I very much doubt Microsoft will bother to support Vulkan if AAA studios don't ask for it.
They will eventually, when they'll get fed up with MS lock-in stupidity. In order for it to happen, competing market should put more pressure on MS. MS drops lock-in only from fear of competition. And it will eventually happen - there is no need for reinventing the wheel.
People call that MS tax, since it makes their development more costly. Whether it's developers who work on their own engines, or engine developers who provide their engines for others, this cost is passed to the end user in the form of more bugs, slower development and so on. No sane developer appreciates lock-in. But currently they have no choice.
I really bet none of those ever walked the floors of GDC.
Anyone who thinks and cares about progress and doesn't drink Koolaid served by MS and Co. Surely not lock-in freaks, who frame their tax on the industry as something positive.
> I really bet none of those ever walked the floors of GDC.
You sound like GDC is owned by MS, or it's ought to be. Are you paid by them? Either way, it's a very poor way to measure opinions or their value. Find something better.
No one in GDC hallways speak of lock-in as activists believe they do.
There were many talks on GDC about Vulkan which discussed lock-in issues that it can solve.
And surely you don't expect MS and its cahoots to talk about lock-in. They are pushing it to mess up everyone else, so they aren't going to bring this crooked practice into the spotlight.