As Vista was grandly introduced to the world on Monday, computer game publisher WildTangent accused Microsoft's new operating system of ruining many common computer games. The US firm WildTangent alleged that the world's largest software maker "has gone overboard" by making Vista so secure it blocks or disables play.

Vista "breaks" games from Microsoft's online MSN service as well as from game websites operated by Yahoo, America Online, and RealArcade, according to WildTangent chief executive Alex St. John.

Vista parental controls that enable adults to restrict what children access with computers also will block downloads of family-friendly games not rated by the Electronic Software Ratings Board, St. John alleged.

WildTangent said it spent a year crafting game console software that was compatible with Vista. The "Vista Ready Console" was available for free download at wildtangent.com.