Games for Windows
Encyclopedia
Games for Windows is a brand
owned by Microsoft
and introduced in 2006
to coincide with the release of Windows Vista
. The brand represents a standardized technical certification program and online service for Windows games, bringing a measure of regulation to the PC game
market in much the same way that console manufacturer
s regulate their platforms. The branding program is open to both first-party and third-party publishers.
Games for Windows was promoted through convention
kiosk
s and through other forums as early as 2005. The promotional push culminated in a deal with Ziff Davis Media
to rename the Computer Gaming World
magazine to Games for Windows: The Official Magazine
. The first GFW issue was published for November 2006, and the magazine was defunct as of 2008.
Packaging for games that have been certified by Microsoft feature a prominent "Games for Windows" logo stripe across the upper front. Microsoft claimed they had increased their sales of Games for Windows-branded games in stores that had been giving the games greater focus, and said they planned on increased marketing efforts of the brand.
Game software must meet certain requirements regulated by Microsoft in order to display the Games for Windows brand on its packaging. These requirements include:
on May 31, 2007, some Games for Windows titles have access to Microsoft's Live
network for online play and other features, including voice chat, messaging and friends lists, accessed from an in-game menu called the "Guide". Users can log in with their Xbox Live
gamertags to gain achievements and play games and chat across platforms (not every game supports cross-platform play.) Some features, including cross-platform multiplayer and multiplayer achievements, initially required a subscription to Live Gold.
However, on July 22, 2008, Microsoft announced at Gamefest 2008 that Games for Windows Live is now free of charge. This means that all users are able to access features that would normally be available to only Gold members, such as the features listed above. In addition, Microsoft launched a Games for Windows Live Marketplace. Like its console counterpart, Xbox Live Marketplace
, users are able to download content such as game demos, add-ons, and gamer pics. Some items are free, while others need to be paid for using Microsoft Points
, as determined by the publisher of said items. Microsoft also plans to make the Games for Windows Live interface more PC friendly, and reduce the technical requirements for developers. This is in direct competition with the leading digital distributor
on computers, Steam.
Included with all versions of Windows Vista
and Windows 7, this special folder
showcases the various games installed on one's computer. When a compatible game is installed, the system adds the game's shortcut to the Games Explorer and also downloads the game's box art and content rating information (e.g. ESRB
, PEGI
, CERO
, etc.) for that game through either developers' own game definition files or from information provided by All Media Guide
.
Compatibility generally depends on the age or popularity of the games with newer games having better compatibility. For example, StarCraft
is fully compatible despite being nearly a decade older than Windows Vista. If a game is incompatible with the Games Explorer, the user can manually add a game by dragging a game's shortcut to the Games Explorer (though there is a very large chance that box art and rating information will be missing).
The Games Explorer is fully compatible with Windows Vista
and Windows 7 with parental controls. Parents can restrict how long a child can play and what kind of games they may play, based on ratings and/or specific titles.
. It allows users to put the game disc into an optical disc drive and start playing almost immediately, while the game installs itself in the background and streams off the disc with minimal or zero caching, just like on a game console
. The first and currently only commercial game to use this technology is the Windows version of Halo 2
. Microsoft no longer requires developers to include the Tray and Play feature in their games, and the company also no longer refers to the feature.
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
owned by Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
and introduced in 2006
2006 in video gaming
-Events:* January 26, 2006 -- Nintendo announces its newly redesigned handheld, the Nintendo DS Lite. The new model is lighter, smaller, has configurable brightness and features an improved user interface.* January 26, 2006 -- Konami Corp...
to coincide with the release of Windows Vista
Windows Vista
Windows Vista is an operating system released in several variations developed by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, tablet PCs, and media center PCs...
. The brand represents a standardized technical certification program and online service for Windows games, bringing a measure of regulation to the PC game
Personal computer game
A PC game, also known as a computer game, is a video game played on a personal computer, rather than on a video game console or arcade machine...
market in much the same way that console manufacturer
Console manufacturer
A console manufacturer is a company that manufactures and distributes video game consoles. It is also known as a first-party video game publisher...
s regulate their platforms. The branding program is open to both first-party and third-party publishers.
Games for Windows was promoted through convention
Convention (meeting)
A convention, in the sense of a meeting, is a gathering of individuals who meet at an arranged place and time in order to discuss or engage in some common interest. The most common conventions are based upon industry, profession, and fandom...
kiosk
Kiosk
Kiosk is a small, separated garden pavilion open on some or all sides. Kiosks were common in Persia, India, Pakistan, and in the Ottoman Empire from the 13th century onward...
s and through other forums as early as 2005. The promotional push culminated in a deal with Ziff Davis Media
Ziff Davis
Ziff Davis Inc. is an American publisher and Internet company. It was founded in 1927 in Chicago by William B. Ziff, Sr. and Bernard G. Davis. Throughout most of its history, it was a publisher of hobbyist magazines, often ones devoted to expensive, advertiser-rich hobbies such as cars,...
to rename the Computer Gaming World
Computer Gaming World
Computer Gaming World was a computer game magazine founded in 1981 by Russell Sipe as a bimonthly publication. Early issues were typically 40-50 pages in length, written in a newsletter style, including submissions by game designers such as Joel Billings , Dan Bunten , and Chris Crawford...
magazine to Games for Windows: The Official Magazine
Games for Windows: The Official Magazine
Games for Windows: The Official Magazine was a monthly computer game magazine published by Ziff Davis Media, licensing the Games for Windows brand from Microsoft Corporation. It was the successor to Computer Gaming World. The first issue was released in November 2006...
. The first GFW issue was published for November 2006, and the magazine was defunct as of 2008.
Certification
Game software must meet certain requirements regulated by Microsoft in order to display the Games for Windows brand on its packaging. These requirements include:
- An "Easy Install" option that installs the title on a PC in the fewest possible steps and mouseMouse (computing)In computing, a mouse is a pointing device that functions by detecting two-dimensional motion relative to its supporting surface. Physically, a mouse consists of an object held under one of the user's hands, with one or more buttons...
clicks - Compatibility with the Windows Vista/ 7 Games Explorer (see below)
- Installs and runs properly on x64X86-64x86-64 is an extension of the x86 instruction set. It supports vastly larger virtual and physical address spaces than are possible on x86, thereby allowing programmers to conveniently work with much larger data sets. x86-64 also provides 64-bit general purpose registers and numerous other...
versions of Windows VistaWindows VistaWindows Vista is an operating system released in several variations developed by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, tablet PCs, and media center PCs...
/ 7 and is compatible with 64-bit processors (though the game itself can be 32-bit32-bitThe range of integer values that can be stored in 32 bits is 0 through 4,294,967,295. Hence, a processor with 32-bit memory addresses can directly access 4 GB of byte-addressable memory....
) - Supports normal and widescreenWidescreenWidescreen images are a variety of aspect ratios used in film, television and computer screens. In film, a widescreen film is any film image with a width-to-height aspect ratio greater than the standard 1.37:1 Academy aspect ratio provided by 35mm film....
resolutionsDisplay resolutionThe display resolution of a digital television or display device is the number of distinct pixels in each dimension that can be displayed. It can be an ambiguous term especially as the displayed resolution is controlled by all different factors in cathode ray tube , flat panel or projection...
, such as 4:3 aspect ratio (800 x 600, 1024 x 768), 16:9 aspect ratio (1280 x 720, 1920 x 1080), and 16:10 aspect ratio (1280 x 800, 1440 x 900, 1680 x 1050, 1920 x 1200) - Supports parental controls and family settings features in Windows Vista/ 7
- Supports launching from Windows Media CenterWindows Media CenterWindows Media Center is a digital video recorder and media player developed by Microsoft. It is an application that allows users to view and record live television, as well as organize and play music and videos...
Online play
Starting with Halo 2Halo 2
Halo 2 is a first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie Studios. Released for the Xbox video game console on November 9, 2004, the game is the second installment in the Halo franchise and the sequel to 2001's critically acclaimed Halo: Combat Evolved...
on May 31, 2007, some Games for Windows titles have access to Microsoft's Live
Live Anywhere
Games for Windows – Live is an online gaming service for Games for Windows-branded PC titles. It enables Windows PCs to connect to the Live service, which will eventually include other devices including Windows Mobile and Zune...
network for online play and other features, including voice chat, messaging and friends lists, accessed from an in-game menu called the "Guide". Users can log in with their Xbox Live
Xbox Live
Xbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It is currently the only online gaming service on consoles that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming. It was first made available to the Xbox system in 2002...
gamertags to gain achievements and play games and chat across platforms (not every game supports cross-platform play.) Some features, including cross-platform multiplayer and multiplayer achievements, initially required a subscription to Live Gold.
However, on July 22, 2008, Microsoft announced at Gamefest 2008 that Games for Windows Live is now free of charge. This means that all users are able to access features that would normally be available to only Gold members, such as the features listed above. In addition, Microsoft launched a Games for Windows Live Marketplace. Like its console counterpart, Xbox Live Marketplace
Xbox Live Marketplace
The Xbox Live Marketplace is a virtual market designed for Microsoft's Xbox 360 console that allows Xbox Live members to download purchased or promotional content...
, users are able to download content such as game demos, add-ons, and gamer pics. Some items are free, while others need to be paid for using Microsoft Points
Microsoft Points
Microsoft Points are the currency of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Games for Windows - Live Marketplace, Windows Live Gallery, and Zune online stores. The points allow users to purchase content without a credit card and to reduce the number of small credit card transaction fees, which Microsoft would...
, as determined by the publisher of said items. Microsoft also plans to make the Games for Windows Live interface more PC friendly, and reduce the technical requirements for developers. This is in direct competition with the leading digital distributor
Digital distribution
Online distribution, digital distribution, or electronic software distribution is the practice of delivering content without the use of physical media, typically by downloading via the internet directly to a consumer's device. Online distribution bypasses conventional physical distribution media,...
on computers, Steam.
Games Explorer
Windows Vista
Windows Vista is an operating system released in several variations developed by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, tablet PCs, and media center PCs...
and Windows 7, this special folder
Special Folders
On Microsoft Windows, a special folder is a folder which is presented to the user through an interface as an abstract concept, instead of an absolute folder path...
showcases the various games installed on one's computer. When a compatible game is installed, the system adds the game's shortcut to the Games Explorer and also downloads the game's box art and content rating information (e.g. ESRB
Entertainment Software Rating Board
The Entertainment Software Rating Board is a self-regulatory organization that assigns age and content ratings, enforces industry-adopted advertising guidelines, and ensures responsible online privacy principles for computer and video games as well as entertainment software in Canada, Mexico and...
, PEGI
Pan European Game Information
Pan European Game Information is a European video game content rating system established to help European parents make informed decisions on buying computer games with logos on games boxes. It was developed by the Interactive Software Federation of Europe and came into use in April 2003; it...
, CERO
Computer Entertainment Rating Organization
The is a Japanese entertainment rating organization based in Tokyo. rating video game content in console games with levels of rating that informs the customer of the nature of the product and for what age group it is suitable...
, etc.) for that game through either developers' own game definition files or from information provided by All Media Guide
All Media Guide
All Media Guide , is the company which owns and maintains Allmusic, Allgame and Allmovie. AMG was founded in 1990 by popular-culture archivist Michael Erlewine....
.
Compatibility generally depends on the age or popularity of the games with newer games having better compatibility. For example, StarCraft
StarCraft
StarCraft is a military science fiction real-time strategy video game developed by Blizzard Entertainment. The first game of the StarCraft series was released for Microsoft Windows on 31 March 1998. With more than 11 million copies sold worldwide as of February 2009, it is one of the best-selling...
is fully compatible despite being nearly a decade older than Windows Vista. If a game is incompatible with the Games Explorer, the user can manually add a game by dragging a game's shortcut to the Games Explorer (though there is a very large chance that box art and rating information will be missing).
The Games Explorer is fully compatible with Windows Vista
Windows Vista
Windows Vista is an operating system released in several variations developed by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, tablet PCs, and media center PCs...
and Windows 7 with parental controls. Parents can restrict how long a child can play and what kind of games they may play, based on ratings and/or specific titles.
Tray and Play
Tray and Play is a technology developed by Microsoft for Windows VistaWindows Vista
Windows Vista is an operating system released in several variations developed by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, tablet PCs, and media center PCs...
. It allows users to put the game disc into an optical disc drive and start playing almost immediately, while the game installs itself in the background and streams off the disc with minimal or zero caching, just like on a game console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
. The first and currently only commercial game to use this technology is the Windows version of Halo 2
Halo 2
Halo 2 is a first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie Studios. Released for the Xbox video game console on November 9, 2004, the game is the second installment in the Halo franchise and the sequel to 2001's critically acclaimed Halo: Combat Evolved...
. Microsoft no longer requires developers to include the Tray and Play feature in their games, and the company also no longer refers to the feature.
See also
- Games for Windows – Live
- PC Gaming AlliancePC Gaming AllianceThe PC Gaming Alliance is a non-profit organization of hardware manufacturers, game developers, game publishers and others, with the goal of promoting and advancing the PC as a gaming platform....
- List of Games for Windows titles
- List of Games for Windows – Live titles
- Windows Games on DemandWindows Games on DemandThis is a list of 212 released and 13 upcoming Games on Demand for the Microsoft Windows platform.-See also:*Xbox 360 Games on Demand*Games for Windows – Live*List of Games for Windows – Live titles*List of Games for Windows titles*Live Anywhere...