Что такое games for windows live

Games for Windows – Live or GFWL (trademarked as Games for Windows – LIVE) was an online gaming service used by Games for Windows–branded PC titles that enables WindowsPCs to connect to Microsoft’s Live service. Users, each with a unique Gamertag (the Microsoft username service for gaming that began on Xbox Live), are able to play online, keep track of their friends’ status, send and receive messages, gain and keep track of Achievements and associated Gamerscore, voice chat across platforms (removed in 2010), and more. Some games allow for cross-platform play, such as Shadowrun, putting Windows players against Xbox 360players.

The service is open to third-party developers, but they must be able to meet certain Technical Certification Requirements (TCRs), which include (but are not limited to): game ratings, total number of Gamerscore points, content, game profiles, and Live connectivity. Games for Windows – Live games must also meet standard Games for Windows (games that do not have Live support) TCRs. The same developer support infrastructure is available as with the Xbox 360. Assistance to developers is provided through the Microsoft XNA Developer Connection. The successor to Games for Windows is now Microsoft Store for PC which allows players on the computer to use Xbox Live functions and play various Xbox games without having a console.

History[]

The first Games for Windows – Live-enabled title was Shadowrun, which launched simultaneously on Windows Vista and Xbox 360 on May 29, 2007, and was also the first LIVE title to offer cross-platform play between Windows Vista and Xbox 360 on the Live service.

Another game that was released is Halo 2 for Windows Vista, which was launched to the public on May 31, 2007. The game supports all the standard Live features (such as achievements, voice chat, messages, etc.), but does not offer cross-platform play with Xbox players.

Sega, Eidos, and THQ have signed on to include Games for Windows – Live in their upcoming games. Epic Games also included this service in their game engine Unreal Engine 3. Universe at War: Earth Assault from Sega and Lost Planet: Colonies Edition from Capcom include cross-platform play between Xbox 360 and Windows over Live.

On July 22, 2008, Microsoft’s Chris Satchell, CTO of the company’s Entertainment devices division, announced that Games For Windows – Live would be free to developers. Previously, select publishers and developers used the system and had to pay for it. Also, all Games For Windows – Live features were now free for gamers, such as matchmaking and cross-platform play. Satchell added that the move was a «way to improve Windows gaming».

As well as free multiplayer, Microsoft reduced the technical requirements for those developers looking to utilize Live such as removing playlist servers, and allowing studios to use the Microsoft matchmaking servers instead. The new Marketplace was made available for Games for Windows – Live on December 5, 2008. Microsoft also released the newly designed User Interface, on November 12, 2008.

On January 7, 2010, it was announced at CES that the upcoming Xbox Game Room would be made available on both the Xbox Live and Games for Windows Live services. However, games purchased with 240 Microsoft Points will only be playable on one of the platforms; either Xbox 360 or PC. A dual-platform license will cost 400 Microsoft Points. As the Game Room will be available to Gold and Silver Xbox members, the service will be free to use on Games for Windows Live. Arcade games will feature achievements and online leaderboards.

Microsoft revealed on May 21, 2010 that Fable III would be released on Windows as well as the Xbox 360, and would feature Games for Windows – Live. The downloadable version will be a Games on Demand exclusive.

On August 17, 2010, Microsoft unveiled two new games at Gamescom 2010 that will use Games for Windows – LIVE, Age of Empires Onlineand Microsoft Flight. Age of Empires will be free-to-play through LIVE. On September 24, 2010, Microsoft Game Studios‘ general manager Dave Luehmann said in an interview the studio’s renewed focus will start with three big titles—Fable III, Age of Empires Online and Microsoft Flight—which will use Games for Windows – LIVE. Luehmann reassured PC gamers that more big titles were on the way, however the studio plans to test new ideas.

On September 13, 2011, Major Nelson confirmed what Microsoft is bringing Xbox Live to Windows 8, being called Xbox Live on Windows.

On March 26, 2012, Microsoft Studios announced the arrival of Age of Empires Online on Steam. Age of Empires Online was released on Steam on March 27, 2012. On April 3, 2012, Microsoft Flight was released on Steam. Microsoft Studios release Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet on April 17, 2012 and Toy Soldiers on April 27, 2012 in Games for Windows – LIVE. On April 17, 2012, Microsoft said that they continued to support the Games for Windows platform, to the rumors of the discontinuation of Games for Windows – LIVE in favor of Xbox Live on Windows. On April 13, 2012, Microsoft Studios release Iron Brigade, and is the first Microsoft Studios title available only on Steam.

On August 31, 2012, Gotham City Impostors became free-to-play and dropped Games for Windows – LIVE in favor of Steamworks. On October 10, 2012, the Steam version of Toy Soldiers was updated to fully use Steamworks, although it still gives the option to use the original service. On October 16, 2012, Mark of the Ninja was the first title of Microsoft Studios to use Steamworks exclusively, instead of GfWL. On October 25, 2012, Deadlight became the second title of Microsoft Studios to use Steamworks exclusively. On November 28, 2012, Ace Combat: Assault Horizon became the first (and only) retail Games for Windows – LIVE title announced for 2013.

On January 31, 2013, Microsoft Studios said that they «have nothing to share on the future of Games for Windows Live». On March 7, 2013, Microsoft Studios announced Age of Empires II: HD Edition + The Conquerors would be released exclusively on Steam. On April 3, 2013, Ms. Splosion Man was released by Microsoft Studios on both platforms. On August 9, 2013, Microsoft announced the removal of one of the most criticized limitations for the LIVE platform, the inability of simultaneously logging in on both the Xbox One and Games for Windows LIVE.

On August 16, 2013, Microsoft announced that the Xbox.com PC Marketplace was going to be closed on August 22 alongside the Xbox 360 update that retired Microsoft Points in favour of local currency purchases. The service would otherwise continue to operate normally.

In August 2013, a since-deleted support article for Age of Empires Online announced that the Games for Windows – Live service would be discontinued on July 1, 2014. Microsoft issued a statement in June 2014 denying they were closing Games for Windows Live, stating «We remain committed to investing in PC gaming in the years ahead, and look forward to sharing more in the future». After the initial August 2013 support article, some game publishers announced that they would be removing GFWL from their games, but in most cases this did not happen until several years later or at all. Microsoft closed Games for Windows LIVE on 15 August 2013: «As part of the upcoming Xbox 360 system update, Microsoft Points will be retired, and the Xbox.com PC marketplace will be closed as of August 22, 2013. We encourage you to spend your Microsoft Points balance prior to this change». The download of the client software is still available, and the servers are still online.

Games for Windows Live has since been practically replaced with the Microsoft Store for Windows 10 & 11 (and supported now-discontinued Windows Phone).

The marketplace was rendered dysfunctional in 2018 despite existing purchases being supposed to still be available to download.

In 2020, Microsoft removed the Games for Windows Live download page and the Windows Live Sign-in Assistant was removed from their servers and therefore the vanilla Games for Windows – LIVE installer fails to install.

Features[]

• Achievements earned during gameplay.
• Gamerscores amounting the total of a user’s achievement points.
• Reputation voted by other users preferring or avoiding the user. Rep defaults to five stars over time after the user has been preferred by at least one other user.
• Friends list displaying the user’s chosen friends of up to 100.
• Recent players list displaying the last 50 players the user has met.
• Complaint system allowing users to file reports of other users that have broken Live Terms of Use.
• Games for Windows Marketplace offered Games on Demand, downloadable content, music and movies until its closure in 2013.
• Public and private chat via Voice and text. The voice feature worked between Xbox 360 and Windows until 2010, when Microsoft updated the voice codec for Xbox Live. Games, such as Shadowrun, now only support the text portion of this feature.
• Multiplayer gameplay via Games for Windows – Live.
• Matchmaking depending on the user’s cumulative gamerscore, rep, location, language and gamer zone.
• Family settings controlling younger users’ exposure to other users.
• Game Room virtual arcade space offering a library of classic retro games.
• Cross-platform gameplay with Xbox 360

Материал из РУВИКИ — свободной энциклопедии

Games for Windows — LIVE — бесплатный игровой онлайн-сервис для Windows, как и Xbox Live, ориентированный на сетевую игру. Он позволял пользователям ПК соединяться со всеми устройствами, поддерживающими Windows Live, в том числе Windows Mobile и Zune. Пользователь при регистрации получал уникальный тег игрока Gamertag, который совместим с Xbox Live, и дает возможность играть онлайн, следить за статусами друзей, принимать и отправлять сообщения, коллекционировать достижения. Кроме того, существует кросс-платформенный голосовой чат. В некоторых играх (например, Shadowrun) игроки на ПК могли играть совместно с игроками на Xbox 360.

В 2018 году магазин перестал функционировать, несмотря на то, что существующие покупки должны были оставаться доступными для загрузки.

Преемником Games for Windows теперь является Microsoft Store, который позволяет игрокам на компьютере использовать функции сети Xbox и играть в различные игры Xbox без наличия консоли.

• Кроссплатформенная игра между пользователями Xbox 360 и Windows в некоторых играх^[3]
• Автоматическое обновление игр
• Единая идентификация
• Система профилей игроков
• Система достижений (Achievements) и связанная с ней система Gamerscore
• Магазин игр и дополнений Games on Demand

Games on Demand

[править | править код]

15 декабря 2009 года Microsoft запустила Games on Demand, сервис цифровой дистрибуции игр, таких как Resident Evil 5 и Battlestations: Pacific. Также доступны аркадные игры, например, бесплатная игра Microsoft Tinker, а также хорошо известные World of Goo и Osmos^[2][4][5][6].

24 марта 2010 состоялся запуск Game Room, бесплатного приложения, позволяющего играть в старые игры, которые вышли в 1980-х годах на игровых автоматах и консолях Atari 2600 и Intellivision.

Games for Windows — LIVE заработала неоднозначную репутацию у игроков. Среди пользователей GFWL часто встречались жалобы в плане удобства, скорости и надежности работы сервиса. Так, например, 13 апреля 2012 года фанаты Dark Souls организовали сбор подписей для отмены выше названного сервиса в PC-версии игры^[7]. Своё предложение они аргументировали тем, что GFWL — «непопулярен, сложный в использовании, неудобный и с ужасной поддержкой сетевой игры».

19 августа 2013 года было анонсировано прекращение функционирования сервис Games for Windows — LIVE с 1 июля 2014 года^[8][9]. Многих игроков стал волновать тот факт, что после закрытия GFWL, они не смогут воспользоваться онлайн составляющей игр, которые поддерживают данный сервис. Позже Microsoft заявила, что продолжит поддержку Games for Windows — LIVE^[10]. Несмотря на то, что Marketplace был закрыт, а возможность приобретения там игр была отключена, пользователи и дальше смогут скачивать уже купленные игры, правда, без всех вышедших обновлений^[11].

• Xbox Live
• Games for Windows

• Официальный сайт Games for Windows — Live (рус.)  (недоступная ссылка с 2-12-2016 [3076 дней])
• Статья Внутриигровая регистрация в системе Games for Windows — Live на сайте компании 1С (рус.)  (недоступная ссылка с 2-12-2016 [3076 дней])
• Неофициальное сообщество любителей Games for Windows — Live (рус.)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Games for Windows

Games for Windows is a former brand owned by Microsoft and introduced in 2006 to coincide with the release of the Windows Vista operating system. The brand itself represents a standardized technical certification program and online service for Windows games, bringing a measure of regulation to the PC game market in much the same way that console manufacturers regulate their platforms. The branding program was open to both first-party and third-party publishers.^[1]

Games for Windows was promoted through convention kiosks and through other forums as early as 2005.^[2] The promotional push culminated in a deal with Ziff Davis Media to rename the Computer Gaming World magazine to Games for Windows: The Official Magazine. The first GFW issue was published for November 2006.^[3] In 2008, Ziff Davis announced that the magazine would cease to be published, though online content would still be updated and maintained.^[4][5]

In 2013, Microsoft announced that Xbox PC Marketplace would cease operations, which would result in the discontinuation of the Games for Windows brand. In spite of this announcement, the company stated that content previously purchased could still be accessed via the Games for Windows – Live client software.^[6] Its successor is the Xbox app.

Games certified by Microsoft feature a prominent «Games for Windows» logo border across the top of their packaging, in a manner similar to games developed for the Xbox 360.^[1] Software must meet certain requirements mandated by Microsoft in order to display the brand on its packaging. These requirements include:^[1][7][8][9]

• An «Easy Install» option that installs the title on a PC in the fewest possible steps and mouse clicks
• Compatibility with Xbox 360 peripherals
• An «Only on Xbox 360 and Windows Vista» or «Only on Windows Vista» stamp for game packaging
• Compatibility with the Games Explorer
• Compatibility with x64 processors with proper installation and execution on 64-bit versions of Windows Vista and Windows 7; games themselves can be 32-bit
• Support for normal and widescreen resolutions, such as 4:3 aspect ratio (800 × 600, 1024 × 768), 16:9 aspect ratio (1280 × 720, 1920 × 1080), and 16:10 aspect ratio (1280 × 800, 1440 × 900, 1680 × 1050, 1920 × 1200)
• Support for parental controls and family safety features
• Support for launching from Windows Media Center

Microsoft claimed that it had increased its sales of Games for Windows-branded games in stores that had been giving the games greater focus, and stated that it planned to increase marketing efforts for the brand.^[10]

Certain games certified under the Games for Windows brand, including Shadowrun, and UNO featured cross-platform compatibility, allowing gamers to play against each other across Xbox 360 consoles and traditional Windows Vista or Windows 7 PCs.^[11][12]

Starting with Halo 2 on May 31, 2007, certain Games for Windows titles have access to Microsoft’s Live network for online play and other features, including voice chat, instant messaging and friends lists, accessed from an in-game menu called the «Guide». Users can log in with their Xbox Live gamertags to gain achievements and play games and chat across platforms with games that support cross-platform compatibility. Some features, including cross-platform multiplayer gaming and multiplayer achievements, initially required a subscription to the Xbox Live Gold.^[13] However, on July 22, 2008, Microsoft announced that all Games for Windows functionality would be free for existing and future members, and that early adopters of the technology would receive refunds for previously incurred charges. In addition, Microsoft launched a Games for Windows Live Marketplace, similar to the Xbox Live Marketplace, which allowed users to download or purchase content, such as game demos, add-ons, and gamer pics, with Microsoft Points; the publisher of a title would determine if an item required to be purchased.^[13] At the same time, Microsoft announced its intentions to make the Games for Windows — Live client software interface more friendly and to reduce the technical requirements for developers.^[14][15]

The Games Explorer, included with all versions of Windows Vista and Windows 7, is a special folder that showcases the games installed on a user’s computer and their related information, essentially making it a games gallery. When a compatible game is installed, the operating system adds a shortcut of the game to the Games Explorer, and can optionally download additional information, such as game packaging and content rating information (e.g., ESRB, PEGI, USK, ACB, CERO) through the developer’s own game definition file or from information provided by the Internet, although this feature was discontinued since 2016.^[16] Windows Experience Index information is also displayed within the interface.^[17] The feature was removed entirely in Windows 10 April 2018 Update.

Games Explorer supports custom commands for games^[17] and also includes shortcuts to configure various operating system components which may be pertinent to gamers, such as audio devices, display devices, firewall settings, and game controllers.^[1] In Windows Vista, Games Explorer allows developers to expose game metadata and thumbnails to the interface and Windows Search through a shell handler.^[18] The Games Explorer is fully compatible with the parental controls feature included in Windows Vista and Windows 7. Parental controls allows parents to include or preclude certain games from being played based on their content, rating, and/or title, and can also block games from being played altogether.

Compatibility typically depends on the age or popularity of a game, with newer games having better compatibility. If a game is incompatible, a user can manually add a game by dragging and dropping it to the Games Explorer.^[19]

Tray and Play is a technology developed by Microsoft for Windows Vista that allows users to insert a game disc into an optical disc drive and play the game while it installs itself in the background and streams off the disc with minimal or zero caching—in a manner similar to a game console. The first and only commercial game known to use this technology is the Windows version of Halo 2.^[8]

Part of the Games for Windows initiative involved ensuring that Xbox 360 peripherals, such as the Xbox 360 Controller and Wireless Gaming Receiver worked across Windows platforms.^[1][20][21] Xbox 360 peripherals not only work with certified games, but also with the default games included with Windows Vista, such as Minesweeper.^[22][23]

• DirectX
• Index of Windows games
• List of Games for Windows titles
• List of Games for Windows – Live titles
• List of Windows Games on Demand
• List of Xbox games on Windows
• Live Anywhere
• PC Gaming Alliance

• Games for Windows Technical Requirements
• Games for Windows Test Requirements