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Batman: Arkham City swoops to PC on November 18
Warner Bros. has deemed today the day to reveal Batman: Arkham City's delayed PC launch date as November 18, one month to the day after its arrival on consoles. The Games for Windows version was delayed last month via a terse WB announcement, which didn't provide an explanation at the time. We can exclusively reveal why today: Bruce Wayne is exhausted, y'all. He's got a lot going on, between film and TV and video games, and he just needed a few weeks to chill. Okay, that and PC version bug fixes.
BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger half off on Games for Windows
If you're the type of fighting enthusiast who fancies time-traveling gothic witches, and shooting ice-wolves at demonic cat-girls, then we've got some good news, you weirdo! Games for Windows has marked down Aksys Games' high-def acid trip BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger by 50 percent through June 29th.
Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City preview: Left 2 Die
Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City certainly isn't Left 4 Dead, but I wouldn't blame you for confusing the two. ORC is, after all, a four player co-op zombie shooter, featuring a variety of zombie types that largely resemble what both Left 4 Dead games featured before it (a large tank-like zombie, a zombie who scurries on the ceiling and reels you in with his tongue, etc.). In fact, other than a third-person perspective and a Resident Evil landmark setting, I was getting some serious déja vu playing ORC. Except for one crucial point: it wasn't quite as fun as Left 4 Dead.%Gallery-125731%
Fable 3 will be crowned on Steam as well as Games for Windows
Despite what you learn in Fable 3, not everyone gets to be king. When it comes to PC gaming digital distribution platforms, there's only one king and its name is Steam ("Your Highness" will suffice). Microsoft, also known as the lowly Duke of Games for Windows, has finally seen fit to recognize Steam's monarchy and, as a form of tribute, will be offering its own Fable 3 on the reigning platform as well as its own. But nothing is ever that simple in court politics! While both digital releases, as well as the retail version, will be simultaneous, only Games for Windows Marketplace shoppers will be treated to a free copy of Fable: Lost Chapters, the expanded update of the original Fable. Steam shoppers will get the far less desirable Rebel's Weapon & Tattoo Pack, featuring some, uh ... weapons and tattoos for your hero. Retail shoppers get the security of a box and a disc, so that's something. Fable 3 is due on PCs on May 17 in North America and shortly thereafter elsewhere.
China tightens grip on VPN access amid pro-democracy protests, Gmail users also affected
If you've been struggling to get your dose of Facebook or Twitter in China recently, then you're probably one of the many Internet users who've had their VPN access -- either free or paid for -- blocked over the last two weeks or so. That's right, the notorious Great Firewall of China is still alive and well, and leaving proxy servers aside, VPN is pretty much the only way for keen netizens to access websites that are deemed too sensitive for their eyes; or to "leap over the wall," as they say. Alas, the recent pro-democracy protests didn't exactly do these guys any favor -- for one, their organizers used Twitter along with an overseas human rights website to gather protesters, and with the National People's Congress meetings that were about to take place (and wrapped up last night), it was no surprise that the government went tough on this little bypassing trick. To make matters worse, PC World is reporting that Gmail users are also affected by slow or limited access, despite the service previously being free from China's blacklist. We reached out to a handful of major VPN service providers, and they all confirmed a significant increase in the amount of blockage -- possibly by having their servers' PPTP IP addresses blocked -- over the last two weeks. One company even spotted the Chinese government subscribing to its paid service, only to work its way into the network to locate the company's PPTP server list, and then put them behind the firewall. Fortunately for some, the better-off companies had backup servers to rapidly resolve the problem, whereas the cheaper and free services were unable to dodge the bullet. This just goes to show that sometimes you get what you pay for. That said, with practically unlimited human hacking power at its disposal, it doesn't take much for the firewall to shut down everything heading its way. For the sake of our friends and expats there, let's just hope that the government will take things down a notch as soon as the storm calms.
Street Fighter IV, Square Enix titles 50% off on GFW marketplace
Microsoft is putting the hurt on prices for select titles on the Games For Windows marketplace through next week. Capcom's PC version of Street Fighter IV is half off the usual price during the promotion -- $14.99 -- as are 16 titles from Square Enix. The sale is effective through next Wednesday, February 16. You'll find a full list of discounted titles after the break. We're shoryuken find something you'll want on it.
Games for Windows Marketplace gets competitive, relaunching Nov. 15
In November, Microsoft will reboot its Games for Windows Marketplace. In doing so, the company aims to beef up its online portal with more games -- and not just those few that align themselves with the Games for Windows Live branding -- and provide a more competitive and comprehensive retail experience. Peter Orullian, who helped develop digital distribution strategies for Xbox Live, has been tapped to effectively manage the relaunch. %Gallery-105596%
Xbox Game Room pricing, partners detailed
The pricing structure for Microsoft's newly announced Avatar-occupied Game Room has been detailed in an online fact sheet, and we'd suggest you stock up on Microsoft funny money. Players have three options: 400 ($5) grants a dual-platform license for one game (for unlimited play on Xbox 360 and PC), 240 ($3) gets you the virtual arcade cabinet on one platform (Xbox 360 or PC), or, for the old-fashioned types, 40 ($0.50) is just "two quarters" worth of playtime on a select title -- for the authentic arcade experience, minus the sticky floors. Additionally, when visiting friends' game rooms, you can "try" their games before you pump in Microsoft Points of your own. The Game Room itself -- developed by third-party outfit Krome Studios (Viva Piñata: Party Animals, Star Wars: Republic Heroes) -- will be free for users to download. Customization options are mentioned in the fact sheet, but pricing for these features is not addressed. At launch the service will include 30 original arcade titles -- with "over 1000" planned for the future -- from multiple publishers, including Atari, Activision, Intellivision, and Konami. (A list of 31 confirmed titles is posted after the break.) Games will be presented in 1080p (because that's why you bought that HD set) and will support multiplayer for up to two players, as well as cross-platform leaderboards and Achievements. Microsoft's Home Game Room is slated to launch this spring. %Gallery-81971% Source - "Game Room" Fact Sheet [.doc]
Games For Windows getting 'easier' for indies, Microsoft eager for multi-touch games
Earlier this month, Microsoft announced an initiative to streamline the certification process of games coming to its Games for Windows platform. In doing so, the company effectively offered an olive branch to small developers and publishers who had previously been unable for a variety of reasons -- be they financial, time or size-related -- to release games on the platform. Perri Munsell, director of Windows consumer product management, told Joystiq today that the relaunch means good things for both the little guys and the big guys."Now, through the self-certification process, we really allow any developer -- indie on up, from one, two-man teams all the way up to a major publisher -- everyone receives the same automation tools." It's not just a question of making the certification process easier for everyone though, as Munsell says that before, indie devs couldn't even approach the GFW platform. "It goes beyond 'easier' -- it makes it possible." When asked about Microsoft's criteria for "showcasing" certain games at its events, Munsell says rather unsurprisingly, it has to do with what the company is promoting and how that ties into its plans. For next month's Windows 7 release, the company will be courting game developers large and small that are working on multi-touch games. "[At our events] we have different developers at different times based on what the core message is. One example is that Windows 7 has multi-touch built into it, and so we're actively looking at developers today -- some of them indie -- that have some great examples of multi-touch capability. And it really shows off the technology. 'Cause multi-touch by itself? There's no magic there. Multi-touch with a great partner application? That's where the magic exists."And sure, we asked when games would be downloadable and if Microsoft's working on cross-platform play, but got the boilerplate "nothing to tell you today, unfortunately" (though we should note there was an audible pause when we asked when we would be hearing more, before the PR handler chimed in). We were promised we'll be "kept posted" on those items, but for some reason, we're thinking "no" on holding our breath.
E3 Games for Windows Live announcements? Not so much!
Do you like Games for Windows? Oh, you do? How about E3? Great! Now here's the rub: You can't have them together. According to our brothers from other mothers at Big Download, the GFW announcements at E3 2009 are going to be, well, non-existent. A Microsoft PR rep said that the company doesn't feel as though the game is aimed at PC gamers, but rather console-focused. And while Microsoft plans on holding a Windows 7 reception at E3 where a variety of PC games will be demoed using the new operating system, the press conference set to "completely transform how people think about home entertainment" (does that mean we'll pay someone else to think about it for us?) won't feature any new GFW newsplosions.
Street Fighter IV PC comes packin' ... a fightpad
For the few of you out there waiting for a PC version of Street Fighter IV and who, simultaneously, had not prepared for playing the game with a keyboard and mouse, Capcom has luckily thought ahead. It's including a MadCatz Fight Pad in the $60 Games for Windows version of SFIV that'll be sold at your local brick and mortar. We're wondering how many folks are willing to snag one of these for the controller alone!Problematically, the company has at once solved your problem and caused another -- how are you going to play against friends in your house with only one controller? Knowing that the arcade controllers released have come in fairly short supply, here's hoping the introduction of PC Street Fighter IV brings with it a bevy of the unfortunately necessary controllers to the market.
PC version of Street Fighter IV to feature Games For Windows Live
Poor Games For Windows Live. The branding and service have been so neglected that it actually gives us a little spring in our step to see someone embracing it, like the way we like to hear about Brad Pitt buying mosquito nets for poor countries. Its latest benefactor is Street Fighter IV on the PC, which will use the service to provide multiplayer and Achievements when it arrives on home computers this summer. Out of curiosity, have any of you been waiting for a PC release to polish up your Tiger Uppercut?[Thanks, The Weaponeer!]
Games for Windows update to address piracy, DLC
Microsoft has revealed new plans for the Games for Windows Live platform, focusing on copy protection and downloadable content, according to Develop. The features built into a new GFW update will help game companies prevent game piracy before a product's street date with server-side authentication -- including "authentication for online play".GFW users will also be able to save general settings to an account, which can be carried over to games played on any "compatible and connected Windows PC," which sounds similar to the Xbox 360 General Settings feature, sans the cloud preferences are saved on.Microsoft also plans to encourage downloadable content by simplifying the process. Using new APIs, developers will be able to create in-game store fronts to make DLC access a streamlined process for customers while "providing developers and publishers with new revenue streams."Microsoft promises that the GFW team is hard at work on "several projects" tied directly to the Live platform and hope to build "new developer relationships" to get the most out of the platform. It seems Games for Windows Live is slowly creeping up to the functionality of the Xbox 360 Live platform. We're finally here! Quick, someone check the temperature in Hell.
Fallout 3's 'The Pitt' dated March 24, new screens
Bethesda just made the release date of Fallout 3's second DLC pack, "The Pitt," officially official: Tuesday, March 24. Like last month's "Operation: Anchorage," the upcoming DLC will come in at 800 ($10) on Xbox 360 and Games for Windows Live simultaneously. Also, Pete Hines from Bethesda confirmed that the recently released patch for the game "is specific to DLC and is required to play The Pitt. It doesn't address anything with the base game outside of that."In tandem with the confirmed release date, Bethesda also dropped a trio of new screens that you can check out below in our gallery.%Gallery-45395%
Games for Windows Live redesigned - screenshots, details
click for more Games for Windows Live screenshots With little (no?) fanfare, Microsoft has rolled out an update to its also-ran Games for Windows Live service, ready to shed some of that bad name just in time for this holiday's GFW-branded lineup (think Fallout 3 and GTA IV). So what's in store for you, PC gamers? Mostly, a much needed UI refresh. Gone is the ill-advised, console-inspired Blades interface – in its stead is a much slicker (much quicker!) menu that pops down from the top of the display. All the features you'd expect to be there are there: gamertag, friends list, messaging, achievements. As announced earlier this year, they've also done away with the tiered subscription service for PC gamers. No more "Gold" service – all of this is free, including TrueSkill matchmaking.%Gallery-36743%Indeed, there isn't much new in the way of functionality with one notable exception: the Marketplace. Though it's not available just yet (we'll let you know when "in the next few weeks"), the standalone Marketplace app will be akin to its 360 counterpart, offering publishers and developers a place to host trailers, demos, and DLC – all integrated into the game. Available now: the ability for a game to alert you to patches, and then download them and seamlessly patch them into your game. Boot it up again and – voila! – you're running the latest release. No messy files to download or delete.We'll have our writeup of the latest installment in the GFW Live saga tomorrow; however, for now, flip through some of these screenshots from yesteryear to see what's changed. If you've taken it for a spin, let us know what you think. Oh, hell with it: you'll let us know what you think regardless! (Full presser after the break).%Gallery-2105%
Games for Windows Live goes free
This topic sure to be a hotbed of commenting action. Yesterday Microsoft announced that Games for Windows Live, the PC-based equivalent of the Xbox Live service, has changed to a completely free business model. After a lukewarm launch against PC service powerhouse Steam the Games for Live service has ended the Gold/Silver distinction for PC gamers that Xbox Live subscribers are subjected to. Changing to a free model means gamers can compete in cross-platform gaming (where applicable) at no additional charge. The question now remains, does this move signify a a change that must be made to the Xbox Live structure or are the services two completely different beasts. Consider, only a handful of games and features exist on the PC side of Live and with strong competition from other free services it's a move Microsoft had no choice but to make to survive. So, what are your thoughts on Games for Windows Live going free?[Thanks to everyone who sent this in. Via Engadget]
DirectX 11 detailed; Vista and DX 10 / 10.1 hardware supported
At its GamesFest event in Redmond today, Microsoft shared the first details of DirectX 11 – the numerically superior successor to DirectX 10.1 – which will feature full support for Windows Vista, as well as future versions of the popular operating system. Worried about hardware? DirectX 11 won't just ignore your fancy DirectX 10 or 10.1 cards – nope, it offers support for both of those standards, as well as for new DirectX 11 hardware. But what's new and exciting about DirectX 11, you ask incredulously. How about a "new compute shader technology" that gets your GPU ready to do more than just boring old 3D graphics – instead "developers can take advantage of the graphics card as a parallel processor"? Not doing it for you? How about "multi-threaded resource handling that will allow games to better take advantage of multi-core machines" since, y'know, most every computer nowadays has multiple cores? Or "support for tessellation" which allows "developers to refine models to be smoother and more attractive when seen up close"? Something in there has to tickle your fancy. What it probably means for most of you is this: as hardware manufacturers develop new chipsets to take advantage of DirectX 11's new features, you should be able to snag some of that older 10.1 gear for a song.
Microsoft makes Games For Windows Live free for all
Microsoft's struggling Games For Windows Live service, which promised an Xbox Live like online experience with voice chat, unified friend lists, and cross-platform play between PC and console, is about to shrug off its chief criticism: cost. MS announced today that it is ending the XBL-style tiered pricing structure – which put a year of Gold membership at $49.99 – and making the service free for all users.The change is effective immediately, affecting all current GFW Live titles (such as Halo 2 and Shadowrun) as well as future releases. MS is also set to expand the service through a GFW Live Marketplace, due this fall. Like the XBL Marketplace, the PC-centric store will offer free and paid downloadable content, demos, and trailers (is this PC Live Arcade?)In addition to these announcements, MS is working to make the GFW Live interface "much more PC friendly" (read: not like the Xbox 360's now deprecated "Blades" interface) along with reducing the technical requirements for developers. One criticism of the interface from the development camp has been that it must be built into every GFW title, rather than a stand-alone client such as Steam.
Print gaming journalism may be on its way out, says 1UP's Cox
We can still fondly recall those afternoons during our formative years when, while returning from school, we would notice a rolled-up, plastic sheathed bundle of gaming journalism joy poking out of our mailbox. We're sure it's an occasion that most of you can warm-heartedly remember as well, whether your poison was Nintendo Power or Electronic Gaming Monthly. Unfortunately, in a recent interview with the mighty Ombudsman, 1UP's Simon Cox spoke about the closing of Games For Windows magazine, and how EGM (as well as print gaming journalism as a whole) may have an expiration date.Cox explained that "dollars and eyes," particularly the beady, sunken eyes of PC gamers, are continually moving away from print media and towards internet publications, stripping the ink-and-papers of their subscribers, advertisers and, eventually, life. Cox remarked that while EGM still has a great deal of spunk, and is supported by a body of loyal readers, it too will eventually be crushed by the incipient, grim claw of new media. The fact that you're reading this right now may support his claim -- have your gaming news consuming habits changed over the past few years?
The Kwari model: Can RMT be taken to the next level?
I was in the bathroom the other day, reading Games for Windows (because let's be honest, where else would anybody read GfW?) and they had an article on an extremely interesting, though vaguely troubling new shooter called Kwari. Its basic premise is that players pony up a small amount of cash, the amount varying depending on the stakes of the game, and players lose or gain a portion of the pot based on their fragging prowess. Or to put it more simply, it's like online poker, but instead of cards, there are bullets. Designer Eddie Gill of Kwari Limited was hoping that in adding a financial incentive to the basic shooter model, it would result in an experience that was much more intense for the players involved. And if he took in a cut of the profits as well, what's the harm? By all accounts, Kwari utterly fails at delivering an engaging shooter experience, so whatever sociological implications the game would have had were rendered moot because of sloppiness on the developer's part. Still, this perception that online games could be tweaked to be a form of online gambling got me thinking. Is this business model just a developer supported real-money transaction (RMT) scheme, or is it even deeper down the rabbit hole of Shylock-esque shamelessness?
