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Windows Live Marketplace likely - MS News

PC News by Tom Bramwell

7 March, 2008

Microsoft wants to bring something along the lines of Xbox Live Marketplace to Games for Windows Live.

"You can be confident we want to enable things like digital distribution, the ability to do downloadable content for games - that's a direction we're definitely headed in," GfW senior global director Kevin Unangst told Eurogamer in an interview published today.

"We don't have anything specific to announce in terms of timeframes right now."

Unangst also reflected on some of the lessons learned during GfW's first year. "Going out of the gate, we weren't as clear as we should have been that Games for Windows Live on the PC is free," he admitted.

"You don't have to pay for Gold. If you want to play cross-platform games, that's when you need a Gold subscription...

"We were not as clear as we could have been. People assumed we were trying to bring the Xbox model over to the PC, which we were not."

Unangst said Microsoft would "continue to invest" in Games for Windows, which apart from giving its games an Xbox Live-style service layer with friends lists, Achievements and the like, also insists that games be easy to install, support widescreen displays and include parental controls.

Check out the full interview for more, including Unangst's views on the PC Gaming Alliance.

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ruttyboy
07/03/08 @ 11:35
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Widescreen yes, achievements no.
kestral
07/03/08 @ 11:44
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It all sounds promising. the one thing i was most impressed with on Xbox 360 is the whole integration and lack of configuration for games, if they can bring that to windows vista then a lot of people will be very happy.

Some ideas:
You can see how they could potentially take the experience index benchmarking framework and develop that into something that can adjust games visual quality, automatic updating and applying of patching without user intervention, matchmaking and the community features could all be very useful and add value to pc gaming. Even some sort of integrated anti piracy tool developed for microsoft that doesn't rootkit your machine which would be less painful to consumers would also be an improvement over the current situation.
Edited 2 times, most recently on 07/03/08 @ 11:44
dloob
07/03/08 @ 11:50
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Achievements on the PC would be great. I missed them from the PC version of COD4.
miiiguel
07/03/08 @ 11:52
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I have kids on my FL asking about Windows games with Achievements all the time, like I work for MS which I don't. I work with them, not for them.
retrend
07/03/08 @ 11:55
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im pretty sceptical microsoft getting a monopoly on pc game digital distribution would be something that was good.
GamesConnoisseur
07/03/08 @ 12:05
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It could work, and it would not be for everyone only those who wish to benefit from the extra features, and its also interestingly it would do away with the uniqueness of X360 and pushing PC Home Media as a complete solution, what with downloaded movies, musics and BD add on?

Those with PS3 and PC will say ah they can have all and no need at all for X360 except for certain few exclusives that are not appearing on PC or timed exclusives.

X360 and Xbox was MS proposed way forward of putting complete home media in everyone living room as well as a gaming machine wasnt it? So is MS able to balance their 'dedication' to both PC and X360 without disrupting one or other?
BadBoyBonner
07/03/08 @ 12:32
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GC

"X360 and Xbox was MS proposed way forward of putting complete home media in everyone living room as well as a gaming machine wasnt it?"

Erm no, thats why most people had to "alter" their Xbox for it to become anything like you mentioned - strictly without MS's blessing.

As for the 360 - it was out for 2 years before it could even play Xvids/Divx so I think it would be fair to say that MS weren't exactly focusing in on it being a home media station - regardless of what they may have spouted early pre-launch.
Roamer
07/03/08 @ 12:42
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Fix the goddamn idiotic DRM system on Xbox Live before going for Windows Live!
Whizzo
07/03/08 @ 13:07
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"We were not as clear as we could have been. People assumed we were trying to bring the Xbox model over to the PC, which we were not."

Lying bastard!
ZeroAX
07/03/08 @ 13:55
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um here's a hint M$ we don't need windows live for downloadable content for pc games. i allready exists and it's free why oh why should we pay for it? screw you
WickedDeeJ
07/03/08 @ 15:20
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Not unless it's region free, you won't. Or maybe you will and I'll get the content in other ways, like I always do with this region-locked garbage.
JackB
07/03/08 @ 16:17
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FYI, they fixed the DRM issue on XBL earlier this week. Pretty big news for people needed to transfer DLC content. Enjoy.
Nithron
07/03/08 @ 16:51
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Kestral: a lot of games now just check your specs and adjust their graphics settings accordingly when you start up anyway, Microsoft aren't really need in that respect.
smelly
08/03/08 @ 01:06
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"um here's a hint M$ we don't need windows live for downloadable content for pc games. i allready exists and it's free why oh why should we pay for it? screw you"


Erm.. but they own windows.. they could (in theory) make it so that no downloadable games would work under windows unless it comes through their service...

(in theory - not saying they will obviously)
Madlax
08/03/08 @ 15:06
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Read my lips Microsoft

'no one one wants to pay money to play PC games online Microsoft'

'no one one wants to pay money to play PC games online Microsoft'

playing PC games online was always free,why the hell should we start paying for that ?

it is for this very reason that the Windows Live project failed, this and the competition from Steam.

as if Microsofts monopoly on the computer operation system is not enough, now they want us to pay for things that were always free.

this is not how you protect your monopoly microsoft...this is simply the wrong method.


CorporalSpank
08/03/08 @ 16:43
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'no one one wants to pay money to play PC games online Microsoft'

Sometimes I don't know how you people manage to breath. It says in the clearest terms in the article that you will not have to pay for this service. The key word here being "not".
Krun
09/03/08 @ 14:03
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Time to drop the "gold " subscription model. PS3 has a free service and to compete, Microsoft need to offer it free for all too. The PC crowd may be drawn into cross platform gaming, but won't if they have to pay for the "gold" sub. which means cross platform gaming becomes a nonsense.

Playing shadowrun on the xbox, it pretty rare to see PC gamers play cross platform for any more than the free month.

Once the free month is over it's back to your old PC to PC games and xbox to xbox games. Making cross platform redundant.
Edited 2 times, most recently on 09/03/08 @ 14:06

Comments: 1-17 of 17

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