Microsoft Tries to Lure THQ Back to Games for Windows Live

[Andy Chalk]

Microsoft Tries to Lure THQ Back to Games for Windows Live

THQ revealed in September that it had dropped Games for Windows Live in the upcoming Dawn of War 2: Retribution [http://www.amazon.com/Warhammer-40K-Dawn-War-Retribution-Pc/dp/B00473Y6VA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=software&qid=1288905178&sr=8-1], but Vice President Danny Bilson says Microsoft is pushing hard to bring the publisher back to its beleaguered platform.

In mid-September, THQ announced that it was joining Live [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/101570-Kane-Lynch-2-Switches-to-Steam] in close to equal measures and the switch is apparently working out pretty well for the development team too, but Bilson nonetheless suggested that the company could one day return to Microsoft's loving embrace.

"It's been easier for development [moving to Steamworks], so far, but Microsoft is really talking to me a lot about getting back on Games for Windows Live," he told Shacknews [http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/66318]. "So, it's not something I want to comment on because there are a lot of discussions going on about that right now. I like both platforms and I really, really, really like Microsoft as a partner. They're fantastic partners. I want to respect them."

"There are a lot of discussions going on about that now because it's a sensitive issue," Bilson added. "The developers really like it, but again, I have incredible respect for Microsoft and they're really fantastic partners."

You may recall that Microsoft Dawn of War [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/101550-Microsoft-Pledges-to-Save-PC-Gaming-Again] franchise isn't exactly big-time blockbuster stuff, but at this point Microsoft has to do pretty much whatever it can to stop the bleeding.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II - Reckoning is set for release in March 2011, exclusively for the PC.


Permalink

 

[Acidwell]

The only reason i stopped playing dawn of war 2 and the expansion was that gfwl kept telling me there was no internet connection, or that some services were available. And this was after making install about 3 programs i didn't want.

Sounds like the new expansion is going to be awesome.

 

[teh_Canape]

why, microsoft, why

they already left you, they won't come back unless you fix your fucking service

 

[wiredk]

ITS A TRAAAP

 

[Jhereg42]

Never had issues with GFWL or Steamworks on my copy. I always wondered why they included both, but it never messed with the gaming experience.

 

[Diligent]

Was never able to get into it because every time I tried joining a game through GFWL I would end up in this alternate-reality version of the multiplayer game where the other people were actually being controlled by broken AIs.
I would get a message like 5 mins into the game saying "aren't you going to do anything?" because in the real game I was standing idle like a dumb-ass.

 

[thedeathscythe]

I'm on mac and so I have to play this game on friends PC's. With it going to steam, it could theoretically be ported to mac later. With it being on GFWL, it would never have that opportunity, so this is good news for me! I can maybe play it one day on my own comp...fingers crossed.

 

[Tharwen]

You would have thought they'd be better at ripping off software now that they've had about a decade of practice...

Never had issues with GFWL or Steamworks on my copy. I always wondered why they included both, but it never messed with the gaming experience.

Try playing it offline...

 

[LogicNProportion]

While me pantlegs did get shorter that there's a new DoW coming out, I'm sad that they're using that crappy DoW2 system. I thought they said they were just going to make Dawn of War 3, and leave this whole micro-managing debacle.

Good points is that I LOVE Steam! >D

Bad points is that I HATE not getting 360 Achievements. D<

 

[microhive]

Seriously hope THQ won't do this. It's such a horrible platform that needs to be remade in its entirety.

Can't count how often I've had issues playing with my friends on that pathetic service.

 

[the_pleasure_is_mine]

I hope they release two versions, one with GFWL and one with Steam.

I'd much rather my copy of Retribution use GFWL!

 

[Worgen]

Never had issues with GFWL or Steamworks on my copy. I always wondered why they included both, but it never messed with the gaming experience.

it used steam as the drm and games for windows live as a matchmaking service
since steam now has better match making, relic decided to just dump gfwl since no one likes it and use steam

Ive always wondered why they didnt stick with the match making they already had with company of heroes but they did kind of rush dow2 out a bit, it launched with out many multi player maps and no mod tools, they have added them now but it certainly didnt have the financial backing of a certain star game part 2

 

[Worgen]

I hope they release two versions, one with GFWL and one with Steam.

I'd much rather my copy of Retribution use GFWL!

you have got to the the only person who has ever said that, also your sol since its dumping gfwl and not looking back

 

[the_pleasure_is_mine]

Let Microsuck and Games for Winblows Dies sink into the depths of console Hell where they belong.

Fix'd

you have got to the the only person who has ever said that, also your sol since its dumping gfwl and not looking back

I didn't understand the second bit... but still we're rare but there are a fair few of us who would rather play Retribution on GFWL. We aren't comparable to the amount of Steam fans but we do exist.

 

[tzimize]

Let Microsuck and Games for Winblows Dies sink into the depths of console Hell where they belong.

Fix'd

you have got to the the only person who has ever said that, also your sol since its dumping gfwl and not looking back

I didn't understand the second bit... but still we're rare but there are a fair few of us who would rather play Retribution on GFWL. We aren't comparable to the amount of Steam fans but we do exist.

But...its AWFUL....what is there to like about GFWL? I went through hell only to register it, and the chat/invite system is so tedious it borders on insanity...the only thing more insane than using GFWL is using both it AND steam...(like the previous dawn of war 2 did...good god whoever came up with that idea should take a bucketload of you're fired to the face).

 

[Rusty Bucket]

You would have thought they'd be better at ripping off software now that they've had about a decade of practice...

Never had issues with GFWL or Steamworks on my copy. I always wondered why they included both, but it never messed with the gaming experience.

Try playing it offline...

I played the entirety of Dawn of War 2 plus expansion with no internet connection and didn't run into any problems at all. Worked like a charm.

 

[the_pleasure_is_mine]

But...its AWFUL....what is there to like about GFWL? I went through hell only to register it, and the chat/invite system is so tedious it borders on insanity...the only thing more insane than using GFWL is using both it AND steam...(like the previous dawn of war 2 did...good god whoever came up with that idea should take a bucketload of you're fired to the face).

Well personally GFWL has never ever dicked me around. Steam has though, so I'm likely to be slightly biased in that respect.

The chat/invite/message system does wonders for me, I love the style of it and how it works. Maybe it's just me but it always runs smoothly for me. A little side note is that most of my friends are on XBL and not Steam, so I much prefer having the GFWL connections to my friends.

Well they came up with it as THQ and Microsoft were being very buddy buddy at the time with the release of Metro 2033 and the like, so they were pretty much guaranteed to use GFWL. However they wanted digital distribution so they uploaded it to Steam for the DRM and the download links.

 

[Tharwen]

You would have thought they'd be better at ripping off software now that they've had about a decade of practice...

Never had issues with GFWL or Steamworks on my copy. I always wondered why they included both, but it never messed with the gaming experience.

Try playing it offline...

I played the entirety of Dawn of War 2 plus expansion with no internet connection and didn't run into any problems at all. Worked like a charm.

Um. Well... I had to regularly switch between internet and no internet, so it was particularly hard for me.