MS: New PC Marketplace not like Steam

By Tom Bramwell Published 26 October, 2010

Claims it has "different vision".

Microsoft has said that its relaunch of the Games for Windows Marketplace next month will be distinct from existing services and will be flexible about publishers' DRM requirements.

"We have a different vision that runs parallel to what [Steam] is doing," group product manager Peter Orullian told Kotaku, describing PC games as "a place where we are doubling down", whatever that means.

Microsoft also said that it would allow publishers to offer games with a choice of DRM (or not) depending on their own requirements.

The idea of the relaunch, taking place on 15th November, will be to, "bring some of the rigor, thought and success we've had on console to bear in the PC space," according to Orullian.

Microsoft has said that the relaunch will include a "great pre-order" offer (current speculation points to the PC version of Fable III), and will be followed by a rating system and pre-order incentives.

The company has previously stated its ambition to have day-and-date releases for new games, rather than adding them to the service following retail launches.

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About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000. Follow him on Twitter.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (25) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • TheWretched #1 2 years ago

    Steam also supports "publishers' DRM requirements"... I can't see, what MS is trying to do, other than split the market, with which they will most likely not succeed.

  • AaronTurner #2 2 years ago

    Hope it works out, more choice = better prices.

  • Widge #3 2 years ago

    APPARENTLY DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION IS SHIT ACCORDING TO EVERYONE ON HERE

  • tossetaz #4 2 years ago

    I doubt MS is trying to do anything different - I'm pretty sure they are just trying to get a share of the market which Steam has conquered after having failed the first time around with GFWL. It would have been better had they announced that they would require games to only feature the MS DRM - I don't see how having different kinds of DRM i a good thing for the consumer.

  • bad09 #5 2 years ago

    "Microsoft also said that it would allow publishers to offer games with a choice of DRM (or not) depending on their own requirements."

    So like Steam it's DRM over DRM. Great still at least DRM stops the pirates as well as pissing on consumers....oh wait....

    TBH, I'll probably look at the new Marketplace with keen interest, Steam's offline mode failed to kick in so I'm not putting my eggs all in one basket from now on....even if that basket has a pretty library page to drool over.

    Edited by bad09 at 26/10/10 @ 14:09

  • arcam #6 2 years ago

    I don't understand - what makes it different to Steam? After reading the headline I presumed that would be in the article...

  • Shakey_Jake33 #7 2 years ago

    Isn't this the forth time they've 'relaunched' GamesForWindows?

    The reality is that Microsoft made a mistake when they rejected Steam when the idea was initially proposed to them. Steam is obviously the major player in the PC digital space now, and offer not only a marketplace but also solutions such as Steamworks to make things easier for developers. Smaller companies such as Direct2Drive have managed to gain a following of their own by looking at what makes Steam so successful (such as the offers) and providing their own alternatives. GamesForWindows has failed against these competitors because Microsoft failed to offer anything of interest - pricing is terrible, the marketplace is severely limited in content, and no-one likes having Live integrated into their games. I'd like to think Microsoft have learnt their lesson here, but we've been here a few times already.

  • butler` #8 2 years ago

    Yeah.

  • StooMonster #9 2 years ago

    "We have a different vision that runs parallel to what [Steam] is doing ... a place where we are doubling down"

    Hmm, wonder if they'll allow multiple downloads on one machine or on several (as per Steam), or if you pay for more than one download or can simply only download once, these days I also take advantage of Mac versions too (although not much to be fair); also wonder if one will always need to be connected?

    bad09: I know you recently had a bad Steam Off-Line experience, but I've used it many times with my laptop and never had an issue with it.

    What does "doubling down" mean? I Googled the term, and it's either a KFC Chicken sandwich or in Blackjack means the player option of doubling their bet and receiving one and only one more card after the initial two cards which only works if the player has a good hand or if the dealer has a bad hand.

  • OnlyMe #10 2 years ago

    Of course it won't be like Steam. They will offer fewer games for more money. This is Microsoft after all.

  • hoonatic #11 2 years ago

    I think GFW is the unwanted step-child of Microsoft, where the Xbox division is the shining star. So whenever GFW has another go at gaining traction, they are hammered down again internally as they are seen as detracting from the "real" Microsoft gaming platform. (see PC version of Alan Wake - I think it was killed as they make more money from each 360 copy then each PC copy).

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #12 2 years ago

    GFWL is only worse than steam because it's half-arsed. If Microsoft put sufficient effort into the client, the library and their pricing, then it has a reasonable chance of catching them up.

    MS aren't one for abandoning platforms when they're being beaten (except perhaps if they've got something else to replace them with as in 360 for Xbox 1 and WP7 for the Kin debacle), they've still got Zune on the go, for goodness sake.

  • kestral #13 2 years ago

    Do they even know what they're saying? Microsoft has such a problem communicating clearly.
    Edited by kestral at 26/10/10 @ 11:17

  • sneetch #14 2 years ago

    @StooMonster

    I hope it's the KFC Chicken sandwich one. :)

    From the Kotaku article:

    "Where Steam uses a single proprietary system, Games for Windows will have a much more flexible approach.

    The Marketplace will work with nearly all forms of digital rights management, Microsoft told Kotaku. Instead it will allow publishers to submit a pre-protected or unprotected build of their game with their choice of DRM. Microsoft will then distribute the builds on the Marketplace along with the appropriate activation keys."

    Maybe I'm missing something but this seems nonsensical: Steam already allows publishers to use their own, third-party, DRM (worse luck, see any Ubisoft game released for the last while) so I don't see how this is such a great selling point. It seems like the great differentiator they give is something that Steam has been doing for ages.

    I have to wonder if they know the competition at all?

  • bad09 #15 2 years ago

    "so I don't see how this is such a great selling point

    It's a selling point for publishers who get a hard on for piling inconvenience on paying consumers in a bid to promote the ease you get with piracy to them.

  • sneetch #16 2 years ago

    @bad09

    In that case, where do I sign up? ;)

  • hiddenranbir #17 2 years ago

    Yes Steam allows own DRM but that is -in addition- to Steam.

    What MS is doing is similar to GamersGate or Impulse, where the is only one DRM; the one the publisher wants.

  • Whizzo #18 2 years ago

    One of the biggest problems with GFWL is that until it has a desktop client that allows you to use Live features without being in a Live game it's never going to get anywhere.

    It's also something people have been saying since day one and yet Microsoft still haven't done it and don't appear to be correcting that fundamental mistake.

  • leketin #19 2 years ago

    double down is the same as stake everything. Gabe's apparantly going to hit the jackpot then +)

  • HistoryTeller #20 2 years ago

    Why dont just mix it up with Xbox Live? Achievements, friend list, the whole thing?

  • StooMonster #21 2 years ago

    Whizzo: One of the biggest problems with GFWL is that until it has a desktop client that allows you to use Live features without being in a Live game it's never going to get anywhere.

    Start | Games for Windows - LIVE

    Although flawed as it only lets you check Points Balance, spend Points on games and DLC, download demos, and manage folders WfWL uses but it doesn't let you view your Achievements or game scores. It's all about the money.

    Then again, I guess their excuse is that you can see achievements and gamescores for your Live-ID by logging into Xbox.com -- so they're not duplicating functionality.

  • sneetch #22 2 years ago

    @HistoryTeller
    Why dont just mix it up with Xbox Live? Achievements, friend list, the whole thing?

    They do, your achievements and friends list are shared between XBox Live and Windows Live.

  • sneetch #23 2 years ago

    @hiddenranbir
    Yes Steam allows own DRM but that is -in addition- to Steam.

    What MS is doing is similar to GamersGate or Impulse, where the is only one DRM; the one the publisher wants.

    Having Steam DRM doesn't appear to be a requirement for selling games on Steam, for example the old XCom games on Steam don't seem to have any DRM whatsoever, as in you can copy the entire game to another PC (without Steam installed) and play it from there.

    I'd say that Valve would have no problem allowing you to sell without any protection from them (it's no skin off their noses). It's just seems to be an API they offer to publishers and I don't see how it's all that beneficial for publishers to exclude it from copies of their game that are sold on Steam (at the least).

  • hiddenranbir #24 2 years ago

    Games from defunct?

    What about modern ones? And again, compare with Impulse, GG, etc.

  • Matthew_Hornet #25 2 years ago

    Microsoft in Lost Touch With Reality, Years Late to the Party and Still Doing It Wrong Shocker!

    News at 11.