If you’ve ever tried to play PC games across the web, you’d be forgiven for having dismissed it as a waste of time. Organising a match online can be as tricky as programming the Enigma machine.
Playing it safe
The world of online gaming can be a surprisingly hostile place sometimes, particularly if you’re lending your ears to the great unwashed masses on voice chat.
Luckily Games for Windows – LIVE has some neat features to ensure you don’t have to put up with bad behaviour for long.
The first thing to ensure is that you’re in the right Gamer Zone. If you’re of a nervous disposition, it’s probably best to opt for either the Family or Recreation zones.
If you’re hardy enough to weather Pro or Underground and someone is still behaving unacceptably, clicking on their name in your game lobby will bring up a Guide screen.
On it you should find options to mute them, so that you don’t have to listen to their bleating, or submit a Player Review, which will lessen the chances of you running into them again.
If things get serious, there’s a last resort in the shape of the File Complaint item. Use these options, and playing online should be a pleasant experience.
Fortunately Microsoft has come up with a neat solution to the problem with Games for Windows – LIVE. Based on the popular Xbox Live service, Games for Windows – LIVE provides a unified, overarching structure to the traditionally shambolic world of online gaming, and enriches the single-player experience, too.
As a keen online gamer, the amount of time in the past that I’ve spent scribbling down complex server addresses, or playing a nightmarish level with a phone rammed between my shoulder and my ear, angling for some vital advice, doesn’t bear thinking about. What’s worse, when you do find a group of people who provide a fun and challenging game, as soon as they log off they disappear forever, leaving you with the internet’s loudest and most irritating dregs.
That’s why Games for Windows – LIVE is perfect for me; it’s geared towards allowing friends to easily create and join online games, compare achievements and chat together at the same time.
Find some mates
Central to this is the concept of a friends list. Much like your contacts list on Windows Live Messenger, this is an instant way of seeing which of your friends are available for a game or, indeed, just a quick chat.
Players on LIVE are known by their gamer tag, a unique name that is chosen by them and tied to their Windows Live ID. The Games for Windows – LIVE friends list is available at any time, whether you’re playing single or multiplayer, simply by hitting the Home key.
This brings up the silver Guide screen, which allows you to co-ordinate your LIVE experience – sending messages to friends, participating in voice chats or simply comparing the progress they’re making in their games against your own efforts. Even if you’re not in the Guide interface, you’ll receive pop-ups that let you know when a friend is online or sent you a message.
Get rewarded
Another crucial element of the Games for Windows – LIVE experience is Achievements. All compatible games will feature a raft of different achievements, which are awarded when you complete certain challenges.
Some will be as simple as completing a particular level, others will reward you for performing particularly difficult feats from within the game, some are only available by participating in multiplayer games.
Achievements are displayed in your LIVE profile and they contribute to a global gamer score in varying degrees. You’ll be able to tell instantly from looking at a player’s gamer score just how hardcore they are, and whether you’re risking a beating if you go toe-to-toe with them online.
The first decision to make when you sign up for Games for Windows – LIVE is what flavour of the service you fancy. You have a choice of Silver or Gold membership, with Silver being the basic free package and Gold the premium subscription-based edition.
Both allow you to create a friends list, browse a list of active games, play other Windows Vista users online and earn singleplayer achievements, but if you’re prepared to pay for Gold you’ll unlock the full potential of the LIVE service.
Gold members are able to compete in ranked matches and work out where they stand compared to the best players in the world, and they’ll also earn sought-after multiplayer achievements. Crucially, Gold members can hop in and out of games with their friends, making it easy to find a good match to participate in.
Signing up is straightforward (see the walkthrough below), and the best place to start taking advantage of the Games for Windows – LIVE service is with Halo 2, the first Games for Windows title to feature LIVE functionality.
As for the future, there are some exciting developments on the way for Games for Windows – LIVE, not least the release of a game called Shadowrun from Microsoft Game Studios and FASA Interactive. This multiplayer-only firstperson shooter will allow Gold subscribers to play against both other Windows Vista users and Xbox 360 players. Finally the old arguments about whether PC or console owners are the better gamers can be settled, and there are also plenty more cross-platform titles planned. I can’t wait.
Mike Channel contributes to Windows Vista: The Official Magazine, and is works on PC Format.
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