Halo 2 and Shadowrun Are Possible With Windows XP

This, you gotta hear: today, Falling Leaf Systems has revealed an official merger between the VAIO and Alky projects, that have, for over a year now, been working toward providing software originally intended for use on only one platform, to users on various other platforms. Basically, they're going to prove to the world that Halo 2 and Shadowrun aren't Vista-compatible only.

"We at Falling Leaf are excited to welcome aboard the talented members of Project VAIO," said Falling Leaf Systems CEO Brian Thomason. "For too long, we have been segregated into two separate camps slaving away on similar, and sometimes even identical, goals. By merging our teams and our respective technologies, we can both achieve these common goals much faster."

Among other announcements, Falling Leaf Systems reveals their intentions to provide compatibility software, allowing Windows XP users to play two upcoming so-called "Vista-only titles:" Halo 2 and Shadowrun. The games have already been made available for preorder through the companies' official website. While orders will be handled by none other than Amazon.com, those who purchase the game in this manner will receive a free copy of the compatibility software within a few months.

Thomason added that "Microsoft has, in typical Microsoft fashion, decided to launch their forced migration onslaught in full force with the release of two games that will only run on Windows Vista. First they claim that it was impossible to implement DirectX 10 compatibility atop Windows XP, and now they also want us to believe that they couldn't successfully launch two DirectX 9 based titles on XP either. We plan to expose both theories as patently false."

Thomason is mighty confident of what they're about to do, wouldn't you say? As much as I love to see that Microsoft is getting theirs (being a faithful PlayStation fan and all), I still say it's a shame that MS is trying to sell Vista by forcing PC gamers to get it for Halo 2 and Shadowrun. I sincerely hope that Falling Leaf Systems does a good job at revealing that Microsoft may have not been totally honest with its customers.