And i the base game
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Games for Windows Live shutting down July 1, 2014.
- Thread starter Archie
- Start date
And i the base game
Cannon Goose
Member
I needed this mod today to get GTAIV to run at all. I could not re-install/repair the GFWL client if my life depended on it and the game would crash because apparently the one I had was out of date. It would not update, un-install properly, or re-install fully if I moved the folder out of it's original location.
I can't wait for it to be gone for good!
Yeah GTAIV is wonky as hell. My friend recently sent me his saved game because I lost my progress a while back and for some reason all the achievements unlocked. I hope I don't get banned from XBL or whatever...
Diomedeskun
Member
Damn, I'm in Japan, my gaming desktop PC is in the US, and I own Batman, GTAIV, Bioshock 2 (on disc), Age of Empires 3, Viva Pinata, and Fallout 3. Most of those are not currently installed on the computer, and I won't really be back for long for another 2 years.
Does anyone know if Capcom is going to patch out GFWL on both DR2 games?
Nothing official
I'm seriously irritated by the lack of comments from Namco Bandai or FROM regard Dark Souls. You'd think that the fact that Demon's Souls servers were supposed to be shut down twice already and got indefinite extensions indicates that the series will have very very long legs and would warrant them patching out GFWL and putting in steamworks or whatever else to keep that version of the game viable for their obviously dedicated community of players.
Wouldn't surprise me if SCEA stepped in there. Still, Dark Souls could have amazing long legs on PC if they just take the damn time to patch out GFWL. Probably the worst game to have received it simply because of timing, it was already on its way out and now a year and a half after release the service it's tied to WILL shut down.
zephervack
Member
Thanks for reminding me, I stopped playing the game after one of the later bosses.
Bed of Chaos
Namco exploring options for Dark Souls when GfWL shuts down
http://www.incgamers.com/2014/01/namco-exploring-options-dark-souls-gfwl-shuts
One can always hope...
http://www.incgamers.com/2014/01/namco-exploring-options-dark-souls-gfwl-shuts
One can always hope...
Doctor Hades
Member
I have a lot of GfWL games, at least 25 or so, and I've only been able to migrate about 5 of them to my Steam library so far. Presumably I am going to lose my save progress in the other 20 games when GfWL is turned off in July as they require me to sign into the service in order to play the games? That has obviously never been an issue so far.
I found out that I could register another one of my retail disc boxed games, Dark Souls: Prepare to Die! edition to my Steam library but when I attempt to do so I'm told the key is in use on another Steam account. I've had this game since August 2012 when it was released and it still signs into GfWL now and plays fine. However, when I contacted Steam about this key, all they would tell me is that the other key was registered to another account in December 2013. I provided them with all the other details needed to verify the ownership, including the email address and gametag I use for GfWL and my Xbox One, but they have been decidely unhelpful and claim they cannot issue a replacement key nor remove the key from the other account. They do not seem the least bit concerned that two of their customers apparently have the SAME key for the SAME game. As such the only way I will be able to add this game to my Steam library and play it after July (assuming Namco-Bandai patch GfWL out) is to rebuy it. Great, eh?
Seriously, is it any wonder that Microsoft attract so much dislike when a game that isn't even two years old will effectively become impossible to continue a current save game come July. And good luck transferring saves and whatnot across because GfWL has the most confusing and ridiculous save system ever storing some files and DLC in the hidden AppData folder on the C: drive. I tried contacting Microsoft about this issue but one department I was linked to on the Steam support page was only for the Xbox so they put me in touch with someone else who actually had nothing to do with GfWL either. Utterly wasted an hour of my time. Microsoft don't care about this...why would they when they're shutting the service down come July?
How can two people be using the same key anyway? I've never told anyone else my key - I mean why would I? - and I only used it again last year to re-activate the game when I built my new Haswell PC last June and reinstalled the game. It has been working fine since...I only played last week for example.
Anyone else had this issue?
I found out that I could register another one of my retail disc boxed games, Dark Souls: Prepare to Die! edition to my Steam library but when I attempt to do so I'm told the key is in use on another Steam account. I've had this game since August 2012 when it was released and it still signs into GfWL now and plays fine. However, when I contacted Steam about this key, all they would tell me is that the other key was registered to another account in December 2013. I provided them with all the other details needed to verify the ownership, including the email address and gametag I use for GfWL and my Xbox One, but they have been decidely unhelpful and claim they cannot issue a replacement key nor remove the key from the other account. They do not seem the least bit concerned that two of their customers apparently have the SAME key for the SAME game. As such the only way I will be able to add this game to my Steam library and play it after July (assuming Namco-Bandai patch GfWL out) is to rebuy it. Great, eh?
Seriously, is it any wonder that Microsoft attract so much dislike when a game that isn't even two years old will effectively become impossible to continue a current save game come July. And good luck transferring saves and whatnot across because GfWL has the most confusing and ridiculous save system ever storing some files and DLC in the hidden AppData folder on the C: drive. I tried contacting Microsoft about this issue but one department I was linked to on the Steam support page was only for the Xbox so they put me in touch with someone else who actually had nothing to do with GfWL either. Utterly wasted an hour of my time. Microsoft don't care about this...why would they when they're shutting the service down come July?
How can two people be using the same key anyway? I've never told anyone else my key - I mean why would I? - and I only used it again last year to re-activate the game when I built my new Haswell PC last June and reinstalled the game. It has been working fine since...I only played last week for example.
Anyone else had this issue?
Doctor Hades
Member
Incidentally, does anyone think it utterly unacceptable that Microsoft themselves have not made any effort to replace GfWL with something that will allow ALL their GfWL games to work as they currently do now after July? Is it really fair for people who've bought games, some as recent as Dark Souls in 2012, to not be able to play them after later on this year? I certainly don't but I guess this is going to become a big issue as we move into a digital-only era and have to rely on DRM that will only work as long as the publishers continue to exist.
It's part of why people had such a fierce backlash to the XB1 DRM, Microsoft's proven time and time again they can and will just completely abandon things with no recourse, and we don't need an entire closed platform to do that.
It's also why I don't necessarily think we ARE in for an all digital future, at least not in the immediate future. More dominant, clearly, but not necessarily 100%.
Microsoft doesn't care. It's part of why I'm done with them. If I didn't need Windows for all my other computing needs, I'd probably do my PC gaming with a STEAMBOX. But I still do use Windows. They've had me since 1993 on that shit.
KillerKoala
Neo Member
Nothing is going to happen to GFWL on July 1st. Biggest rumour of all time and so many people bought into it. Microsoft might not be supporting it anymore but they are just not going to pull the plug.
Stumpokapow
listen to the mad man
Let me walk you through what happened:
- Microsoft announced they were shutting down Age of Empires Online on July 1st because they were shutting down GFWL. One way you can tell this is that it's the content of the OP.
- Microsoft later removed the message, clarifying that only AoE:O was shutting down at that time.
- At the same time, Microsoft removed AoE:O and Microsoft Flight from availability
- Shortly thereafter, Microsoft removed Fable III from availability
- In the months after, Microsoft updated a series of its own games to remove GFWL
- At the same time, a series of third party partners announced they were migrating away from GFWL and towards other services because GFWL was being sunsetted.
This isn't idiots buying into a rumour, this is Microsoft communicating poorly to the public about the nature of the shutdown date if any, and publishers actively trying to support their products before the shutdown, and people assuming that the only date they ever got from Microsoft was in fact the correct one. That the initial date was wrong (or that it was right and things changed) doesn't mean it was a big rumour.
ubersticky
Member
Waaait. So I can't play RE5 on PC online anymore?
I just finished Bulletstormon PC like a couple of weeks ago, didn't have that much of a problem besides one: I couldn't log in GFWL with my wireless network card, just with my ethernet port
Sentenza
Member
Just to point the most recent example, Dawn of War 2:
But I guess that just means developers are clueless and gullible as well for some people.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
Wow, I'm surprised Dawn of War is getting upgraded given all the licensing stuff.
KillerKoala
Neo Member
But their GFWL Marketplace FAQ explained everything.
They said:
- "Although the purchase functionality will be discontinued, the Games for Windows Live service will continue to operate as usual."
- "Games for Windows Live titles published by Microsoft are no longer available for purchase from any marketplace."
There is STILL no reason (since August 2013) to believe that GFWL will shutdown on July 1st. Microsoft still hasn't decided what will happen to that client but according to Xbox support an announcement is coming.
But there definitely are a lot of idiots buying into the rumour and going into full panic mode and e-mailing/contacting every developer who uses GFWL. The only developers who need to get off GFWL right away are those who require the Marketplace to sell DLC.
Roland1979
Junior Member
I have kindled a bonfire and praised the sun, in hopes of blessings from beyond. A great evil has fallen, that it may not drag us with it asunder.
I think Sega made it convenient by getting both Relic and the Warhammer 40k license. I need to double check there, but I think they were already doing SOMETHING with Warhammer vanilla and so had their foot in the door at the least.
EDIT: Also just released a Warhammer 40k game it seems.
All developers that use GFWL needs to get off it. Fuck GFWL.
So you think developers at several different game studios got emails from panicked "idiots" and decided it was a better use of their time and money to go through and remove all the GFWL hooks from their games, and add Steamworks in its place, rather than spend 30 seconds and send a quick Twitter message saying, "nah things are gonna be okay?"
Maybe stop using the word idiot to describe people who might be genuinely afraid of not being able to use their purchased product.
And yeah wether it's going down on that specific date or not publishers left and right are pulling out of GFWL, says enough really.
AHA-Lambda
Member
So all those games migrating from GFWL recently are the actions of idiot devs yeah? -_-
LiquidSolid
Member
Yeah, because we all know that Microsoft are 100% trustworthy and would never lie or try to mislead people to cover up a decision that would get bad press.
Given what's happened over the last year, I think it's pretty stupid to call people idiots just because they don't trust the words coming out of Microsoft's mouth.
I have absolutely no doubt GFWL will be closed down at some point, the only question is when. Right now I'm doubting it'll be July but I wouldn't be surprised if they'd delayed it until next year.
KillerKoala
Neo Member
Yes, I think developers caved into user questions about it. Even if they did a google search themselves, they would find an endless number of news articles that are carrying the rumour. I even registered on this website because this seemed to be the source for several news articles. They should have actually checked with Microsoft first, but no one did that.
Heck, I even caught Sega trying to say that GFWL was closing on July 1st on the GameFly website and telling you to contact Microsoft for details. I called them on it and their support rep was saying they don't have any idea what's going on. Yet, they post it on the sites where they are selling their products.
YianGaruga
Banned
You really think not a single one of the developers had a contact at MS and asked them about GFWLs future?
You really think companies are throwing money left and right and spending their time and resources on updating games released even few years ago (Batman: AA) without confirming things first? You do know how budgets in big corporations work, right?
MrNyarlathotep
Banned
you really think MS would not have pro-actively come out and denied that there are any plans to shut down GFWL if in fact there weren't / aren't?
Nintendont
Banned
Does Microsoft have any plans to save Halo 2? I remember reading somewhere that 343 was looking for a solution when they extended Halo 2's shutdown deadline but nothing came of it.
AHA-Lambda
Member
So multiple devs just caved into a rumour?
Wow, who knew it was so easy? Guys let's start a rumour about uplay getting shut down, it might happen then!
KillerKoala
Neo Member
Do you really think that Microsoft is going to tell all their publishers about the future of GFWL and keep the gamers who use it in the dark? Even if so, why are developers keeping it such a secret?
Stumpokapow
listen to the mad man
Both Batman and BioShock began the process of patching out GFWL well in advance of the Age of Empires Online posting.
KillerKoala
Neo Member
It is important to note why GFWL was removed. Bioshock 2 for example was ported to Steamworks to support the DLC for the game (which became unavailable after the GFWL Marketplace shutdown).
MrNyarlathotep
Banned
Yes, I would imagine that MS would take contractual obligations with publishing partners more seriously than a gamers 'need to know'.
Because it would not be a publishers duty or responsibility to announce an MS policy change.
KillerKoala
Neo Member
This is far more than a 'need to know' basis. The GFWL client is designed for gamers to handle DRM,multiplayer, achievements, and more. You can't say that's not important to gamers to know if just up and dies one die without notification. That would work if the software was designed solely for publishers but this isn't.
Sentenza
Member
http://www.capcom-unity.com/combofiend/blog/2014/05/27/ssfivae-gfwl-to-steamworks-transition
Can we drop this silly conspiracy theory about the shutting down of GFWL being just mass hysteria, now?
AHA-Lambda
Member
A platform holder letting publishers in on info before users? Yes this is very much normal stuff, I can't tell if you're being serious anymore.
Oddly enough, that post does say that SF will continue to work as normal "for the foreseeable future".
Either Capcom can only see a month ahead, or as normal includes no multiplayer in Capcoms eyes.