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.
Green = GFWL has been removed.
Blue = GFWL will be removed.
Red = No plans.
Purple = We've reached out but are still awaiting response.
(Colorblind version)
2K Games
BioShock 2 (Steamworks)
Bethesda
Fallout 3 (None. GFWL CD key requirement removed by Steam. Instructions are available for downloading and archiving DLC purchased through GFWL.)
Capcom
Dark Void (No plans.)
Dead Rising 2 (No plans.)
Dead Rising 2: Off the Record (No plans.)
Lost Planet 2 (No plans.)
Lost Planet: Extreme Condition Colonies Edition (No plans.)
Resident Evil 5 (No plans.)
Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City (No plans.)
Street Fighter X Tekken (No plans.)
Super Street Fighter IV / Arcade Edition (Steamworks)
Codemasters
DiRT 2 (No Comment.)
DiRT 3 (Steamworks)
F1 2010 (Steamworks)
F1 2011 (Steamworks)
Fuel (No Comment. Delisted from Steam.)
Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising (No Comment.)
Operation Flashpoint: Red River (No Comment.)
Double Fine Productions
Iron Brigade (No plans.)
EA
Bulletstorm
Microsoft
Fable 3 (No plans.)
Gears of War (No plans.)
Halo 2 (No plans.)
Microsoft Flight (No plans.)
Shadowrun (No plans.)
Tinker (No plans.)
Viva Piñata (No plans.)
Namco Bandai
Ace Combat: Assault Horizon - Enhanced Edition (Exploring options, but no set plans yet.)
Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition (Exploring options, but no set plans yet.)
Update: Namco Bandai descriptions altered from "will update" to "exploring options."
Nordic Games
Red Faction: Guerrilla (Will strip GFWL. May replace with an existing service or develop its own.)
Rockstar Games
Grand Theft Auto IV + Episodes From Liberty City
Sega
The Club
Stormrise
Universe at War: Earth Assault
Virtua Tennis 4
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 2
Shadow Planet Productions
Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet (Steamworks)
Signal Studios
Toy Soldiers (Can choose between GFWL or Steamworks)
Strategy First
Flatout: Ultimate Carnage
Square Enix
Kane & Lynch: Dead Men
Twisted Pixel
Ms. Splosion Man (Steamworks. No timeline.)
Warner Bros
Batman: Arkham Asylum GOTY (Steamworks)
Batman: Arkham City GOTY (Steamworks)
Gotham City Impostors (Steamworks)
Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection
Zombie Studios / Ignition Entertainment
Blacklight: Tango Down (No plans.)
The following games are extremely unlikely to be updated:
Activision
Quantum of Solace (Delisted. Publisher no longer has rights to franchise.)
Disney Interactive
Star Wars: Clone Wars - Republic Heroes (Original publisher [Lucasarts] Closed)
Tron: Evolution (Studio Closed)
Timegate Studios
Section 8 (Studio Closed)
Section 8: Prejudice (Studio Closed)
