games-for-windows posts

Just a few years ago Microsoft was one of the most prolific first and third party publishers for PC games, releasing titles like the Age of Empires/Mythology series, the Microsoft Flight Simulator series, the Mechwarrior series, Freelancer, Impossible Creatures, Rise of Nations and many more. However Microsoft has been doing some cost cutting in the past 18 months as they have shut down a number of their internal PC developers such as ACES Studio and Ensemble Studios while cutting back their third party PC game publishing lineup.

At the same time, Microsoft has tried to work with third party publishers on their Games For Windows marketing push for PC games, They have also tried to improve their Games For Windows Live online service which got off to a rocky start just over two years ago but has made improvements since then. Big Download got a chance to chat with Michael Wolf, the Senior Marketing Manager for Games for Windows Live, to get an update on their PC game development and publishing plans and their future plans for Games For Windows Live.

While Microsoft's Xbox 360 division is going all out for their E3 2009 presentations, don't look for anything major from their Games for Windows/Games for Windows Live group. Big Download has learned from a company PR rep that Microsoft has no plans at all to use the larger and revamped E3 to promote or announce new games for their PC gaming marketing brand and online service. According to the PR rep, Microsoft feels E3 is more of a console game show than a PC game event (never mind that there will be a number of PC games shown at the show, but oh well . . . )

This is a different attitude from last year's E3 where Microsoft held a press briefing about Games For Windows Live during the event. Since then the service has launched a stand alone client and a revamped user interface that has gotten mixed reviews. At GDC last March Microsoft announced they would be putting in new features for the client but so far those features have not been implemented.

Update: While there won't be any Games For Windows Live announcements, Microsoft is planning to hold a Windows 7 reception at E3 where several games will be demoed on Microsoft's upcoming PC OS.

For a while Microsoft was one of the biggest publishers of PC games (both internally made and via third party publishers) but ever since their launch into the Xbox console business the company has released fewer PC games. In addition they have been shutting down internal PC game developers such as FASA Interactive, Ensemble Studios and ACES Studios. Currently Microsoft does not have any PC games on its publishing slate.

In a new GDC 2009 chat with Gamasutra, Games For Windows exec Dave Luehmann states that they have not abandoned developing and publishing PC games, saying, "We've got several titles in development right now, both internally developed and with external partners. We're here at GDC negotiating another deals, and we're here at GDC looking for other content partners. I'd say our position in Windows over the last six months has gone from a steady state, to a dip from a point of view of the press, but realistically we're putting more money into Windows games than we have in quite a while." Hopefully we will see if those statements are indeed true.

Microsoft's Games For Windows Live program has been live for almost two years now but since it's launch the online PC gaming service hasn't gotten as much attention or support as competing features like Steam, Impulse and others. Today Microsoft announced plans to update Games For Windows Live's client with new features.

Those new features include an anti-piracy protection program that will require authentication of games for online play. Gamers will also be able to save their Games For Windows Live settings online which will allow them to play with those settings on any Games For Windows Live enabled PC. Publishers will be able to create new in-game store fronts for, among other things, selling downloadable content for games.'

There's no word yet on when these new features will be released. In its press release, Microsoft claims that Games For Windows Live has seen "staggering growth" in its use thanks in part to the revamp launched in November that introduced a new and more PC friendy user interface. Specific numbers were not revealed.

Microsoft's Games For Windows Live program has added another game to their library. The official web site for Microsoft's PC game service announced that the upcoming Batman: Arkham Asylum game will support Games For Windows Live features when it comes out later this summer. The Rocksteady Studios-Eidos title will give players access to Live achievements and other features

Games For Windows Live has been in place for a couple of years now but it's starting to see some real competition from Valve's similar Steamworks program. Steamworks is already in place for 2009 third party games like Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War II (also a Games For Windows Live title) F.E.A.R. 2 and this week's Empire: Total War. Later today the Unreal Tournament III Titan Pack will be released for download and that will also add Steamworks achievements to the game.

Events over at Microsoft over the past several months have given some people reason to speculate that the company is not as enthusiastic about PC gaming as it once was. It shut down two of their highly successful PC game developers (Ensemble Studios for Age of Empires and ACES Studio for Microsoft Flight Simulator) and laid off the head of their Games For Windows Live division.

Gamesindustry.biz has a chat today with Microsoft VP Chris Lewis who says their upcoming OS refresh Windows 7 will actually be a boon for PC games. Lewis states, "Windows 7 will be great for games, undoubtedly. It's all good news - it's even more robust, it's quicker relatively, and the early testing cycles are proving very promising overall. I think it'll be nothing but good news for PC gamers, but we'll have more to say on that later on this year."

As for their Games For Windows efforts, Lewis states they know there is strong PC game industry and communty of players out there and even though they also have their Xbox 360 console business they are a "Windows and PC company at heart, and that's not going to change, and the development on both platforms will remain central and important. The business ebbs and flows, and there will be times when we do more on one platform than the other, but they do co-exist very nicely, and as a company we're in a pretty unique position that we have a strong legacy on PC."

Microsoft is planning to do what Apple did successfully and what Dell and Gateway failed to do; launch a retail store chain. The company announced on Thursday that they have hired a 25 year veteran of Wal Mart to lead the creation of a series of Microsoft branded retail stores.

Details on what the stores will have are scarce at this point but the new head of the division, David Porter, is supposed to work "in close partnership with leaders of existing retail programs in Microsoft's Entertainment & Devices Division." That division includes the Games For Windows program and Microsoft's own game development division, Microsoft Games Studios.

While we have no doubt that Microsoft will be selling Xbox 360 consoles, games and accessories in their future stores, will the company also be selling their own PC games and games branded with the Games For Windows banner? Considering that MIcrosoft seems to be going out of its way to cut their PC game operations with the shut down of Ensemble Studios and ACES Studio it remains an open question if they will be putting PC games in their stores.

When word got out last weekend that Microsoft's Games for Windows Live head man Chris Early was among the folks laid off in the company's recent cutbacks, we contacted Microsoft's PR reps to see if we could get an interview with company execs about the changes and how they will affect Microsoft's PC gaming business.

Unfortunately Microsoft declined to give us an interview but did send over this official statement on the recent changes. We are now reproducing that statement in full:

Moving ahead, Microsoft will continue to invest in Windows as a first–class gaming platform through great Windows out of box experiences, our online gaming services including Games for Windows – LIVE, MSN Games, and Messenger games, and through new games for Windows developed by Microsoft Games Studios.

Our Windows gaming service efforts will be led by General Manager Ron Pessner, who is joining Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business. He comes from within Microsoft's Entertainment & Devices Division.

Working closely with Ron will be Dave Luehmann, a long time Microsoft games veteran and general manager within Microsoft Games Studios, who will now be overseeing internal development and publishing for all Windows-based games.

Beyond these changes, we are not commenting on specific personnel issues at this time.

A quick scan of the Internet tubes revealed that Pessner was previously the general manager of Microsoft's Connected TV division. We will of course keep you updated about Microsoft's future PC gaming plans.

It looks like Microsoft could be making some major changes in its Games For Windows Live service. VentureBeat is reporting that Chris Early, the general manager and overall head of the Games For Windows Live service, was among the 1,400 people laid off immediately in Microsoft's cost cutting measures this week.

Games For Windows Live seemed to be having signs of life after a shaky start about 20 months ago. While the service had a paid "Gold" section for cross-platform multiplayer and online matchmaking service, the company finally dumped the paid section back in July. Late in 2008 the company revamped the Games For Windows Live interface and launched a stand alone application that in the future was heading to allow full downloads of games a la Steam. It remains to be seen how much this new development will affect Games For Windows Live in the future.

Since we are a PC gaming web site we would be remiss if we didn't report that Microsoft's next major Windows OS revamp, Windows 7, is finally going public. Currently available in beta form for a select few (or if you know where to look on the Internet) Microsoft used its CES keynote address on Wednesday night to announce that the beta will be freely available to download for anyone to install and use on Friday.

While Microsoft has yet to lock in an official release date for the final version of Windows 7 it's clear that they would like it to be ready by the holiday season of 2009. There was nothing in the CES keynote about Microsoft's Games For Windows or how Microsoft's program to promote and market PC gaming will work with the new Windows release.