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Microsoft to stop selling PC games on Xbox.com on August 22nd
If Microsoft hiring a former Valve employee wasn't proof enough that it's looking to overhaul the Windows gaming experience, it's now announced that PC titles will be dropped from the Xbox.com store come August 22nd. An announcement on the Xbox support page loosely ties the closure to the impending death of MS points in favor of real currency, although we can't see how they're necessarily related. If you've splurged on PC games and extra DLC through the Xbox storefront, not to worry, as everything will continue to be accessible though the Games for Windows Live client, which will persist unaffected. Additional game content will also remain on sale in some instances, but that'll vary by title. When the PC Marketplace within Xbox.com does shut down, any Windows Live games published by Microsoft won't be available anywhere, although one can only assume they'll return to some new platform in the future. Newer PC games and XBLA ports are up for grabs in the Windows 8 store, of course, so perhaps MS will end up offering them there. Or, maybe it's time to revive the dedicated portal model -- that seems to be working for the other guys.
Microsoft hires former Valve developer liaison to bolster Windows gaming
The future of Microsoft's digital game distribution systems just got brighter. Jason Holtman, who was heavily involved with the growth of Valve's Steam platform, has been hired by Redmond. According to a statement he gave Gamesindustry International, he'll work to flesh out Windows' native gaming and entertainment efforts. That isn't plausible without developer support though, and given his history as a liaison between devs and Valve, he'll be putting those skills to work to "make that happen" at his new gig. However, seeing that Microsoft's other gaming platform is taking the majority of the company's focus right now, we don't expect many new details about Holtman's duties to surface that soon.
Games for Windows Marketplace, Xbox.com becoming one big, game-obsessed family
Games for Windows Marketplace will no longer have to drift through life alone. Microsoft announced this week that the Steam competitor will be absorbed by Xbox.com -- a seemingly logical merger, given the site's association with Xbox Live. The move comes in spite of an attempt on Microsoft's part to completely revamp the service late last year. The Marketplace is set to move into its new digs on July 11th, so here's hoping it takes advantage of its last few days of freedom in style -- by sitting around in its underwear playing video games, naturally.
Microsoft says it's 'doubling down' on PC games
Well, it looks like the forthcoming launch of Microsoft's browser-based Games for Windows Marketplace could just be the beginning of a broader PC gaming push from the company. Speaking with Kotaku, Microsoft's Peter Orullian, group product manager for Windows PC and Mobile, said rather boldly that PC games "is a place where we are doubling down." Exactly what that means beyond the new Games for Windows Marketplace isn't clear, but Orullian did mention that Microsoft has a "healthy list of features we're going to start bringing out once the store launches" in response to a question about further integrating PC and Xbox 360 gaming (something the company is also exploring with the revised Xbox.com).
Microsoft Games for Windows Marketplace relaunches in your browser on November 15
Microsoft just announced that its new Games for Windows Marketplace online PC games store will launch on November 15th. Think Steam, but not quite. The store offers online web access from anywhere and features fast purchase and download turnarounds to accelerate the time to game play; discounted games; and game search by title, genre or publisher. Games for Windows Marketplace is integrated with Microsoft's existing Xbox LIVE and Windows Live services and will launch with over 100 titles including "Fable: The Lost Chapters" and "Grand Theft Auto III." Anyone with a Windows Live ID can login. Check out the full press release after the break before heading over to Joystiq for more detailed coverage.%Gallery-105819%
HP's Rahul Sood says Microsoft killed Xbox vs PC online gaming due to keyboard-mouse superiority
Once upon a time in 2007, there was a little-known game called Shadowrun, that let gamers on both Xbox 360 and PC destroy one another for sport. Such is the environment that Microsoft facilitated, but alas, it wasn't for long, as the moment Shadowrun flopped the cross-platform feature was dropped, though it resurfaced once or twice in third-party titles as the years shot by. Outspoken HP exec Rahul Sood (of Voodoo fame) spins a slightly more complex yarn, however: he says Microsoft killed the project when it found that "mediocre" PC gamers could wipe the floors with the very best players on Xbox. Now, we're not confirming his story, and there are plenty of other possible explanations if you follow the money, of course, but we can't help but feel a hint of admiration for the longevity of gaming mouse and keyboard. Here's hoping we can all leave our predilections at the door as developers pit Android vs. iPhone.
Logitech's $300 G27 racing wheel gives sidelined DUI possessors a taste of the road
Eager to get back on the track, but not so eager to ease up on the sauce? Fret not, our continually inebriated friends, as Logitech has just the answer for your awfully depressing road woes. The long-awaited successor to the original G25 racing wheel is finally on the scenes, as the G27 brings along real metal, real leather and a real taste of driving that can likely only be mimicked whilst seated in some sort of $30k+ sportster. The wheel is designed to function with Sony's PS2 and PS3 as well as Windows-based PCs, and aside from the built-in force feedback mechanism, you'll also find a pair of stainless steel shifter paddles, RPM / shift indicator lights and a clutch that fully supports heel-and-toe downshifting. Is all that realism worth $299.99? Judge with your wallet come September.
Games for Windows Live now free
Interesting that this didn't get announced at E3, but Games for Windows Live is now free for all. Yep, totally free, cross-platform multiplayer with the 360 included -- which obviously raises the question of whether Live will ever be free on Xbox. We think that's a pretty safe no -- unlike Games For Windows, Xbox Live actually makes money, which is pretty hard to turn down, and without a ton of competitive pressure from, say, Playstation Home, it's hard to see why Microsoft would turn that funtime cash fountain off. Still, there's always hoping, right?
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?
CES 2008: New titles join Games for Windows portfolio
In another CES 2008 announcement, Microsoft has highlighted nine new additions to its Games for Windows endeavor, promising to "continue the momentum for Windows-based gaming in 2008" and "revive" the PC gaming space. The titles due to be dressed in Microsoft's colors include: Alone in the Dark (Atari) Bionic Commando (Capcom) Conflict: Denied Ops (Eidos Interactive) Empire: Total War (SEGA) LEGO Indiana Jones (LucasArts) Microsoft Train Simulator 2 (Microsoft Game Studios) Sins of a Solar Empire (Stardock) Space Siege (SEGA) Tomb Raider: Underworld (Eidos Interactive) The list not only cements the "Underworld" subtitle to Eidos' next Tomb Raider, but provides reassurance as to the longevity of Microsoft's initiative. Games for Windows is sure to be around for quite some time if Alone in the Dark manages to arrive under its banner. Microsoft's polite press release is also keen to remind us that other expected 2008 titles -- Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures, Borderlands, The Club, Fallout 3 and Frontlines: Fuel of War -- will stand beneath the flapping emblem.
Rainbow Six Vegas 2 to feature 'more Vegas'
"Talk to the hand!" has been the sentiment of the two Rainbow Six Vegas 2 teaser trailers released thus far, and while Ubisoft still isn't ready to show us the game, the publisher is ready to talk. A smattering of gameplay details was disclosed today, confirming what the game title already reveals: we're in for more Rainbow Six Vegas. More weapons, more armor, mo' better AI, more multiplayer and, of course, "more Vegas."As the Tom Clancy franchises continue along the 'EA Sports trajectory,' Vegas 2 will see its most ambitious seasonal tweaks in the form of improved "vastly improved" co-op play (a jump-in/jump-out campaign) and single-player expansion of the first game's multiplayer progression system (offline experience points). Anyone else convinced that the Ubisoft Montreal devs could code this game in their sleep?Rainbow Six Vegas 2 is being developed for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Games for Windows, and is currently scheduled for a March 2008 release.
Widespread issues with Xbox 360 Wireless Receiver for Windows?
It seems like this one's been building steam for quite some time, but it's reached a point where "user error" just seems unlikely. Judging by the seemingly widespread outcry on a variety of forums and review sites, a substantial amount of Xbox 360 Wireless Receiver for Windows customers have essentially ended up with an unexpected paperweight. Put simply, it seems that a number of customers have found this very device to suck the life out of their USB ports, meaning that all other USB peripherals kick the bucket when this power-hungry gizmo gets plugged in. To make matters worse, these same users are also reporting that Microsoft's tech support has been anything but helpful in solving the issue, and while you can always shell out even more dough for a powered USB hub, where's the fun (or justice) in that? So, what's the deal here, folks? Has anyone else been pulling their hair (and subsequently, their other USB devices) out over this thing?[Thanks, Jamie P.]Read - NewEgg reviewsRead - Amazon reviewsRead - NeoWin discussionsRead - Xbox.com discussions
Brace yourself: Ziff Davis is $390 million in debt
Publisher Ziff Davis has been in trouble for a while, and now we know how bad. The publisher skipped an interest payment and is entering into negotiations regarding its $390 million debt. Ziff Davis says they are still operationally "in very good shape," but they still have debt left over from when the company "was a very different scale." The company used to employ 1,200 people, it is now down to 290 and among its many websites (including 1UP), it only has three magazines left: PC Magazine, EGM and Games for Windows. During the attempted sales of its games division it became clear buyers wanted 1UP, but had no interest in the declining magazines.Death in the video game magazine business seems inevitable, unless you're bundled with a mega gaming retail chain's discount card. Although this shouldn't be taken as a sign that EGM and your other Ziff publication's are finished. There's obviously a reason these magazines have survived while the others died off.[Via Evil Avatar]
PC Live Arcade: Dubbed 'Vega,' aims to roll out with 10-20 games in Nov.
Already mentioned at Gamefest 2007, Microsoft is planning to launch a Games For Windows variant of Xbox Live Arcade. The digital distribution service will naturally be aimed at the gamer who's more likely to be rearranging jewels on the desktop than snarling faces. A trusted source has furnished Joystiq with further details regarding the service, as well as a strange urge to refer to themselves in third person. Internally labeled as "Vega" (possibly referring to the star and not the Street Fighter weirdo), the service is expected to launch in early November with 10-20 games. The portfolio of Live-enabled casual titles will match the taxonomy of Xbox Live Arcade and hopes to be bolstered by 2-4 new games every month following launch. Potential users will be funneled to the service from numerous Microsoft outlets, including MSN Games and the official Xbox website. Much like Live Anywhere, Vega contributes to Microsoft's goal of spreading the Live experiencing across multiple linked platforms -- and likewise aims to entice more and more people with Live subscriptions.Developers, who will be responsible for costs associated with development, localization, rating and certification, will receive 60% of earned revenue, with Microsoft taking the remaining 40%. Game pricing will be similar to that of Xbox Live Arcade and can be set at either $5, $10, $15, $20 or $30. The 150MB size limit is also present, though developers will be allowed to exceed it when providing adequate justification. The list of launch titles is currently unknown, a fact that will change once Microsoft's marketing machine lights up Vega come this November.[Update: "We don't have any additional details to share at this time," said Microsoft, "but we are excited to be implementing this next phase of Games for Windows – LIVE. Please stay tuned!"]
Joystiq impressions: Crysis
Rob Letts, executive producer of Crysis, wandered over to a chicken that was milling about outside a military compound and scooped the plump bird up into his arms. He turned around, headed about 20 yards to the edge of the water, pointed his sights (and the chicken) up and out over the ocean, activated his nanosuit's strength ability and tossed the bird some 40 feet into the air. He drew his assault rifle and opened fire, landing a few scattered shots into the carcass before it disappeared into the water.Letts followed his execution with a dip, swimming out past a loading dock, admiring a few crabs that scuttled about the ocean floor and a school of snaking fish off in the distance. Letts assured us that there were -- or would be -- sharks in deeper waters; the type that would be drawn to a slowly bleeding North Korean soldier launched from your arms into the depths.Crysis is a joy for its subtleties, and for its complexities. We watched as Letts haphazardly caused enough commotion for an enemy combatant to fire a flare out over the tree tops. A minute later, reinforcements arrived by boat and by jeep. Some time later, over the ridge, troops who had spotted the flare earlier where still on alert. Letts spoke of a basic set of variables (the whos, whats, and wheres), which when applied to a dynamic environment, provide the player with ever-unpredictable "action bubbles." While there is a narrative structure to Crysis and a series of well-documented twists (two major environmental upheavals that change the nature of gameplay), Letts seemed most proud of the "sandbox" nature of Crytek's tactical shooter. 'Sandbox' might be a waning buzzword that's propelled too many lazily-developed borefests, but Crysis is clearly a title that will defend the legitimacy of such a fundamental design choice. If you've got the right rig for the job, peep Crysis when it drops (by the end of the year).%Gallery-4760%
First video of Gears of War on PC
The just-announced Gears of War looks fantastic on the PC. The already-beautiful Unreal Engine 3 is pushed even further on Games For Windows as can be seen in this first ever footage of the game running on the PC. With new levels, a level editor, and more surprises on the way, will Xbox 360 owners cry at feeling neglected by this "super-awesome" version?
Gears of War and Viva Pinata go to PC
Gears of War is no longer a Xbox 360 exclusive. Neither is Viva Pinata. Two of Microsoft's premiere console titles is now getting the Games For Windows treatment. The Game of the Year-winning shooter from Epic will gain a few enhancements on the PC, such as five new levels, a new editor, and "some very big surprises." Could the game look even prettier on a DirectX 10 PC? Believe it. Thankfully, the game will run on both Windows XP and Windows Vista.Viva Pinata and a major list of new Games for Windows titles were revealed at the Microsoft keynote, including titles such as Age of Empires 3: The Asian Dynasties, Stranglehold, Blacksite: Area 51, and Kane and Lynch: Dead Men.
Universe at War features Xbox 360, PC cross-platform play
Sega's upcoming strategy title Universe at War: Earth Assault is embracing the battle of keyboard and mouse vs. gamepad by allowing cross-platform play, joining Shadowrun and Uno as titles utilizing Microsoft's LIVE AnywhereCan Xbox 360 owners fare well against their Windows counterparts in a largely point-and-click-centric genre? When announcing the console version, Sega VP of Marketing Steinberg lauded the gamepad control scheme but gave no details on how it works.Universe at War is coming out for PC in late 2007 and the Xbox 360 sometime in 2008.%Gallery-1444%
Five things Apple can do to bring gamers back
Apple is releasing games for the iPod. EA and id show up at the WWDC keynote. And the rumors say Nintendo may team with Apple for the iPhone. All signs point to an Apple that seriously wants to reenter the gaming market, an arena that has been dominated by PCs and consoles for quite some time. But exactly how can they do it?They're doing some of the right things already, and we can expect them to do more in the future. But here's five suggestions (or predictions, if you will) about what Apple can do to attract gamers back to the Cult of Mac.1) Put (even more) games on iTunes. Steam is a nice digital distribution system, and Xbox Live Arcade is a better one. But no one has done digital distribution like Apple has with iTunes-- first music, and now movies and television shows. What they need to do is add games to the software, and even go so far as to create a kind of "iTunes Arcade," where you can buy games for your iPod, your iPhone, your Mac or MacBook, and even your Apple TV. And I'm not talking dinky downloads like Lost-- I'm talking EA's Madden, Need for Speed, and even Battlefield 2142. Run patches and updates through there as well (EA's Link might not like that, but it hasn't been successful enough that they wouldn't consider joining iTunes if asked), use CoverFlow as a cool browsing and launching interface, and you've got the key not only to a solid revenue system, but also a promotion and distribution channel.
Metareview: Shadowrun (Xbox 360, PC)
As far as weird decisions go, exhuming a popular pen-and-paper RPG franchise and transforming it into a cross-platform shooter isn't nearly as disastrous as you might expect. Indeed, most Shadowrun reviewers concur that the gameplay is enjoyable and pleasingly distinct from your space donut shootouts. As for the decisions that led to a dearth of single-player content and a comically high price tag, well, those are every bit as disastrous as you'd expect. Eurogamer (6/10) considers Shadowrun to be a "well-designed, well-conceived game," but faults its anemic features and "counter-productive" price. "There's nothing wrong with a game choosing to specialise in either offline or online experience, of course," notes Kieron Gillen. "But if you decide to completely ignore one pole of the experience, you have to offer something generally astounding and/or groundbreaking to justify yourselves." Gamespot (6.9/10) feels the game, which is "about $30 too expensive," makes poor use of the Shadowrun license and doesn't offer enough variety. Despite finding the combat unique and the customization choices to be meaningful, Jeff "8.8" Gerstmann ultimately labels Shadowrun as "a pretty shallow experience." IGN (6.8/10) loathes the game's presentation, one of many criticisms it piles atop the "well-designed nucleus of gameplay." Charles Onyett finds the whole thing to be unrewarding, explaining that, "As gamers, it's rewards we crave, be it of the narrative variety, in-game items, new options or modes, or something entirely different." It's a shame to see Shadowrun providing "something different" to a crowded genre, only to clumsily stumble its way into the retail world with a heavy price on its back. We're sure the brilliant executives at Microsoft will pin the blame for inhibited sales on the license itself: "What? Shadowrun tanked? Well, that could only be due to the fact that nobody likes the Shadowrun universe anymore! Let's put that one back in the closet, eh chaps?"Read -- Metacritic on the PC versionRead -- Metacritic on the Xbox 360 version
