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Mr Buckshot
July 6th, 2007, 11:34 PM
I'm sure some of my ideas will never come true but I'm sure others will be a reality (especially the cross platform).

GFWL is total bullshit at this point, I agree. But I am able to see some light in it if only more games come out and if Microsoft makes a few changes.
Let Silver users have those server browsing options plus cross-platform gameplay. I suspect the lack of these options for Silver is what will keep developers from using GFWL. The ONLY Gold exclusive crap should be matchmaking/optimatch and Achievements.
Make the thing a standalone application that doesn't NEED to be launched for multiplayer. That means that if all I want to do is browse through a standard server list and hop into a PC-on-PC only match with voice chat, I don't need to launch GFWL. GFWL will only be necessary for cross-platform gameplay, friends listing, etc.
Put FREE casual games in there. Steam has been doing it with parlor games like chess and their famed Codename Gordon. And if the casual games can be played with XBL users, it'll be all the better.
Back to the standalone application part - design it like Xfire so that it tracks games that don't use GFWL.We have two sucky games for GFWL now (I tried Shadowrun at the store, got bored and went off), but Gears of War is coming. A good game, however, isn't the only thing necessary to save GFWL.

About Vista exclusivity, I don't care since I already have Vista, but GFWL games should be allowed to run on XP, just that those GFWL special features (friends listing, cross-platform play, achievements, matchmaking) will be disabled. Standard IN-GAME features like voice chat must stay.

Basically, if Microsoft doesn't listen to the professional critics (meaning magazine editors and so on), and to the pleas of us whiny PC gamers, GFWL will be the biggest failure since Microsoft Bob. It's really unfortunate - it was a large scale project and a lot of money must've gone into it, and ultimately, it's looked down upon as useless and inferior.

Could I imagine a future where PC games all used GFWL? That's possible, but only if GFWL undergoes a major overhaul with all the aforementioned suggestions. If not, GFWL will continue circling the drain until it falls in.

God, and I thought Steam's updating processes were annoying. At least Steam's free and doesn't need payment for anything apart from the game itself.

someone
July 7th, 2007, 05:49 AM
I'm sure some of my ideas will never come true but I'm sure others will be a reality (especially the cross platform).

GFWL is total bullshit at this point, I agree. But I am able to see some light in it if only more games come out and if Microsoft makes a few changes.I agree for the most part, but GFWL isn't total bullshit. Yes, it could be better, but give it some time. It's been only 1 month since the start of it.

Let Silver users have those server browsing options plus cross-platform gameplay. I suspect the lack of these options for Silver is what will keep developers from using GFWL. The ONLY Gold exclusive crap should be matchmaking/optimatch and Achievements.I agree about the browsing options and the achievements part, but I don't think that they're going to change the cross-platform from being gold exclusive.

Make the thing a standalone application that doesn't NEED to be launched for multiplayer. That means that if all I want to do is browse through a standard server list and hop into a PC-on-PC only match with voice chat, I don't need to launch GFWL. GFWL will only be necessary for cross-platform gameplay, friends listing, etc.They are going to make a GFWL standalone application in the future according to a powerpoint file that I've downloaded form microsofts website(I'll post it later).

Put FREE casual games in there. Steam has been doing it with parlor games like chess and their famed Codename Gordon. And if the casual games can be played with XBL users, it'll be all the better.They're going to add that into to the service when V2 comes out(standalone GFWL app., marketplace and GFWL arcade). This is also mentioned in that powerpoint document.

Back to the standalone application part - design it like Xfire so that it tracks games that don't use GFWL.We have two sucky games for GFWL now (I tried Shadowrun at the store, got bored and went off), but Gears of War is coming. A good game, however, isn't the only thing necessary to save GFWL.I think that the standalone app is going to track only GFWL games, but it could also track other GFW games. And I think the service will get better after GoW for PC.:)


About Vista exclusivity, I don't care since I already have Vista, but GFWL games should be allowed to run on XP, just that those GFWL special features (friends listing, cross-platform play, achievements, matchmaking) will be disabled. Standard IN-GAME features like voice chat must stay.I think this isn't going to happen. The standalone app. could work on XP and Vista. If thats going to happen, then I think that you would only be able to communicate with your friends and browse marketplace for trailers, themes or something like that.


Basically, if Microsoft doesn't listen to the professional critics (meaning magazine editors and so on), and to the pleas of us whiny PC gamers, GFWL will be the biggest failure since Microsoft Bob. It's really unfortunate - it was a large scale project and a lot of money must've gone into it, and ultimately, it's looked down upon as useless and inferior.I agree.


Could I imagine a future where PC games all used GFWL? That's possible, but only if GFWL undergoes a major overhaul with all the aforementioned suggestions. If not, GFWL will continue circling the drain until it falls in.I agree.


God, and I thought Steam's updating processes were annoying. At least Steam's free and doesn't need payment for anything apart from the game itself.The silver account is free in GFWL and I think that the standalone app. is going to be free too.

TIA Gangsta
July 7th, 2007, 06:14 AM
What the hell is Microsoft Bob?

Syuusuke
July 7th, 2007, 12:58 PM
Google can tell you about Microsoft Bob...
or
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Bob

We'll just have to hope for the best, I mean Microsoft so far is on some positive streak (or are they...)

jahrain
July 7th, 2007, 06:29 PM
Imagine Mr. Paperclip like characters helping you all over in the operating system, thats what MS BOB was like.

Phopojijo
July 7th, 2007, 07:52 PM
A couple of things are annoying about GFWL

1) Deeming features as Gold-Only. Microsoft proposed that VoIP in games listed as GFWL must be used only by a paid gold account. This of course is annoying since it means that even if, for instance, DICE or Epic provide their own VoIP programs and completely don't use Microsoft's system, they need to disable it to anyone who is not a Gold-level user.

Yea, bullshit, I know.

2) Cert required for all content, first party or otherwise. Mike Capps: "That's scary shit". Microsoft wants to have all mods require Microsoft cert... this of course costs a lot more money that mod developers can spare -- which is bullshit and "will push innovation to indepenent developers". In other words, it'll demolish mods of all kinds.

Vista exclusivity is the least of our worries. CMT/Evo/UMT/XCE/whatever could be flushed because we couldn't pay to get certified as non-glitchy.

Mr Buckshot
July 7th, 2007, 09:22 PM
True, Vista exclusivity isn't going to be a problem in the next 2 years or so, just that it's a bit early to incorporate that factor. We all moved to XP at one point, and there's no reason why Vista won't gradually dominate. Those of you who were alive and kicking in the 1980's probably experienced transitions from those super-old OS's.