Games for Windows Die

[Shamus Young]

Games for Windows Die

The closing of the marketplace is not a big deal. It barely worked and I doubt it did all that much business. Most people didn't buy games through the marketplace. Instead, they bought the game in the store or on Steam and GFWL came along for the ride.

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[Johnson McGee]

With at least some of the GFWL tied games there are mods available that will patch your (legitimate) copy of the game so that you can run it normally without the GFWL overlay or lockdown. I did this for my steam copy of Fallout 3 when a GFWL related bug made it unplayable without the mod.

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

Meanwhile, Yesterday...

Bet Shamus Young was/will be pissed when he finds this comes up after this news story.

 

[Thunderous Cacophony]

With at least some of the GFWL tied games there are mods available that will patch your (legitimate) copy of the game so that you can run it normally without the GFWL overlay or lockdown. I did this for my steam copy of Fallout 3 when a GFWL related bug made it unplayable without the mod.

I've heard of those as well. It seems like the best way for Microsoft to avoid the majority of flak would be to release an official version of that mod (or something similar). Of course, someone and some game will have problems, then there will be another round of complaining, but that can't be helped.

 

[InsanityRequiem]

Meanwhile, Yesterday...

Bet Shamus Young was/will be pissed when he finds this comes up after this news story.

Shamus's point still stands, since that is only a rumor. Which must never be believed until it actually happens. So when/if Games for Windows Live shuts down, we'll get a reaction most likely.

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

Meanwhile, Yesterday...

Bet Shamus Young was/will be pissed when he finds this comes up after this news story.

Shamus's point still stands, since that is only a rumor. Which must never be believed until it actually happens. So when/if Games for Windows Live shuts down, we'll get a reaction most likely.

Still, Must be annoying to type up something like that only for something like that to you up.

 

[Not Lord Atkin]

can't help but feel that the best solution would be to patch GFWL out of the games. This may or may not deny users access to their previously saved games but I think that's a small price to pay.

 

[wulfgar_red]

the best thing about GFWL are bugs that stop you from playing game. for one game i had to edit registry and some game just wont work on windows 2008 r2 :/

about patching GFWL after shutdown... i believe its called crack
only game saves are problem

 

[yatterman1]

well there goes my copy of bioshock 2 and fallout 3 eh oh well guess could be worse, guess it really does not matter since lost bioshock 2 disk long ago and fallout 3 i have not played since i got Vegas ultimate edition. i did not really like windows live anyways it was too messed up server wise and support for it technical wise was horrible, and i rather play things on steam anyways.

 

[vun]

Last time I checked you can create offline GFWL accounts, so even if the service goes down you can keep playing singleplayer games with little issue, unless GFWL requires a phone home before it will even work.

And, as someone mentioned earlier, there are patches that remove GFWL from at least some games.

Edit:
As for updating the GFWL in games you've already installed, couldn't that be fixed by an installer that either scans for installations of it or lets you tell it where they are, and then update or remove the files, depending on the direction they choose?

 

[Dev Null]

GFWL still looks like text speak for "godawful" to me...

 

[TiberiusEsuriens]

I agree with Shamus, this closure/redesign comes at the exact same time that EA is launching their improvements to Origin. With the next gen around the corner existing PC platforms are pushing up the competition.

 

[RicoADF]

Honestly I think they'd either have the new steam like software mearly have a compatibility module put in so the older gfwl games calling up gfwl ends up calling its replacement up. Wouldn't be hard for Microsoft to implement. Either that or you can just claim your games on their service by putting your key into an activate system like steam does with physical games.

Meanwhile, Yesterday...

Bet Shamus Young was/will be pissed when he finds this comes up after this news story.

Not necessarily, as stated above gfwl being shut down doesn't necessarily mean games will be abandoned.

 

[proghead]

Last time I checked you can create offline GFWL accounts, so even if the service goes down you can keep playing singleplayer games with little issue, unless GFWL requires a phone home before it will even work.

Dirt 3 for example will not store your SP campaign progress unless you have an online profile. Stupid, right?

 

[erbkaiser]

The Batman games at least have gotten Steam achievements. So has Bioshock 2. Some games like Dirt3 have the code set, but those aren't active yet.
GTAIV and Episodes have also appeared with the flag active, although no Achievements exist yet.

I am pretty sure this is the case for more games, so that when GFWL does get mercy-killed, many games will be updated to use Steamworks instead.

I guess the only "dead" games will be Microsoft's own.

 

[vun]

Last time I checked you can create offline GFWL accounts, so even if the service goes down you can keep playing singleplayer games with little issue, unless GFWL requires a phone home before it will even work.

Dirt 3 for example will not store your SP campaign progress unless you have an online profile. Stupid, right?

Oh yeah, I have actually played Dirt 3, but I just forgot about Windows Live since it seems Dirt 3 doesn't use the GFWL overlay client. I could be wrong, though, I just seem to remember the online stuff being integrated in the actual game rather than as an annoying overlay.

And yeah, that's pretty stupid. Seems most driving games these days shove online features in your face when you start them, rather than just take you to the menu. Actually plenty of games do this. I miss the days when being taken straight to the menu and given the option to just start playing was the norm. With driving games it seems like you first have to tell them that you don't want an online account, dismiss a dialogue box saying "oh but then your friends won't see your lap times, are you sure you want this?", then get to the menu, then you can finally start navigating the menu and try to find the easiest way to get driving.

 

[Olas]

GFWL, welcome to the Microsoft brand graveyard, we have Zunes.

Seriously, does anyone else get the feeling that Microsoft is simply incapable of doing anything well, like... at all? I mean, I guess Windows 7 was met with positively, but even that's just for actually being adequate (compared to it's predecessor). Whenever I look at Microsoft products I get the impression they were designed by some alien lifeform that's trying very hard to understand humans and how they think, but just can't quite get it.

 

[neppakyo]

PLEASE let GFWL shut down. Sure, I won't be able to play my games without cracks, but the shit storm that would pile on MS is worth it.

 

[Something Amyss]

With at least some of the GFWL tied games there are mods available that will patch your (legitimate) copy of the game so that you can run it normally without the GFWL overlay or lockdown. I did this for my steam copy of Fallout 3 when a GFWL related bug made it unplayable without the mod.

Some games, according to my friends who have more GFWL titles than I do, say that some devs have already patched it out.

so you don't even need to crack it, in some cases. Hopefully, nobody will.

Ive always hated third party DRM on my already DRMed Steam titles.

Meanwhile, Yesterday...

Bet Shamus Young was/will be pissed when he finds this comes up after this news story.

And that was my first thought, but as people mentioned there Shamus mentioned here and I'll mention again now, they just brought on Jason Holtman. It seems unlikely they're actually shutting down 4 realz.

A relaunch seems more likely, and I've seen comments that more recent games are going Steamworks.

Shamus's point still stands, since that is only a rumor. Which must never be believed until it actually happens. So when/if Games for Windows Live shuts down, we'll get a reaction most likely.

I don't know, that information was awful specific.

Calling it a rumour at this point seems like the very slightest of ass-covering. Like the Obama administration's "alleged" drone strikes killing civilians. Or the plant people from Mars.

...Oh dear, I've said too much.

 

[Something Amyss]

PLEASE let GFWL shut down. Sure, I won't be able to play my games without cracks, but the shit storm that would pile on MS is worth it.

IT would also keep future games off the platform, which strikes me as "for the greater good" at this point.