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Dead on Arrival: Games for Windows Live
>> From advancedmn.com:
[QUOTE]
What arrived with those two games [Halo 2 Vista and Shadowrun - first games using Games for Windows Live] was an underwhelming impression, to say the least. First of all, the Live functionality can only be accessed within one of the two games; there is no dashboard like the Xbox 360 currently has. In this regard, the current Games for Windows Live feature set is quite similar to the Live we got on its launch day nearly five years ago for the original Xbox.
Secondly, the two tiered system of Silver and Gold is much more confusing on the PC side than it is on the 360. For Windows, Silver Membership gives you a single gamertag, profile, Gamerscore, friends list, private chat ability, single player achievements and PC-to-PC multiplayer. Gold includes those Silver features plus TrueSkill matchmaking, multiplayer achievements, multiplayer matchmaking with friends, and cross-platform multiplayer. Confused yet? That's what I thought.
The problem here is that the entire Live platform is advertised as a similar, compatible experience between the Xbox 360 and a Windows PC, yet currently the two sides couldn't be more segregated if Microsoft tried. The Xbox 360, built as a gaming machine, has garnered a large amount of third party support to compliment its first party line-up. Additionally, every title now has Live functionality built in, even if it is just allowing you to access your friends list and messages in game. On the other hand, Games for Windows Live has been shunned by several large developers and publishers, and has so far only played host to Xbox ports. Even though Microsoft told us at E3 this year that Sega and THQ were on board with Games for Windows Live, where are Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, 2K, and others? The fact that a title can be a Games for Windows game, but not a Games for Windows Live game makes the situation even more confusing for consumers who are looking for the perfect game for their entertainment needs.
The competition in the PC arena is another obstacle that Microsoft must, but so far has failed to, overcome. XFire has grown to be a very popular service among hardcore PC gamers, with game time logging, a universal friends list, the ability to patch your games, and even voice chat. Steam, once Valve's way to secure legal activation and use of Half-Life 2, has blossomed into the premier digital distribution model of gaming. Valve even released a major update to Steam last week that brought about The Steam Community, providing universal voice chat among one's friends list, as well as a SteamID page that allowed game time logging, groups, and event organization. When these two established systems are shown side-by-side with Games for Windows Live, Microsoft's offering looks quite meager.
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Full Story: advancedmn.com (incl. possible solutions for MS and more)
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