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Tag: Jason Holtman

  • Jason Holtman Leaves Microsoft After Only Six Months

    Microsoft and PC gamers aren’t the pals they once were. With the introduction of Games for Windows Live, Microsoft ensured that pretty much every PC gamer on the planet went to rival platforms, like Steam or Origin. It seemed like Microsoft intended to win back those PC gamers last year by hiring Steam’s content licensing boss Jason Holtman, but now he’s gone too.

    Gamasutra reports that Holtman has left Microsoft after only six months with the company. He was originally hired to revitalize Microsoft’s PC gaming efforts. His experience in obtaining content for Steam would have been super useful in obtaining content for Microsoft’s own PC gaming efforts.

    So, why did he leave? There’s no official reason, but Microsoft did provide the following comment to Gamasutra:

    “We can confirm that Jason has left Microsoft and we’re grateful for his time at the company. We wish him the best in his future endeavors.”

    With only six months at Microsoft, did Holtman actually achieve anything? On the surface, it looks unlikely. The Windows store is still devoid of almost every major PC game as publishers look to Steam, Origin and uPlay as the place to be. It doesn’t help that Microsoft is seemingly so invested in its Xbox business that PC gaming looks to almost be an afterthought at this point.

    It will be interesting to see if Microsoft hires a replacement going forward. It could be that Microsoft is content to let others rule the PC gaming roost. After all, it’s been years since Microsoft was seen as a major PC game publisher. At this point, it’s better off just publishing PC ports of its Xbox Live Arcade titles on Steam.

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  • Microsoft Hires On Former Steam Boss Jason Holtman

    Games for Windows Live was a great idea bogged down by poor execution. Microsoft attempted to bring the Xbox Live experience to PC games, but the software itself was nowhere near as convenient as Steam. A recent hire at Microsoft may indicate that the Redmond-based company may be trying to improve its Games for Windows initiative.

    Gamesindustry International reports that Jason Holtman has accepted a job at Microsoft where he’ll focus on making Windows an attractive platform for PC games. For those unfamiliar, Holtman was in charge of Valve’s Steam service for the past eight years before he mysteriously departed the company in early 2013.

    In a statement, Holtman said that he believes Microsoft can bring PC gamers back into its fold:

    “Yes, I have joined Microsoft where I will be focusing on making Windows a great platform for gaming and interactive entertainment. I think there is a lot of opportunity for Microsoft to deliver the games and entertainment customers want and to work with developers to make that happen, so I’m excited to be here.”

    Over the last few years, support for Games for Windows Live has dropped off the map. The last major release to support the platform was Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition, and that was mostly due to the developers porting over code from the Xbox 360. As for the upcoming sequel, it’s looking like it won’t be using the client.

    The above scenario is the exact problem that Holtman has to address. Steam doesn’t only sell games. It’s a set of tools for developers to integrate online play and other services into their games. Microsoft provides a similar service, but it’s just nowhere near as convenient. It’s one saving grace – being able to play with people on Xbox Live – was killed off with the critical and commercial failure that was Shadowrun.

    With the launch of Xbox One and Windows 8.1, Microsoft has another opportunity to push Games for Windows Live. It really needs to make the software client more convenient before anything else. After that, it can focus on bringing together the Xbox Live and PC gaming community into one big happy family.

    With Holtman’s help, Microsoft may just be able to turn Games for Windows Live into a service that can actually compete with Steam. As it stands, PC gamers groan when they learn that a game requires the Games for Windows Live client. Holtman’s job is to at least eradicate that groan, and maybe even turn it into a smile.