14 DAY TRIAL // During a major event in January, Microsoft announced that it was aiming to create more connections between gaming on the PC and on the Xbox One, allowing those who own the home console to stream games and offering more integration in terms of interface, store and other features.
There are titles published by the company which will feature cross-platform play as long as a controller is used and the new Hololens augmented reality goggles are expected to work on both the platforms.
Microsoft seems to be committed to a future where gaming can take place on either the PC or the Xbox One as long as the company can control how the player accesses content.
Most of the new features for the Xbox One, including the much hyped DirectX 12, are set to arrive alongside Windows 10 later in the year but some of the features are already being tested using the Preview program.
For PC gamers who have been accustomed to being ignored by Microsoft, the announcements seem encouraging and interesting but I believe that the company and the public would be better served if the focus were on keeping gaming as closely tied to the Xbox One as possible.
Consoles are the perfect place for big hits
The likes of Gears of War and Halo have always (mostly) remained confined to home consoles and bringing them to the PC, even powered by a controller, invites comparisons that would be a little unflattering.
The Xbox One is powerful and can deliver plenty of graphics quality but it will inevitably be left behind and Microsoft will have to decide if it wants to hamstring PC releases, which it would be criticized for, or to admit that its hardware is being outperformed in a few years.
The company has also been long bashed for its defunct Games for Windows Live and criticism of the coming Windows 10 integration is inevitable, mainly because PC players tend to have a relatively long memory.
Almost any initiative that it takes in the coming years that involves the PC will be criticized almost by reflex by a large segment of potential users, and that basically means that Microsoft needs to deliver a higher-quality experience in order to convince gamers to try out its ideas.
If the company focuses on the Xbox One and delivers some services and concepts that make PC users green with envy, it will be much easier to try and integrate the two sides of its entertainment business in a few years.
Indies need more space on the Xbox One
Better integration between the two platforms on which Microsoft works might also lead to a separation in terms of gameplay options offered.
Minecraft started life on the PC and the indie scene is at the moment thriving here, mainly because of decreasing development costs and the way Steam can be used to reach a large potential audience.
Microsoft might be tempted to also use the PC as a platform where ideas can be tried out and to only select the most successful titles to then port on the Xbox One, given that such processes cost money.
But small developers would be better served in the long term by getting more space on the Microsoft home console and more support from the company directly, without having to prove themselves on other devices before.
There are plenty of ways in which better integration between the Xbox One and the PC might benefit gamers, but I suspect that such a move should only take place once both Windows 10 and the home console prove themselves on their own for a few more years.