MS Affirms Games For Windows Commitment, Describes Windows as 'First-class Gaming Platform'

by Chris Faylor, Jan 27, 2009 2:40pm PST

Related Topics – Microsoft, PC Gaming, PC, Games for Windows

Following the departure of Games for Windows Live manager Chris Early in the latest round of Microsoft cuts, the company has stressed its commitment to the service.

In a statement to Kotaku, Microsoft said:

Moving ahead, Microsoft will continue to invest in Windows as a first-class gaming platform through great Windows out of box experiences, our online gaming services including Games for Windows - LIVE, MSN Games, and Messenger games, and through new games for Windows developed by Microsoft Games Studios.

Ron Pessner, formerly of the Entertainment & Devices division, will now lead Microsoft's "Windows gaming service efforts" in the Interactive Entertainment Business branch.

The Games for Windows Live Marketplace premiered its first paid downloadable content today, with its its first public beta download, Relic's Dawn of War II, due later today.

Meanwhile, Microsoft Game Studios manager Dave Luehmann will now oversee Microsoft's internal development and publishing for all Windows-based games, with the company saying it will not comment on any other personnel changes at this time.

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By: the archvile x Show Full Post

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I don't see how Microsoft is going to make Games for Windows / GfWL progress much further unless they start catering to the hardcore PC gaming crowd. We may not make up a significant piece of the sales pie; however, we are the ones who buy the games early, we are the ones who recommend the games we do and don't like, and many of us become modmakers and potentially game designers.

I have a feeling that Microsoft didn't involve the opinions of many PC-centric gamers in the development of the Games for Windows standard set; it smacks of too much input from the XBox and Windows Media Center Edition fields of expertise. Seriously, the standard mandates XBox 360 controller compatibility if gamepads are supported, mandates Direct3D 9 at least, skews highly toward widescreen monitors that are at least 10 feet away from the viewer, and so on. It seems to be a pitch that intends to take developers into the direction of "why don't we just make it on the 360?".

Jan 27, 2009 4:24pm PST

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I don't see how Microsoft is going to make Games for Windows / GfWL progress much further unless they sta... : the archvile
Thread Truncated. Click to see all 5 replies.
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  I agree with you but I can't see Live ever catering to the hardcore PC gaming crowd. The cynic in me says... : Dr_Cube
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    I can understand not catering to the hardcore PC crowd, but they need to stop stepping on people's toes, ... : the archvile
    - They also should commit to the fucking platform by maybe sharing some of the major hits? And I don't mean... : ETPC1
    - I say that their first order of business should be a client/launcher that looks and works like the Steam ... : Dr_Cube

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