One of the oldest and most repected PC developers, id Software, has made a statement in a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz backing Microsoft’s Games for Windows Live initiative. GFWL has been under quite a bit of scrutiny since it launched due to the closed nature of the system, the ludicrous Vista only requirement, and the fact that many of the features available today for PC owners were now going to cost them a subscription fee. Microsoft though is attempting to make some changes, most notably, changing the requirement of Vista only and making GFWL available on Windows XP.
So why was id getting behind the program?
“Some people say it’s a little too Big-Brotherish, but it’s a legitimate progression of making the PC feel more - not like a console, but like a closed system,” id’s lead designer Tim Willits
Well that certainly doesn’t sound very good for PC Gamers. Nobody likes a closed system. He goes on to explain that some of the benefits include a certification style system yielding higher quality software, with less incompatibilities. Finally though, it all comes down to piracy, which has plagued the PC platform for years.
“As we move forward, if it can help prevent piracy, if it can help people connect together, if it can help things be more uniform, so when end users buy any PC game they know how to connect, they know how to search for games - I do think it will help the games industry, and it’s just the way things are going to need to move.”
So while it sounds like id may be behind the Games for Windows Live initiative, it doesn’t sound like they are very happy about it.
