Games for Windows Live Marketplace is officially dead

By Michael Archambault
last updated

If you have yet to receive the memo, Games for Windows Live Marketplace has been shut down for good as of yesterday. Microsoft states that userswill no longer be able to purchase new content through the marketplace, but previously purchased software will still be available to re-download. As Microsoft’s Xbox platform switched from Microsoft Points to local currency, the Games for Windows Live Marketplace was left behind in the dust.

In-game downloadable content offered in some games will still be available, but users should first check with the specific game publisher to confirm. Users who had a remaining Microsoft point balance in the Games for Windows Live Marketplace before it was killed, have now lost their funds (You can complain to Microsoft about that one).

Games for Windows Live was originally launched in 2007 and struggled to keep up with other game distributors including Valve’s digital distribution service, Steam.

Has the shutdown of the Games for Windows Live Marketplace affected you or have you been using Steam to download your favorite PC games?

Source: IGN

Michael Archambault
Michael Archambault
67 Comments
  • I just downloaded this yesterday... Lol
  • Good riddance
  • I actually never had any issues with it..
  • No neither did i but its kind of pointless in windows 8 with the xbox games store.... The smart move would be to reload the gwl onto that... Considering its windows i don't know why this hasn't already happened... I want "big" "real" "full" titles thru the store
  • So since Arkham City uses XBforPC, if I purchase it on Steam, will I not be able to play it?
  • If you buy B: AA GOTY it won't work on 8, unless you also buy B: AC GOTY. It took me a hour to figure it out. I didn't use 'an' on purpose.
  • You pronounce it "hower" instead of "our" on purpose too?
  • Just like xbox live games on windows phone! I fear the worst
  • i hope i can get "Tinker" game now or at least have it ported to W8/WP8
  • It really was a good challenging game, and free! I don't have much hope that we'll see it again though.
  • GFWL used Microsoft points. So funds should still be useable. Just on GFWL.
  • Yeah, I don't know why it says we have lost our funds. It says everywhere that points will be converted to local currency.
  • Steam is much better than this,
  • Good riddance indeed! Such a horrible service that hasn't been touched in years. It was long overdue.
  • Can you still buy GFWL games on steam? Like Bioshock 2, Batman, etc?
  • Time to go Sony. What's your thoughts.
  • Yes, by all means go to Sony's PC gaming service. Oh wait...
  • neither, wait for Steambox
  • I'm pretty sure I own more games on steam than there are total on GFWL. What a terrible service that was... No great loss.
  • GfWL was replaced by Xbox for Windows 8 and the Windows Store. Not sure why everyone's making a big deal about this
  • Just another opportunity to hate on Microsoft.
  • Yes, the Win 8 store/market and Xbox for Windows is meant to 'replace' GfWL and Zune, so the shut down is not a big deal.
    However, tell me where to find Fallout 3 and Mass Effect in the Win 8 store.  Those were the kind of games one could buy via GfWL... not Angry Birds and Doodlejump.
    I think MS has to have something coming down the pipeline in this regards, but right now... Steam it is.
  • My only complain is because of Age of Empires Online which is not on Windows Store (I guess that's why some people are bitching around...). And no, I'm not going to use Steam.
  • Hopefully the win8 store will improve. It already has halo: Spartan assault, but right now, I only use steam. Remember, team fortress 2 is free on steam, and did I mention that valve needs some smart people to build Source engine 2? (source is an engine that powers l4D, TF2,HL2, and L4D2)
  • AoEO is dead anyway, its better to see it die. Not even the Twitch channel cares about it since all i can see its AOE3 and 2 :P.
    and im sorry but using steam was the only way Microsoft AoEO guys told you to download it from. and it had a bug they never fixed it, it was nightmare to use steam with AOEO.
    so my point? just let it die, its free and it was good but AoEO team ruined it. and its better if this just ends the life of it. so they can focus in a win8 game (if they ever do AoE4 for win8)
  • I have quite a few GFWL games. I like the achievements system, does it affect achievements?
  • No
  • Neither. I like my games on discs. If the idea is to download...we all know we can do it for free. I don't like Steam nor anything alike and I refuse to pay for a download the same I would pay for a disc. So none of this affects me.
  • I hear you. There are, however, Free to play games on Steam you can't play anywhere else. Star Trek Online, DC Universe online.. etc etc.
    I understand wanting a physical disc when it comes to spending hard earned money... but for free to play games, its worth have Steam as well.
  • And all steam games and achievements are in the cloud, safe and secure.
  • When you buy a game that uses steam it adds that game to your account, thus if you lose the disc you can download the game. Pretty neat...
  • Disc-based PC gaming is either dead or dying. You're already missing out on like 90% of all new PC releases. Not really a good attitude to have if you use that platform for gaming.
  • I don't have enough expletives to state my well-informed hatred for GFWL.
    I suffered through two GFWL games. One was totally wrecked by a combination of being a small company and having Sega as a publisher - A deal which included GFWL integration.
    It killed all chances of the game ever taking off.
     
    This is a grudge that I will probably carry for all of eternity. It sucks that Microsoft are now the ones to push out Windows Phone and hybrid systems.
  • I'm so confused about Xbox games for wp8 & win8 and then there is ordinary games and then there is real Xbox games on Xbox etc..i went exploring on my Xbox "games" on my Xbox but I was so confused..some games that costs money you can click and "download demo" but some games is there as stand alone demos and only them shows up in category "demo" I just downloaded dead rising 2 instead killed all zombies full with rage and confusion, crying and laughing eating too much ice cream and nacho chips so I felt sick and almost throw up. Thank you Microsoft .
  • It's pretty obvious this shutdown. The goal is to converge to the Windows/Windows Phone Store
  • Steam
  • Nuuu T^T
  • They might bring xbox live to windows. Who knows.
    P.S. I mean for desktop games, not metro.
  • That's what GFWL was.
    Just speaking of it will incite hatred amongst gamers.
  • I don't mean to simply rename the GFWL to Xbox Live and bring it back. I mean to implement the service that is used for Xbox, WP and metro on desktop windows.
    I suppose Xbox Live is liked by gamers, isn't it?
  • Entice...
  • yeah because i cant play win8 Xbox live games on desktop computer /s..........
  • Its the worst service ever made anyways.
  • This is awful. Most of my LIVE enabled PC games are purchased via GFWL. So disappointing.
  • So this means the games like Microsoft Flight are no longer available?  That was download only and the god dam best flight simulator I have every used.  OFRR is a great game too, at least I have the disc for that.  Completely disappointing.  My laptop with windows 8 cant run any of these games with its specs, but my Windows 7 gaming PC keeps losing good games to stuff like this.  At least I have WOT since the xbox version just sucks.
    Origin is better than steam, steam pulls too much bandwidth and cpu usage at idle. Never had an issue wtih GFWL.
  • Steam all the way :)
  • Fuck steam and gfwl.
  • Yeah!
  • The Pirate Bay ftw !!! :)
  • Am I the only person that didn't know this existed? lol
  • I don't quite understand why Microsoft is doing all this. Why not, instead of killing services in favor of others, just rebrand and renovate it? Like Zune? They should have rebranded it Xbox Music and updated it to real currency instead of making Xbox music. Especially so since downloading music isn't something Xbox music allows.
  • It doesn't bother me that much except for GTA IV. But I mostly use steam. I think I'm glad they got rid of it.
  • wait what?? i can still play gta iv online (played 5 minuntes ago)
  • That's because the marketplace was shutdown, the service itself won't be axed until July next year.
  • But will we still be able to play GTA IV online after July?
  • Unfortunately not.
  • srsly? rockstart better fix it or im gonna be realy pissed
  • Use Steam next time.
  • My internet is not good enough to download GTA IV on steam. So I had to buy the disc.
  • In the case of GTAIV, Steam isn't going to make a difference.
  • gta iv is not using steam servers
  • Technically, Nejcooo is right. If you buy and launch GTA IV through Steam, it still makes you launch GFWL to run the game. However, the online is run through Rockstar Games Social Club, which is still active.
  • I think I'd use steam if I were a PC gamer.
  • Means that I'll need to buy Ultra Street Fighter somewhere else or re-purchase the whole game on steam. That sucks, because, if I knew, I would've bought SSF4:AE on sale for nothing. And no more bulletstorm for me:'(
  • Good riddance! I remember the perils of using GFWL back when WH40k Dawn of War 2 came out. Man it made plays games such a hassel!
  • Ash to ash.
  • this should be alive one more time and marketplace will succeed by this. http://www.essayavenue.co.uk/buy-essay/