14 DAY TRIAL // It's hard to believe it but Games for Windows Live is two years old and Microsoft seems determined to push the service forward, despite claims from gamers that it provided lousy matchmaking and that it was badly integrated with videogames.
Last week, the Redmond-based company released version 3.0 of the software, which includes a slew of new features designed to make it a more powerful anti-piracy tool while also adding in game marketplaces and account management.
Maybe the biggest change is that players can now buy and then download new content for one of their titles while still being in the game. Fans of Fallout 3 who are running out of places to explore can go to Games for Windows Live, set up a payment system via a credit card and then access the marketplace and download Mothership Zeta or Broken Steel without the need to exit their session.
The content will then be downloaded and installed and ready to be accessed. Microsoft believes that the new feature will allow for more impulse buys and will bring in more revenue from the service.
There are also two new anti-piracy solutions added to Games for Windows Live, which will be available to videogame developers come fall. Zero Day Piracy Protection will make sure that the game executable cannot be run before the official release date, while Server Side Authentication creates a link between the game license and the Gamertag that you own, meaning that the game can then be installed and played on any PC as long as you use the same identification data. The Zero Day Piracy Protection measure might be more controversial as it could make imported titles unplayable for some gamers.
Games for Windows Live is in direct competition with other digital distribution services like Steam from Valve, Impulse from Stardock or GamersGate from Paradox Interactive.