Games for Windows Live Shut Down

An awesome thing to happen, because I thought all that GFWL interfering with games sucked! And I never trusted buying DLC for it [from the Xbox Live website] for Batman Arkahm City and Gotham Imposters - for the versions on Origin. If Origin doesn't sell the DLC for their game then I wouldn't buy it from another site. Even better is not to buy the Origin version but the Steam version instead, like for the latest Tomb Raider game.

Lately, I reinstalled my Bioshock 2 game I bought from Greenman Games - it had a stupid GFWL update that always failed. I looked up patching it and then discovered this web page that said to just paste your game key in Steam Game Activation and then you'll have a Steam copy... It worked! See: The Escapist : Forums : Gaming Discussion : Bioshock 2 patch deals with GFWL issue

Stupid Microsoft GFWL interference also made reinstalling your save games after a format kinda hard, like in Batman Arkham Asylum.

I'm glad GFWL is gone... Aren't you too?

 

Are you certain GFWL has already closed down? For some reason, I thought that was not going to happen until next year some time.

I can finally install the GFWL games in my Steam library and I don't have to make all those Xbox/MSN/Hotmail/Microsoft gaming club etc. accounts?

Or does this just mean that Bioshock 2 has removed GFWL?

 

I just played Steam Bioshock 2 for 6 minutes and there was no more GFWL sign in on startup. Hopre they patch up and get rid of this on other games too, without affecting savegames, - like Batman Arkham Asylum savegames are tied to your Xbox LIVE id and you have to copy that to transfer your savegame to a new install.. So stupid! I had a lot of progress in Batman that I didn't want to start all over from the beginning again.

 

That's great to hear, as I got burned on two previous games (Arkham City and Bioshock 2) purchased on Steam but was never able to get either of these properly installed due to the GFWL.

Bioshock 2 constantly had GFWL error messages and I was only able to play the game in offline mode. With Arkham City, after signing up for Hotmail, MSN and Microsoft accounts, I was finally able to get it installed to the point where I could start a game and play in Steam online mode, but it would not let me save my game unless I were to sign up for yet another account, some kind of Xbox "Gamer Club" something or other. Probably easier for people who already own an Xbox to install these games.

I bought GTA IV during a Steam sale a while back and I've been meaning to try it, but never want to deal with the hassle of installing another GFWL game.

 

I just tried to install and run Dirt 3 (purchased from Steam) and I go to log in to my GFWL account and says account is not valid. I go to reset password (even though I know it's right), but the website is down. I can't save games because GFWL doesn't work. It's still a problem, and one that needs to be fixed.

http://steamcommunity.com/app/44320/discussions/0/864980734626600050/
http://community.codemasters.com/t5...ing-will-this-affect-Dirt3/td-p/332832/page/6

And looks like it may be an issue for a LOT of games according to that Reddit article. Thanks a lot Microsoft for your support... What a mess.

This is what is inherently wrong with online DRM, period. Imagine if Valve tanked for whatever reason, and Steam just went offline, poof! I know there's been comments about how there would be workarounds, Valve would issue a patch to not require it, etc. Hogwash. It's akin to owning a DVD or Blu-Ray disc and then popping it in your player and says can't watch it because the company that published it is no longer in business... what!?

I still don't get how this is even legal. If you bought a product and that company went bankrupt you can still use the product. Sure there might not be warranty or support for it but you can still use it.

 

This is Microsoft you are dealing with. Expect a fix sometime within the next four years, three minimum.

 

To be honest I hope other forms of DRM just shut down then developers will just say NO to publishers with their crap DRM. In the long run it doesn't help anyone. I still don't see how it saves companies money to run all those validation servers.

 

I think out of my games only Dawn of War 2 uses GFWL and since the maker of game is gone.. I hope there would be a patch coming, since it's also a steam game. I've never found any use for the GFWL part, since I only played single player with that game

 

I couldn't log in there either, but I used it to reset my password, then could log in there. I tried with Dirt 3 but still says username and pw invalid.

I, more than anyone, understand this entirely. It has been this way since we bought physical floppy disks to install games, but it never had the implications it used to have. And just because it's in writing doesn't mean it's legal either. And at the end of the day nobody's forcing you to buy anything. But there are consumer protection laws in effect for pretty much every product out there but for some reason software is exempt. Otherwise I could put in fine print that I get to take one year's salary and get to kill your dog if you buy this product, doesn't make it legal.

I actually LIKE Steam. It offers more than just a PITA DRM. It's a service with features. I never said to the contrary. I was mentioning GFWL. And other DRM like SecuRom, or other additional unnecessary DRM measures.

And don't even bring up "rampant" piracy without showing any evidence to that point. In all these years it has been all verbal diarrhea, no hard evidence. Have you ever looked at some places like pirate bay, which is pretty well known, let alone hundreds of lesser known sites? Don't tell me piracy is averted because of it. Every game out there has been hacked, and usually within days of initial release of the product, if not sooner. If anything, it advocates piracy so people CAN play their games without issue. DRM is nothing but an excuse to make more money, and end up giving less back to the developer. Publisher says they can give less back to the dev because of costs of DRM. It's just like the RIAA and getting worse. It also is an excuse for a game not having good sales, where the game just really sucked or people were averted by the DRM.

Heck even show one case where a game company attempted to sell with DRM then without to see the effect of sales, and in a properly controlled situation. You can't. So it's a one sided debate. DRM may decrease piracy but it may also decrease sales because of it. There's no way to know. All I know is that piracy still exists and pretty much every game title is made available even with the stringent DRM measures incorporated. Evidence enough to me that it doesn't do lick.

Off the top of my head, one game comes to mind Sins of a Solar Empire which is DRM free (well used to be until they switched entirely to Steam) was a very successful game. It was pirated too, but sales were over 500,000 within six months of release.

 

It's as much of a problem on PC as on consoles. The above mentioned site has console games as well.

 

They do, as far as I know. I may be wrong though, I don't have a lot of knowledge in that topic.
That being said, the number of DLs for popular titles is always high, regardless of PC or consoles.

 

Anyone know if Dark Souls still requires GFWL? Been dying to play it but wouldn't buy it due to gwfl.

As for steam being DRM, sure it is. But the benefits it provides are just light years ahead of anything else. I've made over $100 just by selling the useless (to me) cosmetic drops in TF2 and Dota 2. Someone bought a 'strange' bucket hat for TF2 Heavy off me for $40!

 

Ding-Dong the witch is dead! :thumbsup:

Batman: Arkham Asylum & City ditch Games for Windows Live, slash 75% off for this weekend | News | PC Gamer

Finally I will be able to properly install these two games that have been sitting in my Steam library, unplayed forever since I had trouble installing due to GFWL. Which should I try first?

 

Good news that Batman has been converted. Maybe others will follow, hopefully all of them will. Play Asylum first.

 

Man asylum was so good. I still need to play arkham city. Maybe I'll do that after I finish AC3.

 

Well, I'm a bit pissed off, they got rid of GFWL for Steam BAA but it also got rid of my GFWL related game save, so I lost all of my progress in B A Asylum. I hate to start all over from the beginning again, I guess I will download a save game for it in the future.

GFWL is still on the Origin copy of B A City, I guess I won't play it further... The future save game might be lost when GFWL is removed. It was removed for the Steam version of B A City though.

 

Eh...

Don't you all think MS is shutting down GFWL because they are integrating XBox Live across all of Windows 8? Hello?!?

I wouldn't doubt seeing XBone/Windows games in the future requiring you to have a XBox Live account to play them on PC.

 

Oh my, I just realized that my AC save with every crap completed and collected is now lost...
Noooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!

 

I bought Arkham Asylum on a sale on GFWL long time ago. I still have the confirmation email, but have no idea where I´d find the cd key to enter in Steam? I´t hasn´t even been installed on this computer.

Can I install GWFL live and pull the key from there?

 

I don't think you can register a copy of AA on Steam bought from elsewhere.

 

It hought I could, need the cd key though: Batman: Arkham games now available for transfer from GFWL to Steam | VG247

Do you mean my game bought on GFWL is lost forever?

 

I guess I was wrong then. They are making an exception for these games.

Yeah it looks like you will have to do so.
Activate Windows LIVE Tokens | Games for Windows LIVE Token Keys - Xbox.com

 

Thanks for the link, I found the key.

Cant activate it on Steam yet though, but according to the Steam forum its not working for anyone atm.