GFWL, DRM, and Double Profiles

[Dr.Awkward]

Look up xliveless. I know it was intentionally made for GTAIV, but try using that on Bulletstorm, and you won't have to log in to GFWL.

 

[erbkaiser]

Gamers Forever Will Loathe (it).

@Dr.Awkward: I've tried XLiveLess before, and it does work on GTAIV and Fallout 3, but I never got it to work for Viva Piñata or Fable 3.

 

[william12123]

To James Crook: I think window has largely abandonned GFWL, because the system just simply DID NOT WORK. Wish they did the same for uplay, gosh darn it I hate that thing. It wasnt to heavy a client for the first few AC games but damnit it keeps getting more annoying and more useless (at least it works, unlike GFWL).

And I agree with Bat Vader: I realy wish buying it on steam could avoid jumping through hoops. I used to be a huge bioware fan, but I havent bought anything since DA2, since I know it would force me to use origin. Not terribly tempting. No EA games for me

But I dont see it changing anytime soon, seeing as most customer are not pc gamers. You'd think they would loose more money from this stuff (both from cost+lost customers) but ultimately I dont think the PC market is seen as terribly important (as you can see from the predictable 2-3 month PC release delays for the AC games).

Sidenote: As a little (pointless, petty) vengeance against these services, my usernames are usually incredibly insulting to the company making these services

 

[MetalMagpie]

Look closer next time. Steam will have in one of 2 places the extra DRM listed. Either on the right of the screen in the box below the metascore at the bottom of it it a line called "3rd Party DRM". Sometimes it is listed there. Other times below the system requirements it is listed as "Other Requirements".

This is a good tip actually.

I've been caught out with annoying DRM on super-cheap impulse purchases before (stupid Steam sales...) so I've just been through my Steam wishlist to check if they're all OK. The only one I've had to remove is Anno 2070. (Three machine activation limit. Ouch!)

 

[Evil Smurf]

it would be worth cracking it, I do own the games after all.

I just checked. Deadlight, an MS Studios game, uses Steamworks instead of GFWL. Could it be MS itself lost faith in their own service?
The last non-MS game to come out that uses GFWL is Namco's Ace Combat:Assault Horizon... Well, the game sucked anyway. But now I know Namco still exists.

Did'n't they do arcade machines?

 

[Lovely Mixture]

Yeah GFWL is a shame.

I love Dark Souls, bought it for the PC, and set up a GFWL account for it. But it gets really obtuse at times: you change your password and your automatic log-in fucks up in the most retarded way possible, refusing to log-in when you are connected it doesn't load your saves (of course, if you're offline it doesn't do this).

It's like Steam's try hard brother who can't do anything.

 

[Kotaro]

I refuse to buy games anymore if they require an account for any online service except Steam. Period. I used to be fine with it, but ever since my brief brush with Origin when I played Mass Effect 3, I've just flat-out said "No" to any game that requires me to use UPlay, GFWL, Origin, or anything of the sort. This is why I got Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon on my PS3 despite my preference with FPSes being K&M.
The only exception I'm going to make is the FFVII re-release because A. I already have an account with Squeenix, and B. it will only require a log-in exactly once, when installing. Also because I'm going to use a set of mods that will end up removing the online features out of necessity for them to function anyway.

 

[aSmo]

Had a similar situation with HOMM6 purchased on a Steam sale, except I couldn't get the game to work initially. I've had issues in the past with Gotham City Heroes and GFWL but at least those didn't prevent me from playing the game. GFWL sucks, but Uplay is fscking terrrrible. Registration menu didn't work, cloud save syncing fails 3/4 attempts (not exaggerating) and takes forever, besides there are no options to disable it in favor of offline saving. Online 'features' are basically non-existent. Uplay itself lacks basic functionality, account management options, and overall seems very poorly implemented. Ubi customer support took 3 days to respond to a ticket. All this, and not a single demonstrable benefit to using uplay in sight.

I wouldn't have purchased the game had I know uplay was required. I'll probably avoid GFWL as well, now that i'll be checking for 3rd party DRM every purchase. I sent Steam a firm but polite request to label games requiring 3rd party DRM more clearly, or even requiring explicit acknowledgement. I'd suggest anyone having problems with it do the same. I love digital distribution, but it needs to work FOR consumers not against. I'd really like to see Steam put pressure on publishers to take a more customer-friendly stance on DRM.

TL;DR: Don'y buy anything uplay. Check for 3rd party DRM. Open a ticket and tell Steam to label 3rd party DRM clearer, or eliminate it entirely.

lol edit: Just went to play during lunch break and syncing failed while loading the game. It doesn't even fail back to local saves! The cloud has failed! I have no savegames! Fear, fire, foes! Awake!

 

[Bat Vader]

I, personally, don't have a problem with publisher services such as Uplay or Rockstar's Social Club. At least the publisher, from which we bought the game, is responsible for the service. I just wish Uplay just had an overlay and no launcher, but oh well, as long as it works.
That's not the case with Games for Windows Live. That fucking thing is an abomination. A monstrosity. NO publisher has ANY reason to force that shit down the throat of ANY gamer they'd wish to sell the game to. This thing hasn't been updated in years, will make you pay to change gamertag, won't allow you to transfer your profile to another Microsoft account unless you log on to an Xbox (now that these two services are tied together)... Jesus.

Oh just wait until you stop playing for a while, then install some updates like a new video card driver, and want to continue playing. All of a sudden GFWL decides you are on a new PC, and your profiles won't load.

GFWL is the cancer of achievement systems.

it ruined the Batman games for me, I've not played more then 5 minutes thanks to shitty DRM, on top of that Microsoft won't give me a discount, I may contact the ombudsman.

I heard that Batman: Arkham Origins will be using Steamworks for its DRM. Sucks that Arkahm Asylum and Arkham City use GFWL but luckily and hopefully it will use Steamworks instead.