Games for Windows Live adding Games on Demand beginning Dec. 15

Games on Demand, a.k.a. full game downloads, is one of the more recent additions to Xbox Live -- and today Microsoft has announced that it's bringing the service to its Games For Windows Live platform beginning December 15. GFWL creative director Chuck Osieja calls the initiative "Microsoft's return to delivering Windows games built on unique LIVE experiences." The service has a rocky history of sporadic supported releases and last summer ditched its subscription fees in the face of competition from the likes of Steam.

The move puts Microsoft up against Valve's digi-distribution service, which similarly offers community features and its own Achievements system, but boasts a much larger catalog at present. The GFWL Games on Demand initial lineup will include Resident Evil 5, Red Faction: Guerrilla and Battlestations Pacific along with new GFWL-enabled versions of 2D Boy's excellent World of Goo and Hemisphere Games' Osmos -- all titles currently offered by Steam, with some available via Stardock's Impulse service. Microsoft hasn't divulged pricing for titles offered via GFWL Games on Demand.

A reworked version of the former Windows Vista Ultimate Extra Tinker will be made available free to GFWL users when the Games on Demand service launches a week from next Tuesday.

Reader Comments (59)

I can't imagine MS having sales at all, much less sales like Steam does. They will probably throw around money to get exclusive content to their store and never let it come to Steam.

Come on, post the GTA4 DLC so I can buy it!!!

Why would valve buy microsoft? I meant the other way round, Steam for 360?

ignore, went to wrong place, damn messaging system

I don't thinks it's so much 'why' would Valve buy Microsoft but rather 'how'. It really is a big difference...

I think that is what makes Steam achievement better. Because there isn't an overall gamerscore, what a person does for achievements is for himself only. Unlike on Xbox Live, where you have achievement whores trying to get the highest gamerscore for their e-peen (or on the flip side, people grinding achievements for feeling lthe lack of their e-peen).

Ignore previous. Damn useless system, can't even edit or delete.

Don't think there going to beat Steam.

Don't think they will, don't want them do. What they will do is bring more competition into the digital distribution space. Hopefully they will add some features steam currently can't compete with, which will force Valve to update their features and make their service better for all of us. Same deal with XBL vs. PSN. Every time one comes out with a feature (though it's usually MS first) the other one tries to match it. It ends up just being better for the gamers.

I can finally download PC games directly to my computer? This is truly the world of tomorrow.

Games for Windows Live adding Games on Demand beginning Dec. 15

Reader Comments (59)

Posted: Dec 3rd 2009 5:19PM RKN said

Posted: Dec 3rd 2009 5:34PM whookid said

Posted: Dec 3rd 2009 5:34PM whookid said

Posted: Dec 3rd 2009 6:16PM Nate Addison said

Posted: Dec 3rd 2009 7:47PM Unknown said

Posted: Dec 3rd 2009 7:51PM Unknown said

Posted: Dec 3rd 2009 8:35PM Sleepyperson said

Posted: Dec 3rd 2009 9:12PM CaramelZappa said

Posted: Dec 4th 2009 9:50AM Snake Robot Podium said

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