How Windows 8 gets in the games
Connecting state and local government leaders
The new OS provides an easy connection to Xbox Live, though that might not be popular with network admins.
When GCN recently asked government readers what questions they had about Windows 8, we got back a variety of responses that we will try to answer all in our Windows 8 review feature in October. One of those questions seemed a little funny, but it is worth an answer for a variety of reasons.
The questions was: “Will Pinball be included in Windows 8?”
The answer is more complicated that you might think. First, no, it’s not there natively as far as I can see from the review copy of Windows 8. But Microsoft is doing some neat things with the operating system, like tying it into Xbox Live, or a version of Xbox Live.
Related:
5 keyboard shortcuts you won’t find in Windows 8
The Xbox Live service is how gamers playing on Xbox 360 communicate with each other and download games. Windows 8 users will be able to access a limited number of these services through their Live connections with the new OS, including, yes, a pinball title. These games seem to be direct ports from the Xbox Live versions.
The ease of this connection to the games might prove to be a problem for federal workstations, where presumably administrators would not want Big Buck Hunter installed. There could even be a few security issues if the games upload data to servers for high scores or achievement trophies. But that’s something we can look at another day.
The 32 games slated to launch with Windows 8, which can be purchased and added to the OS like any other app, are: 4 Elements II Special Edition, A World of Keflings, Angry Birds, Angry Birds Space, Big Buck Hunter Pro, BlazBlue Calamity Trigger, Collateral Damage, Crash Course GO, Cut the Rope, Disney Fairies, Dragon’s Lair, Field & Stream Fishing, Fruit Ninja, Gravity Guy, Gunstringer: Dead Man Running, IloMilo, iStunt 2 Jetpack Joyride, Kinectimals Unleashed, Monster Island, PAC-MAN Championship DX Edition, Pinball FX 2, Reckless Racing Ultimate, Rocket Riot 3D, Shark Dash, Shuffle Party, Skulls of the Shogun, Taptiles, Team Crossword, The Harvest HD, Toy Soldiers Cold War and Zombies.
From a gamer perspective, it will be interesting to see how titles like The Gunstringer, which normally requires a Kinect device with the Xbox 360 to play, will work on a desktop running Windows 8. But at least you will have access to Pinball.