Online Play
Starting with Halo 2 on May 31, 2007, some Games for Windows titles have access to Microsoft's Live network for online play and other features, including voice chat, 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 (not every game supports cross-platform play.) Some features, including cross-platform multiplayer and multiplayer Achievements, initially required a subscription to Live Gold.
However, on July 22, 2008, Microsoft announced at Gamefest 2008 that Games for Windows Live is now free of charge. This means that all users are able to access features that would normally be available to only Gold members, such as the features listed above. In addition, Microsoft launched a Games for Windows Live Marketplace. Like its console counterpart, Xbox Live Marketplace, users are able to download content such as game demos, add-ons, and gamer pics. Some items are free, while others need to be paid for using Microsoft Points, as determined by the publisher of said items. Microsoft also plans to make the Games for Windows Live interface more PC friendly, and reduce the technical requirements for developers. This is in direct competition with the leading digital distributor on computers, Steam.
Read more about this topic: Games For Windows
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