As it was prophecized last week, Microsoft has launched a complete overhaul of the Games for Windows LIVE Marketplace. That is to say, you can now purchase the titles directly through your browser while admiring the shiny new digs.
The shop is pretty slick and functional, neatly putting titles into effective categories like LIVE Enabled, New Releases, Top Downloads, and so on. There are also promos for daily and weekly deals, among other items. Browsing the catalogue can be done alphabetically, by price, release date, etc. Meanwhile, the community page has links to the forums and social networks, and the about page has a FAQ, promotional information regarding DirectX 11 and Windows 7, and more.
And a bonus (which may have come with a separate update): users can now make their own Avatar.
There are major flaws, however: there are still no game-specific forums (desperately needed), no ability to search or sort by genre, and prices still range from great value to overpriced, sometimes absurdly so (Batman: Arkham Asylum sells for $50 while the Game of the Year Edition sells for $40, for example; Fallout 3 is $60 plus $11 for each of its expansions -- at retail the whole package goes for $50). And while there is a disclaimer about DRM, there is nothing specific to each game (i.e. specific number of install limits, how to obtain more installs once you run out, etc).
On the whole, this looks to be a big improvement, but fixing the aforementioned issues would really help out a lot again.
In any case, if you're thinking about buying and are looking for some great value, we recommend Fable: The Lost Chapters, Grand Theft Auto IV (currently on sale for $12), Lost Planet 2, Prince of Persia, Alpha Protocol, and Batman.
Source:Games for Windows
Section:PC Games
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