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XNA Gamefest 2008: Windows LIVE now completely free to gamers; Windows LIVE Marketplace coming

Posted Jul 22, 2008 at 1:24PM EST by QJ Staff

Listed in: News, Windows Live Tags: Microsoft, Stardock, THQ, XNA

More news is streaming from Microsoft's press conference at the 2008 XNA Gamefest, and it appears that new development applies to Vista gamers at every length. The Redmond giant just made the free licensing of Games for Windows - LIVE to developers official, and with the Microsoft-sanctified multiplayer feature, they also announced the launching of Windows LIVE Marketplace.

Yes - a digital distribution service just for Windows Vista and future versions of Windows. Something that Stardock wouldn't have expected, perhaps?

Even heavier in the news weighing scale is that they've seemed to also announce that ALL Games for Windows - LIVE services will be available for free. We're not 100% sure of this announcement, but deeper investigation into other news streams also explicitly concur this bit of information as well.

The scope of this free service has not been fully itemized, but we're told that the services for same-platform and cross-platform multiplayer and matchmaking are now cost-free. If this is true, then Microsoft at least has done something to infuse new blood to PC gaming.

Other details of a user-interface revamp have emerged, and though Microsoft's Chris Satchell was generous enough to leave some sample screens, we could not find any officially released.

Also, we've heard that new games from Eidos and THQ have recently passed Microsoft's Games for Windows certification, and Battlestations: Pacific and Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II will incorporate Games for Windows - LIVE technology for multiplayer. More updates as we get them.

Via Develop

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wait. so does this mean that games for windows that are online games using the games for windows live service will no longer require a subscription to play online?

YES!! ms finally got the idea that no one wants to pay to play a game online on their pc. thats the main reason i havent bought any games using windows live ;)

# Well... — Guest 2008-07-22 18:31

...we tried very hard to verify the particulars. Right now, everyone's saying that Microsoft did -+say+- that is was "now free" to consumers, which by context actually means they dropped the Gold subscription.

Instead, I think they're going to try to earn money via the Marketplace.

# yup — Dremth 2008-07-22 20:08

well, sure enough, when i went to the games for windows homepage, there was an announcement about the live service being free. here's the info on the site: http://www.gamesforwindows.com/en-US/Live/Pages/AboutLive.aspx

if you look down the page a bit, you'll see that it says free multiplayer. :)

now i need to go buy gears of war or something.

# oh — Dremth 2008-07-22 20:11

i'm pretty sure that the live service for the 360 is still going to use the gold type of subscription, where you have to pay to play online and stuff.

P.S. you guys need an editing function ;)

# Yeah... — Guest 2008-07-23 11:15

...we do need to improve this commenting system. That's on the way, but don't know when it'll be done.

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XNA Gamefest 2008: Windows LIVE now completely free to gamers; Windows LIVE Marketplace coming

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