Mr Buckshot
July 7th, 2007, 12:34 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.
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.
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.