Fallout 3 Set to Remove Games For Windows Live Functionality

[Steven Bogos]

Fallout 3 Set to Remove Games For Windows Live Functionality

Several removed steamdb strings point to the removal of the "service" from Fallout 3.

Fallout 3, Bethesda's open-world post-apocolyptic RPG, has recently had several strings pertaining to its Games for Windows Live functionality removed, according to the folks over at Neogaf [http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=745237]. The following entries were altered:


Removed SupportsCDKeyCopyToClipboard - 0
Removed ShowCDKeyOnLaunch - 1
Removed LegacyKeyRegistryLocation - HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareValveTestApp22300SteamKey
Removed LegacyKeyRegistrationMethod - registry
Changed changenumber - 351679 ? 365235

"For those of you that do not know, GFWL cannot function unless you have a key to input. Removing the key from the registry entirely would not allow GFWL to function," explained Neogaf forum member Grief.exe.

Games for Windows Live has been dying a slow and agonizing death. The service, which was never really very popular from the start, saw several games "I give up" [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/126820-Ultra-Street-Fighter-IV-PC-Ditches-Games-For-Windows-Live].

With Fallout 3 set to have its GFWL functionality removed, it doesn't leave too many more games that rely on the service. Games that relied on the service as their sole point-of-sale, such as Gears of War and Halo 2, disappeared for sale forever when the service shut down [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/126910-Games-for-Windows-PC-Marketplace-Closes-This-Month].

Source: Neogaf [http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=745237]

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[jackpipsam]

Let me guess, now we'd be forced to use Steam to play the game.

Would it be too much to give an option to get the game from GOG?

 

[STENDEC1]

While I'm always happy to hear that devs are voluntarily updating their games to eradicate GFWL entirely, this isn't really that big of a deal when it comes to Fallout 3. There has already been a patch to remove GFWL around for years now. In fact you need it to run certain mods.

 

[rofltehcat]

Removing it hopefully pays off like it did for the Batman games. GFWL is/was just bad and it seemed like they didn't even have the intention to make it any good.
At its best you didn't really notice it beyond it asking you once or twice to create an account (or "log into your offline account", whatever sense that made). At least it didn't get in your way.
At its worst it made the game unplayable. Of course not everyone had those problems but compared to good systems like Steam it was just shit.

 

[Andy of Comix Inc]

i personally never really noticed it in fallout 3 as it was sort of there in the background not really doing anything. one thing i did take away from the article is the complete inability to buy halo and gears of war because of the closing of the marketplace.. a potential glimpse into the future when some services eventually go under?

What do you mean potential glimpse? We've already seen it happen on services that are running. This week, we had the Fallout games from GoG, Activision's Marvel games from Steam. They were because of rights issues but the point is that you now can't buy those games anywhere, same as if they were yanked from retail shelves. Difference being is that they'd still be available second-hand retail, whereas digitally... poof.

It's a great argument against a digital future, if ever there was one. Old N64 cartridges won't go away because a developer loses rights to them.

 

[Pink Gregory]

Let me guess, now we'd be forced to use Steam to play the game.

Would it be too much to give an option to get the game from GOG?

Zenimax seems to like it's DRM, unfortunately.

 

[roekenny]

Funny thing is most disabled GFWL on fallout 3 and it's DLC as it was not particualy hard to do, it was a matter of course if you modded the game.

 

[FalloutJack]

Nice image. I'll have that.

I'm a bit confused. Putting aside the general distaste the public has for GFWL, is this good for the market? Bad? I don't follow.

 

[Longstreet]

Nice image. I'll have that.

I'm a bit confused. Putting aside the general distaste the public has for GFWL, is this good for the market? Bad? I don't follow.

Neutral to the game market in general, nobody gave a shit to begin with, nobody will give a shit now. Like already said, there are plenty of mods out there to remove GFWL.

For microsoft on the other hand it's a bad thing. Since the GFWL market place shut down, there are no selling points for Halo or GoW. Which, although old game, probably still sell one or two every once in a while.

Snip
It's a great argument against a digital future, if ever there was one. Old N64 cartridges won't go away because a developer loses rights to them.

As far as i understand it, both the GoG issue and the marvel games on steam are simple rights issues, whether that is some sort of conflict or the ending of a contract i don't know, but these things can happen in brick and mortar stores aswell.


OT: Good, i just got FO3 in the GMG sale, so now i don't even have to worry about modding it out.

 

[Doom972]

While I'm always happy to hear that devs are voluntarily updating their games to eradicate GFWL entirely, this isn't really that big of a deal when it comes to Fallout 3. There has already been a patch to remove GFWL around for years now. In fact you need it to run certain mods.

My thought exactly. This game doesn't need online access to function properly anyway, which is why this patch was possible in the first place.

Still, it's good to know that the developers are taking responsibility instead of just leaving the users to figure out how to remove GFWL on their own.

 

[BloodRed Pixel]

BEST news of the year so far!!!

Now only Red Faction Guerilla must go this way and I am überhappy!

 

[008Zulu_v1legacy]

I remember the day I bought Fallout 3...

1- I bought the game.
2- I installed the game.
3- I patched the game.
4- My first mod killed the GFWL requirement.

Good times.

 

[Granfaloon]

Well that's good I suppose. Maybe next they'll patch it so it doesn't crash constantly on Windows 7... just maybe...

 

[N3squ1ck]

While I'm always happy to hear that devs are voluntarily updating their games to eradicate GFWL entirely, this isn't really that big of a deal when it comes to Fallout 3. There has already been a patch to remove GFWL around for years now. In fact you need it to run certain mods.

You also need that mod to "uncensor" the game in certain countries, like, for example, Germany.
(I will keep on bashing this country until it lifts those stupid, stupid laws)

 

[Saregon]

Well that's good I suppose. Maybe next they'll patch it so it doesn't crash constantly on Windows 7... just maybe...

I don't know if you have the same problem as me, but Fallout 3 doesn't like running on a quad-core cpu. I changed a line in the .ini file to make it only utilize 2 cores, and after this it runs flawlessly. Worth a try anyway, you can find the method on google, I don't quite remember it.

OT: Does anyone know if this means Zenimax/Bethesda will release a patch to remove GFWL for those of us who own the GotY on disc? Would be nice to know how it will affect us.

 

[Strazdas]

At its worst it made the game unplayable. Of course not everyone had those problems but compared to good systems like Steam it was just shit.

I wish this was the worst GFWL did. Try - garbling your windows installation to the point of needing a clean reinstall. Because it just has to use same registry entries as windows and delete them when uninstalling right?

Difference being is that they'd still be available second-hand retail, whereas digitally... poof.

It's a great argument against a digital future, if ever there was one. Old N64 cartridges won't go away because a developer loses rights to them.

Digital copies still exist on your computer and you can (altrough illegal in some countries) backup/share. DRM can be legally removed by cracking (it is not illegal to crack your legally bought game).

And while N64 cartridges keep degrading, digital content doesnt. Eventually there will be no cartridges left (unless we make new ones, and i know some homemade ones exist), digital however is only limited by need of trasnfering data to new physical device and hard drive can stay in storage for a loooong time.

Well that's good I suppose. Maybe next they'll patch it so it doesn't crash constantly on Windows 7... just maybe...

It sort of doesnt. I played on windows 7 for 127 hours and it only crashed once.

 

[Adventurer2626]

Hear, hear! GFWL was a pain in my arse. Now maybe I can do installs/reinstalls of my DLC in peace.

 

[FogHornG36]

Its ok, my mod manager does this already, and anyone on pc, that doesn't know about mods for fallout3 should go cry in the corner for what they have been deprived of.