Games for Windows LIVE Update: UI Revealed, Microsoft Offering Refunds, Considering Full Game Downloads

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Games for Windows LIVE Update: UI Revealed, Microsoft Offering Refunds, Considering Full Game Downloads

Fri, Jul 25, 2008

You might have heard GFW LIVE subscribers have been freed from financial bondage, but did you know that Microsoft is offering that freedom retroactively? Perhaps you knew that the updated GFW service sports a new UI -- but have you seen it?

While we wait for our own opportunity to interview Microsoft's Kevin Unangst about the sweeping changes to Games for Windows - LIVE, we thought we'd take the time to compile what the outspoken Senior Director of Global Gaming has revealed in the few days following Gamefest 2008.

Refunds? Microsoft will give my money back?

It sure sounds like it. Ars Technica reports:

To reward those gamers who have been with the service from the beginning, Microsoft will be giving refunds to gamers who have been subscribing to the Games for Windows Live service specifically. "Yes, there will be a benefit for customers who purchased gold subscriptions on Windows," said Unangst. "Proactively, we will be offering refunds for those with Windows-specific Gold subscriptions. Customer service has already begun to get communications prepared."

While we don't know how much change Microsoft will cough up -- with over a year since launch, early adopters could have dropped as much as $100 each on the $49.99 Gold accounts -- the move will no doubt boost confidence in Redmond's oft-maligned customer service.

What blows my mind is that GFW Live subscribers won't even have to ask for it -- Microsoft is proactively bringing refunds to you. Huzzah!

But what about Xbox LIVE Gold? Sony offers free online, and now you do, too...

Sorry, nothing doing. PC World made a valiant effort:

GO: Let's turn to the million dollar question: Will Xbox Live eventually go completely free, too?

KU: The GFW Live announcement has no bearing at all on what we're doing with Xbox Live, and I think if you look at the Xbox-related announcements we just made at E3, we're going to continue to deliver even more value to Xbox Live gold subscribers. Frankly, Xbox Live members are going to get more people to play with as a result of the GFW Live announcement, and I think that community will get exponentially larger as a result of what we're doing on Windows. They're different services designed for difference audiences that happens to be connected and share a Gamertag.

In some ways you can think of it like Zune, where Zune uses the same Gamertag, same friends list, and you can use the points that you may spend on Xbox Live or Games For Windows Live Marketplace to buy songs right on Zune. I think you start to see that we're going to take that underpinning of the Live service, then on the console we'll deliver a new experience, add more things like the Netflix announcement, things like the party chat and the one-versus-one-hundred, etc. Likewise for the GFW Live service.

GO: Is Xbox Live "for free" even a hypothetical though? I'm probably inviting a "no comment," but say at some point the digital distribution model is generating enough revenue and Sony's offering the same basic online functionality for free.

KU: I think you predicted my answer on that, which is, "There's nothing I'm going to speculate on that front."

Though the services may not affect each other directly, it does sound like the heads of GFWL have their eye on the new Xbox Experience, and plan parallel functionality. Like, say...

Full game downloads? You mean, like a Microsoft version of Steam?

Yes. No. Well, maybe. But not yet. Gamasutra reports:

Gamasutra asked Unangst whether Microsoft has discussed or is anticipating full game downloads through Games For Windows Live - as other Windows-based services such as Valve's Steam do - and Unangst commented:

"It's certainly on the roadmap. Not a focus for us with this Fall release. This Fall release is focused around how you add on game content or how you provide content that surrounds the game - trailers, demos, other things that you could do.

Certainly you will see full game downloads at some point. Nothing we're talking about for this fall.... All of the infrastructure certainly is there. Marketplace is a great first step. Once you've got that in place, there's no reason that we couldn't add that functionality at some point.

What we're not talking about is any specific plans or timing for that. But the fact that I can get a demo or trailer or add-on content or new levels, the plumbing's clearly in place."

First they install the pipes, then they'll decide whether or not to turn the Valve.

So they DO plan to compete with Steam.

That's not the official word on the matter, as News.com discovered:

CNET: How do you intend to differentiate Games for Windows - Live from Valve's Steam service?

KU: We're not focused on how we compete with Steam. We're focused on what kind of value we can deliver to gamers and PC games that make them more desirable. We have a lot of experience on things like achievements, both for single-player and multiplayer games. We've got the cross-platform connectivity. There are a lot of community features built-in, things like being able to choose to prefer or avoid players in our matchmaking. The feedback system I think is unmatched, and that's what you get from having experience with many millions of Xbox Live users. Really our focus is on making the games better, and the publishers will decide for themselves. I think what Steam's doing is a good service.

But you have to admit, the way he talks it up -- "the publishers will decide for themselves" -- it's hard to believe that at some level, Microsoft isn't envisioning themselves eating Valve's lunch.

But the service doesn't look like Steam.

Damn skippy.