Free and Feature-Packed: New and Improved Games for Microsoft

Last week, at Gamefest 2008, Microsoft announced that from now on, all Games for Windows Live services will be free. Meaning all PC users of these games will have access to the multiplayer services and content that used to be reserved to Gold subscribers only ($7.99 a month or $50 for a year). This includes cross-platform multiplayer matchmaking, online content distribution, and voice chat for all GFW branded games, both old and new. But the story doesn’t end there.

In a recent interview with PC World, GFW Senior Global Director Kevin Unangst stated that the dropped fee was just a beginning of a whole revamp of the Games for Windows PC experience. Building upon the success of the Xbox Live Marketplace, the GFW marketplace will now include downloadable content (demos, trailers, updates, and quite probably full games down the road), an interface tailored to PC gamers, multiplayer achievements, and developer-friendly updates to help game makers enhance and add to their games. Meanwhile, owners of old GFM games need not worry; the update has happened immediately and includes all previous Games for Microsoft titles.

Unangst credits gamers as well as developers for driving the push, and he’s right to do so. When Live was introduced with the PC edition of Halo 2, it met a lackluster following due to its poor interface and pay-to-play multiplayer. But with this update (and hopefully future updates as well), in tandem with titles such as Fallout 3 and Dawn of War launching under Games for Microsoft branding, GFM Live could be set to blow up. Plus, in an act of generosity (and smart business), Microsoft is planning to reimburse anyone that currently has a Gold subscription, so they won’t lose money in the switch.

While Unangst claims the change was driven by gamers, the shift in business models makes a lot of sense for securing the future, considering the current market and competition. Gamers want to spend their money on complete games; they don’t want to pay additional fees for multiplayer options they’d expect to be free. With multiplayer now included, far more people will be willing to buy upcoming games, since multiplayer adds tons of replayability and longevity to any game.

Meanwhile, with online content and games distribution from competitors like Direct-2-Drive or Steam, GFM has to step up and offer an alternative if it wants to stay strong. This is especially true for Steam, which combines distribution with social networking and messaging. Sony’s PS3 Home could mean competition with Xbox 360 Live, but with cross-platform matchmaking between PC and 360, there’s an even more compelling reason to play in on Live.