Many have wondered for years when Microsoft would make downloadable titles part of its Games for Windows program. Today they finally revealed that a new portal for buying digital titles has gone live. Mirroring what they offer on Xbox 360, Games on Demand for Games for Windows – Live will allow players to purchase titles like Resident Evil 5, Red Faction: Guerilla, and Battlestations: Pacific using either a credit card or Microsoft Points. In addition to those titles, the Games on Demand launch lineup includes exclusive Live-enabled versions of World of Goo and Osmos.
“With Games on Demand, we didn’t just want to create a cut-and-paste version of existing digital distribution services,” said Mike Ybarra, general manager of Live Engagement Services. “We challenged ourselves to deliver an integrated platform that takes full advantage of the unique capabilities offered by the Live service. Our goal has always been to create a seamless online gaming experience for the Windows community, and Games on Demand is a great step toward that end.”
Microsoft is frankly late to the party with this, considering that Valve has been offering almost all the same features for a while now on Steam. Of course, treating PC like a secondary gaming market is par for the course with Microsoft.
