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General discussion (archive)Windows 8 / Windows RT / Surface RT lauching today(43 posts)(43 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted October 26, 2012
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Psyringe: These screens look incredibly ugly ...

Where's the advantage compared to shopping in the GOG shop, where GOG has much more control over the presentation?
Adobe making the page for Adobe Reader ugly doesn't mean that GOG has to do the same. :p

Besides, I personally consider GOG's website to be ugly. :p (I like the start page the best, the rest being mostly grey is kind of ugly to me. :))
Post edited October 26, 2012 by Elenarie
Posted October 26, 2012
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Psyringe: Where's the advantage compared to shopping in the GOG shop, where GOG has much more control over the presentation?
Coverage. If your average windows user reads about this game called 'Unreal' on discussion boards and discovers that while it's ugly, it's very good, he will then proceed into Windows store and type it into search box. If DotEmu's got their games there and GOG doesn't, DotEmu will get the sale.
Post edited October 26, 2012 by Fenixp
Posted October 26, 2012
The anandtech (who I rank as one of the best) review was very positive of the platform, (RT) but the price in the uk is the sticking point. WITH the keyboard cover I could eat the cost easily at £400, but 479 is making me reconsider it for a possible nexus 10. Which basing off the nexus 7 price, should come in at £350 tops. Almost brought a transformer prime but seeing how low the price can go in these two or so months.

Surface is a compelling product I just think it's priced a little too high.
Posted October 26, 2012
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Psyringe: Where's the advantage compared to shopping in the GOG shop, where GOG has much more control over the presentation?
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Fenixp: Coverage. If your average windows user reads about this game called 'Unreal' on discussion boards and discovers that while it's ugly, it's very good, he will then proceed into Windows store and type it into search box. If DotEmu's got their games there and GOG doesn't, DotEmu will get the sale.
The thing is, why would said user, who is browsing the net anyway if he's reading discussion boards, go back to the start screen and enter the game's name there, instead of simply right-clicking the name and googling it (or typing it into the search bar that's already in the browser he's looking at)?
Posted October 26, 2012
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Psyringe: Where's the advantage compared to shopping in the GOG shop, where GOG has much more control over the presentation?
Free advertising. Users do not buy desktop applications through the Store, but they get taken here. Why wouldn't a company want that?

They lose absolutely nothing, and gain a lot.
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Psyringe: The thing is, why would said user, who is browsing the net anyway if he's reading discussion boards, go back to the start screen and enter the game's name there, instead of simply right-clicking the name and googling it (or typing it into the search bar that's already in the browser he's looking at)?
You cannot see the positive outcome of what I mentioned? Seriously?

Why would a user go to Google, when they can directly search the Store to buy the item? Do you go to Google to search for a GOG when you want to buy a GOG? Or do you search Google to find the item's page on Amazon? :)
Post edited October 26, 2012 by Elenarie
Posted October 26, 2012
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Psyringe: These screens look incredibly ugly ...

Where's the advantage compared to shopping in the GOG shop, where GOG has much more control over the presentation?
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Elenarie: Adobe making the page for Adobe Reader ugly doesn't mean that GOG has to do the same. :p

Besides, I personally consider GOG's website to be ugly. :p (I like the start page the best, the rest being mostly grey is kind of ugly to me. :))
I meant rather the right-hand side of the screen which I suppose isn't under control of Adobe. ;) I agree that taste is a matter of personal preference though. However, fro some reason, Windows 8 seems to consistently choose an aesthetic that I perceive as horribly ugly, and inefficient to use.
Posted October 26, 2012
And the funny thing is that a lot of "professionals" don't even know the difference between the real Windows and Windows RT.

I had to laugh when I read this article:
http://www.theverge.com/2012/10/17/3514556/windows-8-vs-windows-rt-surface-confused-microsoft-store-employees

Maybe the best was: "Two reps told me that I'd be able to install my Steam games on the Surface with Windows RT. One qualified that it would only work so long as I transfered them over USB."

Ah, salespeople: hate them or loathe them, you're not allowed to hit them with a shovel.
Posted October 26, 2012
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Elenarie: Besides, I personally consider GOG's website to be ugly. :p (I like the start page the best, the rest being mostly grey is kind of ugly to me. :))
It's a lot better than white backgrounds IMO.

However, I agree that they definitely should hook up GOG with the search function via Win8's Store.
Posted October 26, 2012
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Psyringe: The thing is, why would said user, who is browsing the net anyway if he's reading discussion boards, go back to the start screen and enter the game's name there, instead of simply right-clicking the name and googling it (or typing it into the search bar that's already in the browser he's looking at)?
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Elenarie: You cannot see the positive outcome of what I mentioned? Seriously?

Why would a user go to Google, when they can directly search the Store to buy the item?
Because:

a) The search engine is already displayed in the browser and therefore easier to reach.

b) Google (or another search engine, I prefer ixquick) is not limited to one single shop, so it can offer me a broader perspective, and a price comparison.

The second advantage of using a search engine would of course go away if the Windows shop is the _only_ way of buying products for Windows 8. But if that is the case (I don't actually know it, I haven't really kept up to date with Win8 news after finding out that it has nothing to offer me except that horrible interface), then such a greed for control would be a very good reason not to use Win8 in the first place, imho

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Elenarie: Or do you search Google to find the item's page on Amazon? :)
Actually, come to think of it - yes, I do. I almost never use Amazon's in-built search functions. :)
Posted October 26, 2012
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Psyringe: However, fro some reason, Windows 8 seems to consistently choose an aesthetic that I perceive as horribly ugly, and inefficient to use.
Oh, about that part, you can chose different colours and stuff. I like dark blue the most. :)
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MikeFE: Ah, salespeople: hate them or loathe them, you're not allowed to hit them with a shovel.
Hahahhahaha. So true, its like many of them aren't personally interested to know more about the stuff they sell. The ones selling smartphones are the 'best'. :D
Post edited October 26, 2012 by Elenarie
Posted October 26, 2012
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Psyringe: b) Google (or another search engine, I prefer ixquick) is not limited to one single shop, so it can offer me a broader perspective, and a price comparison.
How is ixquick compared to startpage? They look almost the same.

And I don't see the issue, it's still optional to use the store function or use a browser, adding GOG to the store will broaden the horizon.
Posted October 26, 2012
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Nirth: How is ixquick compared to startpage? They look almost the same.
Startpage only queries Google. Ixquick queries several search engines. Basically: If you're generally satisfied with the amount of results that Google produces, but don't want be limited by its filter bubble, and don't want your searches to be tracked, use Startpage. If you want more results (at the cost of also getting more unrelated ones), use Ixquick. I tend to switch between them occasionally, depending on how obscure my search terms are. ;)

Also, I don't see an "issue" with GOG offering stuff in the Win8 shop either, I just also don't see it as the incredible opportunity as which it was presented here.
Post edited October 26, 2012 by Psyringe
Posted October 26, 2012
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Psyringe: ...
Windows Runtime applications (the new kind of applications) can only be sold / bought through Windows Store (lots of reasons to do that, from security, to reliability, and so on, rather not list them, did a 62 pages thesis on that, don't want to go through the same again :D).

What I was referring to with GOG listing the games in the Store... Imagine a user learns about Torchlight:

1. Windows 7: Searches Bing / Google and gets store listings for GOG, Steam, GamersGate and Torchlight's official website. Where should a user buy the game from? If he goes to a place other than GOG, GOG lose a sale.

2. Windows 8: Same as above.

3. Windows 8: Searches the Store, because it feels very natural to search the officially provided Store for stuff that he wants to buy. But now, GamersGate has actually listed the game there, not GOG, so GOG lose a sale again.

4. If GOG are the first to list the games in the Store, they would only gain sales, at the cost of a company account that is around 100 - 160 EUR per year (can't remember now).
Posted October 26, 2012
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Nirth: How is ixquick compared to startpage? They look almost the same.
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Psyringe: Startpage only queries Google. Ixquick queries several search engines. Basically: If you're generally satisfied with the amount of results that Google produces, but don't want be limited by its filter bubble, and don't want your searches to be tracked, use Startpage. If you want more results (at the cost of also getting more unrelated ones), use Ixquick. I tend to switch between them occasionally, depending on how obscure my search terms are. ;)
You learn something new everyday, thanks. I'll do some searches and see how different they're are.
Posted October 26, 2012
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Elenarie: 4. If GOG are the first to list the games in the Store, they would only gain sales, at the cost of a company account that is around 100 - 160 EUR per year (can't remember now).
Oooooh, there we go, and I thought Microsoft wanted to do something right for once. Guess not. (and don't try to persuade me that the bandwitch required to keep very basic information about 300 products on GOG costs 100 - 160 EUR.)

I'm still strongly against the entire idea of Microsoft Store, but I thought they wanted companies to hop on board for free so Windows customers get more options, ergo more people will be satisfied with windows. As it is, Windows is slowly getting on the Mac road of closing down, which is a bad, bad sign.
Post edited October 26, 2012 by Fenixp
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This is my favourite topic
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General discussion (archive)Windows 8 / Windows RT / Surface RT lauching today(43 posts)(43 posts)
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