PSA: Games for Windows Live's Games on Demand launches

by Alexander Sliwinski on Dec 15th 2009 5:44PM

Microsoft's Games on Demand for Games for Windows Live is now live and on demandable. The launch lineup doesn't exactly conjure up thoughts of exploding confetti, but here goes nothing:

Dirt 2 ($40)
Fallout 3 ($50)
Kane and Lynch: Dead Men ("1600") -- really, that's what it says (aka $20)
Red Faction: Guerrilla ($40)
Shadowrun ($10)
Street Fighter IV ($40)
Viva Pinata ($10)

With established digital distribution systems for PC gamers -- heard of Steam? Impulse? -- already featuring far larger libraries and arguably better discounts, it sure looks like GFWLGOD (we're still working on the acronym ... ) is marching onto the field about an hour after the match ended.
Full launch list:

Battlestations Pacific
DiRT 2
Fallout 3
FUEL
Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights
Kane and Lynch: Dead Men
Red Faction Guerrilla
Resident Evil 5
Section 8
Street Fighter IV
Tinker
Viva Piñata
Shadowrun

Source

Tags: digital-distribution, games-for-windows-live, games-on-demand, gfwlive

Reader Comments (55)

Well, at least they are not charging 50 bucks for Shadowrun.

so yeah, apparently the game Tinker is free today for GOW, and it comes with achievements. Don't know much about the game, but achievements are all I really needed to hear.

I'll stick to steam, thanks.

Agreed. On the PC side Steam is the way to go. Just picked up Dragon Age: Origins when it was on sale over Black Friday. Great deals. If Microsoft wants to compete its going to need to learn to put things on sale.

How is Dragon Age? I thought about picking that up for Steam. But I do want to get L4D2 first since I have the first one for Steam.

Does anybody even use Games for Windows?

I do, because some of the games I play take advantage of it for online matchmaking and whatnot; and it's convenient that it's the same login as I use for Xbox live. As far as match-making/dlc/etc I don't mind the service... but nor do I want or need a storefront to buy full games from them, I've already got a half dozen services to use that are more than adequate.

sadly, when i bought fallout 3 i did not have a credit card at the time, so i need to get my updates for it through gfwl and thats where i got my dlc too.

they already stole 600 points from me when i payed for point lookout but didnt get the DLC.

i hate gfwl, it is terrible compared to steam.

Oh Microsoft, why are you even bothering? Steam/Direct2Drive/Impulse/GamersGate/GoG already have this territory well-covered, thank you.

Personally I'm thankful - none of those services you mention apply to me (I'm not in the USA), whereas GFWL is international (yes, I have trouble buying through Steam here too) so for me it's great, has local prices (prices in US dollars is annoying) and incredibly relevant *thumbs up*

@Halwende,

GamersGate and GoG are both European services that work globally. GamersGate is a product of Paradox Interactive out of Sweden, and Good Old Games is a product of CD Projekt, a Polish publisher/developer. So fear not! You don't need to buy stuff from MS.

@Halwende: Weird...I'm from Brazil and I've bought a lot of games from Steam.

$10 for Shadowrun is decent, others are at least twice what would sell. And with Steam doing digital distribution so...decently, I can't call it well without the ability to resell titles...this is never going to catch on.

Wow. I'm glad to see Microsoft is really value-pricing these titles.

Hopefully with this, the PC will get the two GTA4 DLCs, maybe even later on some 360 games and further DLC, but that is pretty wishful thinking. I want the PC to be treated as well as the 360 by MS and am hoping it will get the same amount of content as the Xbox LIVE store gets.

The irony of people telling MS to go home because they're be happier with a Steam monopoly is really kind of giggle inducing.

Google? iPod? Steam? Apparently only *some* monopolies are bad...

You're an idiot. A monopoly is whenever someone has a service/product that you can only get from them and that you almost NEED to have.

Like Windows, for example, is close to a monopoly, you don't have very many other options and most of them aren't at the same level. You're pretty much stuck with having to use Windows, unless you go with Apple or you know what the fuck you're doing and install something like Linux.

This is like a grocery store charging you 20 bucks for a banana, while you can just as well get it elsewhere for a buck.

20 bucks for a banana? What the fuck?

It's a MS Banana....

I don't think you know what monopoly means. Also Direct2Drive, Impulse, GamersGate, and GoG say hi. If anything, the problem is just the reverse, the market is already quite crowded and we don't need some lame "me too!" attempt on Microsoft's part.

Just got Tinker for free. =)

How is it? When I first seen the cover of Tinker, I instantly thought Clank from Ratchet & Clank.

Pretty fun. Gets you thinking and its got achievements. I can't wait to finally play World of Goo (with achievements hopefully), I've heard great things about that game!

I'm waiting for Fallout 3 to hit the 360 marketplace.

You don't want to buy a (most probably cheaper) retail copy?

Most places are selling the standard version for 30 or less. I've seen the standalone for 23 used, and the GotY for 48 used. Don't wait for it to hit Marketplace, trust me.

My local Microcenter is selling Fallout 3 for PC, both the vanilla and GOTY edition for $50. : 0

I own most of my games on disc. But I do like the idea of having it just sitting on my hard drive for whenever I'm in the mood. Kind of like the revolutionary PC ;)

Too bad the post forgot to mention Tinker which is FREE. That's worth something right there.

I don't mind the numerous options since I'm just starting to get back into PC gaming. The only reason I like Games For Windows is because I can use my Xbox 360 profile there. Other than that, it's simply there. It now just gives me an alternate store to grab stuff from, that's all.

BTW, anyone know how the community is for Shadowrun nowadays? I'll grab it for $10 but only if there seem to still be people playing it. If not, I'll leave it alone.

For some reason, Kane and Lynch has 10 out of 5 stars on the download screen.

I can't fathom why that game on the 360 requires a hard drive when so many other games do not. : /

It's so bad it's good.

Poor optimization, I'd guess. The only other game I know requires a HDD is FFXI Online. Halo 3 is 'optimized for hard drives', but can run without one.

Good to see a digital release of Viva Pinata, that game was a lot of fun. Now where is Halo, Halo 2, Gears of War, and Fable?

I would love for them to come to PC, but don't count on it. MS doesn't want to hurt sales of their 360 by letting these games come to PC, even though I doubt they'd lose many sales on the 360, which has plenty of gamers that don't buy PC games.

They want their own closed system to succeed and be profitable, instead of the PC, they couldn't care less about the PC since the Xbox came out.

And Age of Empires, Age of Mythology, Midtown Madness, Mechwarrior, Crimson Skies, etc.

This isn't what I would call a decent start but hopefully it will allow more people to play Shadowrun, probably the most underrated game of 2007.

But all four of those games are on PC already...

I guess he wants them on the Games on Demand marketplace to purchase, whereas I'd like the sequels of Gears of War and Fable to come to the PC.

Yeah my point is that Microsoft owns a TON of games and if they were serious about having a digital download service they already own everything they need to have a huge catalog to start off with.

Like Envoy JG mentioned, the arcade game "Tinker" is also up now and is FREE to download. And live-enabled versions World Of Goo (last year's indie game of the year) and Osmos (recently seen on the "the game gods" VGA special) are coming soon. So there will be more variety to the listings, this is just the start.

Tinker is a fun little download. I played it for about an hour today getting the controls down. The game will keep you busy for a while.

As for Shadowrun, I can tell you there is still a solid community for that title. People do still play it, and it is cross platform enabled as well, meaning you can play with 360 users (some of the achievements in the game are cross platform specific to boot). For $10 USD it is not a bad pickup.

All things have to start somewhere, you know? This is not a bad way to kick it off.

The prices are to high even if some are a great value. Digital Distribution seems more like renting a product for more than it would cost to buy a physical copy of the games. It's not like we'll actually own it.

If Digital Distribution is to be worth it for consumers the prices need to be a lot better. When companies began first talking about this they touted how much the consumer would benefit which got me excited. I don't really see the benefit of paying more for a digital download than a physical copy.

Agreed... that said although I have no idea how microsoft will behave in this arena... most of the digital distributors regularly have excellent sales. I have yet to purchase a game from any of those services for full retail price, most I've been able to pick up for less than $10, which tends to be less than I can find a boxed copy of the same game at retail.

To wit: Need for Speed: ProStreet is $5 on Direct2Drive today, Trine is $10 on GamersGate this week, and The Last Remnant is $10 on Steam until the end of the week. Normal retail on those is: $20/$20/$40 on download services, $50/$20/$30 on Amazon, and $10/$20/$50 from gamestop.

With stuff like this or the Zune, Microsoft is like some guy at the bar buying drinks for every hot woman he sees. They may nod politely, pretend to laugh, but in the end they're going home with Steam or the iPod.

Actually the Zune is pretty great, just ask anyone who's actually used one for any length of time. I can understand the need to get an iPod however, peer pressure and the need to fit in are pretty powerful influences.

You point does stand regarding GWFL vs Steam however.

Like AoE said, Zunes are great. It's just that Apple has cannibalized the MP3 player market and is holding onto that. Microsoft is doing jack shit to get around that.

Zune is a great device. As well as the marketplace; it is so sleek.

^ Agreed. Whenever I use a friends iPod or something, it's just not the same anymore. I love my Zune.

Viva Pinata for 10 bucks isn't bad at all, especially since finding a legitimate PC copy is pretty hard nowadays. If you managed to find it in a store, you'd look to pay 10 bucks anyway.

Is this the same busted-ass version of RF: Guerilla that everyone on the PC has been waiting for patch for since the game was released in September?

You know, amongst other things the one with broken 5.1 surround, turrets that move too fast and everything randomly speeding up under Windows 7?

I'll pick up Shadow Run

Surprises me that there's no Halo 2 or Gears 1

Wouldn't mind playing those on my PC for some chievos.

Not to mention I haven't played either games for awhile

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PSA: Games for Windows Live's Games on Demand launches

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