|
|
Games for Windows Live redesigned
Author: Joe MartinPublished: 13th November 2008
Microsoft has quietly released an update and redesign to the Games for Windows Live service on PC.
The update, which was rolled out yesterday, does away with the ill-advised and clunky Xbox 360 interface and replaces it with something more suited for mouse and keyboard control. The new interface for the service now pops down out of the top of the screen and include a more streamlined and much faster loading set of menus.
Functionally, most of the service has stayed the same however. The system is still used mainly for tracking achievements, messaging friends and matchmaking for multiplayer games - it just looks a bit better and loads a bit faster.
One section which is being overhauled a but though is the Microsoft Marketplace which, although not released quite yet, will soon come with a standalone application that will offer similar functionality to the Xbox 360 marketplace. The Games for Windows Live marketplace will soon allow players to download demos, trailers and full versions of some games for a price.
Microsoft has also done away with the unsuccessful subscription part of the service too, as they had previously pledged to do. The entire Live service is now free to use on a PC and there is no longer a Gold subscription offer.
Do you use Games for Windows Live to track your progress in games like, say, Fallout 3, or do you not bother? Let us know in the forums.
Related
Comments (26)
Compare over 250 mobile phones &
52,000 deals!
Compare over 100 broadband & mobile broadband deals online!
- Site Links:
- About
- Email Editor
- Newsletter
- Privacy
- RSS
- Score Guide
- Our Other Websites:
- Auto Express
- Channel Pro
- Computer Buyer
- Computer Shopper
- Den of Geek
All content © bit-tech.net 2000-2009
© Copyright Dennis Publishing Limited licensed by Felden
Dont use this tool at all, dint even know of it, I tend to use Steam for all my games and tracking, and I dont wish for multiple game clients so unlikely ill even bother to install it.
no wonder its now free. no idiot paid for it.
Enter an established market with a product which offers little or no real benefit over any other but make it free and included with windows then proceed to make it slightly different over time thus moving from a implementation of a standard to a whole new propriety standard which you can now charge for or use as leverage
For reference see IE, mp3, divx/xvid, smb, they're trying it with jpeg. Some times they fail, netbui.
This also could be a hint at Xbox and Windows streamlining and potential integration
I was having to put up with the xbox interface last week on my PC where it keeps prompting you to press the A and B button which is infuriating :D.
Although really I don't want 'games for windows live', I want more steam.
The PC had Achievements before?
Good thing they're working on improving it anyway.
certain parts of GoW MP were locked to gold subscribers only. matchmaking was another gold only service, and achievements? HA! what a waste of time
WOW, achievements, I love getting a stupid pop up saying I got an achievement completing a quest in a game, lol, talk about rubbush and pointless. Achievements seem tacky, and like a way to get 5 years old to aim for something. Seriously. If that is your argument, achievements, then I rest my case.
I actually rather like achievements, they're sometimes quite funny and interesting and sometimes push you to really play the game to achieve them. The newer Steam game have em
I wasn't arguing for it and you completely missed my point. I was just pointing out that they weren't charging for something that was already free as was said by the poster I quoted.
EDIT: Well, actually, apart from one thing which is actually quite a major one: cross-platform multiplayer.
I just wanted to make it clear (although obviously I haven't done a good job of it) that the misconception at the time that they're charging for multiplayer wasn't true. So what's the big deal? Just don't subscribe to Gold and stick to Silver - that's what I thought at the time.
-Indybird
Steam will hopefully be way ahead here and be much more in tune to PC gamers. Either way, someone needs to find away to make PC gaming more accessible and standardised without dumbing it down or removing customisability. Streamline processes like installation, patches, games lists, online access and community - and do it all without taking the process totally out of the hands of the user or insulting their intelligence.
Of course MS have an advantage here - being able to integrate LIVE into Windows itself - whereas Steam will always be a 3rd party app. Unless they make their own games focused OS, that would be awesome.
As for the new look for GFWL - I dont like it much, looks too baby blue with big baby buttons.
What's "dint"?
BEFORE YOU CORRECT SOMEONE ABOUT THEIR SPELLING OR GRAMMAR, CHECK YOUR OWN FIRST SMARTASS
And you should read the rules:
http://forums.bit-tech.net/faq.php?faq=new_faq_item#faq_rule_of_fight
Most achievements reward the player for things they may not normally do in just blazing through a campaign story.
Ie collecting items which lead players to explore the game world further, complete parts of the game which may be over looked in a single run and get those who havent played online before to do so and play with others either in co-op or deathmatch etc.
This all in-turn enhances the experience that player may have with their game, if it wasnt for achievements i wouldnt have stumbled on half of the things in some games.
However that said Im not too sure if people should get points for such achievements as that leads to my score is bigger then yours etc.
Most FPS games do not need achievements but RPG games could use these to get the player to explore more of the game.
Calm down tiger!
Chill pill, yeesh
He missed a "d" and we put in an "i" for a "u" that's all.
Sam
BULL, I have a 360 and play many GFW games, most achievements are pointles and are just doing things inj the normal progression of the game. The ones that are harder to get are often like grinding in a MMO.