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To a non-PC gamer, the sixth floor of the Seattle Convention Center is currently filled with an impossible number of computers, all playing a number of dirty keyboard-and-mouse-controlled games, and all linked together in a nebulous Local Area Network. Their users are strange and otherworldly, and their ranks are unexpectedly strong.

To hardcore PC gamers, the sixth floor of the Seattle Convention Center is currently a vast, luminous sea of infinite pleasure.

The key word here, of course, is "retail." In fact, the real headline here should be "NPD data becomes 14% less relevant in regards to measuring the relative success or failure of the PC gaming industry," but we pay the guy who carves the headlines into the site by the letter. For what it's worth, here's the number: PC games brought in $701 million at retail last year.

As you know, that doesn't account for Steam, GoG or any of the many other platforms of digital distribution currently making up an increasingly large segment of PC game sales. As it stands, we're more inclined to report that 14% fewer people like owning boxes.

Fall has arrived but don't let the leaves turning, the economy busting and the candidates feuding get you down. Big Download has been working hard to give its readers the best in PC game related news, features and downloads. Let's look at the highlights for the first week of autumn 2008.

Exclusive Features

• Reviews: We give our verdict for the recent release of Introversion Software's multiplayer strategy game Multiwinia
• Previews: We go hands-on with Atari's upcoming revival, Deer Hunter Tournament.
• Black Ops PC Games: What major PC games are being developed that you might not know anything about? This feature article has the word on the super-secret games under development.
• Resurgence of Yesteryear: Classic PC games can be revived but which ones should get new versions using their original graphics and technology? We pick 10 PC games that we want to see come back in their original form.
• Big Iron: Our regular PC hardware column comes back with a look at how a recent message board discussion over FIFA 09 generated a look at console vs PC hardware.
• Boot Disk: Our new column on retro PC gaming takes a look at the classic adventure title Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Father
• Mac Monday: Our look at the world of Macintosh gaming continues with examining the unusual action game Miriel the Magical Merchant.
• MODmonday: Our weekly mod feature continues to look at Max Payne mods; this time its a Max Payne 2 total conversion called Sketchbook Sam that turns the game into a 2D stick figure.
• Indie Showcase: Our weekly look at indie games continues with a look at titles from the recent Bootleg Demakes competition.
• Big Ideas: Our weekly look at the "big" game themes goes over a recent Gamasutra article about game journalism
• Alt-Tab: Our weekly op-ed talks about how "casual" gaming doesn't have to mean "simple"
• Freeware Friday: It's our weekly look at free games; this time around its for the action-adventure Eternal Daughter
• BigCast: Our weekly podcast is a special one as we chat with members of Mythic Entertainment to find out what's happening with Warhammer Online after its launch last week.

This topic sure to be a hotbed of commenting action. Yesterday Microsoft announced that Games for Windows Live, the PC-based equivalent of the Xbox Live service, has changed to a completely free business model. After a lukewarm launch against PC service powerhouse Steam the Games for Live service has ended the Gold/Silver distinction for PC gamers that Xbox Live subscribers are subjected to. Changing to a free model means gamers can compete in cross-platform gaming (where applicable) at no additional charge. The question now remains, does this move signify a a change that must be made to the Xbox Live structure or are the services two completely different beasts. Consider, only a handful of games and features exist on the PC side of Live and with strong competition from other free services it's a move Microsoft had no choice but to make to survive. So, what are your thoughts on Games for Windows Live going free?

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in. Via Engadget]

What's been missing from the Joystiq family? The console fans all have their homes, handhelds too, and even MMO enthusiasts and WoW players have a corner to call their own. Today we're happy to give PC gamers a place to call home at our new sister site, Big Download. In partnership with our good friends at GameDaily, we're taking the wraps off the beta version of a full-fledged, fast and free PC downloads engine married to a news and features blog powered by Joystiq -- chock full of all the Special Goodness ^TM our writers bring to you daily.

At Big Download you'll get all the news and views fit to print about PC gaming, a file tracking system that remembers your favorite titles, and no waiting, no fees access to demos, patches, mods, trailers and more. We're inviting you to come on in, make yourself at home and start poking everything with sticks. Like any modern web product we're launching in beta version -- there may be kinks and rough edges to be worked out, so bear with us, mind the dust and be sure to send us any feedback you have so we can make all the final fixes. Unlike certain products that stay in beta forever we hope to remove the beta tag with all due swiftness and come out with guns blazing. Big guns.

We hope to see you at Big Download, where all the news is big and all the downloads are above average!