GTA4 to "Revitalize" GFW Live?

[Sep 23, 2008, 09:19 am ET] - Share - Viewing Comments

1Up reports on Microsoft's hopes that the release of Grand Theft Auto IV for Windows in November will revitalize (or perhaps vitalize) the Games for Windows program, which has not exactly set the world on fire since its launch two years ago. Word is the release of the PC edition of Rockstar's open-world action game will offer "a revitalized Games for Windows Live experience" with the inclusion of a separate Games for Windows client and a game marketplace. There are no further details on planned enhancements to the GFW program beyond an ability to sell games directly.

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26.

Re: No subject

Sep 23, 2008, 20:01

elefunk

Games for Windows Live: - Was down for 2 weeks after I installed Gears of War, preventing me from being able to save my progress. Steam doesn't require me to log in to save my progress. (story: http://www.gamespot.com/news/6184323.html?sid=6184323&part=rss&subj=6184323 ) Bullshit. Create an offline profile, you can play offline just fine. http://www.gamespot.com/pages/forums/show_msgs.php?topic_id=26045695 As for the outages, they suck, but Steam isn't immune to that either. - Has XBOX 360 controller buttons on it's in-game interface rather than keyboard keys, which is stupid. (visual aid: http://www.tech2.com/media/images/2007/Aug/img_19361_gfwl1.jpg ) If you're using a keyboard, then you click on things and the buttons are irrelevant. What's wrong with having the buttons there for those who do happen to use a controller? The important thing is that in-game, while you're actually playing, Gears of War changes the interface depending on what interface you're using. If you're playing with KB+M, you don't see 360 prompts in-game. -Is unnecessary as it doesn't actually provide any useful features. LIVE provides: in-game chat (as does Steam), friends list (as does Steam), achievements (as does Steam). LIVE does not provide: automatic game updates (as does Steam), a place to buy games (as does Steam), a place to store and redownload my games from anywhere (as does Steam), etc. GFW Live doesn't offer that now, but it will soon. As in, this Fall, by the time GTA 4 - the game that this thread is about - is released. From the developer's side, Relic has explained in detail why they went with GFW Live instead of Steam: It's simply a more mature API for 3rd-party developers, with a better network in their opinion. I'd rather the games be on Steamworks, but the fact that there aren't any significant, full-priced PC releases using Steamworks yet, while a bunch of GFW Live titles announced, says that something on Valve's end just isn't there yet. Comments by guys like Jonathon Blow who created Braid, or the guys who created Aquaria, confirm that Valve's 3rd-party relations are slow, just not up to snuff yet. Great for distribution, not so much for Steamworks. So, as long as it's going to prevent me from saving my progress, not allow me to play if it can't log in (as it has no offline mode, like in Steam) and otherwise just get in the way and be useless, I don't see why anyone would want it. Sounds fantastic to me. Again luckily, that's just plain wrong. Gears of War PC fully supports offline play without connecting to the network. This comment was edited on Sep 23, 20:02.

		Date	Subject	Author
	1.	Sep 23, 10:08	No subject	Overon
	3.	Sep 23, 10:15	Re: No subject	Verno
	4.	Sep 23, 11:27	Re: No subject	LittleMe
	5.	Sep 23, 11:37	Re: No subject	elefunk
	14.	Sep 23, 13:21	Re: No subject	[THA] Hamst3r
	15.	Sep 23, 13:38	Re: No subject	Ludomancer
	17.	Sep 23, 13:48	Re: No subject	Verno
	19.	Sep 23, 14:02	Re: No subject	[THA] Hamst3r
	20.	Sep 23, 14:15	Re: No subject	Ludomancer
	21.	Sep 23, 14:29	Re: No subject	Verno
>>	26.	Sep 23, 20:01	Re: No subject	elefunk
	6.	Sep 23, 11:38	Re: No subject	dubfanatic
	8.	Sep 23, 11:54	Re: No subject	Krovven
	9.	Sep 23, 12:02	Re: No subject	elefunk
	7.	Sep 23, 11:48	Re: No subject	Quboid
	10.	Sep 23, 12:03	Re: No subject	necrosis
	12.	Sep 23, 12:48	Re: No subject	kyleb
	13.	Sep 23, 12:55	Re: No subject	Krovven
	2.	Sep 23, 10:09	No subject	Ludomancer
	11.	Sep 23, 12:33	No subject	Zzet
	16.	Sep 23, 13:40	No subject	Paketep
	18.	Sep 23, 13:48	BOO!	Fausticle
	22.	Sep 23, 15:38	No subject	Dr. D. Schreber
	23.	Sep 23, 15:59	No subject	Verno
	24.	Sep 23, 18:30	Re: No subject	Asmodai
	25.	Sep 23, 18:39	No subject	Verno
	27.	Sep 23, 20:24	No subject	Verno
	28.	Sep 23, 20:38	Re: No subject	elefunk
	29.	Sep 23, 20:41	Re: No subject	Ludomancer
	30.	Sep 23, 22:57	Re: No subject	Verno
	31.	Sep 24, 00:57	Re: No subject	CreamyBlood
	32.	Sep 24, 01:57	Re: No subject	Ludomancer
	33.	Sep 24, 08:57	Re: No subject	Overon