Topic: Microsoft to digitally distribute PC game titles

[toasty0]

In addition to new Windows Live social-networking features, Microsoft will soon be offering digital distribution of PC game titles.

Chris Early, general manager of games for Windows Live, confirmed in an interview with Shacknews that Microsoft has definite plans to distribute full PC titles through its Marketplace application, taking on market leader Steam.

This is a very smart move by Microsoft, though I would have expected the company to have either bought its way into the market or to have made PC game distribution a bigger part of its online footprint already.

If you consider the vast number of PCs that run Windows and then look at the number of PC games sold every year, Microsoft already has the dominant platform. This approach will further cement games into the Windows user base.

Steam and Valve have done a fantastic job at defining the way these distribution services work as well as innovating new ways to store user settings and data in the cloud. These advanced features will be difficult for Microsoft to catch-up to. But considering they own the underlying operating system, they should be able to do so.

Of course, Microsoft should also be able to fix bugs in less than seven years.

CrunchGear, however, is underwhelmed:

It'll be hard for Microsoft: Steam is a much stronger brand than Games for Windows Live, a faceless concept that evokes imperialist Microsoft tendencies and the vast, flaccid tentacles of their Live services. The only way they can make this little adventure work is by shoehorning themselves in, as they have suggested they will do with Fallout 3 DLC, and forcing a market presence. It's a certainty that they can't beat Valve, but with the amount of clout they've got, they're guaranteed at least a spot in the lineup.

Windows Live remains a bit "spray and pray" as Microsoft tries to make the services relevant and consistent. Gaming is something that Microsoft has gotten good at and the locked-in user base should be an easy target
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Interesting. The games afoot so to speak.

[Sirgod]

There is quite a few microsoft games I have bought and enjoyed over the years. Crimson skies, AoE, Impossible Creatures, Supreme commander. IT will be nice to have them at a place where you can get them Digitaly.

as for steam, ehh. Half life was never my kind of game, That might and magic was so so. Sure it appeals to others, but It's just not for me.

Stephen

[Brush Wolf]

With MS into the digital download business maybe, just maybe we will start seeing disk in the drive to play a game that is 100% on the hard drive go away.

[Lepton]

Microsoft/Games for Windows Live is more than a day late and a dollar short.  There are many titles available on Steam and more coming every day.  There is a Steam community.  There are friends list features similar to Xbox Live.  And you can actually buy games off of Steam.  You can't buy games off of Games for Windows Live. Currently, Games for Windows Live is only implemented inside games with that feature.  There is no stand-alone client.  The Steam technology I believe is being offered free to developers that wish to use it in their games.

The Games for Windows initiative has been pathetic for the very specific reason that MS doesn't want it to work.  It would rather you went out and bought a 360 AND charge you for XBox Live, whereas Games for Windows Live such as it is will be free as far as I know.  Another stellar success for Vista.

[Nemesis]

Definitely not going to endear them to all those distributors that have faithfully dedicated large areas of their stores to pushing Microsoft.  Maybe they'll now start to actually promote non Microsoft products in self defense.

With MS into the digital download business maybe, just maybe we will start seeing disk in the drive to play a game that is 100% on the hard drive go away.

The new way will be product activation. Once Microsoft chooses not to activate your product anymore you have to upgrade whether you like it or not.  Next step - subscription.

[Just plain old Punisher]

Steam does a good job of this. You can download the software as many times as you like from the same steam account. Even if you change hardware or buy a new computer.