Microsoft Bringing Games For Windows To The Web Next Month

If it's not on Steam, I don't want it.

Unless there are some steep discounts and you can re-download your games for free, Microsoft won't be getting my business.

The navigation bar at the top is EXACTLY like GoG. I'm pretty sure it's using the same font.

This seems like a step backwards. I like that Steam downloads, installs, and updates. The GFW client just needs to do those 3 things better than it does now.

" wut?  This makes no sense.  Steam IS a web-based system.  The client is pretty much a Webkit based browser with a bunch of other useful stuff built in to make gaming BETTER - voice chat, text chat, groups, etc.  Pretty much a specialized "browser".  The DRM is going to be the only thing I care about.  If there is a method for resale or if it's actually DRM-free I'll switch over. "

but I LIKE the Steam client.  I just pre-purchased Black Ops and it is in my games library right now.  I really don't want to save executables and game files to my downloads folder because it would get messy.  Steam solves all that and makes it very easy to open up your games, or re-download games from your list of purchased games.

I just hope they won't use MS points.

This is gonna fail horribly, just like Kinect 

lol microsoft has had their xbox marketplace up for so darn long , why didnt they just clone that day one , and set it up for pc games.

I love how people are claiming Microsoft is too late. It's not like the PC gaming scene is something rapidly changing like the smartphone race. It's pretty much been the same for the past 10 years, despite the transition to digital. 
 
Anything they do to improve their service will help PC gaming as a whole

" The navigation bar at the top is EXACTLY like GoG. I'm pretty sure it's using the same font. "

same colors too, but that's probably all some boring web 2.0 standard.

I preferred it back in the 90's when all web sites had unique, if often hilariously ugly designs.

waahhhh we want steam money toooo

This will fail. Because Steam has something that GFWL doesn't have and that is huge sales (like buy l4d2 for 4 dollar)..MS never drops the price. 

While i theory a god idea Steam will win because of long time happy clients, Able to get good deals first and cheap prices

Any time you cut out a middle man it's a good thing. Also, on a slightly related note, the new Xbox.com looks fantastic. I most likely won't buy anything from this client, but it looks interesting. 

I don't trust microsoft enough to consider another service besides steam.

If Microsoft really wants this to be successful, they'll have to take a page from Valve's marketing strategy and have some CRAZY sales over the holiday season.

They just need more games on their service

This is Microsoft's business model now.. Another Day late dollar short moment brought to you by MS. 

to late all ready got steam

I think it's a little late MS.

So what you're saying is... it's like Direct2Drive? Or GoG? 
 
I really hope they're not pushing clientlessness as a feature. 
 
@TotalEklypse said:

" This is Microsoft's business model now.. Another Day late dollar short moment brought to you by MS.  "

In other words....HI WE'RE FROM MS AND WE WANT TO TELL YOU ABOUT OUR WONDERFUL PRODUCT CALLED SILVERLIGHT.

I hope this means I get to play comic jumper on the PC.

I thought they already had this and i didn't care already.

Hmm, suprising amount of people appear to be positive about this. 
 
MS has tried (and failed) to take control of the pc gaming market before, with its ludicrous GFWL titles that asked you to pay to play multiplayer.
 
Do people not remember the past MS cockups?
 
This service will IMO not be as good as people think, look at all the ridicules xbox live pricing that goes on for starters, dont expect much different in the new pc store.
 
While i like gaining achievements, the whole GFWL DRM thing is utterly shocking, people having to beg MS for another activation key, only to be told "this is your last one"
Some people could not even get a key from support. 
And the support seams sketchy at best, last time i checked, it was basically forum users dishing out the second hand support, loads of misinformation being thrown about.
 
I can use a 360 wired controller IN GFWL titles, cool!
I can plug a wired 360 headset into the controller, but the volume is toooo low, this is because "the headset is not supported" ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?
More like the GFWL client is tripe.
 
It works fine in teamspeak  with its adjustable sound sliders.
 
The GFW forums were full of this kind of stuff last time i checked (over a year ago though)
 
When MS turned off support for all the old xbox games and people could no longer access any dlc, it made me change my spending habbits quite a bit, it is now pretty rare that i purchase DLC from the live marketplace, and i hold the same reservations about the current and new PC marketplace.
 
I really dont mind the steam client at all, in fact i have 74 games (yet i have never paid full price for any of them :p )  :)  it appears to be a pretty sweet setup and i always check it for deals, i just can not see myself wanting to split my games collection over 2 different setups.
 
Especially when the new kid on the block has such a "gash" stigma attached to it.

Up in time for Fable 3?

yeah this doesnt sound good...but they will probably hang on like the ea store

" Better late then never...Right? "

I don't care about downloadable games in any shape or form. No box, no sale.

This is a little too late.. I don't see people abandoning Steam to use this, instead. 

Competition in the pc games market...well at least it means its growing

Any chance of lower digital game prices in general because of this?

Looks like the same sh*t to me.

" @Chibi_Kaji said:

" Better late then never...Right? "

In this case,no. Impulse,in a lot of ways a better service than Steam, hasn't managed to beat Steam. Why? Because Steam has been around for fucking ages! "

" This is a little too late.. I don't see people abandoning Steam to use this, instead.  "

No thanks, i am not a fan of digital download, i prefer hard copies. 
 
If it's a game that can ONLY be obtained via digital download i would consider it, most likely i would just play it at a friends because im not a fan of the DD medium and i wish it would die in a fire, like 3D.

Steam4Ever!

I'd rather use Google Chrome than wait around for their desktop client to load each marketplace item. It's not like I don't like the metro theme, I just hate waiting.

does this mean fable 3 pc is coming soon?

I give them credit for sticking with GFW. but Steam is so far ahead in the PC game market I can't see anyone touching them soon. Their catalog is just too limited.

I don't understand the dislike for Steam and other download services, my DVD drive died in June and I didn't replace it until this month (despite the fact that the replacement drive was within arm's reach).
 
I tried to download the installer for Amnesia recently, but my internet connection was crap  - I don't think it was Frictional Game's fault, lots of stuff wasn't working. I typed the registration code into Steam and downloaded it from them instead. 
 
I always end up throwing game boxes out anyway, too much stuff.

It will be hard to beat Steam with this. I applaud Microsoft for trying to take on the digital distribution giant, and I think they are moving in the right direction with gaming, but its worth mentioning that Steam has many many flaws at this time including:
 

• A buggy offline mode. Unless offline mode is explicitly activated while you are online and have games activated, you will not be able to play your games. Plus if Steam decides a game needs to be updated, you cannot play ir regardless of your connection status.
• DRM. The idea that each game is tied to only one account, requires Steam and requires an internet connection to activate is worrying for some users.
• Resource intensive client. I can only think of one similar platform that is even laggier, and that is Xfire.

• DRM. Steam is quite restrictive at times. If Microsoft can reduce the amount of DRM bullshit they place in their downloads, I think more people could flock to GFW:L than Steam. If Microsoft go the opposite direction and add crap like copy protection rootkits or installation limits to their downloads, then GFW:L will fail hard.
  
• Availability of titles: If they have next to no titles available (i.e. like OnLive has at the moment) then I think people will flock to Steam more. If they do not have third party support, they will falter and Steam will remain on top, guaranteed. I believe it was Steve Ballmer who once said "DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS"
  
• Windows Genuine Advantage. Its annoying, and has been known to mark some people who bought their OS as criminals (either because they bought a copy of Windows which they didn't know was pirated or due to bugs in the system.) If they make WGA a mandatory requirement to download their client/use their service, I think it will put off a lot of people.
  
• International pricing: I think this is a very crucial consideration for Microsoft and third party developers. Steam (or rather third party developers who decide the game prices) have really fucked over international markets in terms of prices. When a game would cost more in € or $AU than it would in $US or £, then you know you are not getting a fair deal. I don't mean increased prices due to higher taxation on goods, I mean prices going even higher than that.
  
• Offline mode support.
• Possible cross-platform support. Unlikely as Microsoft are directly competing with the likes of Mac OSX, Linux, Solaris etc plus few PC games are developed for/to include a non-Windows market.
  

" Hmm, suprising amount of people appear to be positive about this.   MS has tried (and failed) to take control of the pc gaming market before, with its ludicrous GFWL titles that asked you to pay to play multiplayer.  Do people not remember the past MS cockups?  This service will IMO not be as good as people think, look at all the ridicules xbox live pricing that goes on for starters, dont expect much different in the new pc store.  While i like gaining achievements, the whole GFWL DRM thing is utterly shocking, people having to beg MS for another activation key, only to be told "this is your last one" Some people could not even get a key from support.  And the support seams sketchy at best, last time i checked, it was basically forum users dishing out the second hand support, loads of misinformation being thrown about.  I can use a 360 wired controller IN GFWL titles, cool! I can plug a wired 360 headset into the controller, but the volume is toooo low, this is because "the headset is not supported" ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME? More like the GFWL client is tripe.  It works fine in teamspeak  with its adjustable sound sliders. The GFW forums were full of this kind of stuff last time i checked (over a year ago though)  When MS turned off support for all the old xbox games and people could no longer access any dlc, it made me change my spending habbits quite a bit, it is now pretty rare that i purchase DLC from the live marketplace, and i hold the same reservations about the current and new PC marketplace.   I really dont mind the steam client at all, in fact i have 74 games (yet i have never paid full price for any of them :p )  :)  it appears to be a pretty sweet setup and i always check it for deals, i just can not see myself wanting to split my games collection over 2 different setups.  Especially when the new kid on the block has such a "gash" stigma attached to it. "

I have absolutely zero interest in this. It's too late too the game and is sure to be too convoluted. Like Democracy, Steam is imperfect - but it's the best we have. Great deals, tons of publishers and developers, enormous and expanding catalog, lots of experience under their belt, cross-platform support, and a huge community. 
 
I don't want five digital download service clients and interfaces running on my system all the time. I don't want more passwords and codes and accounts to remember. I don't want to have to remember which game is with which service so I know what to launch through at any given time. I don't want the surely more absurd DRM measures that will be taken (I can't wait for the first "you can download and install this game three times - ever" event through their digital service). Most of all, if it's anything like EA  or UBI.... then... UGH. I just fucking hate those services. I can't remember which of 800 different accounts or whatever are tied to what, how to access them, what games I have with them. They are the most ridiculous, absurd, unfriendly pieces of shit, ever. 
 
I just hope Microsoft doesn't forbid any of their properties from continuing to be listed with Steam. I'd rather buy the physical version than trust some shitty Microsoft service, if it came to that choice. Hell, they still haven't gotten their Console garbage sorted out, yet.  I have four 360 consoles and I can only have all my licenses on ONE of them and I have to jump through fucking hoops to make sure that I can use my own content on my own consoles throughout my own house as I see fit -- and it's even worse to be able to let other people who live with me have access to that content that they have a right to use (supposedly, though their services interfere with it as much as possible). 
 
The last thing I want is to see that experience spread to the world of PC gaming.

Why would I not use steam? It keeps all my games in 1 place, no matter what computer I'm on I can download any of my steam games anywhere. 
 
I don't understand what Microsoft is trying to sell here by making it completely downloadable through the web.