Windows Vista Games Explorer
ExtremeTech runs down the Games Explorer found in Windows Vista. Essentially, the need for the Games Explorer comes from the fact that games are the second most used activity in a Windows PC (after web browsing), yet finding a game by browsing the Start menu under manufacturer names can be cumbersome.
As is, the Games Explorer screen aggregates all your games with metadata and box art, lets parents block mature rated games (you can see the title, but get no information and no box art for blocked games), automatically tracks patches and game updates.
Also, the Windows games are improved:
The games built in to Windows will also be updated. Classics like Hearts and Minesweeper are getting major visual upgrades, with new 3D effects and hi-res artwork. Expect to see more games thrown in: Chess has already been added, and there’s a possibility of seeing slightly more “premium” titles, or at least demos, bundled in. OEMs are already talking about it.
Windows Vista ships with WinSAT, the Windows System Assesment Tool, that deeply analyzes system performance and provides an API which games can access to fully optimize performance. WinSAT checks a ton of performance issues, and will notify you when performance significantly decreases, attempting to uncover which application is slowing down your system.
All in all, some excellent and innovative stuff I haven’t heard as being on the Mac. Of course, not that many people use the Mac for gaming anyway…
(via Mary Jo Foley)
Yeah it’s not heard of on the Mac, why would you even make that comparison other than to make a cheap shot at a platform used for high end video production more than games or anything else? You really didn’t need to mention Mac’s at all.
Comment by john huber | February 5, 2006