Games for Windows PC Marketplace Closes This Month

[TomWiley]

This... is a good thing? Right?

 

[veloper]

GFWL was a hopeless case. Start again from scratch.

 

[Jumwa]

As in, you can't buy anything from it, but everything you've already bought should still work as normal.

Which is to mean: rarely ever, and barely when it does but only after great fiddling.

 

[shirkbot]

Also, people can still play their games, if they shut that down they'd have legal issues wouldn't they?

Pretty much every online service providing access to games expresses within its TOU the right to shut down with a given period of notification.

It won't protect them in any market outside the United States, as many countries have pointed out that such agreements are a crock. In all honesty, the US needs to actually work on its laws surrounding digital media and ownership rights because this is going to be a problem sooner or later, and no one is going to be happy.

OT: Well, I guess they'll just be putting those games in the Microsoft Vault, only to release them again in a couple years at new game prices. Good thing I never bought anything from the GFWL store.

 

[Infernal Lawyer]

Guys, they just got a top executive from Steam to fix the damn thing. He probably made the call to shut it down so they could fix it while the servers were off. Stop acting like they're gonna pull the plug on all their games all of a sudden (mind, it's possible...)

I just hope that I can still validate games I've bought that I, well... haven't yet (damn Steam sales).

And remember guys, when all else fails, there's always the pirate bay!

 

[Vrach]

Joy to the world, the monster's dead! I'm guessing/hoping this means no GFWL for GTA V PC port?

 

[Something Amyss]

It won't protect them in any market outside the United States, as many countries have pointed out that such agreements are a crock.

They've agreed that they can't supersede your rights, but have they actually made a proactive statement regarding the termination of a gaming service?

 

[Your Fearless Captain]

This gives a bit more credibility to the rumor that Halo 1 and 2 are coming to steam.

 

[tardcore]

The monster isn't dying. They are just putting it back on the laboratory table to splice in a few new body parts and a brain that isn't from some poor bloke named "Abby Normal". Don't worry once the new guy has it all sussed out they'll hit that sucker with a big bolt of lightning and send it lurching back out into the world to terrify the digital villagers once again.

 

[RA92]

The monster isn't dying. They are just putting back on the laboratory table to splice in a few new body parts and a brain that isn't from some poor bloke named "Abby Normal". Don't worry once the new guy has it all sussed out they'll hit that sucker with a big bolt of lightning and send it lurching back out into the world to terrify the digital villagers once again.

I like you.

OT: Well, even if you can't redownload it anymore sometimes in the future, P2P has your back, and you already paid for the license...

 

[shirkbot]

It won't protect them in any market outside the United States, as many countries have pointed out that such agreements are a crock.

They've agreed that they can't supersede your rights, but have they actually made a proactive statement regarding the termination of a gaming service?

As far as I know nobody has done anything definitive simply because it hasn't actually become a problem yet. The judiciary is an inherently reactionary institution after all and nobody wants to legislate on it because they have bigger problems to deal with.

 

[AuronFtw]

I assume it's just Holtman doing his job. Terrible product, massive joke to everyone including M$, so he comes in to axe it and rebuild it from scratch.

Makes sense to me. Considering Holtman's phenomenal work with Steam the successor to GWFL will probably be somewhat decent.

 

[BloodRed Pixel]

GfWL is sacked and assimilated into Steam. SImple as that.
(hopefully)

 

[Zipa]

Well its about time that MS stopped kidding themselves and admitted GFWL is shit.

 

[TIMESWORDSMAN]

I WARNED YOU! I SAID THIS WOULD HAPPEN!

*ahem* Real talk. This is the main reason I try to by hard-copy games whenever possible. There is no guarantee that once a service starts to die that you'll get to keep all those ethereal games you bought with corporeal dosh.
Doesn't mean it's not OK to buy up tons of games on your Steam account, just be aware that once the service goes, your cash goes with it.

More on topic: A cursory scan of the GfWL store reveals you can't get Halo 2 at all there. Guess they decided not to wait on any last minute sales.

 

[Mr Companion]

All those avid Games For Windows Live users will be livid. All two of them.

Anybody here actually buy things from there on a regular basis? Or even once?

 

[Something Amyss]

As far as I know nobody has done anything definitive simply because it hasn't actually become a problem yet. The judiciary is an inherently reactionary institution after all and nobody wants to legislate on it because they have bigger problems to deal with.

So by their very nature they haven't ruled anything of the sort.

Unless the nature of games services is defined by law, it's folly to assert legal repercussions would come of it. They could come of it, but....

 

[mad825]

If anything, I'm surprised this hasn't happened sooner. The support (updates, forums and so forth) and even the Windows market place client went dead a several months ago.

If they do reboot, I fear they may only make for Win 8.

 

[Rellik San]

The real question here;
What happens to your MS Points if the only Windows device you own is a Windows 7 PC?

 

[shirkbot]

So by their very nature they haven't ruled anything of the sort.

Unless the nature of games services is defined by law, it's folly to assert legal repercussions would come of it. They could come of it, but....

In this particular instance it is only speculation, but it's interesting speculation. Courts and law have a tendency to be almost absurdly specific.