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PC gaming wasn't a huge factor at this year's E3, but it seems that Microsoft was merely biding its time before making its big moves to try and perk up the waning PC gaming market. The company made a variety of positive announcements at the GameFest technology conference in Seattle this week, including the announcement of DirectX 11 and the removal, and in some cases refunding, of subscription fees for Games for Windows Live.
Refunds for early adopters
But that's not all. To reward those gamers who have been with the service from the beginning, Microsoft will be giving refunds to gamers who have been subscribing to the Games for Windows Live service specifically. "Yes, there will be a benefit for customers who purchased gold subscriptions on Windows," said Unangst. "Proactively, we will be offering refunds for those with Windows-specific Gold subscriptions. Customer service has already begun to get communications prepared."
In addition, Microsoft plans to launch a Windows Live equivalent of the Xbox Live Marketplace. PC gamers will be able to access free and for-pay downloadable games, trailers, demos, and more. This will give developers and publishers a new outlet for content, leveraging Microsoft's reach, which will complement continued improvements of the Games for Windows Live APIs behind the scenes and the elimination of licensing fees for developers leveraging the platform or royalty fees for using the brand.
The marketplace will include "exclusive content optimized for [the platform]." And, though "there will be some overlap" between the Xbox Live Marketplace and the GFW Live one, "the portfolios and catalogs will cater directly to the specific audience." Unangst used Fallout 3 as an example of a game that would have content on both.
PC gamers and developers weren't the only benefactors of the company's string of announcements. Microsoft also revealed that the Xbox Live Community Games initiative, which it announced at GDC earlier this year, would be taking on a whole new importance. Independent developers will be able to set prices for their content when the service launches later this fall, allowing them to reap the benefits of a closed distribution system and the muscle of Microsoft, as well as up to 70 percent of the profits.
This is potentially something that the new Windows-based Marketplace may also eventually integrate. "The primary focus of the Games for Windows Live marketplace is to extend the game experience and offer additional game content," Unangst explained. "That doesn't preclude us from distributing community games in the future. The infrastructure is certainly there. We're just not ready to talk about that part of the roadmap yet."
When asked about how Microsoft expects Xbox Live gamers to respond now that the equivalent service on Windows is free, Unangst explained that the value of the two similar services was different for each audience. "It's all a part of that philosophy of designing what's best for each of our customers. On the Windows side, we're meeting the demand of the PC gaming audience," said Unangst. "But we're also adding more and more value for Xbox Live Gold with things like NetFlix integration, party chat, and so on. That's more and more value for what is already a very good deal. I'm an Xbox Live Gold Subscriber, I pay my monthly fee—what's it, $5 bucks a month? Now you get the same kind of value for the Windows. They are linked, but they are distinct services."
Unangst was resolute in his stance that PC gaming remains a big focus of Microsoft, in spite of claims to the contrary that have resulted from the successes of the Xbox 360. While much of the press has been critical of the PC Gaming Alliance and the overall strategy towards furthering the PC gaming industry, Unangst was adamant in saying that rumors of PC gaming's death have been greatly exaggerated.