MIcrosoft Promises Big Things Ahead for Games for Windows Live

[Andy Chalk]

MIcrosoft Promises Big Things Ahead for Games for Windows Live

Hang on to your hats, kids, because Microsoft promises, really and for true, that Games for Windows Live is going to get better.

It's kind of a tired joke by now, making fun of Microsoft's fumbling efforts to find relevance in the PC gaming scene. And in all fairness, Kevin Unangst's recent comments about the service are far from unreasonable; after all, he's not promising that Games for Windows Live will save PC gaming [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/101550-Microsoft-Pledges-to-Save-PC-Gaming-Again], just that it's going to suck less in the future.

Unangst, senior producer at Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business, said the idea of bringing things like achievements, friends lists and multiplayer matchmaking to PC gaming is a good one but Games for Windows Live got off to a rough start because it was designed first and foremost as a console service. "We also didn't back it up with the most important thing, which is doing fantastic games to take advantage of the service," he said. "A network by itself isn't valuable - there needs to be great games to take advantage."

The plan now is to address those shortcomings by seeking input from developers, like Halo [http://www.amazon.com/Fable-III-Xbox-360/dp/B002I0JGDM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1299616320&sr=8-2] did for Xbox Live, where you had Bungie and Microsoft going back and saying, 'To make a great multiplayer game here's some things I need in the service, here's my audience'," he continued. "The Age of Empires team has got a lot of great input and the same can be said for Lionhead, who said, 'We're going to build Fable 3 on the PC' and know what they want out of the service."

"The underpinnings are great," he added, noting that the Bulletstorm [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/105309-Games-for-Windows-Marketplace-Relaunches]," he said. "They're pleased with the platform and the service is going to continue to get better over time."

Maybe "getting better over time" isn't exactly shooting for the stars but you have to start somewhere and given Microsoft's ugly lurching so far, keeping expectations low probably isn't a bad idea.

Source: CVG [http://www.computerandvideogames.com/292464/news/games-for-windows-live-will-get-better-promises-ms/?cid=OTC-RSS&attr=CVG-General-RSS]


Permalink

 

[Andronicus]

Well I'm certainly convinced. How about you?

 

[Rednog]

It might actually help, if you know, they brought over their flagship games.
I mean it's like hey guys Halo really made live for the Xbox, we should probably bring it over, and several other 360 only titles, and make it a GFWL exclusive or something, that would really launch our system against other competitors and actually make us worthwhile instead of just being a useless DRM masked as a service.

 

[Azhrarn-101]

To be honest, I have never had any issues with GFW or even GFWL (unlike plenty of people here on the forums, I'm quite sure). So on a personal level, I do not dislike the service at all.
Once set up all your GFWL games log in automatically on launch and you don't even see the interface for it beyond the small pop-up early on.

The GFW marketplace however is a ham fisted attempt at creating something like steam, and fails horribly at doing so. Next to no games available, high prices, and a client that is sluggish beyond comprehension.

 

[the_pleasure_is_mine]

Go basic.

Fix the platform so that 98%+ people can use it.

Then you can work on your games and fantastic ideas.

Plus bring back daily deals, those things were brilliant.

 

[Dendio]

I care less about an achievement system and more about microsoft making sure that the big third party titles hit the pc platform and take advantage of the superior technologies present in the PC.

What happened to Marvel vs Capcom 3 for pc? Capcom just shrugged off the PC medium saying its too vulnerable to hackers. This set a dangerous precedent. Microsoft should work on encouraging developers to produce for the pc.

Find a way to better integrate the Xbox and the PC. Make them compliment each other rather than compete.

 

[Somethingfake]

God damn it, reading the headline I thought you were going to say they had scrapped it.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

Honestly, I have no reason to care anymore. The only game I have that uses it is Dawn of War 2, and now that I have Retribution, I don't need GFWL anymore.

 

[Low Key]

They aren't offering anything different from Steam other than far less games, but it's not surprising they haven't been as worried about PC multiplayer when their console service is making them way more. I'm glad they might possibly focus on that now.

 

[Fr]anc[is]

Even if I wasn't refusing to use it anyway, too little too late

 

[Easton Dark]

Wow does that picture remind me of the Steam marketplace.

 

[manaman]

Yeah, Microsoft. I'm going to trust you think time. *Wink* *wink* I can tell how serious about it you are this time around afterall.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

"I look at it as like what Halo [http://www.amazon.com/Halo-Combat-Evolved-Xbox/dp/B00005NZ1G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1299616397&sr=8-1] did for Xbox Live,

Sold off the PC rights to boost your new console sales?
Or do you mean allowing people to obsessively call each other fags?

How about you do one or more of these three things?

1) Match Steam's Prices
2) Match GoG's "Hands off DRM" policy
3) Match HotU back catalogue

Or, if you're still not shooting for the stars, get it to work and not require authentification all the time. We're not all thieves.

 

[LoganN]

I REALLY don't see how it is so bad now. It works, and it does well for a majority of the people. Most of the hate seems like it just has a bad reputation like Vista.

 

[migo]

"I look at it as like what Halo [http://www.amazon.com/Halo-Combat-Evolved-Xbox/dp/B00005NZ1G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1299616397&sr=8-1] did for Xbox Live,

Sold off the PC rights to boost your new console sales?
Or do you mean allowing people to obsessively call each other fags?

How about you do one or more of these three things?

1) Match Steam's Prices
2) Match GoG's "Hands off DRM" policy
3) Match HotU back catalogue

Or, if you're still not shooting for the stars, get it to work and not require authentification all the time. We're not all thieves.

What does HotU stand for?

I'd be interested in GFWL if Halo Reach comes out for it. Forge 2.0 has my interest. I guess AoE Online does too, but not much else would. You expect Microsoft owned IPs to get tied to GFWL, just like you expect Valve IPs to get tied to Steam, but for the rest of it I'll take Impulse or GamersGate, and unless MS drops DRM, they won't convince me to use their service in general.

There's no hope though for them to have Halo Reach PC vs 360 online matches. I'd get a kick out of fragging the poor sods who think consoles are the way to go for FPS with a much more precise pointing device.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

What does HotU stand for?

Home of the Underdogs [http://www.homeoftheunderdogs.net/]

 

[JeanLuc761]

I know this sounds cliche at this point, but there is one thing that will get me to pay strong attention to GFWL as a potential contender to Steam. Give us:

Gears of War 2
Gears of War 3
Halo 3
Halo: ODST
Halo: Reach
Fable 2



Even if they just gave us the Gears of War series, I'd be willing to forgive a lot.

 

[the_pleasure_is_mine]

Gears of War 2
Gears of War 3

Even if they just gave us the Gears of War series, I'd be willing to forgive a lot.

I think that's mainly down to Epic thinking all PC gamers are pirates...