Does anyone else not hate GFWL?

Calneon

Calneon

Calneon

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I'm not saying that it is better than Steam, but I am saying that it is a valid alternative and doesn't deserve all the hate it gets. Once you go through the login/update procedure the first time you install it on your system, it provides multilayer capabilities for games, a rudimentary messenger, and achievement tracking, just like Steam. Sure;

  • It's a pain the first time you install it.
  • The interface is un-optimized for the PC.
  • Steam is better.
  • Games that use Steam and GFWL are stupid.

But for all of it's downfalls, it serves it's purpose as an online service, and people saying that it's the bane of PC gaming need to take a step back and look at the bigger picture *cough*Activision*cough*.

I also bought AoE3 for 10p and had no problems buying it (though I had a spare 200 points so I didn't have to use a card), downloading it, or installing it. I'm a bit tired of seeing so much hate of which 90% is down to human error or misunderstanding of how the system works (granted, this is also a design fault, but I've had few problems personally).

Does anyone else agree with me?
 
I've only used it once and that's for the AoE 3 offer.

I had no problems though. Signed up, downloaded the client and installed logged in (had to register on the Xbox site) and then bought the game, paid for this and downloaded, all working fine.

I do prefer Steam, but as I said in my last GFW post, it's heading in the right direction.



M.
 
Well it does deserve all the criticisms it gets from me because it failed me, practically every time I tried to use it. GFWL wasted so much of my precious time when I was forced to use it to install games like Street Fighter, Bioshock 2 and it simply did not work.

It couldn't even udate itself! It would sign in, go to update, say it was updating, waste lots and lots of my time and then fail to update! Every single time! What a joke. Then it wouldn't work because it could not update itself. 1 mark out of ten, because it actually managed to sign in (usually.). Also, it was not only a failure on first install, it failed me regularly even after it was installed. It never once managed to update itself, I finally got it to update through Windows Update but the fact that it failed by default was appalling.

If this was a little indie developer it would be bad enough and they would be openly criticised, the fact that it's MS, and they can't get a piece of software to work properly, is unacceptable.

Maybe it's better now, I don't know because it was so SO BAD and such a total complete and utter failuer on the many times I tried it before, that I will never volutarily go back to it.

GFWL failed.
 
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I don't mind it but I'm starting to hate how new games are permanently locked to your gamer tag. I wish they made a new client that like steam runs in Windows and provides you with access to friends, voice chat, messages, games library and market place without having to be in game. An xbox 360 style dashboard or something in Windows, this could also replace the games explorer.

The option to add non-GFWL games to the games library and customise the artwork etc would be cool also.

I'm amazed MS haven't done it yet.
 
Calneon said:
I'm not saying that it is better than Steam, but I am saying that it is a valid alternative and doesn't deserve all the hate it gets. Once you go through the login/update procedure the first time you install it on your system, it provides multilayer capabilities for games, a rudimentary messenger, and achievement tracking, just like Steam. Sure;

  • It's a pain the first time you install it.
  • The interface is un-optimized for the PC.
  • Steam is better.
  • Games that use Steam and GFWL are stupid.

But for all of it's downfalls, it serves it's purpose as an online service, and people saying that it's the bane of PC gaming need to take a step back and look at the bigger picture *cough*Activision*cough*.

I also bought AoE3 for 10p and had no problems buying it (though I had a spare 200 points so I didn't have to use a card), downloading it, or installing it. I'm a bit tired of seeing so much hate of which 90% is down to human error or misunderstanding of how the system works (granted, this is also a design fault, but I've had few problems personally).

Does anyone else agree with me?
Click to expand...
I agree with you been using it since it first came out in 2007 & its always been fine for me.

But haters gotta hate so they pick on GFWL as its MS. If it was not MS I doubt it would get as much hate........

What makes me laugh more than anything is all these uninformed posts which assume all their problems with it are because it does not work :rolleyes: but the truth is that most problems are user errors from their PC security settings\ISP ;).

The sad thing is all these people just hate on it when its actually a good thing for PC gamers everywhere when MS put out some decent games like in the last week for stupid prices so it gives Steam a reason to match it or better it as MS are obviously aiming their sights at Steam slowly now.

Steam was hated as well for several years until they made several changes to the software & the Steam sales are really the main reason why gamers like it now.

Fallout New Vegas DLC is not coming to PC anytime soon because PC gamers pressured 2K into using Steamworks instead. If they had stayed with GFWL it would have been day & date as MS were happy to let the exclusive be 360 & GFWL :(
 
Calneon said:
  • The interface is un-optimized for the PC.
  • Steam is better.
Click to expand...

The ideas behind the Games for Windows brand were great (standardised system requirements on boxes, widescreen support, controller support) but Live has nothing on Steam which has continued to come on leaps and bounds in every department.
The fact they were even trying to charge a monthly fee for access to online game match making when it originally launched shows how out of touch Microsoft were with the PC.
 
AWPC said:
What makes me laugh more than anything is all these uninformed posts which assume all their problems with it are because it does not work :rolleyes: but the truth is that most problems are user errors from their PC security settings\ISP ;).
Click to expand...

You're right, we're all idiots and know nothing about how to use a PC! Why didn't I see it before!

I love you Microsoft :D
 
  • It doesn't allow me to download any game that registers to my account, only those bought through the marketplace
  • It doesn't allow me to communicate with friends outside of the game
  • It forces me to update a game when I want to play it instead of stealth updating when I'm not playing
  • The whole experience feels like something tacked onto the xBox Live system and even required me to log into the xBox Live website to accept the xBox Live Marketplace agreement before I could use the Windows Live marketplace

Overall I find the whole experience to be quite intrusive and, most importantly, it gets in the way of me gaming.
 
AWPC said:
But haters gotta hate so they pick on GFWL as its MS. If it was not MS I doubt it would get as much hate........
Click to expand...

I don't think people 'hate on it' just because it's Microsoft - and to be fair GFWL wouldn't be in the position it is today if it wasn't backed by Microsoft. As you've said yourself Steam was hated on just as much during it's early years.
 
andshrew said:
As you've said yourself Steam was hated on just as much during it's early years.
Click to expand...

Yeah and rightly so, at the start is was terrible but then it stopped being **** and started being awesome.

GFWL has just slowly been getting more **** though.
 
AWPC said:
But haters gotta hate so they pick on GFWL as its MS. If it was not MS I doubt it would get as much hate........
Click to expand...

I call BS in gigantic proportions. I hate it when people lamely resort to the (insert whatever corporation you care to hate) hate excuse as a defense or to prop up their argument.

If it worked which it dosent for most people there wouldnt be a problem but it dont work for the most part.

I have no problem with Microsoft otherwise I would be using a Mac wouldnt I.
 
Agreed, the xbox is one of the slickest pieces of kit I've ever bought, and xbox live is a fantastic service.

If I hate GFWL, it's because it's crap. Simple.
 
I don't really have have a problem with GFWL never ran into any problems with it. only issue i have is games thats use both steam and GFWL it's kinda silly log into steam start fallout 3 then have to log into GFWL gets tiresome especially with all the fallout 3 crashes i used to suffer with
 
I don't hate it, just seems that it's not letting me love it :p

On a more serious note though, I've had game stopping problems with it on at least 3 games, (GoW, GTA IV, DoW II) and I think those are the only games with GFWL I've played so you know I can only come to one conclusion after that experience.
 
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