As Microsoft moves to unify Xbox and PC, the failure of Games for Windows Live still haunts Phil Spencer.

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“ Hardware locks our software and our platforms together at the beginning of the generation.

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“The amount I see Games for Windows Live come up in my Twitter feed when we talk about PC gaming, it’s staggering,” Spencer, Head of Xbox, said. “We are committed to this space…. We know we have a lot to prove.”It's true. Microsoft has its heart in the right place, its 2016 goals look strong, and it's making huge, important moves, but it's still repeating the mistakes of its past.At Microsoft’s Spring Showcase event in San Francisco last week, Phil Spencer spoke at length about a new philosophy for Microsoft: Marrying Xbox and PC gaming. Spencer has said for nearly two years that PC gaming is important to Xbox and its audience, and to gamers as a whole, but it isn’t until now we’re finally seeing the fruits of that ambition come to bear -- both in terms of games we can play and what Spencer has to say.Those people can play Forza Motorsport 6: The major flaw with generational hardware, Spencer explained, is that “Hardware locks our software and our platforms together at the beginning of the generation.” For about a decade, these machines allow software innovation while restricting hardware innovation “while other platforms get better, faster, stronger.”That could change with Xbox One, particularly as it draws more and more from PC initiatives -- whether it’s Early Access, user interface options, business models, and more.Spencer believes “we will see more innovation in the console hardware space than we’ve ever seen. We’ll see us come out with new hardware capability during the generation, and allow us to run the same games forward and backward compatible.”With Microsoft’s drive to marry its ecosystems -- with “Universal Windows Applications” running on the “Universal Windows Platform” -- Microsoft can “focus more on hardware innovations without invalidating the games that run on that platform.”Old games and new games can coexist without the player losing anything, regardless of whether it’s a PC, Xbox One, or whatever comes next. Cross-Buy is a huge step in the right direction.This all sounds great, but the fatal flaw is the Windows 10 Store, an exclusionary marketplace that actively ignores PC gamers’ needs and contradicts Spencer’s intent. Limiting access to Windows 10 games (which are already restricted by their operating system) from players goes against everything Spencer’s otherwise rousing speech about PC gaming stands for.Microsoft can’t have it both ways. It can’t limit what players can access while simultaneously espousing a philosophy of inclusion. The intent is good, but it’s clear there isn’t a full commitment to gamers or games as Spencer says -- it’s a commitment to Microsoft platforms.If Microsoft is truly committed to the PC gamer, and really means to have a more neutral stance about how and where its players enjoy its games, Windows 10 games cannot be exclusive to the Windows 10 store. This is a backward line of thinking that aligns with Spencer’s frustrations about software relying on hardware during console transitions. For Microsoft’s PC initiative to avoid going directly against Spencer’s commendable goals, games absolutely must exist wherever players of any stripe want to play -- or Microsoft will repeat its mistakes with Games for Windows Live.Indeed, Microsoft has a lot to prove.

Mitch Dyer is an Editor at IGN. Talk to him about Dota 2, movies, books, and other stuff on Twitter at @MitchyD and subscribe to MitchyD on Twitch