id Software loves Games For Windows

Author: Joe Martin
Published: 26th July 2007
Comments (10) Stumble
Shadowrun was one of the first titles on the Games For Windows label, but was not a big hit commercially.

Shadowrun was one of the first titles on the Games For Windows label, but was not a big hit commercially.

The gaming design gods over at id Software have been a bit vocal lately, with John Carmack publicly stating his lack of belief in dedicated PPU systems and the following response from Ageia being just one of the debates which id Software has entered into.

Now, it's Tim Willits' turn.

Willits, who is a lead designer for id Software, has reaffirmed his belief in Microsoft's Games For Windows brand in a recent interview over at GamesIndustry.biz.

"Some people say it's a little too Big-Brotherish, but it's a legitimate progression of making the PC feel more - not like a console, but like a closed system," Willits told GI.biz.

"For us, if there's a way to link a Live account into your security for your game in a nice closed system, it would help reduce the piracy, which kills us, and is killing the industry. At least Microsoft is doing something, and I think that they're in a position to do it."

Some gamers are still critical of the Games For Windows label however as, in order to play against 360 users, it requires both a copy of Vista and a yearly subscription to the Xbox Live service.

Willits however thinks that despite Microsoft's early stumbles, the system still has a bright future;

"As we move forward, if it can help prevent piracy, if it can help people connect together, if it can help things be more uniform, so when end users buy any PC game they know how to connect, they know how to search for games - I do think it will help the games industry, and it's just the way things are going to need to move."

Got your own opinions on Games For Windows? So do we. We post ours in the forums, why not do the same?
Quote Hugo.B 26th July 2007, 12:46
Yeah right.
Wonder how much MS paid them.


H.B.
Quote [USRF]Obiwan 26th July 2007, 13:05
Microsoft live sounds all like steam to me...

But they are right about the piracy. There must be something done, or all will flea to "saver" consoles. leaving us and our elite gaming machines nothing else to do then some very quick notepad typing on a quadcore sli 8800GTX.

Well.. that would be a big downer. I can allready see the new bit-tech benchmarks nightmare:

word 2008 Word processing: (2400x1200 res, 16x, 16x, sli)
gts8800: ================ 500fps
gtx8800: ================ 500fps
Ati2900: ================ 500fps

Access 2008 (1.000.000 record fetching):
X2 6000+ : ============ 2,3 seconds
Q66600: ====== 0,4 seconds
E6850: ======= 0,6 seconds
(lower is better)
Quote C-Sniper 26th July 2007, 16:01
they need to start making games for linux damnit!
Quote Nikumba 26th July 2007, 17:15
Maybe they would if there was a unified programming API like DirectX

Kimbie
Quote supermonkey 26th July 2007, 17:21
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nikumba
Maybe they would if there was a unified programming API like DirectX

Kimbie
Don't they have OpenGL? Unless I'm mistaken, which is quite possible.

-monkey
Quote devdevil85 26th July 2007, 17:48
OpenGL is harder to program for....or so I've heard....there's less assistance, in terms of troubleshooting.....

Also, Games For Windows, to me atleast, is making PC gaming seem almost less 3rd party and making it almost 360ish in terms of having Windows emblem all over the game.... either way I like knowing that M$ is trying to get decent games to the PC and bringing with them DX10, but tbh the lineup kinda sux especially when they include Ratatouille as one of them....anyways I hope GFW can become more than what it is currently showing...
Quote Gravemind123 26th July 2007, 19:12
If Gears of War becomes a Games for Windows title they might have something going for them then. What they really need to get this type of program jumpstarted is to make a game for it that is not just a console port or has a console equivelant unlike the 2 ones I think of for this program being Shadowrun and Halo 2.
Quote devdevil85 26th July 2007, 21:27
/\ Crysis maybe?
Quote Max Spain 26th July 2007, 21:35
Quote:
Originally Posted by C-Sniper
they need to start making games for linux damnit!
The funny thing here is that id has generally made it a point to have all of their games run natively on linux. I guess this Tim Willits guy isn't one of the linux users over at id ;)
Quote Bladestorm 26th July 2007, 23:18
I can see why ID would have a bee in their collective bonnet about piracy, I understand that Doom3 had something like a million illegal downloads the day before it hit shelves and was amongst the most pirated games ever, though at the same time I can't shake the feeling that the game was extremely attractive to that, not because it was the best thing ever, but mostly because a ludicrous number of people wanted to see what the fuss was about but weren't nearly bothered enough to have gone out and actually bought it had no piracy options been available.

Games for windows sounds good in theory - setting a benchmark for quality and enforcing adherence to it, but it has yet to excite me in practise and I'm not the least bit bothered about live right now, especially with subscription fees.
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