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'GTA4' is returning to Steam next month without multiplayer
Grand Theft Auto 4 will return to Steam on March 19th after it was abruptly pulled from the digital storefront last month due to an issue with Microsoft's defunct Games for Windows Live service. Developer Rockstar Games will rerelease the game, as well as its Episodes from Liberty City DLC, as a single package called Grand Theft Auto 4: Complete Edition. Unfortunately, Complete Edition won't include online multiplayer or leaderboards.
'GTA4' leaves Steam after an old Microsoft service breaks game sales
Rockstar is learning first hand about the pitfalls of trusting your game's functionality to a third-party service. The developer has confirmed to The Verge that it stopped selling Grand Theft Auto 4 on Steam after Microsoft stopped supporting the Games for Windows Live platform the title depends on. It's "no longer possible" to create the extra game keys needed to sell GTA4, a Rockstar spokesperson said. You can still play the Steam version if you already have a copy, but newcomers will have to go somewhere else to experience Niko Bellic's life of crime.
Praise the Sun: Dark Souls Steamworks update now available
Following a short delay, developer From Software has issued an update for the PC's Dark Souls Prepare to Die Edition that replaces its native Games for Windows Live functionality with a full suite of Steamworks components. Additionally, from now until February 16, 2015, players will be able to transfer and update their original Dark Souls saves and achievements from Games for Windows Live to the new Steamworks version of the game. A full walkthrough on how to transfer your existing data is available on Steam. After February 16, the Steamworks version of Dark Souls Prepare to Die Edition will become the default version of the game and save transfers will no longer be possible. [Image: Bandai Namco]
Red Faction: Guerrilla opens Steamworks public beta
Red Faction: Guerrilla is the latest game to completely shed its Games for Windows Live coat, and will now begin testing full Steam support features, Nordic Games announced. The publisher invited players to participate in a public beta of the game's new Steam-based functionality, which includes matchmaking and multiplayer support via Steamworks. The game's public beta will also feature leaderboards, voice chat and achievements via Valve's PC gaming service. Those interested in participating in the beta are instructed to follow this guide, selecting Red Faction: Guerrilla in step one and using the password "nordicrfgbeta" and the beta branch "publicbeta." First launching in 2009, Red Faction: Guerrilla was part of the $4.9 million set of intellectual properties purchased by Nordic Games in THQ's liquidation auction in April 2013, seeing itself as a "middle man" for potential sequels in its new series. The publisher told Joystiq at Gamescom in August that it's "not the right time" for Red Faction: Guerrilla 2. [Image: Nordic Games]
Praise the sun: Dark Souls PC moving from GFWL to Steam next month
The Windows PC version of Dark Souls will transition from the moribund Games for Windows Live platform to Steam next month, publisher Bandai Namco Games announced this week. Starting in November, players who purchase Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition will be able to redeem their Games for Windows Live Tokens on Steam. Existing save data and achievements will also transfer over to user Steam accounts during a brief migration period next month, though Games for Windows Live Rankings will not survive the trip. Bandai Namco notes that Dark Souls' transition will kick off "sometime in November 2014 with more specific dates to come." [Image: Bandai Namco]
Resident Evil 5, Dead Rising 2 ditching GFWL for Steamworks
Capcom is planning to release updates for the Windows PC versions of Resident Evil 5, Dead Rising 2, and Dead Rising 2: Off the Record, replacing the trio's Games for Windows Live features with Steamworks support. Originally embedded in featured games as a way to manage DRM, achievements, and multiplayer support, the Games for Windows Live service began winding down after Microsoft disabled its Marketplace features last year. Though the service itself remains operational even after its rumored shutdown date, many publishers have opted to replace GFWL support with alternate solutions over the past year. Capcom announced that Steamworks support for Resident Evil 5, Dead Rising 2, and Dead Rising 2: Off the Record is coming "early next year." Players who own the Games for Windows Live versions of these three games will automatically transition to Steamworks editions following Capcom's planned updates. [Image: Capcom]
Age of Empires Online now extinct following server shutdown
The servers for freemium real-time strategy game Age of Empires Online shut down this week. Published by Microsoft, the online RTS entered beta in May 2011 before its full launch that August for Games for Windows Live. Gas Powered Games took over the game's development from Robot Entertainment prior to that in February 2011. It arrived on Steam in March 2012, at which point its daily active users spiked by by more than three times. A since-deleted support article for the game in January tipped off a July 1 closure date of Games for Windows Live. Age of Empires Online was let down easy, as its closure was forecasted nearly one month ago. The developer reset the player-vs-player ranking ladder at the beginning of June and hosted a few events for the game, including a Capital City decoration contest and invitational tournament near the end of the month. The developer capped off its Age of Empires Online send-off with an "End of the World" event yesterday, in which it livestreamed the game's final hours of life. [Image: Gas Powered Games]
Super Street Fighter 4 kicks Games for Windows Live to the curb
With the Games for Windows Live service shutting its doors in August, Capcom has decided to jump ship with Super Street Fighter 4 in tow. Henceforth, the PC fighter will call Steam home. The good news is that to celebrate the transition, Super Street Fighter 4 is now available from Steam at 75 percent off. Purchase the normally $30 game before June 1, and you'll only be charged $8. That's a solid bargain, especially for those hoping to improve the quality of their virtual fisticuffs before the upcoming debut of Ultra Street Fighter 4. The bad news, however, is that in the shift from Games for Windows Live, some Super Street Fighter 4 owners may lose their DLC costumes. Capcom recently revealed that DLC issued to the retail, Games for Windows Live version of Super Street Fighter 4: Arcade Edition is tied to that game's physical disc and will not make the jump to Steam along with the rest of the game's components. [Image: Capcom]
GFWL copies of Super Street Fighter 4 AE lose DLC in transition
Super Street Fighter 4 Arcade Edition transitions to Steamworks on May 30, ahead of the suspected shutdown of Games of Windows Live. Sadly it's a hundred hand slap for those who bought physical copies of the PC fighter, as they'll lose their DLC in the process. That's because the disc version on store shelves is tied to GFWL rather than Steam, so DLC bought or obtained through GFWL won't transfer to the new Steam-based version. Capcom says GFWL owners can at least redeem a new Steamworks version of SSF4AE by activating their product codes on Steam. Also, the GFWL version will stay active but presumably lose online services following the transition to Steamworks later this week. As for Steam version owners, they'll receive the new Steamworks-based game automatically. [Image: Capcom]
Bulletstorm disappears from Steam
2011 shooter Bulletstorm is no longer available on Steam, having disappeared from the marketplace earlier in the week. No reason has been given for the game's removal and we've reached out to publisher EA and co-developer Epic Games for comment, but suspicions are it's linked to Games for Windows Live. It's believed (but not yet confirmed) GFWL will be discontinued on July 1, and without an update that could make Bulletstorm one of a number of unplayable PC games. The game remains available on Origin at the time of writing, but that version also uses GFWL. Co-developed by Epic Games and People Can Fly, now Epic Games Poland, Bulletstorm is a first-person shooter romp in which players perform Skillshot murders with style, finesse, and variety to rack up high scores. It may sound artful and it's definitely a blast to play, but high culture it ain't. To remind you of some of the Skillshot names: Rear Entry, Nutcracker, Assplosion, and Meat Fountain. And those are just the Skillshots... [Image: EA]
Former Steam boss quietly exits Microsoft after six months [Update: Microsoft responds]
Jason Holtman has seemingly left Microsoft less than six months after he was hired to head up the company's renewed PC gaming initiative. According to his LinkedIn page (via Neowin), Holtman left his position at Microsoft in January. Neither Microsoft nor Holtman himself have confirmed the departure. Holtman previously served as the Director of Business Development at Steam platform developer Valve, leaving his position during a round of layoffs last year. We've contacted Microsoft for confirmation of Holtman's departure, and await a response. [Update: A Microsoft spokesperson responded to our request for comment, stating the following: "We can confirm that Jason has left Microsoft and we're grateful for his time at the company. We wish him the best in his future endeavors."] [Image: Microsoft]
Games for Windows Live is dying, we check the life support of games
Microsoft announced last year that Games for Windows would shut down its marketplace features on August 22, 2013, signaling the beginning of the end for the service. Never quite achieving its desired critical mass, GFWL handled DRM, achievements, and multiplayer for a long list of games. A since-deleted support article for Age of Empires Online stated that the GFWL service would be discontinued on July 1, 2014. Although Microsoft has not yet made an official announcement on the matter, a number of developers took this to mean that their games would effectively become unplayable in July and began work to divorce them from GFWLs, often switching over to Steamworks. However, a large number of developers remained quiet about plans, so Joystiq reached out to get the official word on what the future may hold for their games past July.
Fallout 3 removing Games for Windows Live support, DRM on Steam [Update: Bethesda responds]
A recently-released patch for the Steam version of Bethesda's post-apocalyptic RPG Fallout 3 suggests that its Games for Windows Live support and DRM is being removed, likely in response to the service's decline and marketplace closure. NeoGAF reports that the update removes Fallout 3's SupportsCDKeyCopyToClipboard, ShowCDKeyOnLaunch, and legacy key registry functions -- all key components of Games for Windows Live integration. Blue's News finds that the game still installs the Games for Windows Live client upon launch, however. Uninstalling the client currently renders Fallout 3 inoperable. Several games have ditched Games for Windows Live support in recent months, including BioShock 2, Batman: Arkham City, and Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 2. Several Microsoft-published PC releases and high-profile games like Dark Souls and Grand Theft Auto 4 still require Games for Windows Live to function. [Update: A Bethesda spokesperson has contacted Joystiq with clarification regarding the recent update. "We have not removed GFWL from the game," the spokesperson stated. "The only that that has changed is that Steam has removed the need to activate the GFWL codes when purchasing the game."]
BioShock 2 re-released on Steam with Minerva's Den
2K Games has relaunched its undersea first-person shooter BioShock 2 on Steam, bundling it with add-on content and stripping away its once-restrictive Games for Windows Live integration. The Steam version of BioShock 2 includes the base game and all previously-released multiplayer downloadable content, along with the "Protector's Trials" single-player DLC. The story-driven add-on "Minerva's Den" is available separately for $4.99. Previously, BioShock 2 was only available as a Games for Windows Live release, leaving players without access to its DLC following the recent closure of the GFWL marketplace. Players who purchased BioShock 2 on disc or via Games for Windows Live can get a Steam copy bundled with all available DLC by following these instructions.
Batman: Arkham Origins drops GFWL, jumps on the Steam train
Batman: Arkham Origins won't use Games for Windows Live to track achievements, as Arkham Asylum and Arkham City both did, IGN Australia reports. Arkham Origins' achievements and multiplayer content will be handled directly through Steam. Arkham Asylum and Arkham City used GFWL to track achievements, though they didn't have multiplayer. Microsoft is closing the GFWL marketplace on August 22, but it says the service will remain active for customers to access previously purchased content. Capcom's coming Ultra Street Fighter 4 is also ditching GFWL for full Steam integration. The game's predecessors, Street Fighter 4 and Super Street Fighter 4, used GFWL for multiplayer, on top of Steam.
Games for Windows Live marketplace closing August 22, client still operational
Microsoft announced that the Games for Windows Live marketplace will close up shop on August 22, permanently ending the ability to purchase featured content. The Games for Windows Live service itself will remain operational, and purchased games will be unaffected by the closure. Microsoft notes that Games for Windows Live users will still be able to access previously-purchased content via the GFWL client. Downloadable content for Games for Windows Live-supported games will remain available for purchase after the closure, though future availability "will vary based on the particular game." "Microsoft continues to support the Games for Windows Live platform," a Microsoft spokesperson said. "You can continue to enjoy previously purchased games and downloadable content in your catalogue by downloading them through the Games for Windows Live client. Although purchase functionality will be discontinued through this marketplace, the Games for Windows Live service will continue to operate as usual." The closure comes as a result of a forthcoming Xbox 360 update that will convert Microsoft points into local currency. Microsoft urges Games for Windows Live customers to spend their Microsoft point balances before the change, as converted cash will only apply to the Xbox Live Marketplace and the Windows Phone Store.
Ultra Street Fighter 4 on PC ditches GFWL for Steam
While Capcom offers Street Fighter 4 and Super Street Fighter 4: Arcade Edition through Steam already, players have to register a Games For Windows Live account on top of Steam for multiplayer. Capcom's Neidel "Haunts" Crisan says Ultra Street Fighter 4 will forgo GFWL entirely for Steam. Crisan tweeted the news earlier today, and so we followed up with Capcom. The company confirmed the news and added that Ultra Street Fighter 4 would be available on Steam and "other digital distribution partners" when it launches next year. Capcom also clarified it hasn't "made any announcements regarding our broader PC lineup." Ultra Street Fighter 4, due for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC, was announced at this year's EVO fighting game tournament. As the latest re-issue of Street Fighter 4, this entry in Capcom's flagship fighting series adds five new characters in Elena, Rolento, Hugo, Poison and a fifth, unknown character who will make his/her fighting game debut.
Former Steam boss Jason Holtman now at Microsoft
Former Valve Director of Business Development Jason Holtman has joined Microsoft, and will focus on the company's PC gaming efforts. "Yes, I have joined Microsoft where I will be focusing on making Windows a great platform for gaming and interactive entertainment," Holtman confirmed to Games Industry International. "I think there is a lot of opportunity for Microsoft to deliver the games and entertainment customers want and to work with developers to make that happen, so I'm excited to be here." Holtman left Valve in February during a round of layoffs at the company. He managed Valve's Steam platform, working with the company for eight years.
Games for Windows Live issue kicks customers offline for four days
An issue with Microsoft's Game for Windows Live servers is preventing some customers from accessing games that use the software. The ever-growing comment thread on Microsoft's support forums repeatedly mentions difficulties with Dark Souls and Age of Empires Online, but that could simply be due to the popularity of those games."Starting from last night - some of our users are experiencing an issue connecting, in game, to games that they have previously had no issues with. We are aware of this issue and are looking into what is causing it and for a resolution," noted a Microsoft moderator prior to the weekend.Workarounds to the issue appear to be inconsistent, and don't seem to guarantee the problem will be resolved. We'll update if we hear about a resolution.
Top Xbox Live, Arcade, Indie and Windows games of 2012
If an alien intelligence agency got a hold of this "Top Xbox games of 2012" list, it might come away with the conclusion that humans are really, really into mining. The aliens might also conclude that we enjoy warfare, including the kind that affects extraterrestrials, so let's hope that they focus on the harmless digging thing and keep their lasers to themselves.Major Nelson breaks down 2012's top 20 games of the following categories: Live, Arcade, Indie and Games for Windows Live. The top Xbox Live games of 2012, determined by average unique users per day, are Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, Modern Warfare 3, Halo 4, Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition and Black Ops. Following that is a round of sports games, including FIFA Soccer 13 and 12, and Halo: Reach, Assassin's Creed 3, Battlefield 3, Borderlands 2, Far Cry 3 and Skyrim.The top five Xbox Live Arcade games, determined by full versions purchased, are Minecraft, Trials Evolution, The Walking Dead, Pinball FX2 and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Castle Crashers is hanging out at No. 6, followed by Fez at No. 13. Indie games are ranked with the same method, and they carry a familiar theme, headlined by CastleMiner Z, CastleMiner, Total Miner: Forge, Avatar Deathmatch and FortressCraft Chapter 1.Games for Windows Live games get ranked by average unique users per day, and the top five are Grand Theft Auto 4, Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition, Age of Empires Online, Batman: Arkham City and Super Street Fighter 4: Arcade Edition. Remember, aliens, humans sure do love the smell of fresh, pixelated dirt. See for yourself with the full lists, provided by Major Nelson, after the break.
