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Games for Windows - Live
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Games for Windows - Live | |
|---|---|
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 Games for Windows – Live's "Guide" menu |
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| Developer | Microsoft |
| Latest release | 1.2.0241 / December 11, 2007 |
| OS | Microsoft Windows |
| Genre | user interface, voice chat, text messaging |
| License | Freeware (with some non-free features) |
| Website | www.gamesforwindows.com/live |
Games for Windows – Live (officially spelled LIVE) is an online gaming service for Games for Windows-branded PC titles. It enables Windows PCs to connect to the Live service, which will eventually include other devices including Windows Mobile and Zune. Users, each with a unique Gamertag that carries over from Xbox Live, will be able to play online, keep track of their friends' status, send and receive messages, gain and keep track of Achievements, voice chat across platforms, and more. Some games will allow for cross-platform play, such as Shadowrun, which allows PC players to compete against Xbox 360 players.
The features of the service will initially be limited, but will grow just as the features of Xbox Live have over the years. The service was shown in near-final form at CES 2007 during Bill Gates' keynote speech. Xbox Live Arcade will launch on the service later in the year.
The service will be open to 3rd-party developers, but they must be able to meet certain requirements, which could include game ratings, total number of achievement points, and the ability to properly connect to Live.
Contents |
The first Games for Windows – Live-enabled title was Halo 2 for Windows Vista, which was going to be launched to the public on May 22, 2007, but it was not and got pushed back to May 31[1]. However many copies made it to store shelves and were sold, meaning it was still the first Games for Windows – Live game. The game supports all the standard Live features (such as achievements, voice chat, messages, etc.), but does not offer cross-platform play with Xbox or Xbox 360 players.[citation needed]
Another game released was Shadowrun, which launched simultaneously on Windows Vista and Xbox 360 on May 29 2007[2], and is the second game to offer cross-platform play on the Live service, Final Fantasy XI being the first. Shadowrun is the first game to be played between Live on Windows Vista to Live on Xbox.
Future first-party titles that have been announced include UNO, the popular Xbox Live Arcade title, which will also allow for cross-platform play, as demonstrated at Microsoft's keynote speech at CES 2007, Gears of War, an updated and enhanced version of the Xbox 360 version with extra content, and Viva Piñata, another port of a popular Xbox 360 game. All three games are due out in 2007.
Sega, Eidos and THQ have signed on to include Games for Windows - Live in their upcoming games. Epic Games also included this service into their game engine Unreal Engine 3 [3]. Universe at War: Earth Assault from Sega is to include cross platform play between Xbox 360 and Windows over Live.
The user interface or "Guide" follows much the same layout as the Xbox 360 version. Apart from minor cosmetic differences it also matches the same features as the Xbox 360. This includes messaging (text and voice), friends list, recent players, private chat and personal settings.
The client that provides this interface is included with Games for Windows – Live games. It is only available when running a game designed for the service. Access to Live functions outside of games is not possible although a Windows client similar to messenger is under consideration for future versions of the service.
The current version of the in-game Live client is 1.2.0241, released on December 11 2007. It is available for Windows XP (Service Pack 2) and Windows Vista operating systems. [1] Version 1.2 added offline achievements and the ability to be able to see if the user's friends are joinable in a game. The client also auto-updates when users are logged-on to a Live-aware game.
Games for Windows – Live Silver Membership Features
- Single gamertag
- Common gamer profile
- Common gamerscore
- Single player achievements
- Private chat via text and voice
- Common friends list and online presence
- PC only multiplayer including browsing a list of active PC games
Games for Windows – Live Gold Membership Features
- All Silver membership features
- Multiplayer matchmaking with friends
- TruSkill matchmaking
- Multiplayer achievements
- Cross-platform gameplay
Games for Windows – Live uses the same pricing structure as Xbox Live. The silver level service is free, while the Gold level requires a regular subscription. The gold subscription pricing is below:
| Country | 1 Month | 3 Months | 12 Months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | € 6.99 | € 19.99 | € 59.99 |
| United Kingdom | £4.99 | £14.99 | £39.99 |
| Australia | AU$ 10.95 | AU$ 29.95 | AU$ 79.95 |
| Sweden | SEK 60 | SEK 179 | SEK 549 |
| USA | $7.99 | $19.99 | $49.99 |
| Japan | ¥819 | ¥2079 | ¥5229 |
Memberships can be purchased either directly from the interface (credit card required), or as prepaid Xbox Live cards at retailers.
Games for Windows – Live and Xbox Live are essentially the same network, so subscribing to one automatically gives you access to the other, therefore current Xbox Live Gold subscribers will get access to Games for Windows – Live Gold and vice-versa. In addition to shared subscription, all achievements, friends, players and messages pool together across both platforms. [4]
| Game | NA Release Date |
|---|---|
| Shadowrun | May 29, 2007 |
| Halo 2 | May 21, 2007 |
| Viva Piñata | Nov 6, 2007 |
| Gears of War | Nov 6, 2007 |
| Kane & Lynch: Dead Men | Nov 20, 2007 |
| Universe at War: Earth Assault | Dec 10, 2007 |
| The Club | Feb 19, 2008 |
Online PC games, particularly FPSs, are traditionally run and funded independently by Clans, gaming groups or independent players. Game Servers are typically rented by the Clan or group, and provided for players to use free of charge. Often the only infrastructure operated or paid for by the game developer is a master server which collects and serves a list of available independent servers. Though for Halo 2 and Shadowrun, the game owner is able to setup their own dedicated server[5], this may not be the same for every other game on Games for Windows – Live. It is down to developers to add this functionality into the service and it is not yet known whether third parties are required to add it to get the Live branding.
It should also be noted that PC games have, up until the release of Windows Live, not required any additional fee to play online except for handful of games, typically MMORPGs such as World of Warcraft. This change to paying an extra fee on top of the cost of an internet service provider encourages future games to have similar extra costs and may turn off many from games they might otherwise have purchased. One caveat to this is that if a user already owns an Xbox 360, their one paid Gold account works seamlessly across both platforms, making the service more appealing.
- GfW Live Support page, including client update
- Official announcement press release
- ExtremeTech article describing Live Anywhere
- Description of Live Anywhere Features
- Demo of Live for Windows UI and discussion
- Article on Dedicated Servers and Halo 2
- ^ Download Games for Windows - LIVE Redistributable 1.2. Microsoft (2007-12-12). Retrieved on 2007-12-12.
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| Consoles | Xbox · Xbox 360 |
| Games | Xbox games · Xbox 360 games · Backward compatible games · Platinum Hits · List of Xbox Live Arcade games |
| Online Services | Xbox Live (Arcade, Marketplace) · Games for Windows - Live · Live Anywhere |
| Peripherals | Xbox 360 accessories · Xbox Live Vision · Wireless Headset · Wireless Racing Wheel |
| Promotional | OurColony · Official Xbox Magazine · Xbox Exhibition · "X" Show · Xbox Rewards |
| Tools | Xbox Development Kit · Microsoft XNA |
| Miscellaneous | Microsoft Game Studios · Xbox 360 launch · Xbox 360 technical problems |