Blizzard's Rob Pardo, who's one of the heads responsible for Diablo 3, has echoed the statements of Valve boss Gabe Newell in calling Windows 8 a "catastrophe for everyone in the PC space."
Pardo quoted Newell's words on his public Twitter account and added that the changes in Windows 8 are "not awesome for Blizzard."
nice interview with Gabe Newell – "I think Windows 8 is a catastrophe for everyone in the PC space* – not awesome for Blizzard either
— Rob Pardo (@Rob_Pardo) July 25, 2012
Criticism is being leveled against Microsoft for the company's decision to level heavy-handed controls over applications and software purchases through Windows 8. The controls would inevitably prevent companies unaffiliated with Microsoft—like Blizzard and Valve—from exercising full control over its own distribution platforms, including Steam.
By closing Windows 8 as a platform and only allowing purchases to be done through Windows Store, Microsoft could restrict companies like Valve from selling software through Steam without first insisting on taking a cut for every sale.
It remains to be seen whether Microsoft will exercise its power—and yes, right—to do so, but needless to say, companies like Valve, Blizzard, and EA could see their revenues on the PC heavily affected by whatever decision Microsoft decides to go with. This can only be bad news for PC gamers and PC gaming in general, which has thrived thanks to the open platform Windows has offered for years.