XNA Multiplayer support for PC would be a great step for the platform!

To be honest it will still probably flop, no matter what they do to it, it still is called GFWL and that alone will keep people away. They should change the name of the service with this facelift if they want to make any type of headway in digital distribution.

I'd love the best of both worlds. I'd like to have Live support in my games while still being able to use STEAM. Fallout 3 does this perfectly. I can see and chat with both my STEAM and XBL friends.

To add to my previous comment, if they are gonna keep the GFWL name they at least need to make it so xbox players can play with pc players. Before I had a 360 I bought gears for pc and was sorely dissapointed to find out I could only play with other pc players which there were barely any to speak of.

@chronoswing

It's not up to Microsoft whether or not PC can play with 360, it's up to the developers. The ability is there (see Shadowrun and Lost Planet: Colonies Edition) but developers just aren't taking advantage of it.

Microsoft? Sexy UI? Alright who did they steal.

Are you sure there is anyone out there that cares? Really? Coz' unless they start putting XBLA games out on this, I don't give a shit.

I suppose it's ok, but it's treating PCs like 360s, which they are not, and god willing, they will never be. PCs aren't a unified platform, no matter what Microsoft might like, and they can't be treated as such.

Hell, my Steam version of Fallout 3 has a tab for LIVE, and when I clicked it, it made me create a profile. As I type this it's trying to download a LIVE update. From within Fallout 3. From within Steam. There are so many ways to distribute a game and get it, even just counting the legal ways, that treating LIVE as the one stop for all your multiplayer needs just doesn't work.

In the PC environment you can't force every developer to add LIVE functionality or achievement bullshit. Steam understands that, which is why it's superior.

So does it mean no need to get xbox, windows live. :)

Nobody uses game for windows live they use steam.I even got games for window live games that I did not even bother setting up the lame games for windows live interface.

Get that crap up out mah face. I was irritated that I had to download the update FROM A MIRROR to get my cheevos.

Do not want. I don't care if it's finally free. Leave your console out of my PC. Likewise, leave your PC out of my console.

They both have their own damn niches.

Steam works as a PC platform because it's tailored to PC. I don't see it working well on a 360.

GFW is destined to be an also-ran with this one. Unless Microsoft finds a way to manipulate the consumer so that we have fewer options.

Looks fine, if my XBLA games worked on it I would be very impressed. I agree with AgentMOO about XNA,that would be excellent and Microsoft would ultimately gain.

As long as the system is as open and easy to use as Steam, I don't mind. Then again, MS once again proves that the best way to win money is to copy the best and slap a Windows tag on it and then make it a mandatory install. Come Windows 7, mark my words, this thing will be standard with DX11.

Putting lipstick on a pig doesn't change the fact that it's still a pig. Microsoft needs to scrap this whole thing and start fresh. GFWL is an abomination and is eternally broken.

It's fine in Fallout 3. I mean, as long as it works with STEAM, I don't see how it's a bad thing.

And another thing they thought Pc players would be dumb enough to pay for xbox live match making service with this damn games for windows live. Only conaole online players are that dumb.

Note i said "match making "since Xbox live has no fucking damn real servers, for 99% of the games only a bunch of server that pair you up with another machine that is not a service.

In the PC world you get real powered servers on real connect free not paired up with some lame ass console boy with his dumb console on a sucky house connection.



Of course that pay for online pay died real fast after 3 games and nobody has gave jack since you can get real better service for free on PC and always have been.

They should have got developers involved and built a PC focused service from the ground up, rather than trying to adapt a console service for a different audience. Trying to charge for multiplayer was also the absolute most idiotic thing I've seen. Who the hell is going to pay for peer-to-peer gaming when every other PC game lets you choose from thousands of dedicated servers?

GFWL reminds me of EA's attempt to create an online distribution service... wheres that now? GFWL fails, never use it in any GFW games I have. If I want to buy games online I use Steam and only Steam and thats not going to change.

All GFWL has to do is come up with a way to "resell" digital copies of games you purchased and it's instantly a Steam Killer.

Changing the name would be a nice way to appeal to the masses.

Wow, a lot of hate for GFW Live.. I haven't had any previous experience with this initiative before Fallout 3, but I think it's pretty nice. I guess a big part of it is that I have like no PC gaming friends, they all are pretty much on a 360. I too have a 360, but some cross-platform games I just would rather have on PC (like Fallout 3).

So I was pleasantly surprised to see how seamlessly I was able to sync with my XBox Live account. I could see the status of my online friends, send and receive messages, etc. Probably the best thing though, is achievement support. I think it's great that my achievements and gamerscore are reflected across both platforms (though I think it's kind of dumb that Fallout PC is considered a "different game" than the 360 version, as far as doing achievement comparisons and such.)

So really, I think the benefit is determined by where your "gaming community" is centralized. Since all my gaming friends have centralized around XBox live, it's nice to be able to still be plugged in, even when I've opted for the PC version of a game.

What needs to happen now is more cross platform multiplayer. I mean, Left 4 Dead is a great example. All of my friends will be getting the 360 version. 4 player co-op, being central to the game, is pretty much dictating that I also get the 360 version, despite the fact that there are a hundred reasons I would really prefer the PC version. But I want to play with my friends, not by myself, or some strangers. The positive experience of blasting zombies with buddies easily outweighs the negatives of being hampered by console controls, etc.