Gabe Newell Hates Windows 8? Blizzard Supports Valve Chief’s Statement That Microsoft’s Next OS Is ‘A Catastrophe’

Rob Pardo, the executive vice president of game design at the studio responsible for Diablo 3, had quoted the Valve chief on his personal Twitter account. He added that Blizzard shares similar sentiments about Microsoft's upcoming operating system.

nice interview with Gabe Newell-'I think Windows 8 is a catastrophe for everyone in the PC space*-- not awesome for Blizzard either, the tweet read, which was published on the social media website on Wednesday.

Until this point discussion on Windows 8 has been relatively quiet when it comes to those in the video game industry, until Newell sparked the debate. The claims made by Newell are said to have been in regards to Microsoft wanting to have more control over various applications and purchases made through Windows 8. However, Microsoft has not disclosed the full details.

There's a strong temptation to close the platform, Newell said. They look at what they can accomplish when they limit the competitors' access to the platform, and they say, 'That's really exciting.

At Seattle's Casual Connect, he said that that Microsoft could drive some top players out of the market with Windows 8.

I think we'll lose some of the top-tier PC/OEMs, who will exit the market. I think margins will be destroyed for a bunch of people. If that's true, then it will be good to have alternatives to hedge against that eventuality.

This is believed to be in reference to the Windows Store that will be included in Windows 8, which could restrict companies' options to sell their software directly. The Redmond, Wash.-based company will take a 30 percent royalty cut of each sale made through the store. This is essentially Microsoft's answer to Apple's App store, and any Metro-enabled apps will have to go through the store itself.

For the gaming community, Windows has always been hailed for its flexibility and open source operating systems, which significantly distinguishes it from Apple. Newell's concern is that Windows 8 will become a platform closer, and some PC makers could be forced out of the market because of dwindling sales margins as Time acknowledges.

The PC is the crux of Valve's market, and as Erik Kain of Forbes writes, Newell's words could have some weight to them.

When Gabe Newell, who tends to have a pretty good sense of the 'PC space' says Windows 8 is a catastrophe and that his company is hedging with Linux, it's probably a good idea to listen close, Kain writes.

Windows 8, which was announced more than a year ago, is Microsoft's answer to the changing digital ecosystem of tablet and mobile dominance. The Metro-style interface is catered to these types of devices, but it is unclear how this concept will translate to desktop PCs. It's clear that Microsoft is giving its OS a radical overhaul with Windows 8, but will loyal PC lovers adapt to this sharp shift?

Why have they put a tablet interface on my desktop system? is the question that many users may be asking, as Ars Technica points out.

The release date for Windows 8 is October 26, and the company's Windows Phone 8 is likely to launch around the same time.

What are your thoughts on Windows 8? Sound off in the comments below.