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.

Games for Windows Live general manager Chris Early was among the 1,400 Microsoft eliminated last week, reputable journalist Dean Takahashi reports via VentureBeat.

The effect that Early's departure will have on the service is not known. In addition to free online multiplayer, Games for Windows Live offers video and demo downloads, and will debut its first premium-priced downloadble content tomorrow via Fallout 3.

Early previously told Shacknews that the service would eventually sell full games.

In all, Microsoft plans to axe 5,000 positions across the next year and a half.

Microsoft today launched its Games for Windows Live Marketplace, a platform that will provide PC demos, games videos, add-on DLC, and eventually sell full games.

The Marketplace is part of the latest version of GFW Live, now available at FileShack. With the update, Games for Windows can now be launched as a stand-alone program.

At present, the North American Games for Windows Live Marketplace offers up a demo of Rare's garden-tending simulator Viva Pinata, which hit PC in 2007, while the European Marketplace offers IO Interactive's 2007 buddy-shooter Kane & Lynch.

Yesterday marked the first evidence of a serious PC gaming strategy from Microsoft.

With the release of a new Games for Windows Live interface, the announcement of an upcoming DLC-focused Marketplace, and the mention of plans to bring full PC digital distribution to the service, the Xbox guys have finally given us a reason to take a hard look at their PC philosophy.

Conveniently, I had the chance to sit down and throw a number of questions at Games for Windows general manager Chris Early and marketing manager Michael Wolf.

How is this new Marketplace going to work? What kind of cut is Microsoft getting on sales? What does it mean when a game is a Games for Windows Live exclusive? What does all of this mean for Windows 7? Find out the answers to these questions and more inside the fold.

Chris Early: I know that when we launched Games for Windows Live, you could play PC to PC free, but if you wanted to play with Xbox [users] you had to pay $50 to do that. Now was that smart in retrospect, when we listen? No. So we corrected it. Now would it have been better if we had been smart enough to think of that in advance? Yes. But fortunately we had plenty of helpful players who helped "guide" us there. [laughs] Read on..

Mark my words: today is the day Microsoft got serious on the PC.

While conducting an interview with Games for Windows Live general manager Chris Early--in which he confirmed that Microsoft will be adding full games to its PC digital distribution network in the future--I was able to check out the just-launched redesign of the GFW Live interface, as well as the upcoming GFW Live Marketplace application.

I came away from the meeting a little stunned, and found myself preparing to finally witness some healthy competition for our digital PC dollars.

The new in-game Games for Windows Live interface (pictured above) is a significant leap forward for Microsoft. It does everything you'd expect--displays your Gamerscore, provides a friends list, and allows for private messages and chat--but is now far more effective. It's a minimalist, PC-centric approach compared to the bloated, console-derived initial iteration.

But while the new interface is the kind of necessary, late-to-the-party update we've come to expect from the Games for Windows program, the upcoming Marketplace is far more interesting, serving as the strong opening salvo of an invasion into Valve's largely unchallenged digital distribution territory. ... Read more

Speaking in an interview with Shacknews, Games for Windows Live general manager Chris Early confirmed that Microsoft has definite plans to distribute full PC titles through its Marketplace application in the future.

"Clearly it's on our road map," said Early when asked about the digital distribution of full titles.

Entering the realm of PC digital distribution will put Microsoft into direct competition with Steam developer Valve.

Microsoft today released a new Games for Windows Live update, which improves the interface. A separate update will arrive in two to three weeks, adding support for video, demos, and DLC downloads through a Marketplace application.

Steam currently features no priced DLC, a fact which Microsoft hopes to exploit with both publishers and customers by rolling out DLC support ahead of full distribution. For instance, though Games for Windows Live exclusivity does not preclude the titles such as Fallout 3 from being sold on Steam, Fallout 3's DLC will only be available on Microsoft's GFW Live Marketplace.

A portion of the interview follows. Check back tomorrow for the full article, including details on Microsoft's plans for game support in Windows 7. ... Read more

Now that the multiplayer features of Games for Windows Live-enabled PC titles are entirely free, Microsoft says it will refund subscription fees to Gold-level Live subscribers, Games for Windows senior global director Kevin Unangst has revealed.

"There will be a benefit for customers who purchased gold subscriptions on Windows," Unangst told Ars Technica. "Proactively, we will be offering refunds for those with Windows-specific Gold subscriptions. Customer service has already begun to get communications prepared."

Many Games for Windows-branded PC titles including Bungie's Halo 2 and FASA Interactive's Shadowrun required a subscription to make use of features such as matchmaking and cross-platform play, effectively requiring a subscription for functional online multiplayer experience.

Games for Windows Live formerly featured a pricing structure similar to that of the Xbox 360's Xbox Live online platform, with Gold subscriptions costing $49.99 for a year, $19.99 for three months and $7.99 for a one-month subscription.

Earlier today Microsoft announced that all Games for Windows Live features will now be available for free, in addition to revealing a PC digital distribution marketplace that will launch this fall.

Later on, we had the chance to speak with Games for Windows senior global director Kevin Unangst on the announcement. Read on for the result of our extensive chat, which covered digital distribution, the changes to Games for Windows, and how Microsoft is thinking about the PC platform going forward.

Kevin Unangst: I think what Steam and Valve are doing is great for the PC, and I think they've been successful so far. I think there are areas in which we believe we will offer more value, not only to gamers but to publishers. So in some areas we will compete. But overall that's what's great about Windows--publishers and consumers get to choose. So there's plenty of room for more than one system on the platform. Read more..

Microsoft today announced that its Games for Windows initiative is set to expand with the launch an online PC gaming marketplace this fall. The service will deliver free and paid downloadable game content, along with trailers, demos, and other content comparable to the company's Xbox Live offerings.

In addition to the added features, the Games for Windows Live interface will also be redesigned to be "much more PC friendly." Microsoft has not yet specified whether full games will be made available for purchase on the network.

The company further announced that all Games for Windows Live multiplayer features are now entirely free.

Games for Windows Gold offered achievements, matchmaking, cross-platform play, and other features at a monthly subscription of $7.99, or $49.99 yearly. While the same features carry similar charges on Microsoft's Xbox 360 platform, gamers often criticized Microsoft for offering them at the same price on the PC, as free programs have traditionally offered comparable functionality.

Shacknews will be speaking with Microsoft later today on the announcement, so check back later for more details.

"There's been a lot of trend pieces about PC gaming is dying, and the decline of the PC, when that's absolutely not true. And in fact, it's not dying or declining, it's growing, and it's growing exponentially--and I think is on its way to growing even larger than the rest of the market."

As it turned out, the phrase "exponential growth" was used quite a bit during Games for Windows global director Kevin Unangst's speech, delivered Thursday on the upper floor of a posh studio in San Francisco. It became a sort of rhythmic meter, like the charted points on the many illuminated graphs behind him, all slowly marching upward to a triumphant rise of the PC gaming industry.

In theory.

Unangst quoted some big numbers--$11.3 billion worldwide for PC gaming, as compared to $14 billion worldwide for consoles, a closer comparison than one might imagine. More digits from DFC Intelligence suggest that the PC market will increase 73 percent from 2007 to 2013. All of these are figures that Microsoft wanted to see when it began the Games for Windows project in mid-2006.

But a year and a half later, it speaks to the metered, subtle approach of the program that Microsoft essentially held a meeting to remind people what it... Read more

Games for Windows Magazine will be transitioning to an online-only publication format, the 1UP Network announced today.

Publisher Ziff Davis, which launched GFW in 2006 as a rebranding of the 25-year-old mag Computer Gaming World, cited the movement of readership to internet-based news sources as impetus for the closure. The final print issue of Games for Windows, April/May 2008, is on newsstands now.

"PC gamers and marketers have made the online space their home," said Ziff Davis CEO Jason Young. "There are 10 million 'World of Warcraft' subscribers, 15 million Steam users...It's a natural move for us to refocus our resources and talent to the online space, in order to reach the PC gaming community where it truly lives."

Ziff Davis, which owns and operates the 1UP Network and its publications, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last month due to mounting debt totaling between $500 million and $1 billion. But 1UP Network content VP Simon Cox said that GFW's... Read more

There is still room for improvement in the marketing and management of the Games for Windows platform, Microsoft Games for Windows director Kevin Unangst has said.

Unangst addressed complaints that Games for Windows Live doesn't offer enough incentive for those who pay for the service, noting that many gamers were confused that Games for Windows Live-branded titles required paid subscriptions for online play.

"Going out of the gate, we weren't as clear as we should have been that Games for Windows Live on the PC is free," Unangst told Eurogamer. "If you want to play cross-platform games, that's when you need a Gold subscription. Our challenge is to be clear on the message we're not charging for Games for Windows Live.

"People assumed we were trying to bring the Xbox model over to the PC, which we were not," Unangst added.

When asked for comment on the PC Gaming Alliance—a consortium of PC gaming developers in which Microsoft is a key figure—Unangst reaffirmed... Read more

Publishing house Ziff Davis Media announced today that it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy due to mounting debt that now totals between $500 million and $1 billion.

Ziff Davis is the publisher of such well-known gaming standards as 1UP.com, Electronic Gaming Monthly, Games for Windows, and PC Magazine.

If approved by the court, the company will be tasked with restructuring its finances. An ad hoc noteholder group is planning to pay up to $24.5 million to keep Ziff Davis afloat during the Chapter 11 case.

A consortium of corporate giants ranging from Microsoft to Intel joined hands in an effort to advance the PC gaming platform today, officially announcing the PC Gaming Alliance (PCGA) at this year's Game Developers Conference in San Francisco.

The stated goal of the PCGA is to serve as a forum for developers to collaborate on the marketing, production, and analyzation of the PC market. The body will act as an advisory board, with the focus on providing a single "voice" for the PC gaming industry.

"PCGA members believe that we are stronger and more effective together than any member company is alone, and that our shared vision and group effort will improve PC gaming worldwide," said Intel's Randy Stude. "Industry forums have proven to foster competition and innovation among member companies and grow markets while improving user experiences."

The full list of PCGA members is composed of Acer/Gateway, Activision, AMD, Dell/Alienware, Epic Games, Intel, Microsoft, Nvidia. and Razer.

"There's no one source that says 'hey this is where the PC market is going'," said Stude according to Develop. "Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft are always calling their market share--we're going to call our market through this group."

"What we intend to do is look at what's out there and tell developers what consumers have and understand what audiences exist," added Microsoft Games for Windows chief Kevin Unagast. "The role of the PCGA is providing guidance to developers when they are making a game, explain how they can achieve consistency."

Several marquee companies are teaming up to keep the PC gaming platform alive, according to the Mercury News.

Dubbed the PC Gaming Alliance, the group is made up of several companies with an interest in sustaining PC gaming, including Intel, Microsoft, Nvidia and AMD. The alliance aims to keep PCs competitive with consoles in drawing game developers to the platform.

The consortium hopes to expand the efforts of Microsoft's Games for Windows program, which sought to standardize the platform and improve consumer experience. The PC Gaming Alliance is expected to be formally announced in advance of next week's Game Developers Conference in San Francisco.

Amidst an already busy CES, Microsoft also announced nine new titles set for Games for Windows branding, to be released in 2008.

• Alone in the Dark, Eden Studio (PC, PS3, X360)
• Bionic Commando, GRIN/Capcom (PC, PS3, X360)
• Conflict: Denied Ops, Pivotal Games (PC, PS3, X360)
• Empire: Total War, Creative Assembly (PC)
• LEGO Indiana Jones, Traveller's Tales (TBD)
• Microsoft Train Simulator 2, Microsoft Game Studios (PC)
• Sins of a Solar Empire, Ironclad Games (PC)
• Space Siege, Gas Powered Games (PC)
• Tomb Raider: Underworld, Crystal Dynamics (PC, PS3, X360)

Microsoft did not disclose whether any of these titles will support Live for Windows, cross-platform play or achievements. This newest roundup of games will join an existing roster of anticipated releases in 2008, including Gearbox Software's Borderlands (PC, PS3, X360) and Fallout 3 (PC, PS3, X360) from Bethesda Game Studios.

Microsoft has announced the release of the latest version of its XNA Game Studio suite, which allows enthusiast-level developers to create Xbox 360 and Windows games using managed code and Microsoft Visual Studio.

Notably, XNA Game Studio 2.0 adds support for Xbox Live and its counterpart Games for Windows Live. Microsoft claims that many online features, such as matchmaking, can be seamlessly integrated into XNA games. The new version of the software also includes updates to graphics, math, connectivity, audio, and Xbox 360 Guide interface functionality, and Microsoft offers a utility to convert existing projects to the 2.0 format.

In addition to the version announcement, Microsoft said it will launch a new Dream-Build-Play development contest, open to creators of XNA-based games. Finalists will each receive a $3,000 stipend, present their games at San Francisco's Game Developers Conference 2008 in February, and potentially be interviewed for an internship at Microsoft's UK development studios Rare, Lionhead, and Microsoft Research Cambridge.

According to the announcement, signups begin this Friday, though the official contest site states they begin on December 20.

The announcement also indicates XNA Game Studio 2.0 is available from its official site, though the site does not yet appear to have been uploaded, currently offering only the original XNA Game Studio express and a note that the 2.0 Beta has ended.

Update: An SEC filing from Electronic Arts today revealed Peter Moore's salary at his upcoming position to be $550,000 per year, with a potential annual bonus of $412,500. And the kicker: a one-time signing bonus of $1.5 million. Other perks include $330,000 for relocation, a stock option of 350,000 shares, and 50,000 restricted shares.

Original story: Electronic Arts and Microsoft have announced that outspoken Microsoft VP Peter Moore (pictured left) will leave his position at the Redmond-based Xbox manufacturer to take a post as president of EA Sports. Moore will relocate to EA's Redwood Shores headquarters as a result of the move, and will begin his new job in September.

Replacing Moore at Microsoft will be Don Mattrick (pictured right), a longtime EA executive who has for the past six months been serving as an external advisor to Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division, where Moore served as corporate VP. Mattrick will take his position at Microsoft on July 30.

Moore headed up the Xbox and Games for Windows businesses... Read more

Petroglyph's upcoming real-time strategy game Universe at War: Earth Assault will support cross-platform multiplayer gaming between Xbox 360 and PC, publisher Sega announced today. Universe at War is the first strategy game to have such functionality announced, with Petroglyph and Sega the first third-party developers to support the feature through Microsoft's Xbox Live and Games for Windows Live services.

With Universe at War set to ship for PC later this year and the Xbox 360 version not set to debut until the first quarter of 2008, PC gamers will have a leg up on their console counterparts in terms of experience with the game, but Sega is promising an equal playing field on the technical side--a tall... Read more

Shadowrun Post-Launch Interview on FiringSquad chats with FASA Studios manager Mitch Gitelman about the newly released PC / Xbox 360 multiplayer shooter. Topics include feedback from the Xbox 360 beta, the lack of a PC beta, use of the Games for Windows – LIVE service and demo plans.