Skip to main content

Long read: The beauty and drama of video games and their clouds

"It's a little bit hard to work out without knowing the altitude of that dragon..."

If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.

New Games for Windows Live released

Adds convenient in-game Marketplace.

Microsoft has rolled out a brand-new version of Games for Windows - Live.

The in-game Marketplace heads the bill, and allows you to both buy and install extra content without exiting games.

Live accounts, therefore, can also be managed in-game; Microsoft Points can be bought, card details tweaked, Gamertags changed and codes redeemed. How very convenient.

Microsoft has taken the opportunity to add some anti-piracy measures to Games for Windows - Live, too.

The first of these is server-side authentication, which links Gamertags to game licences, so a PC game can be installed anywhere the Gamertag goes. This doesn't affect offline play, apparently.

The other measure is zero-day piracy protection, which has Games for Windows - Live preventing games being played before actual release.

You can download Games for Windows - Live version 3 from the official website now.