GTA 4 PC Named Games for Windows Live Exclusive

"a redesigned game interface, out-of-game client and marketplace."

Should have had that from the start, you idiots. It took them what, 2 years to realize Live on windows should have a PC-centric interface, an out-of-game client, a marketplace, and that PC gamers don't want to be charged for shit they've been getting for free since forever? Laff.

I have no problem with it so long as it remains free. They better not try to re-introduce the charge a year or two from now when more games use the service.

There goes any chance of being able to mod this game, GFW LIVE games cannot be modded, and if they are, you'll loose your Gamertag and get banned.

This is a bad bad move, but probably because they want to stop the mod community from the Hot coffee deal. This fucking sucks.

You guys all laugh at GFW Live now but you need to watch GFW Live very, very closely.

You (but Sony most of all) should respect and fear its potential. As Microsoft builds it up, they can slowly but surely edge/push out Steam in digital distribution as well as become the lead development platform because GFW Live + DirectX makes porting titles from the console to Windows so easy. It also allows devs pit console gamers and PC gamers with or against each other and who knows where that could lead.

""As we work toward the release of the PC version, Games for Windows Live affords us the opportunity to seamlessly translate the multiplayer console experience for PC gamers"

I think that's the first time I've seen someone "port" a multiplayer service.

FUCK YOU, MICROSOFT and Rockstar - go fuck yourself and Windows Live, this PoS worthless crap.

First and last time you fooled me with this useless PoS pseudo-service was Shadowrun, your own product - and we now how quickly you killed this rather famous whole fuckin franchise with this one giant royal fuckup release.

I can't wait to be in a couple years when MS has got GFW exclusive deals on all AAA MP titles and suddenly start charging for the service; flipping a giant finger to everyone and yelling "LOL WTF where you thinking??! pwned!"
Or maybe not.
We'll see.

I have no issue with GFWL now that it's free.

OK this is interestingly timed as I just went through some pain with GFWL this last week

I bought GoW for the PC and couldn't get GFWL to work, even for a SP mode, and went on a rant here:
http://www.shacknews.com/laryn.x?id=17958783

Malloc Shackmessaged me. We worked through it and I posted an update here:
http://www.shacknews.com/laryn.x?id=17968604

(the issue with getting online was my router needed to be rebooted - but in my defense GFWL was the only program that took issue with it)

So, to clear up some misconceptions:

- GFWL is free, the same way that Steam is free (the account, that is). There was at one point in time where you had to pay to enable some features but they've abandoned that since PC gamers wouldn't tolerate it. You now only have to pay if you want your account to also be a Xbox Live Gold account (assuming I'm stating that correctly)

- In a current GFWL game like Gears of War, you can create a "local profile" if you don't care about achievements or playing online and just want a SP game without having to make the game go online. The interface for finding this needs work and I think they're working on it (thus this new version) but it's not as if you HAVE to make a GFWL online account. In this mode it's no different really than Quake Wars where you can play locally without having to log in.

I think they might even ditch this idea for playing the game SP.

- GFWL runs on XP. Initially it only ran on Vista but they saw the folly in that (same as when they saw the folly in making PC gamers pay). I think they're also going to make it operate more like Steam and less like an "in game dashboard" since it's been demonstrated PC gamers don't want that.

So seriously guys, this isn't the end of the world. The game could still even be on Steam and just use GFWL as its multiplayer matchmaking bit. This isn't making you pay $2 for horse armor, this is using something other than GameSpy for in-game matchmaking.

let me translate this one, "Windows® Live® is a natural choice because we can re-use 90% of our XBox® Live® code"

/don't care

It's like you guys totally forgot that Microsoft makes a shitty technology and then improves it, sometimes taking longer than you'd think they'd keep trying, until it is actually good. See: almost everything Microsoft has ever done.

GFW will be good, it's just taking MS a scale of years to fix it.

HAHA! not buying this game.

So, uh, would that preclude Steam distribution?

I know it wouldn't conflict technology-wise, but I bet there's some sort of distribution clause there.

For all you people who don't realize it, GFW is entirely free

Whoa, and here I was thinking the guys at Take 2 knew what they were doing!.

How big has to be Microsoft's check for a company to shoot themselves in the foot by using that phenomenal turd that is GfWL?. Don't they realize how many people were looking forward to multiplayer?.

Man, that Kevin Unangnstnsdfst really knows how to fuck us PC Gamers.

"As we work toward the release of the PC version, Games for Windows Live affords us the opportunity to seamlessly translate the multiplayer console experience for PC gamers,"

What kind of moron would like to have that piece of shit restricted multiplayer crap on PC?!
wtf omg epic fail, no user dedicated servers, no mods, no nothing, I see this being pure crap.

More reason to just play it on the PS3.

The only thing making me buy this for PC is the multiplayer, i bought an Xbox just to play GTA IV and have since sold it on. They have the chance to redesign the multiplayer for PC users, it should include a server browser with filter settings.

"Games for Windows Live affords us the opportunity to seamlessly translate the multiplayer console experience for PC gamers." - From what I experienced about the multiplayer on xbox 360, it was very poorly implimented and you basicly didnt know what you were going to get settings wise apart from the choice of gamemode. They have a chance to do the multiplayer the correctt way here, if they mess it up like they did on the xbox version I will be very disapointed.

At least it will support the Xbox controller.

Rockstar should have released GTAIV PC earlier this year.. Far Cry 2, Fallout 3, Dead Space, Left4Dead.. That's some intense competition for a game that looks like ass on the PC.

just wait till Rockstar makes no money on the PC using Games for Windows and then gives it to Steam. Game for Windows time of death has just been called out.

does this mean the game only runs on windows, and not Mac, linux or any other x86 operating system?
or is it only the multiplayer that runs through windows games live?

This sucks, GFW Live is a pos! Games for windows is good but that Live rubbish? come on the multiplyer will be just a shitty port then and nobody is going to play it. Hardly anyone playing the 360 version online, those that try keep disconnecting.

Why not a proper PC version with dedicated servers not this shit. How many people even have Live for windows installed? how many will keep it or even bother just for GTA?
FU MS!

I wonder if the porting it from Xbox Live to Windows Live has any affect on their decision (R*).

Finally we get to the real deal, GFW Live has been beta. Marketplace, stand alone client - this is better MS.

yes, because this decision worked out so well for Halo 2 and Shadowrun.....

As much as I hated GTAIV, this is sounding pretty tempting.

Imagine all the gold coins Microsoft had to pull out their ass for this? surely they were considering taking it to steam.

I wonder if they'll add anything substantial to the multiplayer stuff. It was fun for a week or so on the consoles but I don't feel like it came close to being a complete package.

If I was a GTA fan, I'd be pissed right now.