Yes - 64 bit

Yes - 12 gigs RAM

Yes - Very sad current consoles have us stuck in 32-bit (most aren't even LAA)

64-bit allows access to greater amounts of memory available to programs. 32-bit is (for the most part) locked to the 2gb limit per program.

The 2gb thing is a Microsoft licensing problem...

Go to professional 32 bit windows OS and you don't need a 64 bit OS...  go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_Address_Extension#Microsoft_Windows and look at the 32 bits limit... Well windows 2000 32 bit datacenter was already able to access 32 gb ram...

In fact, since the pentium pro from 1995, processor are 36 bits... and the today called 64 bits processor are in fact 48 bits... Original x86-64 was 40 bits, can be extended to 52 bits in future processor generation using the same architecture...

By the way, original windows xp was able to use more that 4 gb ram by using PAE... but these feature was removed with the service pack 2 and limit the OS to only 4 gb ram...

Well, windows server 2003 32 bits have a limit of 128GB and Win7 x64 home have a limit of 8 gb ( premium at 16 gb and from the pro version, 192 gb )...

So, sure, for people having more that 128gb ram, it is a good thing to move on a 64 bits OS...

For the curious, read the article at http://www.geoffchappell.com/notes/windows/license/memory.htm ...

Sure, there is reason to upgrade your OS or system... by example, computer processor have evolve from MMX to AVX ( http://software.intel.com/en-us/avx/ ) via SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3, SSE4, XOP, FMA4, CVT16... old OS don't support new features from hardware ( by example, i need to create a boot USB with driver for my SAS system else the install CD of XP pro x64 cannot find any of my 8 SATA drive connected via the SAS interface )... directx10 and up don't exist for XP... unless a hack version is used... look at the picture of FSX at http://www.techmixer.com/download-directx-10-for-windows-xp/ ... see the difference between directx 9 and directx10 ( until now, there is no way ( hack ) to use directx11 with XP ...

So, there is plenty of reason for upgrade to newer OS or hardware but not the usual reason like the memory limit... who is not a hardware limit but a Microsoft licensing limit... In fact, people using Linux 32 bit or MAC OS X 32 bit don't have these 2 or 4gb limit !!!

Yes, Microsoft deliberately lowered the 32-bit memory ability of newer Windows OSs.

Yes my system is 64 bit. I barely play games on my system. The games I want to load only work well on 32 bit systems. 32 or 64 bit does not make a difference when I buy a game, I just want it to work.

@Kona0197

What games are you having problems with ?

I have Win 7 x64 Home premium with 16gb of RAM.... the full 16g is seen/accessible on my system.

To clear things up a little. Microsoft Windows 32-bit OS can only utilize 3.25gb of memory, 64-bit can utilize anything over this figure .

Command & Conquer The First Decade. Games written for Windows 95, 98, and XP don't work to well in 64 bit 7. I have about half of the C&C games that come in The First Decade to work.

The Game Of Life does not like to work either. 32 bit only.

One question: what's the difficulty with making a game 64-bit?  Does it make doing a game easier or harder?

I'm curious if this is an engineering issue, or just an accessibility issue?

Alstein, the only problem is that you have to write separate code for both systems. It's not otherwise harder to do things in 64bit, except for possible hardware incompatibilities (due to lack of 64bit drivers). So it wouldn't be harder to make a 64bit only game, compared to a 32bit only game.

I've run Wolfenstein 3D and TerraNova 'in' Win7 64 .....both Dos games even, not Windows at all....;)

I run 64-bit versions of Windows and I do play games. I'd be excited to see 64-bit games because I want to see what developers can do. It certainly wouldn't be my only point of consideration; I'm not going to run out and buy a 64-bit game I have zero interest in. But it may push me over the edge.

1 - Yes 

2- Yes

3 - No.  The genre, reviews and word of mouth would carry a lot more weight than the game's architecture.

Yes

Yes

Yes (I like big maps with lots of units)

Try running the games I listed. You will see they will not run under a 64 bit setup.

I don't have them so cannot try.

I think the oldest I'm using 'natively' is probably Unreal Tournament..... or NFS Porsche...UT dates back to Win95 or so ....NFSP dates to 2000.

MechWarrior 4...2000....Heck...even Halo is 9 years old ...;)

I have run Windows 7 64bit since 2009. Very few problems so far.

As for the problematic games - the problem lies most often not in binary incompatibility, but in differences in registry or paths, or write permissions on directories and files. Most often it's installer that fails.

I was able to run C&C Generals, but I remember having to edit some ini file.

I am quite satisfied with Windows 7 as a gaming and entertainment OS - I do all my work and sensitive stuff (like online banking, ssh connections to servers I administer) on Ubuntu.

Yes, yes.

And pretty much the general consensus here.  Good gameplay is what I want from a game, yet pushing the envelope with the technologies available help to enhance the gameplay experience, as well as to continue technological advancement, would absolutely be an added incentive to purchase it.

Win7 Starter : 2gb for 32bit, don't exist in 64bit

Win7 home basic : 4gb for 32bit, 8gb for 64bit

Win7 home premium : 4gb for 32bit, 16gb for 64bit

Win7 pro, ent, ult : 4gb for 32bit, 192gb for 64bit

...

Win 7 ult 32bit with some license hack can reach 128gb... in fact, only 64gb can be used if Nx bit is enable in the bios...

Good job I have win 7 Ultimate . I have 12gb atm. It's more than enough for me

I know I got Tiberian Sun to work there just fine (with network support, too, although it required a bit of searching around on the net).

You don't even need to do that on most occasions. The only difference between 32-bit and 64-bit code when using C is that some variables have a different size allocated to them, and even that is for only a few rarely used types. I believe that it would be rather different in Assembly language, but with a higher level language, there is hardly any difference, since it's the compiler that is tasked to output 64-bit code.

Yes, Yes, Depends on whether or not the game is good in the first place.

Does this question hint that Fallen Enchantress will be 64 bit?     

Would that mean my random maps will be so big i can see them from space?