Microsoft hopes you Enjoy Halo 2, On Vista

[VWguy]

Well, no Halo 2 for me.
One more leg up for DRM.

It’s a circumstance that has raised the black flag in various online communities. Halo 2, the inferior sequel to the phenomenal Halo first person shooter, will only be playable on Microsoft Vista. This news comes as an incredible surprise, and perhaps a transparent attempt to entice the computer population to upgrade to Vista.

Perhaps surprising isn’t the appropriate word to describe Microsoft’s move. In fact, after getting over the initial shock, it makes a lot of sense. As many are aware, Microsoft Vista has come under increasing scrutiny as being very pro-entertainment with respect to Digital Rights Management.

Specifically, the entertainment industry is pressuring Microsoft to adequately protect the next generation of high definition DVDs – know as HD-DVD or Blue Ray. In order to force consumers to enjoy their high definition potential, Microsoft plans to implement “Output Content Protection Management" (OCPM.)

OCPM protects high definition content from several things, especially the dreaded analog hole. If one were to use Microsoft Vista with a traditional monitor, the image would not display properly. This prevents the image from being copied in near digital (unperceivable to the human eye) quality. The image would instead appear in a lower resolution – perhaps somewhere between VHS and DVD quality. In order to play the high definition signal, one would need to purchase very expensive High-Bandwidth Digital Copy Protection compliant monitors. This new breed of monitors will only accept signals that comply with HDCP DRM.

Of course, all these efforts amount to naught if the consumer rejects Vista. Already coming under fire from many online communities, Vista is seen as little more than a DRM playhouse for the entertainment industry. Now the objective for Microsoft is to dangle a carrot in hopes of alluring the consumer base.

In Microsoft’s press release, the software giant did not specify the reason behind releasing Halo 2 on Vista only. Bungie, the developmental force behind the Halo series, did provide some justification.

“As Bungie Studios and Microsoft are dedicated to delivering a top quality translation of Halo 2 for the PC, their efforts require the use of the best available technological platform for Windows games. Windows Vista will help bring clarity to our customers and help them get more out of their personal computing experience, allowing them to focus on what matters most to them.”

A dizzying logic, considering Halo 2 was comfortably released on Xbox - a machine with far inferior processing and operating system power than even a middling gaming PC. Although Bungie empathically denies this is simply a way to force the populace to upgrade to Vista, but in reality many will find little other way to enjoy this game. Halo 2 for the PC will be released sometime in the future, most likely accompanying the launch of Vista (or very distant future.)

http://www.slyck.com/news.php?story=1089

[theknife]

nice piece, vw

[Mazer]

Hmm, isn't Vista coming out like six months after Halo 3?

[VWguy]

Originally Posted by Mazer

Hmm, isn't Vista coming out like six months after Halo 3?

Not quite sure, but if the article is correct then it would not be the first time a computer game was delayed.

Think Half Life 2.