Games for Windows certification streamlined for Windows 7 launch

Sweet! I'm going to get Windows 7 on my Eee PC and become GOD TIER.

They do... somewhat, with PC games. It's absurd to think that they'd want to port their console exclusive titles to Windows. After all, the entire reason they have exclusives is to move consoles. All of the development monies they spend on games like Gears or War 2 are to ensure there are great titles exclusive to the 360. You'll note that they DO eventually port them over, but only once there's no "threat" to the console to do so. You'll also note that they release games exclusive to Windows too. I don't know if they have anything in the pipeline right now beside the Age of Empires III Complete or Gold or whatever it's called, but I can assure you that is one franchise at least that isn't available on any console.

Some will disagree with me when I say that the PC isn't directly involved in the console war. There's so many 360 games on the PC and the 360 sales are not hurting. Microsoft is selling enough consoles, they really shouldn't be shooting the PC in the foot.

Please MS, let some of your 360 games come to the PC like Gears 2, Fable 2, GTA4 DLC, its been almost a year now, come on! Better late than never!

If they would have released Gears 2 or Fable 2 on PC I would NOT have a 360 right now....real fuckin talk...

Come on MS, let me play them on my PC with higher resolution, settings, mods, etc. please?

Microsoft wouldn't lose too many sales of the 360 if these games were on the PC. PC gamers are much more likely to go to the console than vice versa.

@AoE
Microsoft has shown no effort at putting good titles on the GfW platform. Remember Alan Wake and how MS ripped that away from the PC to put in exclusively on the 360? Only the most hardened MS defender would be unable to accept the favoritism MS has for the 360 over the PC. The GfW platform is nothing more than a cheap effort from MS. They simply wanted to dipped their hand in yet an other market.

Of course MS will port over any old 360 exclusives to the PC, its just their lazy way of trying to make more profit. But old games are old games, and most often those games become meaningless to the gaming population in general by the time they do come out on the PC. The only reason MS doesn't make titles release at the same time for both platform is becase they care more about the 360. They do get more money from 360 sales, that I can not denide, and it just goes to show that MS view PC as second class when compare against the 360.

Age of Empires III is a poor example of MS making PC exclusive titles. That game was made before titles were developed to be multiplatfrom. Maybe that game can't even be ported to the 360. But if something like Halo Wars can sell well, it wouldn't be a surprising if AoE IV, if there is one, will appear on the 360 as well. What recent games is MS going to develop or publish that is exclusively on the PC? Nothing.

I absolutely love Windows 7. As soon as the beta came out I started using that as my main os and same with the rc. My laptop which was running vista runs 100% faster, smoother, and has less problems with the same hardware. I love it.

@Rhamsey thats either a lie or you didn't have your computer set up correctly. I do not notice much of a speed difference on my computer. Windows 7 is nicer, but not as much as people say.

@ Peter F.
YOU must have it set up incorrectly. I'm currently running Windows 7 RC as my main OS, and I noticed a HUGE difference (especially in startup times) compared to Vista. Also, very snappy, and it uses 1/2 the ram (700mbs now) compared to Vista.

My brothers the one with a Vista PC and when I gotta do some PC related things and use his month old machine which works like a BBC computer I just don't...

I did install Vista on my imac and though it ran better it was no leap however Windows 7 on my imac runs perfectly and I find myself starting up in Windows more often then Snow Leopard...

Agreed. I love Win7. I've got a dual boot with Windows 7 and Linux Mint 7 and I couldn't be happier with my OS setup.

http://fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1086

If you haven't done so already. Plus the Nexus is the best place for TES and Fallout mods.

Linux sucks. Use a real OS!

I second the Linux loving.

Anybody who thinks Linux sucks is either a n00b or is brainwashed.

The problem with that assessment is that this is a gaming website. Name some games that run natively in Linux.


...I thought so.

Hell no, Windows ME FTW, I miss you frequent blue screens!

First, that's old now. Second, XP is the greatest OS of all time.

kthxbai

Whoa.. yeah.. I loved ME and it's blue screens. Lets see if I can find the REAL best os of all time.

*searching*

WHEW! FOUND IT! Took me a while, but here it is. Enjoy!
http://www.deanliou.com/WinRG/WinRG2.htm

KANEEEDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

windows RG is amazing.

You're confusing Games for Windows (a pretty label on the box) and Games for Windows Live (an online service).

Nope I'm not in Dawn Of War 2 to play online you have to sign in to games for windows live.
I do have Gears for PC and that says games for windows and you still have to sign in to play it.

Except this article doesn't mention just Live, but the Games for Windows brand in general (the pretty label across the box).

Then why are games like Batman: Arkham Asylum on the PC then? Unreal Engine 3 is based on the PC, porting Gears 2 to the PC will not be difficult and they will make a profit even with all the damn pirates.

Totally agree. I bought DOW2 and honestly Games for Windows live made me regret it. It's annoying, it's clunky and just plain unnecessary.

Since that game, if I see the bright friendly 'Games for Windows Live' logo on top of any game, I keep walking. There are better options out there.

Publishers should do themselves a favor and skip tacking this crap onto their games.

How exactly does GFW-Live cause connection drops in Dawn of War 2? All these games are peer-to-peer. You're saying the dastardly matchmaking service lurks in the shadows after a game has begun and kicks people offline? These Microsoft boogeyman stories don't even have to pretend to make sense anymore.

I've been playing that game since the beta and it works just fine. My only issue is GFW-Live not playing well with Sygate's free firewall. Now I've seen plenty of lag from people running on too high of settings, or from bad connections with high latency, but that has nothing to do with the Live service. What this article specifically addresses -- the need for publishers to certify their own updates and not wait weeks for Microsoft to do it -- would have helped with the one case where GFW really *did* screw over DoW2 during the population cap bug.

Props for that comment. Very true.

That logo means nothing to the consumer aside from the hint that the game is made for the Windows operating system. I doubt developers and publishers will line up to get that logo on their games any time soon, if ever.

Not true. Games for Windows (the banner on the top of game boxes) is not the same thing as GFW-Live. GFW by itself is simply a set of standards the game needs to meet (mainly having to do with playing nice with Vista/Windows 7, and things like widescreen and gamepad support).