Games for Windows Live and Halo 2 hit Vista May 8th
by Christopher Grant 
{ Mar 14th 2007 at 3:01AM }
Don't care much for Halo 2? In "June" Shadowrun -- the first Live Anywhere title enabling cross-platform multiplayer -- hits the Xbox 360 and Vista with full Live integration. The final title they're eager to talk about is UNO, which will be released on Vista "later in 2007." We're not sure why a seemingly simple title like UNO isn't making the launch of the service (or even getting a date) but Microsoft assures us there will be more news around this decision later and that it will be apparent why we're not getting a release date now. They also said cross-platform licensing decisions for titles like UNO have not been worked out yet; we're betting this is gonna get tricky.
Gallery: Games for Windows Live (old)
We knew G4W Live would have both Silver and Gold accounts but we weren't sure what the key distinctions would be. Microsoft has finally lifted a dramatically convenient veil to expose a two-tiered system familiar to current Xbox Live users. Unlike Xbox Live, the free Silver account in G4W Live will allow for multiplayer gaming -- just not multiplayer matchmaking, or Live Anywhere cross-platform multiplayer, both of which will require Gold. Of course, functionality like gamertags and gamerscores will work fine with just a Silver account. GFW Live Gold will set you back $49.99 for a one-year membership, though current Xbox Live subscribers will have no trouble using their existing Gold account, and attached gamerscore and gamertag, with the G4W variant of the service. We believe that's what corporate types call synergy.
Microsoft wasn't ready to talk about the cell phone implementation of Live Anywhere either, repeating that they would be "crossing one bridge at a time." We look forward to getting our hands on this early taste of G4W Live and, notably, the cross-platform functionality, but are reminded that the Seattle area has an awful lot of bridges.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
opiumunbound @ Mar 14th 2007 3:31AM
So if I wanted to play Halo 2 online on the PC I'd have to pay an online fee?.........
errm pass
daniel @ Mar 14th 2007 3:45AM
if you have a Xbox Live gold account all you do is use it...no extra cost......
Gavin @ Mar 14th 2007 3:50AM
Halo for the PC was ass and Shadowrun looks like crap.
What a terrible launch for the service.
Markster @ Mar 14th 2007 4:06AM
Halo 2 launching 910 days after... Halo 2!
Kenny @ Mar 14th 2007 4:32AM
@Gavin
How would you know Shadowrun is crap? Are you in the beta? Didn't think so.
Full MS Press Release:
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2007/mar07/03-14G4WandXboxLIVEPR.mspx
Surkhail @ Mar 14th 2007 4:48AM
hmmm...Xbox 360 controler+Halo2+live with my X1950PRO CANT WAIT WOOOOOOT
FSK405K @ Mar 14th 2007 4:44AM
Sounds like a decent service (for current XBL Gold members). Now if they could just make Vista worth buying, and not just by extorting DX 10 over our heads.
GamerG @ Mar 14th 2007 4:47AM
So if I play Halo 2 on PC I can add to my 360 achievements..........?
All of a sudden I cant get that Halo tune out of my head!
Joost Schuur @ Mar 14th 2007 4:52AM
Somewhere out there, there's someone at Microsoft shouting 'Stop calling it Live Anywhere! We're not calling it that anymore!'.
fever84 @ Mar 14th 2007 8:54AM
2. if you have a Xbox Live gold account all you do is use it...no extra cost......
no cost
people dont mock it till you have tryed it xbox live is the number one for any console or pc i am sure live anywhere will do well as xbox live.
as for halo 2 900 odd days later its still the number 2 game played on live after gears... why.. because its a really good game... i have never really liked it that much but i admire the matchmaking system
sphetr2 @ Mar 14th 2007 5:21AM
This sucks. What if I don't have a 360? I have to pay for Halo 2? Halo was free. Stupid 360 owners, you're supposed to boycott paying for online play, but now MS thinks they can charge us for it.
sphetr2 @ Mar 14th 2007 5:25AM
Never mind, I read the press release (thanks Kenny) and silver membership is free. Whoops. Well, that's good to hear. Now the service looks cool to me. Can't wait for private voice chat!
m ike @ Mar 14th 2007 6:26AM
sphetr2
glad u read the press release. many have not and on other sites been losing their minds. for all thsoe who donlt know this is what you get for FREE
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
sweet? yeah i kniw
m ike @ Mar 14th 2007 6:26AM
testing password
Parm @ Mar 14th 2007 6:36AM
Fantastic! It's just about spot on in every department.
It's completely free for PC gamers, they just get added extras for paying nothing. If they do decide they want to play cross platform against 360 owners, that really is the only reason for them to upgrade to Gold. Playing with other PC users is completely free.
Brilliant for all 360 Live subscribers too, adds so much more for existing members.
Looking forward to this!
Yuki~Summer Ver.~ @ Mar 14th 2007 6:48AM
Not a bad deal for PC gamers, since they can still play for free as much as they want.
However, now it feels like a ripoff to be a console player. If Microsoft wants to make a move like this, they should at least make it fair for console players, making console-console free as well, and only requiring a Gold membership for cross-platform play.
m ike @ Mar 14th 2007 6:56AM
Yuki~Summer Ver
most pc gamers played free befor this and had to deal with advertisments and fragmented service.
Live has pretty much no ads and lets you have gaming on games that were on the original xbox. someone has to pay for that. so we pay a fee.
it makes sense that to join the xbox 360 community pc gamers would pay. befor this say cod2 on pc was free for pc gamers. u canlt expect them to pay now.
Prior to this 360 gamers payed to play cod2. nothing should change. except now 360 gamers can extend that service to their pc's. communicatin from work, or a friends housew with your gamer friends. cross platyform gaming and on and on.
its all comming togetehr nicely and as a paying memberr of live i feel every cent is well spent.
i also pc game some so i see both side of this and have no problems paying my 4 cents a day.
Colin @ Mar 14th 2007 6:58AM
Think this is any sign of the new 360 rumored to come out in May too?
JonFitt @ Mar 14th 2007 6:56AM
Yay, now I can pay to play games which have to be dumbed down so that console boys and girls can play too.
I have realised that my life was missing the squeal of the pre-pubescent Xbox user I remember from 3 years ago when playing Halo 2 on XBL.
Where do I sign up? Who needs 64 players in a Battlefield game, I want to play games with 7 or 15 other people who are given free headshots by their console aiming for them. Woohoo!
m ike @ Mar 14th 2007 7:02AM
JonFitt
1. silver account alows pc gamers have a live like experfienc with other pc gamers for free. any agmes for windows game will allow pc to pc gaming for free.
2. halo for vosta is an extended version of halo. watch the ces 2007 video and they explain that
3. even in xbox days we had games with 64 playes. Black hawk down anyone. even battlefield had 32 on the console.
4. if u don't wnat to play against 360 gamers don't. fre choice is a bitch don't ya think. but to have these features
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
FOR FREE. is a good thing for pc gamers and helps to make pc gaming easier and better. and for free.
only thing you would ahve to pay for is if you wnated to cross platform game which you don;t. so the silver account would do you great. and you can still have acccess to friends on xbox live from any vista pc in the world. voice chat, text all free.
now whats the problem?
m ike @ Mar 14th 2007 7:03AM
colin
doubt it. this has been in the works since e305. and befor that. this is live anywhere and its about to get started. Live will be more than xbox. it will be a service connecting friends and gamers across many platforms, xbox, xbox 360, pc,cell and likely zune
SeriousKriss @ Mar 14th 2007 7:54AM
I'll stick with Xfire. It's had all the useful features of Windows Live for quite a while now (and more, like Q3 stats), and it's not owned by Microsoft.
Yuki~Summer Ver.~ @ Mar 14th 2007 7:43AM
@m ike
Granted, it's true that PC gamers have always had it free, and 360 has not; however, just because it's "tradition" doesn't mean it's a good idea. Saying that PC gamers have had to deal with many ads is quite misleading, as that is mainly a recent addition, and even those are generally rather limited for now.
360 users get advertising, but in a different sense--when you're hooked up to Live, see those images on your dashboard? You know, the ones that advertise TV shows or game downloads? That's advertising too, which is also used to generate revenue.
All I'm saying is that Silver users should get play within their own platform (PC-PC, Console-Console). Obviously this announcement confirms the PC side. I think it's unfair for them to give PC gamers the SAME Silver service with the addition of free online play if they're not going to give it to 360 users as well.
mogul218 @ Mar 14th 2007 7:46AM
Is it just a kneejerk reaction for you PC boys to bitch at everything Microsoft does? Goddamn! Why don't you try reading the article BEFORE you bitch. I'm actually pretty psyched for the evolution of the Live service because it's makes my $49.99 go even farther now. Much better than some wannabe be Second Life service.
m ike @ Mar 14th 2007 8:04AM
SeriousKriss
once again users will have to be signed up for xfire. with games for windows and Live the games will run thru live now. u wonlt need nor be able to use xfire for games for window games. U simply log in with your windows id or gamertag and bam your unified service is befor you. its integrated into all games for widnows games and intime majority if not all games will utilise this feature. Its easier and cheaper for devs with microsfts api tools.
its swervices like xfire, teamspeak and otehrs that makes pc gaming so fragmented. Unifying parts of it would help push pc gaming as ease of use is a large factor in console gamers gaming on consoles. its all described in the video they imbedded in the article above.
rfom @ Mar 14th 2007 8:30AM
Good for PC users - IF you are willing to pay for a useless upgrade to Vista.
And it highlights the dilemma that MS faces
Their bigest advantage over Macs? the far better gaming collection.
So to push Vista they need to make titles like Alan Wake and Bioshock non-exclusive, i.e., they are no longer 360 exclusive (While Sony has no such qualms about making Motorstorm or R:FOM exclusive)
Which means that the 360 gets weakened - if I get free multiplayer and Live features on PC, which anyway has more and better shooters...why would I buy the 360 console?
JonFitt @ Mar 14th 2007 8:31AM
@m ike
The silver account doesn't offer anything special and is free as it should be. The extra gamerscore and achievements will attract some people from other similar services.
The problem is the gold account. By making it cost money it confirms that XBL gold will remain a pay for service. I have never believed that XBL was a service worth money. If MS had provided stacks of dedicated servers on every continent then it could be justified, but for a matchmaking "service" to sort out peer-to-peer games it was nothing but a money gouging scheme for people who had no other choice.
By adding a "premium" level to the PC Live (which btw provides nothing which should actually cost money: matchmaking is nothing much and could be done by a mod to any of the current PC games which have the concept of a global score like BF2/BF2142 etc., and why should it cost money to play with an Xbox? That's an artificial "service" created to justify the cost.) you justify continuing to charge Xbox users.
What should have happened is that Live on the PC was free, and it marked the end of charging for XBL.
Also, how long before PC games "require" gold accounts for online play because they "require" live anywhere. Halo 3 PC?
Geo @ Mar 14th 2007 8:41AM
Hmmmm Halo 2 for PC that means Keyboard and mouse, oh yeah i`m going to kick some console gamers Asses.........
JonFitt @ Mar 14th 2007 8:47AM
@Geo
Halo 2 PC is not a cross platform game (it should have been).
You will not be able to play against Xbox owners and own their ass *.
* Although they would have that auto-headshot system and the PC players wouldn't meaning that you'd have to actually aim while they swipe snipe you. Still, PC players would still probably own.
Crono @ Mar 14th 2007 8:50AM
rfom,
I think that is the ONLY logical thing you have ever said.
As soon as the 8600 hits, I'll be picking it up as well as Vista Home Premium (32bit) It sucks that all my computers are 64 bit but nobody makes decent 64 bit drivers for anything.
Geo @ Mar 14th 2007 9:20AM
JonFitt # 28 thanks for your information......
MouthlessScreamer @ Mar 14th 2007 10:49AM
I think the most horrible decision so far is to include their application into the games themselves. Why do I have to have Halo 2 up just to view messages? Unless I'm missing something?
All those screen shots have the actual 'dashboard' embedded into the game client.
Matt B @ Mar 14th 2007 11:01AM
What a deal!!!
$200 upgrade to Vista
$40 for Halo 2
Possibly need a new video card and more RAM.
Sounds great!!!
If Sony pulled this, you all would crucify the PS3.
Matt B @ Mar 14th 2007 11:11AM
What a deal!!!
$200 upgrade to Vista
$40 for Halo 2
Possibly need a new video card and more RAM.
Sounds great!!!
If Sony pulled this, you all would crucify the PS3.
Matt B @ Mar 14th 2007 11:12AM
Sry for dbl post. It's not my fault.:X
Shawn D @ Mar 14th 2007 11:26AM
I'm a PC gamer and my wife is more of a console gamer, so we already have a gold account(I can't seem to get her off of UNO for christ's sake).My only question is though, as we both have user names on Xbox Live, if my wife is logged on under her gamertag, will I be able to use mine simultaneously with Gold Access to both? Right now, We pay just the one fee(50 bucks a year) and we both get gold access. Just pondering.
On another note, Xfire is still my baby, and is an excellent service that does everything that Live does, and so far more than what live does for the PC. All my PC guys use Xfire, and most don't have an Xbox, so I still see Xfire kicking some serious arse. Hell, right now, Xfire has close to 7 million registered users. Granted, that's a small portion of total PC Gamers, but it's still a nice number. Also, most PC Games have great Muliplayer interfaces as it is, and with games like UT or DOD, it's nice to just pull up the browser, sort by how many people are in one server, and select the best ping and jump right in. That's all I need.
Joshua @ Mar 14th 2007 12:02PM
Hahaha. There is no way I'm paying money to play a game online, especially on the PC (MMORPGs included -- I don't play them partly for that reason)!
carg0 @ Mar 14th 2007 1:50PM
there's going to be an embarrassing 'thud' when this Live Anywhere garbage fails. it'll happen somewhere between no one upgrading to vista (until they start forcing) and no one giving a shit about shadowrun and halo 2 enough to go through the hassle of upgrading your entire system.
Liqwid @ Mar 14th 2007 2:51PM
Does this mean that we will be able to view picture messages and listen to voice messages now? If so, that'd be great.
Mike Davis @ Mar 14th 2007 3:22PM
Im waiting for the gamefix that will let Halo 2 run in XP. Im not upgrading to vista, at least not in this lifetime.
mike @ Mar 14th 2007 3:50PM
for me, this might get me back into pc gaming. The one thing I hated about pc gaming was that only 1 in 1000 games had built in voice chat. Games like starcraft and other rts games are all teaqm based and require heavey communication. I cant tell you how many matches I lost because I needed to type vital information.
Now games will all have built in voice chat. Now granted before you could run ventrillo or teamspeak, but now, since its game integrated, the random people who join and not your friends, can communicate with you just like on xbox live. Now when I play RTS and stuff in the future, I can chat with other player (assuming they have a mic).
this is all great news. Im an xbox live gold member but even if I wasent, I would be incredibly impressed at the new free silver service. Pc players are just wining becausxe they dont know what the live service is all about (having never owned an xbox). Wait until may, wait until they try it, they will all abandon teamspeak and xfire and will wonder how they lived without the live service (once lots of games come out in the future that are a part of the service)
D @ Mar 14th 2007 4:30PM
@22
"Is it just a kneejerk reaction for you PC boys to bitch at everything Microsoft does?"... "Much better than some wannabe be Second Life service."
Your ironic and moronic post made my day... thanks!
m ike @ Mar 14th 2007 4:42PM
JonFitt
all games on the GAMES FOR WINDOWS Brand will require live anywhere starting with halo 2. It will be free to play pc memebrs if your on a pc. thats the point. They only charge for crossplatform playing. all games for windows will have pc to pc gaming for free. Your argument is mute
DEATHMASTER @ Mar 14th 2007 4:53PM
@ Yuki
Don't they have a free silver membership for the 360 as well?
LongshotX @ Mar 14th 2007 5:04PM
Microsoft please release an emulator for Xbox games to be played on the PC using the Xbox 360 controller!
Uh_Oh @ Mar 14th 2007 11:04PM
Wonder if crysis will have this? You know its a GFW branded game.
syco @ Mar 15th 2007 3:00AM
That's kind of funny that they're limiting the potential market for such a huge title from virtually ever gaming PC in the world, down to the 4 people who actually bothered to by Vista.
That's a real smart business decision there, Microsoft. At least if you don't care to sell any copies of the game.
JonFitt @ Apr 28th 2007 6:23AM
@m ike
GFW games will require the user to sign in with a Silver account FOR NOW, how long until there's "super extra functionality" aside from cross-platform play that can only be used with a Gold account? What if ranked play requires you to play cross platform ergo you need a Gold account? Etc.
Bad. Bad. Bad.
I'm totally against the creep of the monetised online "experience" that Xbox users have been force fed.
Sidepocket @ Mar 18th 2007 6:20AM
mike is eather a fool or a MS employie.
I have been playing online on PC for years, my first online game was Doom 2 on my Pentium machine and then after that it was Quake 3 Arena.
Let me ask you something:
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
How is this any better than what XFire has? Screw that, FEAR and UT has all this built in besides lame achivements.
Live for Windows is just not going to do well, even the free Silver account seems gimped.
PC Online =/= Console
NextWave @ May 1st 2007 4:17PM
Are alot of you not reading it...
Silver service is free and offers:
*Gamercard support (scoring, username, etc.)
*Communication with your friends
*Online play via PC
Gold service offers:
*LIVE Anywhere service with cross platform multiplayer
Silver = FREE
Gold = $49.99
So basically Windows LIVE Silver is a well built system for online PC gaming and cross platform friend lists that is free. If you want to play multiplatform online...shell out the $50.