Umpteenth Verse, Same As The First: Games For Windows Relaunches, Still A Mess
Umpteenth Verse, Same As The First: Games For Windows Relaunches, Still A Mess
Posted 11/16/2010 at 2:51am
| by Nathan Grayson
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After boldly proclaiming its intention to “lead the way” in PC gaming, Microsoft's cast its latest shiny thing into our waters in yet another attempt to lure us back. Unfortunately, the bait – a redesigned Games For Windows Marketplace – only serves to disguise a jagged hook that's just as painful as it's always been.
The store's certainly functional; don't get us wrong. But it's still lightyears behind Steam and similar competitors, which is just about as far from “off to a good start” as you can get. Foremost, the selection of games and add-on content is only a small sliver of what Steam and co. are peddling, and system requirements, game descriptions, etc are practically incomplete – mere skeletons compared to the meaty wealth of info provided by other services. On the upside, the service is very upfront when it comes to warning you about DRM and things of the like, but it still omits too many other useful details.
Steam's excellently pervasive community integration is also completely absent (signing in with your Gamertag lets you buy things -- and that's it), as are reccomendations, indie titles, and demos. Yes, demos! Currently there's an option to search for them, but it only serves to slam you face-first into the brick wall that is a “no results” screen.
The frontpage, meanwhile, is as about as barebones as they come, displaying a few select games, a daily deal, and a weekly deal. It's not awful by any means, but – as with the rest of the service – there's really not much to it right now. And there's definitely not anything that makes it stand out from the rest of the crowd.
You're also forced to deal with a bunch of malarky about signing in at Xbox.com to read and agree to the new Terms of Service – an extra intial step that seems totally unnecessary and sloppily implemented. If Microsoft's trying to convince us that the PC's no longer playing second fiddle to the Xbox, this is a pretty crummy way to do it.
Overall, there's simply no reason to choose the new GFW Marketplace over Steam, Direct 2 Drive, Impulse, and other such established storefronts. Anything GFW does, they still do better. Microsoft's service is still trailing behind like it always has, and if this is Microsoft's idea of whipping it into shape, then that incredibly depressing status quo won't be changing any time soon.
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JohnP
November 16, 2010 at 9:26pm
geez, would it hurt Microsoft to actually admit that another company just doesn't better than they do? Valve is a juggernaut and it would not hurt to grab a hold of its coattails and go for a ride.
mls067
November 16, 2010 at 10:00am
The interface feels a lot like the Zune software. Did they just copy and paste all the info from the other p.o.s. and get rid of any pointers to music?
someuid
November 16, 2010 at 8:37am
Microsoft does not seem to have any mojo left. Other than their OS, they are the last company I think of when it comes to consumer tech.
They are the first company I think of when it comes to consumer manipulation.
Micrsoft != cool.
lunchbox73
November 16, 2010 at 9:48am
Xbox 360 still hotter than ever, Windows Phone 7 getting rave reviews, Zune HD undermarketed but still awesome, Kinect is doing pretty well. Windows 7 doing great. I would saw MS still has some mojo.
Caboose
November 16, 2010 at 8:54am
"They are the first company I think of when it comes to consumer manipulation."
Really? Ever heard of a little company called Apple? I think they've got Microsoft beat in the consumer manipulation department.
lunchbox73
November 16, 2010 at 8:18am
Maybe the GFW guys needs to walk to the other side of the building and talk to the Xbox Live guys for a while. They seem to do a pretty good job providing downloadable content for the Xbox. Just don't do anything stupid like make people pay with MS points.
Peanut Fox
November 16, 2010 at 12:43pm
I'd rather they didn't. Live is a mixed bag. On one hand you have an awesome platform, that easily brings togeather many features and experiences for a fee. It's the fee part that bugs me about Live. Anything and everything that live offers is free anywhere else. Live is good at making money, not offering an incentive to return, and when you do, it's more out of necessity than wanting to be there.
If you requested that PC gamers pay for what Live offers, I'd guess the answer would be no thank you.
It's also possible that I'm just a hater.
praetor_alpha
November 16, 2010 at 5:46am
And in other news, a bear drops a deuce in the woods. Nothing to see here people, move along.
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