as robust as possible.. its not bad right now, and I don't see why they couldn't make it much better over time.
 
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Gamezone

Gold Member
Microsoft doesn't compete against Steam. They release all their games on Steam.

New games will probably release on both MS Store and Steam, just like they do today. Old titles will probably come to Steam as well, but I don't know if they will keep the Bnet launcher for those or not.
 
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Xyphie

Member
They are not just suddenly going to start giving 30% of their Blizzard revenue to Valve for nothing, that's not happening.
 

Gamezone

Gold Member
They are not just suddenly going to start giving 30% of their Blizzard revenue to Valve for nothing, that's not happening.
Then why are they doing it for everything else? Also we don't know the agreement between Microsoft and Valve. Their cut could be way lower, and Steam will open up their games for an entire new audience.
 

jakinov

Member
Blizzard launcher should be eventually replaced. Microsoft Store doesn’t require a launcher. You launch it like any other app. Social feature of blizzard are under-utilized and the store is nothing special. Microsoft store downloads and updates have only beeen getting better and is currently the only major issue you could experience.
 
Blizzard launcher should be eventually replaced. Microsoft Store doesn’t require a launcher. You launch it like any other app. Social feature of blizzard are under-utilized and the store is nothing special. Microsoft store downloads and updates have only beeen getting better and is currently the only major issue you could experience.
I think its fine if the blizz launcher remains which i think it will, Bethesda launcher is still there. MS isn't trying to force people to the MS store which is why they put their games in other places too like Steam.
 

dcx4610

Member
I'd take the Windows store over the Blizzard launcher. They are finally letting you pick your installation directly. As long as I can pick the folder and name of my game folder, I don't mind using Microsoft's store. I still prefer Steam though even if means paying a little more to have everything in one spot.
 

Braag

Member
It would be cool if they brought Acti and Blizz games to other stores as well but I kinda doubt it.
 

Vangellis

Member
Personally Im fine with consolidation of launchers. I have xbox, steam, ea, epic, bnet, and more on my desktop, its annoying.
 

Gamezone

Gold Member
Because MS is not Blizzard? Blizzard has had their own launcher for over 10 years with among the most successful PC games. Why would they suddenly start giving any of that revenue to Valve?

Why are they giving millions to Valve now? I think Ubisoft is the only publisher who isn't on Steam, but that's only because they got bribed by Epic. Because it opens up their games to millions of new users. You'd be surprised how many PC games who are willing to ignore games that aren't on Steam. Microsoft release all their games on Steam, and that is not likely to change with Battlenet games. Do you really think that basically every publisher on PC give their money to Valve for nothing, and that you are the genius who figured out it was all for nothing?
 
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jakinov

Member
I think its fine if the blizz launcher remains which i think it will, Bethesda launcher is still there. MS isn't trying to force people to the MS store which is why they put their games in other places too like Steam.
There’s probably an initiative or will be one to offer a unified store eventually. It’s a waste of money to have a Bethesda id and Activision ID too. More risk and more to maintain.it doesn’t make sense long term. Bethesda launcher existing today is likely because it takes time to migrate and it takes time to deal with feature parity across platform and to update game’s and what not. Consolidation isn’t an important part of mergers and acquisitions.
 

Xyphie

Member
Why are they giving millions to Valve now? I think Ubisoft is the only publisher who isn't on Steam, but that's only because they got bribed by Epic. Because it opens up their games to millions of new users. You'd be surprised how many PC games who are willing to ignore games that aren't on Steam. Microsoft release all their games on Steam, and that is not likely to change with Battlenet games.

Because Xbox Game Studios properties don't have the same pull as Blizzard IP? Is this really that hard to understand?
 

Gamezone

Gold Member
Because Xbox Game Studios properties don't have the same pull as Blizzard IP? Is this really that hard to understand?

And Battlefield, Battlefront and FIFA doesn't have the pull, yet EA come back after leaving Steam for their own launcher? Microsoft also left and then came back.

Thank god for you. Among all the publishers, you were the one figuring out that Steam was a waste of money.
 
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