Games For Windows Live – The Death of the Witch

OnlySP: In 2007, Microsoft announced a new, online gaming service for PC gamers that people could sync with their Xbox Live gamertag: Games For Windows – Live. In theory, it sounded pretty cool. You could get achievements on PC that carry over to your Xbox, you could play with your Xbox friends on PC, and you only needed one username for the two. Some games even allowed for cross-platform play, pitting Windows players against 360 players. Pretty cool indeed.

[SuperBlur]

the funny thing is they still have this up praising GFWL over Steam

muahaha muahaha

http://www.xbox.com/en-CA/L...

[badz149]

Witch? more like the devil itself! this is according to most pc gamers.

[hiredhelp]

I like to say no more GFWL but they be back next gen with another service for cross platform tryin make pc usrrs again buy a subscription. Werwill say no win again. No No No No

[CRAIG667]

I am in the minority, in that, I actually like GFWL.

[HammockGames]

It is kind of cool to earn achievements on PC games - particularly if you game on Xbox, too (which I do).

I can also understand the problems that many users have encountered (e.g. unable to launch their game).

The downside of GFWL that I've personally felt the most was game save issues:
1) Some random corrupted saves (game-specific)
2) Lack of cloud saves for most titles
3) Erratic performance of cloud saves (for the few games that had it)

I wish Microsoft would have supported this better. Could have been cool if they'd continued to improve and refine the service.

[CRAIG667]

I agree, luckily I have had no experience with issue's many people experienced and no doubt if I had run into any of those said issues I would feel rather differently...

99% of the games I play on PC are bought from steam, I just have a couple of GFWL titles I purchased from Amazon as they were dirt cheap, one being Street fighter4AE, I love that I got extra achievements (same cheevo's twice) for a game I own on my 360 too.

As you say, it would have been much better to have supported that platform properly instead of it burying itself into the ground...

[HammockGames]

Very true. My experience has been pretty positive - no game breaking issues of any kind.

Same for me on the GFWL titles. Most of mine are from Steam - just a couple of strays from Amazon (Street Fighter 4 is gorgeous on max settings, isn't it) and the GFWL marketplace (got Fable 3 for pennies on the dollar and a couple of others).

I noticed some Steam games are already patching out GFWL (e.g. Batman, Bioshock 2), which is kind of a bummer in a way. Means I won't get to grab some of those achievements I'd meant to go back and get. * sigh *

Ah well. Guess I better finish up any achievements I have left before all games follow suit. (Fallout 3 DLC, I'm lookin' at you!)

[Saryk]

I hate GFWL it is the only one I truly despise. And it was because of the updates to the games.

[djplonker]

Does this mean dark souls will work on my pc?

gfwl didnt work for me a few months ago it just wouldnt load....

[HammockGames]

Probably so. If GFWL was preventing you from being able to even launch the game, patching it out should fix that.

I think this type of thing is why so many PC gamers are excited for GFWL to go the way of the dodo (if the service is why games don't work/work right).

[gk07]

I liked it at one point ,but then as time went on ,no no no no : ) lol

[HammockGames]

The aspect of GFWL that I objected to the most was their woefully misguided attempt to get PC gamers to PAY for GFWL.

I remember picking Gears on PC and it came with a card for a "free trial" of Live.

That was greeted - properly - by a resounding WTF revolt from PC gamers. And now free it is (and rightfully so).