I think most of you would agree that Steam has just about run away with client-based online PC game sales at this point. So next month Microsoft is planning to take its Games for Windows initiative where Steam isn't: the Web. Well, sure, you can browse and buy games over on the Steam website, but you still have to fire up the Steam client to download and play your games.

Microsoft is looking to cut out that software middleman with the new Games for Windows Marketplace, due to launch on November 15. The idea is that this thing will let you buy games through a web interface and then start them downloading straight through your browser's "Save as" function, no standalone client required. (The old GFW client will still exist to let you access old purchases and manage files, but you won't need it to make the initial purchase and start playing your game.)
 

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I think most of you would agree that Steam has just about run away with client-based online PC game sales at this point. So next month Microsoft is planning to take its Games for Windows initiative where Steam isn't: the Web. Well, sure, you can browse and buy games over on the Steam website, but you still have to fire up the Steam client to download and play your games.

Microsoft is looking to cut out that software middleman with the new Games for Windows Marketplace, due to launch on November 15. The idea is that this thing will let you buy games through a web interface and then start them downloading straight through your browser's "Save as" function, no standalone client required. (The old GFW client will still exist to let you access old purchases and manage files, but you won't need it to make the initial purchase and start playing your game.)
 

Gallery

Too late Microsoft.

nice

Well, that's a different approach. Going to be hard to pull people away from steam...

Too little, too late.

Steam might be able to download faster than your browser - steam for me seems to be able to max my connection out pretty well in the US.

It could work if they start porting over XBLA/360 exclusives that you can't get anywhere else on PC but if they're just gonna compete with Steam then it's bound to fail.

Explain to me what the benefit is of having a web based client, the steam client doesn't take long to download at all on a different computer and you only need to do it once.

Better late then never...Right?

Nicely played Microsoft, nicely played.

I think they should add "Cloud" Base Save system. It kinda suck when you lost all your saves by accident. Look at Gears of War in PC. My achievements will be like a long long journey.

I hear there's this thing called Steam which is pretty popular as a platform for playing PC games. I think this may be too little, too late for Microsoft.

Depends on the prices of the games... I'm real cheap...

So it's basically D2D? The thing I like about steam is that I can click to install and not have to worry about moving files around and all that crap. It just works. 
 
This is cool too, but I prefer a user side client that keeps all my games in one nice little package. 
 
Keep at it Microsoft. You'll figure it out someday.

If they pushed it more by ads on the Xbox dashboard then maybe it'll pick up. Not many people know about the GFWL marketplace and steam already, so it'd be natural to get the word out. And it looks like Microsoft has been doing more weekly deals like Steam... so I'd like it to pick up so I have more places to save money.

i prefer 360 chivies to steam so i'd use this. step up the chevies microsoft.

Doesn't seem that bad

It will all come down to how streamlined the experience is and with years of experience under its belt Steam is pretty hard to beat on that front. Either way MS have had an online software store on the PC for years and I don't recall it being that highly sought after. TBH this seems like more of a way to focus sales on that wider store front (in the same way that the XBox finally broke MS into the living room space where all their earlier 'media box' initiatives had failed) rather than them specifically taking on Steam.

yeah but it's still a step in the right direction. finally.

Whats the point? You download steam right off the bat and grab everything and use its features before downloading something, or you buy a GFWL and use the Live app after you buy the game. Ether way there still is a app involved so this does nothing to sway mircosoft. 
 
Besides Steam will always be on top anyway. I do not see microsoft giving out those insane deals Steam has, not to mention graphic card installs, stat tracking, a quicker on the fly chat system. I'm glad they're putting some more effort into PC because everyone wins but as for features wise. zero point.

First the Steam Client vs GFW client.
 
Steam takes up more memory, and system resources but is stable.  It also auto-downloads updates and remembers the licensing info for every game you ever bought.  Next it can be installed on any PC, and you can download any play your games to it.  I have also noticed that most games saves are backed up, and move to the new PC.
 
GFW takes up less memory, and only needs to be run when you are in a game.  Problem though, it is ustable as hell and you are often forced to install an update that will force you to reboot before you can play a game.  Next patches only download when you play a game, not at 4am when you are sleeping.
 
So I would say the the GFW client clearly losses the battle.  Heck, I almost jumped for joy when I found out that Fallout New Vegas was through Steam.
 
Now to the websites....if MS is working on something like gog.com and I can get former Xbox exclusive like Explosion Man, then they will get about as much of my money as Steam does.  In the end it will come down to who has better indiy games.

" It could work if they start porting over XBLA/360 exclusives that you can't get anywhere else on PC but if they're just gonna compete with Steam then it's bound to fail. "

I guess you will still have to use the stupid MS Points to buy stuff on the website?

Let's see here... 
Steam has thirty million active users. Check. 
Games for Windows won't sell games with Steamworks. Hmm...Well then. 
Here's to you Microsoft, for your upcoming annual colossal failure.

Gow 3 PC, Microsoft . 
Do it.

Boooooooooo

The only way this could possibly be successfull is if Microsoft started publishing exclusives and sold them purely through this service bypassing both retail and all other digital services.
 
If MS sold Fable 3, Halo 3, reach, ODST, gears of war 2, etc as exclusives to this service then it may gain interest. Otherwise no chance at all.

Won't work for a simple reason....price. 
Nothing in the world can beat steam on price,which is why people keep going back. 
Steam make hardly any money on a single sale but it all adds up and there are too many loyal followers to steam for it to stop. 
Well done vavle. 
Valve = Value

Love Valve and Steam, wouldn't bother with MS clone-wares.

Hey it's black. I heard that's the new white.
/soracist
But really, I'm not sure if they are so much cutting out the software middleman, considering they also own all the technology to actually play the games. It was supposed to provide a similar experience to the 360 dash, but why maintain an app when you can just maintain a website? These days I queue and buy a lot of my XBL stuff in-browser. It's just plain faster than the dashboard.

The Steam client is pretty slim, I think.  The GFWL client not so much, and it fails downloads and installations pretty regularly for me.

Depends on the games and prices.  I'll keep an eye out for it.

Hey I've got a GREAT IDEA.
 
Maybe fix your BUSTED-ASS CLIENT before inventing some new way for me to buy games that will inevitably be forced to use your BUSTED-ASS CLIENT.
 
All my complaints with Games for Windows Live are about how shitty and awful and poorly thought out every aspect of the BUSTED-ASS CLIENT is. Not that I don't want to buy games through it. Although I don't, because Steam is better in every single regard.
 
What the hell are you doing, Microsoft. Just give up already. This is so pathetic.

I just wish they let me buy/play XBLA games on my PC already.

wut?  This makes no sense.  Steam IS a web-based system.  The client is pretty much a Webkit based browser with a bunch of other useful stuff built in to make gaming BETTER - voice chat, text chat, groups, etc.  Pretty much a specialized "browser".
 
The DRM is going to be the only thing I care about.  If there is a method for resale or if it's actually DRM-free I'll switch over.

They made xbox.com a lot more usable recently.

I guess the hope for old Microsoft published PC titles on Steam will continue to be just a dream then.

Don't really see the point. Microsoft should just give up and let Steam manage things from here.

Why won't they actually announce that Fable 3 is going to be a part of this service? Are they that worried about the sales of the 360 version suffering a little?   I've lost interest in my 360, I'll wait for the PC release.

I like this approach because there is no dependency like there is for Steam. You just save the game like you would any other file and it's yours. Nice.

People talk mess but Steam is only one of many digital distribution methods and it's Microsoft making a smart decision in not letting Valve have the largest market share.  Why are people shitting on more options?  Not to mention it pools all GFWL games into one service telling you what games have PC Live achievements.
 
I've wanted a Microsoft games marketplace for years because without it there is literally 0 chance that games that are exclusive to the console are coming.  Imagine the crazy money they would make if they released exclusive XBLA titles or even just straight up exclusives.  Another great feature would be putting achievements into the PC version of 360 games that don't have them on the PC (at least if you buy it from them going forward).  That way if someone wants say Mass Effect 2 with achievements they have to get it on the 360 or this marketplace.  The PC market is also way more quick to discount and Steam as competition means more Live titles will get on sale, even on the console.
 
The only downside is they'll still make you get MS points to buy this shit which isn't cool.
 
So in summary:
 
More options = good thing
Potential console exclusives coming to the PC = yay
Adding achievements to PC versions of games = double yay
Promoting more digital sales for both MS platforms = woo
 
Using MS points to buy all this = super boo.

Yeah I'm down.  Let's try this. 

" Too late Microsoft. "

God, they're greedy.  Let's crush all the smaller successful
systems out there & steal their profits.  I've got a lot tied to
Steam so I won't be bothering with a separate Gawful, I don't
care what is offered.
 
It's probably because people are giving up on Xbox & going
back to the PC because they're tired of the constant hands
coming out of their machines asking for money for DLC &
other shit.  Perhaps they will charge these PC players $60
a year for gaming access too.