It seems as if it was just yesterday when the entirety of the internet was in an uproar over Microsoft’s Windows Vista operating system and couldn’t wait for Windows 7 to come along and soothe their jangled nerves. Three years later, it is time for the vicious cycle to repeat itself once more as we are on the precipice of Windows 8 launching and easing the troubles felt by a small portion of the population that has been enjoying Windows 7. Today at the company’s annual sales meeting, an official date was given for the release of Microsoft’s latest software upgrade: October 26.

Windows 8 has obvious implications on the general technology community, but it’s within the video game industry that many of its more interesting possibilities lie. For example, SmartGlass will make its debut with the operating system and, from this point forward, will be a required implementation in all of the publisher’s first-party exclusives.

When Windows 8 launches on October 26, it will be available both as an upgrade from Windows 7 and as a new operating system for those woefully stuck even further in the past.