Why there needs to be a lot of strategy in a game for it to be enjoyable? Mind you, I would play Civ V over Farmville any day of the week, but we have different genres because people like different things, and not everyone wants to play a game thats challenging or requires a lot of thinking or strategy.

Sounds boring as a game. You can shoot a real cow with a bazooka for $50 in Cambodia :P

Not in Thailand.

This just shows the power of casual games and social interaction within them, similar to Wii but even better.

I can already see how many posts here will be about how dumb the game is and how only dumb people play it, but I don't think it matters. People like it and the company is making more money than EA. They don't have piracy problems, they have lower development costs and a have HUGE untapped market to gain that will most likely grow a lot more in the future as this all is still so new. But that they already passed the industry giant EA really shows something.

And good for them and the people who play FarmVille and other social games on social networking games. I think it has been over 20 years that we have talked about how to get gaming to be more "normal" and how to get girls to game too - this is it. Let people enjoy the games they like.

The whole story is bullshit too, as AsusTek has denied Microsoft asking for royalties.

How wonderfully twisted summary. Even the article doesn't say Microsoft is demanding license for installing linux. It says Acer and Asustek should patent license fees just like everyone else:

What a surprise, HTC pays license fees so they aren't asked to do so!

I don't like software patents either, but development does take its time and money and you currently still have to play by the rules like everyone else. Just because you're not selling as many devices as HTC doesn't mean you don't have to pay the same royalties. Even Google, like every other company, is asking for patent royalties, so why suddenly Microsoft shouldn't? Sure, hate the software patents, but twisting this as something like Microsoft demanding manufacturers to pay if they want to install Linux is just... wrong.

It's a fake picture, but even if it was real I don't think it would be really succesful. For starters it looks massive as a phone. Secondly, Sony would be up for some serious battle. Even iPhone games are somewhat good, but the holy war begins when Windows Phone 7 devices start showing up. Why? Because of Xbox Live integration, XNA for developers, and the great integration with Microsoft's other gaming platforms and support for developers. For example porting existing indie games made with XNA or C# can be really simple job that may require only changing the controls a little bit. If a gamer is looking for a new phone, he or she is definitely going to look at WP7 phones as it integrates perfectly with their XBOX360 and in future with Windows games (as you may know, Microsoft is rolling out their games marketplace for Windows similar to Steam). That is a huge selling point, and Microsoft would have a long headstart to PlayStation Phone since Windows Phone 7 devices are starting to come out now. Also as a game developer I must say developing for PlayStation and PSP is a major pain in the ass and many developers share the same opinion. XNA, Windows, XBOX360 and Windows Mobiles on the other hand are lovely to develop for.

In multiplayer.

Apple doesn't sell competing products to this, Microsoft does.

I think the article is forgotting that there are already many widespread OS that are taking up that market. I and obviously other geeks love Android because it could mean more open devices for us, but we aren't seeing the whole picture either because it's not in news every day.

The "problem" is the same as with Opera. People think it's not as widespread as it's barely in news and their stuff isn't blastered all over your face all the time. However Opera dominates on embedded devices, televisions (especially in hotels!), mobile phones, even Nintendo Wii.

Windows variants are also the same. Windows 7, Windows CE and Windows Mobile are majorly used but it's not always so obvious. When you take a flight all the televisions in airports run Windows. When you go to ATM they run special version of Windows CE. Some hotel TV's also run Windows. With the upcoming Microsoft tablets and Windows Phone 7, it will get even more marketshare. Windows is also used pretty much in every organization and company.

If Android actually wants to take over all of that, it will be a long road. I hope they do, but I'm not so sure they will. Microsoft is good with business relationships and marketing and thats the point. It's not a small market and Windows is already dominating it.

So in other words you are saying that Google does it wrong, while Microsoft has actually introduced it correctly and with good usability?

I think someone has missed Windows Phone 7 and the tablets Microsoft will be releasing shortly. Hell, Microsoft Courier looked like the only tablet I wanted. Screw iPad, Courier was cool.

But the truth also is that Microsoft has a huge dominance on computer market and that isn't going anywhere. They are truly dominating it. I don't think it's a warning as such to Microsoft, just a suggestion for if they want to grow. And interestingly, that is what Microsoft is and has been doing for many years already. Xbox360 is a truly fantastic product too.

Just bring me something that Courier was supposed to be. I want it, I need it! Combine that with environment like Windows where everyone can freely develop their software and include things like XNA and Xbox Live and you have a wonderful product on your hands!