Microsoft is at the Games Developer Conference this week, and the company is trying to convince games makers that Windows 10 is the platform for all their titles. Part of that involves SDKs, demonstrations, and sessions to talk to developers directly. One such session was "new opportunities for independent developers" with a fascinating talk from Microsoft’s Chris Charla on Wednesday.

Charla explained the intricacies of game and app development for Windows 10 and the Xbox One, but one particular slide stood out from the rest: the one with the IBM XT depicting Windows 7.

Windows 7 is the new Windows XP

While Charla’s slide is clearly a subtle poke at Windows 7, it does speak somewhat to Microsoft’s position on its popular operating system. Windows 10 is where the company is heading, and it’s also what Microsoft really needs everyone to upgrade to and buy into. Windows 7 is already turning into another Windows XP as businesses shun Windows 8 and consumer feedback has been negative around Microsoft’s latest update.

There’s a reason Microsoft named it Windows 10 and not Windows 9. When consumers look at their machines over the next few years and eventually realize they have Windows 7 and can’t run cool universal Windows 10 apps, they’re going to feel a lot more behind than if it was named Windows 9. It’s a small and subtle bump that has the same effect as stores pricing items as 99 cents instead of $1. It’s a mind game, and let’s face it Windows 7 is really old. It will be six years old in October, and that’s a long time in this modern technology era. Microsoft will take any opportunity to remind everyone that Windows 7 is really old as Windows 10 approaches. That free upgrade will suddenly look mighty tempting to everyone running the ancient and old-fashioned Windows 7.

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