Rockstar Games have ended support for Windows 7 and 8 across their titles. The company announced this decision back in October 2023 but has come into effect as of Tuesday 30th January.
We’re talking about purchasing a software that relies on an online component to work and then deciding to keep using an OS that isn’t safe when connected to the internet.
Extended support ended a year ago for both OS and that’s for people who paid for it. How many of the people affected bought the extended support do you reckon? Because those who didn’t have been without a security update for four years now!
If people buy games with DRM and don’t update their OS to the point where it hasn’t received a security update in years then hell yeah the problem is the consumer, not the company shutting the door to potential security issues!
When a company forcibly updates a product so oven the versions that would work fine on your machine, don’t, that’s not your fault.
When that company actively prevents you from running the version your machine could plainly still run, as well (and safely) as it did yesterday, that’s an abuse.
Old OSes aren’t inherently unsafe though. You can safely use XP online if you know what you’re doing. You literally just have to be a bit more careful about what you download and where. Thankfully with places like archive.org it’s much easier to not have to go to the dodgy download sites of old to get your abandonware and whatnot.
If you’re still on 7 it’s because 10 is a frustrating mess of spyware, failed tablet schemes, and surprise forced updates. The free invitation to an aggressive downgrade was not a positive. My 7 machine installed a new goddamn operating system by itself at the peak of “10 is free!!!” malvertising, and the first thing I did was change it the fuck back.
If you’re still on 7 it’s because 10 is a frustrating mess of spyware, failed tablet schemes, and surprise forced updates
If you’re still on 7 it’s because you’re dumb. Move to 10, buy a Mac, switch to Linux, whatever. There’s no valid reason to stay on an unsupported OS on a goddamn gaming rig.
Still - switch to Linux already.
Ubuntu 9.04 released the same year as win 7. It was supported for 5 years, vs win 7’s 14 years. Yet you don’t see anyone removed and moaning that third party devs aren’t supporting it anymore. Strange, huh?
Support’s not the issue - functional software was just yanked away. This game worked fine last week. Up-to-date and everything! Do these people get the choice to stick with that version? Do they fuck.
Nevermind that as long as your OS works for gaming, that is in fact a valid reason to keep using it on a goddamn gaming rig. Y’know. For gaming? Which it worked for? Until just now? It’s obviously not the best decision, but you can stop pretending there’s no reason to stick with the last properly good version of Windows. Cons outweighing the pros doesn’t magically mean there are no pros.
It was updated. It wasn’t yanked away, it still works fine on modern OS’s. It’s silly to assume devs will continue targeting an OS that is out of support and irrelevant. Do you expect it to run on DOS too?
Nevermind that as long as your OS works for gaming
It doesn’t, lmao. That’s what this article is about. Also, if your unsupported OS gets compromised and integrated into a botnet, now your dumb preference is everyone’s problem. You’re the technological equivalent of an anti-vaxxer.
the last properly good version of Windows
8 and 8.1 were significantly more stable and performant than 7 and did not include the ads or spyware that is in 10. They failed because babies didn’t like the way they looked and threw a tantrum about it instead of just installing classicshell.
Cons outweighing the pros doesn’t magically mean there are no pros.
The only pro you’ve mentioned is “I WANT IT I WANT IT I WANT IT”. Rockstar doesn’t give a shit what you want. They want to stop wasting their devs’ time accommodating a dead platform.
Running an unsupported OS on the public internet is like refusing the covid vaccine and going to work with a fever. Would you listen to someone who does that? I wouldn’t, because any justification they come up with is going to be pants on head stupid.
I’m not arguing that 7 or 8 should be someone’s daily driver but if someone wanted to use 7 or 8 for specific games because they have nostalgia of running them on those specific OSs then they’re shit out of luck unless they want to get weird with it (like I currently do for some games on XP and Vista currently on my secondary PC).
That’s a very narrow edge case that only applies to hobbyists. Luckily, those are exactly the sort of people who have the time and motivation to figure out how to get this working. It’s not like being unable to play gta4 on a 15 year old machine is going to negatively affect your life, if you want to play it that bad use a modern machine.
Abused?
We’re talking about purchasing a software that relies on an online component to work and then deciding to keep using an OS that isn’t safe when connected to the internet.
Extended support ended a year ago for both OS and that’s for people who paid for it. How many of the people affected bought the extended support do you reckon? Because those who didn’t have been without a security update for four years now!
Pulling bad takes out of a hat is neither relevant nor interesting.
Shoo.
Bad takes? If it’s so bad you’ll have an actual rebuttal, right?
“This is plainly irrelevant.”
“Then you must have a response!”
Wrong.
Thing is, it’s not irrelevant?
“People deserve to get fucked by DRM.”
“No.”
“But what about their operating system?!”
This is trolling.
I’m not interested.
If people buy games with DRM and don’t update their OS to the point where it hasn’t received a security update in years then hell yeah the problem is the consumer, not the company shutting the door to potential security issues!
From day one, the problem is the DRM.
When a company forcibly updates a product so oven the versions that would work fine on your machine, don’t, that’s not your fault.
When that company actively prevents you from running the version your machine could plainly still run, as well (and safely) as it did yesterday, that’s an abuse.
Old OSes aren’t inherently unsafe though. You can safely use XP online if you know what you’re doing. You literally just have to be a bit more careful about what you download and where. Thankfully with places like archive.org it’s much easier to not have to go to the dodgy download sites of old to get your abandonware and whatnot.
Win 10 was a free upgrade for what, 4 years? If you’re still on 7 you asked for this.
If you’re still on 7 it’s because 10 is a frustrating mess of spyware, failed tablet schemes, and surprise forced updates. The free invitation to an aggressive downgrade was not a positive. My 7 machine installed a new goddamn operating system by itself at the peak of “10 is free!!!” malvertising, and the first thing I did was change it the fuck back.
Still - switch to Linux already.
If you’re still on 7 it’s because you’re dumb. Move to 10, buy a Mac, switch to Linux, whatever. There’s no valid reason to stay on an unsupported OS on a goddamn gaming rig.
Ubuntu 9.04 released the same year as win 7. It was supported for 5 years, vs win 7’s 14 years. Yet you don’t see anyone removed and moaning that third party devs aren’t supporting it anymore. Strange, huh?
Support’s not the issue - functional software was just yanked away. This game worked fine last week. Up-to-date and everything! Do these people get the choice to stick with that version? Do they fuck.
Nevermind that as long as your OS works for gaming, that is in fact a valid reason to keep using it on a goddamn gaming rig. Y’know. For gaming? Which it worked for? Until just now? It’s obviously not the best decision, but you can stop pretending there’s no reason to stick with the last properly good version of Windows. Cons outweighing the pros doesn’t magically mean there are no pros.
It was updated. It wasn’t yanked away, it still works fine on modern OS’s. It’s silly to assume devs will continue targeting an OS that is out of support and irrelevant. Do you expect it to run on DOS too?
It doesn’t, lmao. That’s what this article is about. Also, if your unsupported OS gets compromised and integrated into a botnet, now your dumb preference is everyone’s problem. You’re the technological equivalent of an anti-vaxxer.
8 and 8.1 were significantly more stable and performant than 7 and did not include the ads or spyware that is in 10. They failed because babies didn’t like the way they looked and threw a tantrum about it instead of just installing classicshell.
The only pro you’ve mentioned is “I WANT IT I WANT IT I WANT IT”. Rockstar doesn’t give a shit what you want. They want to stop wasting their devs’ time accommodating a dead platform.
You’re not listening and you’re not being honest.
Running an unsupported OS on the public internet is like refusing the covid vaccine and going to work with a fever. Would you listen to someone who does that? I wouldn’t, because any justification they come up with is going to be pants on head stupid.
I’m not arguing that 7 or 8 should be someone’s daily driver but if someone wanted to use 7 or 8 for specific games because they have nostalgia of running them on those specific OSs then they’re shit out of luck unless they want to get weird with it (like I currently do for some games on XP and Vista currently on my secondary PC).
That’s a very narrow edge case that only applies to hobbyists. Luckily, those are exactly the sort of people who have the time and motivation to figure out how to get this working. It’s not like being unable to play gta4 on a 15 year old machine is going to negatively affect your life, if you want to play it that bad use a modern machine.
Fair enough. I still think it sucks when companies do this though.