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Though the recently opened Microsoft Store in Scottsdale, Arizona contains all the electronic doodads and software you'd expect to find in a Microsoft-branded retailer, there's one pleasant surprise waiting there for PC gaming enthusiasts. That VideoGame Blog reports that kiosks are distributed throughout the store which allow shoppers to order a Games for Windows title, leave their name with a customer service representative, then have the game, case, insert and other accouterments printed on the spot in under four minutes.

We imagine the whole process is similar to the teddy synthesis featured in Build-a-Bear Workshops, only without all the haunting, ever-gurgling vats of stuffed animal guts featured prominently on the sales floor.

During Microsoft's big coming-out party for Windows 7 today in New York City, Codemasters showed off the new DirectX 11 version of the upcoming PC port of Dirt 2 that you see above. Though the developer said little of new content additions being made to the game, the already gorgeous visuals have been gussied up with help from DirectX 11, and cheevos will be ready for the taking on Games for Windows Live. Meeting its previously announced delay head-on, Dirt 2 starts shipping in North America on December 1, with December 3 and 4 release dates for the rest of the world (in your face, world!).

You'd think that owning and operating the world's most ubiquitous operating system would make Microsoft popular with PC game publishers, that they'd be jumping at the chance to have the company's 'Games for Windows' nomenclature. For the software giant, this hasn't been the case so far, with major publishers like EA and Valve sticking with their own distribution services for PC gaming. Microsoft hopes to change that with its recent announcement of a streamlined approval process for GFW-labeled games, just in time for the launch of Windows 7 -- the "Games for Windows Self Certification Site."

By opening up a website that advertises the various marketing benefits of bringing titles to the GFW label, it appears that Microsoft is putting forth at least a minimal effort to keep its PC gaming business running. We've reached out to Microsoft for more information on the new self certification process and will update this post when we know more.

[Via Big Download]

If you were running about the Capital Wasteland in Fallout 3 or tossing hadoukens in Street Fighter IV on your PC recently, you may have noticed a Games For Windows Live update. Microsoft reports the new update is now available, which adds the Marketplace, anti-piracy measures and a host of other new features to the PC suite. Congrats, Microsoft! You've finally turned our PCs into Xbox 360s!

[Thanks, Kent!]

Do you like Games for Windows? Oh, you do? How about E3? Great! Now here's the rub: You can't have them together. According to our brothers from other mothers at Big Download, the GFW announcements at E3 2009 are going to be, well, non-existent. A Microsoft PR rep said that the company doesn't feel as though the game is aimed at PC gamers, but rather console-focused.

And while Microsoft plans on holding a Windows 7 reception at E3 where a variety of PC games will be demoed using the new operating system, the press conference set to "completely transform how people think about home entertainment" (does that mean we'll pay someone else to think about it for us?) won't feature any new GFW newsplosions.

Microsoft has revealed new plans for the Games for Windows Live platform, focusing on copy protection and downloadable content, according to Develop. The features built into a new GFW update will help game companies prevent game piracy before a product's street date with server-side authentication -- including "authentication for online play".

GFW users will also be able to save general settings to an account, which can be carried over to games played on any "compatible and connected Windows PC," which sounds similar to the Xbox 360 General Settings feature, sans the cloud preferences are saved on.

Microsoft also plans to encourage downloadable content by simplifying the process. Using new APIs, developers will be able to create in-game store fronts to make DLC access a streamlined process for customers while "providing developers and publishers with new revenue streams."

Microsoft promises that the GFW team is hard at work on "several projects" tied directly to the Live platform and hope to build "new developer relationships" to get the most out of the platform. It seems Games for Windows Live is slowly creeping up to the functionality of the Xbox 360 Live platform. We're finally here! Quick, someone check the temperature in Hell.

Bethesda just made the release date of Fallout 3's second DLC pack, "The Pitt," officially official: Tuesday, March 24. Like last month's "Operation: Anchorage," the upcoming DLC will come in at 800 ($10) on Xbox 360 and Games for Windows Live simultaneously. Also, Pete Hines from Bethesda confirmed that the recently released patch for the game "is specific to DLC and is required to play The Pitt. It doesn't address anything with the base game outside of that."

In tandem with the confirmed release date, Bethesda also dropped a trio of new screens that you can check out below in our gallery.

Those of you who prefer to play Fallout 3 on the PC and have yet to download Operation: Anchorage DLC should take note of some reported issues. Forum users at the official Games for Windows site are reporting that the game fails to recognize the DLC in some instances. According to a GFW forum mod, it takes a couple of minutes to validate the DLC (see: boot up your game, go into the Wastelands, wait), but some users are still having problems accessing the content.

It's unclear whether the updated GFW Live interface plays a role or if it's just an isolated DLC bug, but we hope that Bethesda and Microsoft step in and clear this up soon.

Congratulations, Ron Pessner! You've been chosen by Microsoft to head up the Games For Windows Live division and step into the shoes of one Chris Early, who recently became the victim of our terrible "layoffs" tag. It says here you've come from the Entertainment and Devices division, and will be joined by Microsoft Games Studios' Dave Luehmann, who will oversee development and publishing for Windows games.

That's right, Ron, they have games on Windows now. To be fair, you undoubtedly boast a keen awareness of the matter, as Microsoft claims to be pursuing success for its PC gaming platform with renewed vigor. According to a statement published on Gamasutra, the company hopes to further "invest in Windows as a first–class gaming platform through great Windows out of box experiences," not to mention a variety of online services like LIVE and MSN games.

And hey, you're taking over at a point where Games for Windows Live is free. That has to be easier compared to the last guy.

Chris Early, general manager for Games for Windows Live, has been listed among the casualties of Microsoft's first sweeping round of layoffs. While Microsoft has yet to make a formal announcement, VentureBeat's Dean Takahashi reports that emails to Early have bounced, and surmises that "more well-known managers will exit now there are fewer people to manage."

The former exec was first put in charge of GFWL in July 2007, and had been an evangelist for the platform since the early days of Live Anywhere. Takahashi ponders if this might signal the beginning of the end for service altogether, which despite a recent revamp has struggled to find acceptance. We wish Early the best of luck as we turn our heads skyward and wonder aloud if anyone in this economy is truly safe.

Relic Entertainment's Mark Noseworthy has confirmed with Joystiq that the Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 2 closed beta will begin January 21st if you purchased the original Dawn of War expansion, Soulstorm. Procrastinators, take note: you'll be introduced into the public beta just a week later on January 28th. Or, break the cycle of lethargy and pick up the expansion in order to grab an early beta spot.

We got a closer look at Dawn of War 2 during CES, and fans of real-time strategy games will not be disappointed ... unless you don't own a PC (but c'mon, how could you be an RTS buff without owning a PC?). Dawn of War 2 will be a PC-only release with Games for Windows Live features like voice chat and Achievements.

Each week Jeff Engel and Geoff Brooks contribute Counting Rupees, a column on the business behind gaming:
"The Network is the Computer" - John Gage, Sun Microsystems, 1984

When John Gage said this in 1984 it was a fairly controversial statement. Computers were getting smarter and more powerful and seemed to be moving away from the DUMB terminals of the past to more application-oriented, personal computing. At the time, most people probably weren't considering that an incredibly powerful, pervasive, interconnected web of servers and computers allowing for petabytes of data all over the world to be stored, accessed, manipulated and interacted with, would be used by more than 20% of the world's population, and nearly 75% of the US population. Looking at where we are today, his words seem fairly prescient. Not that the technology and power in computers hasn't also been improving at an astonishing rate, but there's certainly been a shift in how people use computers as internet penetration has increased. After all, would things like the iPhone or EeePC or Mini 12s or email terminals really serve much of a purpose if not for their ability to connect to a network?

So, what does this really have to do with gaming? Well, there's certainly been some interest in creating web games, ranging from incredibly simple but fun diversions like Desktop Tower Defense, to more complex first-person shooters like Fallen Empire: Legions or the Quake 3: Arena remake, Quake Live. But this is really just the start.

Recently, people have been mostly puzzled as to why Microsoft would continue to try and keep "Games for Windows Live" alive when it was so unpopular when it launched. Indeed, people were not very interested in paying for services that they were already used to getting for free. A few months ago, Microsoft had to scrap the idea of making people pay for the service and now, more recently, it has launched a new client for it. Judging from the response, it doesn't seem like most people care about the service. What's Microsoft thinking here?

One part of the new (Improved? You decide.) Games for Windows Live is, well, live. That would be the in-game interface we covered yesterday. It's fast, functional, and even swaps Windows UI elements out for 360 controller button icons when you connect a 360 controller to your PC (a nice touch).

The next element of the GFWL reset is due next month: the Marketplace. We got to go hands-on with this standalone app and ... it's very much what you would expect. The Marketplace app will become available once the first GFWL DLC rolls out; load up a GFWL game and it will auto-download. Similarly, GFWL games will check upon starting up if there are any title updates – just like 360 games – and download / install them with no muss, no fuss.

With little (no?) fanfare, Microsoft has rolled out an update to its also-ran Games for Windows Live service, ready to shed some of that bad name just in time for this holiday's GFW-branded lineup (think Fallout 3 and GTA IV). So what's in store for you, PC gamers? Mostly, a much needed UI refresh. Gone is the ill-advised, console-inspired Blades interface – in its stead is a much slicker (much quicker!) menu that pops down from the top of the display. All the features you'd expect to be there are there: gamertag, friends list, messaging, achievements. As announced earlier this year, they've also done away with the tiered subscription service for PC gamers. No more "Gold" service – all of this is free, including TrueSkill matchmaking.

Indeed, there isn't much new in the way of functionality with one notable exception: the Marketplace. Though it's not available just yet (we'll let you know when "in the next few weeks"), the standalone Marketplace app will be akin to its 360 counterpart, offering publishers and developers a place to host trailers, demos, and DLC – all integrated into the game. Available now: the ability for a game to alert you to patches, and then download them and seamlessly patch them into your game. Boot it up again and – voila! – you're running the latest release. No messy files to download or delete.

We'll have our writeup of the latest installment in the GFW Live saga tomorrow; however, for now, flip through some of these screenshots from yesteryear to see what's changed. If you've taken it for a spin, let us know what you think. Oh, hell with it: you'll let us know what you think regardless! (Full presser after the break).

Rockstar has confirmed the delay of the PC release of Grand Theft Auto IV, reflected on retailers' sites earlier this week. The game has been pushed from November 18th to December 2nd. The developer did not cite particular reasons for the hold up, reports IGN, but we can assume it's due in part to typical, last minute bug squashing and system optimization. On that note, Rockstar did finally release official system specs:

Minimum System Requirements

• OS: Windows Vista (Service Pack 1) / XP (Service Pack 3)
• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo 1.8 Ghz / AMD Athlon X2 64 2.4 Ghz
• Memory: 1.5 GB RAM; 16 GB hard drive space
• Video card: 256 MB NVIDIA 7900 / 256MB ATI X1900

Recommended System Requirements

• OS: Windows Vista (Service Pack 1) / XP (Service Pack 3)
• Processor: Intel Core 2 Quad 2.4 Ghz / AMD Phenom X3 2.1 Ghz
• Memory: 2 GB (XP) / 2.5 GB (Vista) RAM; 18 GB hard drive space
  
• Video card: 512 MB NVIDIA 8600 / 512 MB ATI 3870