Games for Windows & LIVE Enabled

My wife recently took delivery of a nice new shiny pc. Housing an Intel 2.40 GHz quad core processor, Nvidia 8500 graphics card and running Windows Vista. Not top of the line by any means but still powerful enough for what we’re paying for it and the intended purpose it will be put to. Upon delivery of the machine it was decided that a dabble into the world of Games For Windows was in order. The first game we wanted to get was Gears Of War. Made famous on the Xbox 360. The pc version currently available comes with extra campaign content (exclusive to the pc) and all extra downloadable content available for the Xbox 360 version on LIVE Marketplace.

After installing the game and a 360 Controller for Windows, we jumped into what is a famliar game for us having owned it on the 360 previously. Instantly we noticed graphical differences. While darker the detail level appeared slightly better and the images sharper overall. We also found that we could use our Xbox 360 profiles on LIVE enabled games such as Gears and unlock acheivements the same way you can on the Xbox 360. However, we did discover that some of the acheivements unlocked (namely the 100 kills per weapon type) on the 360 version required “ranked” matches to be played, the Game For Windows version required “player OR ranked” matches to be played. Even more surprising was the fact that via a LIVE enabled Games For Windows game we can still play player matches on a Silver LIVE membership. Although we are unable to host private matches, or play in ranked matches (fortunately something we’ve never been too bothered about anyway), or send game invites to those on our profile friends list, we could still host and join public matches, so the fact that online play is basically free was still welcome.

Games For Windows has been something of a failure to catch on though. Many people who own consoles, be they PS3 or 360 or Wii, are too wary of compatibilty issues with games run on a pc system. Incorrect graphics cards for specific games, regardless of the cards age and supposed quality, games not compatible with Vista (yes it happens) or just the cost of having to pay out for a top of the line pc compared to the initial outlay for a console. The list of LIVE enabled games for Games For Windows is not only disappointing in its content (unwanted games like Kane & Lynch:Dead Men and The Club among them) but it’s extremely short too. With only a mere eleven games at the time of this being written, and at least two of those games not released until early next year, it’s easy to see why many have opted for other online pc games or for consoles in favor of a pc completely.

I think if Microsoft were to really put some heartfelt effort into this section of its organisation then the LIVE enable Games For Windows would spread like wildfire. But then when they make £50 per year from each Gold member on Xbox 360 for LIVE services, why should they promote free online play, even if Games For Windows and LIVE enabled are theirs?

We’re lucky enough to have the option of both, many aren’t, and I think that’s something Microsoft need to take into acount. Either that or just drop the whole LIVE enabled pc games idea completely and concentrate on keeping many of its already disgruntled Xbox LIVE customers happy. But that’s just my opinion.