By Jim Rossignol on August 30th, 2011 at 11:28 am.
There was some talk over the weekend that Batman: Arkham City would not be using GFWL. That turned out to not be true, according to this article on VG247, who contacted Warner for comment. A Warner rep said: “Arkham City is indeed a G4WL [sic] title.” Did he say [sic] of his own esoteric spelling? I just don’t know.
The game is out on October 18th. I will still be playing it.
30/08/2011 at 11:32 Choca says:
I can’t wait to have to restart the game a thousand times because there are five millions pointless updates to download at a snail’s pace for GFWL…
30/08/2011 at 11:45 sassy says:
if only that was the worst bit. I had to restart the last game at least 6 times because my save was no longer recognized due to the encryption on the file.
30/08/2011 at 13:30 Nim says:
Firewall-blocking GFWL from the internet always works. I’ve had minimal trouble with it since then.
30/08/2011 at 19:41 Bonedwarf says:
I picked up the first one during the summer sales.
I started an offline account. Then foolish went online and lost my save. The game loaded ONCE with GFWL being online. Then next time it demanded I update. So I let it. It seemingly updated but now AA would crash when I ran it.
So I uninstalled GFWL. Again it insisted I install. This time it failed with no reason given. A long Google session eventually showed me a solution. Which didn’t work.
I spent three hours mucking about until I was able to play the game again. (And don’t even get me started on the issues with using a non MS controller…)
Was going to pick this up on the Xbox this time around, but with the announcement of “ongoing DLC”… Well I’m tired of being treated like a wallet with legs by these people, so I’ll wait for the inevitable GOTY with DLC bundle for half the initial release price.
31/08/2011 at 01:33 Covmeister says:
Attempting to play Age Of Empires Online took an entire six hours of infuriating troubleshooting to install GFWL. I got it eventually, but I have no idea what made it work as all of a sudden it just decided to install properly. Well, at least it is installed now and I don’t have to go through all that again…. OR WILL I?
30/08/2011 at 11:33 arrjayjee says:
Well this is disheartening. I’m sure GFWL works for some people, just as I’m sure other people have trouble with Steam, but I do not have trouble with Steam and I do have problems with GFWL. I will be saving my money for now and putting it towards the other bajillion great looking games coming out soon. 2011 is the new 1998 it seems.
30/08/2011 at 19:45 Bonedwarf says:
Given the issues I had (noted above) it will be a cold day in Hell before I buy a GFWL infected game ever again.
30/08/2011 at 20:36 Amun says:
I agree with you both. GFWL does nothing positive and Microsoft seems incapable of supporting it.
30/08/2011 at 11:33 jon_hill987 says:
This is some sort of scheme by the Joker isn’t it…
30/08/2011 at 12:20 Cyberpope says:
Gothams Filled With Laughter!
great scott, joker AND riddler!
30/08/2011 at 13:42 MeestaNob says:
The Jokers plan would work though.
30/08/2011 at 15:03 db1331 says:
“The Jokers plan would work though.”
I snerked.
30/08/2011 at 11:34 Nameless1 says:
“I will still be playing it”
Me too, when it costs no more than 20€. That’s the price for your g4wl garbage, baby.
30/08/2011 at 15:41 jay35 says:
$33.96 at launch isn’t too bad.
Use one of these 20% off stack-codes to get it there.
It’s a UK site, but I’m not sure what the price is in GBP since I’m in the US and it auto-directs me to the US version of the site.
30/08/2011 at 11:35 Sauronych says:
I won’t be buying it then.
30/08/2011 at 11:46 Quxxy says:
As much as it pains me, I won’t be buying it either.
If the only way we can stop companies using this steaming pile of excrement is to outright refuse to give them any money, then so be it.
30/08/2011 at 12:50 Zogtee says:
I’ll buy it, but I’ll wait until it’s piss cheap. I’ll play Skyrim and Rage while I wait.
30/08/2011 at 13:19 Maelor says:
Yep, I won’t be buying it either. Dawn of War 2 was enough GFWL for a lifetime.
30/08/2011 at 15:46 Zeronine says:
No deal for me either.
30/08/2011 at 16:48 neolith says:
Same here – GFWL means you don’t get my money.
30/08/2011 at 19:46 Bonedwarf says:
At least Relic saw fit to shitcan GFWL from Retribution, thus rendering it actually usable.
31/08/2011 at 00:55 Commisar says:
Well, i will be, unlike most people here, I have had next to no trouble with GFWL, apart from having to log in alot. Arkham City is looking to be a great game
31/08/2011 at 08:30 fyro11 says:
They’ve lost another customer here.
30/08/2011 at 11:35 Nova says:
Maybe he meant: [sick]
30/08/2011 at 11:35 GenBanks says:
I don’t particularly mind this, but it does seem like an odd decision… GFWL does sort of seem like a sinking ship.
30/08/2011 at 11:39 aldo_14 says:
Yes, but it’s a sinking ship made of money.
30/08/2011 at 11:43 Ian says:
After some brief installation wobblage I had no problems with GFWL on Arkham Asylum. (AA was a GFWL game, right? Or am I thinking of something else?)
30/08/2011 at 11:48 Corrupt_Tiki says:
Correct it was a GfWL, a good one, one which I bought, realized it was GfWL, so I rebought it pre-owned for my *shudder* xbox 360, so I didn’t have to put up with the GfWL nonsense, and also, I was told it was better with a controller :>
30/08/2011 at 11:52 jRides says:
I did, i got 12 hours into the game before GFWL decided that I didn’t like AA any more and just stopped working. I have no idea why and never did manage to get it fixed – it still worked fine with DoW2.
30/08/2011 at 12:02 Mana_Garmr says:
I got it on Steam and I’m not sure if that makes any difference, but all I did with AA was choose a user name for GFWL and off I went. I never wanted to use any of the online features so it never bothered me again. I don’t think I ever saw more than a little message in the corner registering that I was launching the game.
31/08/2011 at 08:38 Saiko Kila says:
Some parts are better with controller, some aren’t (I played mostly with controller, but learned to do proper combos only with mouse), but the PC version is definitely better than the x-box. And it works with x-box controller very well.
Oh, and I had issues with G4WL too, but somehow manageable. I was also making archive saves on my own, before key moments, because the game doesn’t have such an obvious feature. Even VHS movies watched on home video had it (you could rewind and watch from a chosen moment), not mentioning DVDs. In that respect the game is sooo oldschool…
30/08/2011 at 11:47 Corrupt_Tiki says:
I died a little bit inside.
On the other hand, yay more time for; Skyrim, BF3, Dues Ex, Minecraft 1.8, The Witcher 2, oh my I really must get started.
31/08/2011 at 00:57 Commisar says:
but, but but….. BF3 is going to suck because it doesn’t have Commander mode or mod tools!!! / sarcasm Well, i will be getting Arkham City because the first one was great and I have had next to no trouble with GFWL
30/08/2011 at 11:56 SquareWheel says:
Then I retract my statement suggesting I would purchase it.
30/08/2011 at 13:49 El_MUERkO says:
I liked the first one, didn’t love it, so I can certainly live without it. GFWL is too much of a ball-ache.
30/08/2011 at 11:58 Mman says:
That image in the Binding of Isaac post seems appropriate here.
30/08/2011 at 11:58 CMaster says:
Not sure I’ll ever forgive GfWL for not letting me play DoW2 singleplayer. (Well it did eventually, but only after I’d updated it 5 times (during the update process, pressing any key on your keyboard or clicking elsewhere with the mouse aborts the update. The update takes approximatley 10 minutes) before I realised that updating wasn’t working. So I started the GfWL client. It game me an error message, with a “solution” link that took me to a microsoft page that never loaded, simply sending IE round in an infinite javascript loop. Some googling eventually told me (although the GfWL offical support gave an incorrect answer) I had to sign in to xbox.com and agree to the XBOX Live (no mention of GfWL) terms of service. Then it worked. An hour and a half later. And then it’s a horrible service to use.
30/08/2011 at 12:02 TheApologist says:
I had a very similar problem to this launching Dead Rising 2. Eventually got it working, but only after separately launching GfWL and updating it out of game, restarting a couple of times, saying ‘abra cadabra’, and staring intently at the screen.
30/08/2011 at 12:16 suibhne says:
Same issue here with Bioshock 2.
Really, it absolutely amazes me that anyone uses GfWL. It’s so objectively a piece of dung, and it’s improved only slightly in the last few years (at least in usability).
30/08/2011 at 19:10 Aedrill says:
Were you in my house when I was trying to play DoW2? You should’ve said something, I’d make you some tea…
30/08/2011 at 11:59 pipman3000 says:
You have failed me for the last time.
30/08/2011 at 12:00 TheApologist says:
Hmmm…that might push me on to ugly old PS3.
GfWL has never been game breaking for me as it has for some, but it has often been a hassle requiring several restarts and jiggery-googly-pokery before letting me start the game. If the port is good, and the PC is much prettier I guess I might stick with it.
On the other hand, given the other big releases coming up, I might just wait for a sale. Shame. I loved the original.
30/08/2011 at 12:00 Lambchops says:
Oh 4 [sic] crying out loud.
30/08/2011 at 12:55 Doesntmeananything says:
4 [sic] shame, 4 [sic] shame…
30/08/2011 at 14:26 The Colonel says:
What is this GAWL?
30/08/2011 at 12:02 LQ says:
You have one Warner rep telling an online store it isn’t GFWL, and another telling a magazine it is.
Sounds like the usual GFW/GFWL confusion.
https://twitter.com/#!/GreenManGaming/status/108453445727555584
30/08/2011 at 12:04 Rii says:
From the context I imagine Warner was responding to a query that itself abbreviated GFWL as ‘G4WL’.
For my part I prefer to call it “Godawful”, but that’s on account of my scintillating, undisciplined wit rather than any deep-seated loathing of the service, which I can’t recall even having used outside Bioshock 2.
30/08/2011 at 12:04 westyfield says:
And my decision to buy BF3 instead of Arkham City just got vindicated.
30/08/2011 at 12:36 EOT says:
Enjoy your Origin.
30/08/2011 at 13:22 westyfield says:
Origin hasn’t directly shafted me yet. GfWL has.
They each get one chance.
30/08/2011 at 17:18 Torgen says:
“GfWL shafted me once…
Once.”
/johnnydangerously
30/08/2011 at 20:06 Bonedwarf says:
This is all a cunning plan to force you onto consoles. I pre-ordered Space Marine for the PC, but Batman (eventually once all DLC is out and bundled nicely), Battlefield 3 etc…
I’m going Xbox. A) not sure my system is entirely capable of running BF3 etc… and B) I’m 40 years old and my spine is largely decorative so my couch is much more appealing to game at than my desk chair.
30/08/2011 at 12:05 arienette says:
A year or two from now I may pick it up in some crazy cheap sale, but I’ve had so many bad experiences with GFWL it’s not worth it right now.
30/08/2011 at 12:08 Jaffo says:
Never had a prob with GFWL (Halo 2, Dirt 2, AA, GTA IV) so no biggie. I had more trouble getting past the WordPress login to post this.
30/08/2011 at 13:37 max pain says:
Nice try, Mr. M$.
30/08/2011 at 14:07 aethereal says:
0.o
GFWL may be pretty bad but that doesnt mean everyone on the planet has an issue with it. It never crapped out on me, though I still hate it because of the terrible clunky UI
30/08/2011 at 14:37 Strontium Mike says:
Yeah never had a problem with it, I wish more console ports used it. And I want my avatar on my pc damn it. Like Clippy, I miss Clippy.
30/08/2011 at 12:10 Prime says:
I’ve only had a couple of minor irritations from using GFWL. Steam has actually been more problematic over it’s lifetime but that’s because I use Steam a lot more. Having GFWL won’t stop me buying this; I may not like having games saddled to content delivery platforms but it makes little sense to play favourites if you generally dislike them all.
30/08/2011 at 12:13 suibhne says:
Well, that’s too bad. I won’t be buying this at release, even if there are good pre-order sales.
In addition to the standard GfWL bollocks with updating, GfWL basically destroyed my Batman: AA savegames when I had to reinstall the game due to a hard drive migration. (Of course, if it had been on Steam, I’d never have had to reinstall the game in the first place because Steam handles data migration so nicely.) I’d finished the main narrative but was working through the Challenge Rooms, and I lost all of my progress just because GfWL doesn’t allow you to migrate savegames; it encrypts them and hides them for absolutely no good reason whatsoever. I would’ve had to play through the entire game again, finish all the Achievements and such, just to unlock the Challenge Rooms I’d been playing the day previous.
At the time, there were no solutions on the web. It was insanely frustrating, and I finally just cursed and gave the game to a friend who was about to buy it for herself. So I guess GfWL actually cost them a sale, heh.
30/08/2011 at 12:16 Rii says:
“GfWL doesn’t allow you to migrate savegames; it encrypts them and hides them for absolutely no good reason whatsoever.”
‘Service’.
… in reality I suspect it’s tied to account privacy issues either in GFWL or Windows itself. Still they should at least offer the option to dump them in plain sight…
30/08/2011 at 12:16 Shadrach says:
He had to [sic] it because there’s no thing as GFWL, the name is “Games for Windows – LIVE (TM)”. Abbreviations reduce Brand Penetration you see ;)
Personally ‘m ok with it, didn’t have any big problems with it in the first game. It’s just another DRM scheme, maybe crappier and more annoying than Steam but it works (most of the time).
30/08/2011 at 12:24 Berzee says:
Those are DANGEROUS words on this little corner on the big ol’ internet, sonny boy. That mouth’s gonna gitcha in trouble. Get the heck outta Dodge.
30/08/2011 at 12:18 PoulWrist says:
Who cares. It works fine in the previous Batman. Even when I had to use a warez version because I only had a key and a iso.
30/08/2011 at 12:21 FieldOfTheBattle says:
Arkham Asylum was GFWL and had no DRM. Ironically Steam version had GFWL, Steam DRM AND Securom with 4 activation limit. I welcome Arkham City being a GFWL title, buying it as soon as it is confirmed that it doesn’t use any kind of DRM just like retail Arkham Asylum.
30/08/2011 at 16:16 Ridnarhtim says:
Uh … GFWL is DRM.
30/08/2011 at 12:24 indigohjones says:
So, from a developer’s/publisher’s perspective, what’s the attraction of making your game a GFWL title?
30/08/2011 at 12:50 Rii says:
$$$ from (or via) Microsoft. It’s part of the Xbox 360 vs. PS3 war. Sony very productively secured exclusive content for AA, looks like Microsoft is planning to return the favour here.
30/08/2011 at 12:25 Javier-de-Ass says:
at least it isn’t steam only
30/08/2011 at 12:29 Lobotomist says:
Ok, just lost me as a customer
30/08/2011 at 12:32 Mordsung says:
The only appropriate response I can come up with is…
KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!
Steam only: no problem
Origin only: no problem
GFWL: not buying
30/08/2011 at 13:14 wintermute says:
If you think Origin is “no problem”, then clearly you’ve never used Origin
30/08/2011 at 13:58 Mordsung says:
Haven’t had a problem with Origin yet. Sure, it ain’t Steam, but it’s no worse than when it was just EADM.
30/08/2011 at 12:36 Burning Man says:
Oh just get a crack people. It’s not that hard. I would never pass up another Batman game.
30/08/2011 at 21:37 Amun says:
We have to make them understand that GFWL is not okay. Not even once.
30/08/2011 at 12:41 elnalter says:
i wasn’t going to buy it anyway
30/08/2011 at 12:41 Zarunil says:
I’ve never had a single game with GFWL where it hasn’t given me some sort of problem running it, so I’ll say no thanks. I don’t want to troubleshoot, I want to play my game.
30/08/2011 at 12:43 Sian says:
Not sure what to make of this. On the one hand, I never had any corrupted save files or any other severe problem, on the other hand GfWL is a clunky PoS that only makes things more complicated. I don’t want to support it, but I really, really want the game…
30/08/2011 at 12:45 Bilbo1981 says:
Yet another display of a PC gamers getting it in the ass. My ring is still sore after from Dust so I guess I’ll be getting the free version of this game. Cheers!
31/08/2011 at 01:01 Commisar says:
then have fun with even MORE DRM HAHAHAHAH!
30/08/2011 at 12:46 Vandelay says:
Was the rejoicing when we thought it wouldn’t use it not a hint?
30/08/2011 at 12:46 Unaco says:
“I will still be playing it.”
As shall I. GFWL added an extra 10 – 15 minutes onto the install and setup of “Batman: Arkham Asylum”. Most of that time was me trying to remember the u’name/p’word combination I had used for it previously. After that, once it was all updated and I had my details stored, there were no problems at all. And the game was more than worth that extra 10 minutes. Better this than something like Origin and making a whole new account to play it.
30/08/2011 at 14:25 UnravThreads says:
I would wager most PC gamers who come across Origin will already have an EA account, so it’s hardly a biggie.
30/08/2011 at 16:36 Urthman says:
I’d wager that you’re wrong except I can’t think of any way to settle that bet.
30/08/2011 at 16:49 rocketman71 says:
@Urthman He is. COMPLETELY. Or an EA fanboy.
30/08/2011 at 12:49 NukeLord says:
I never asked for this.
30/08/2011 at 12:52 Khemm says:
So many trolls, I bet many of you never ever had a single problem, but choose to moan like crazy because it’s trendy.
GFWL is perfectly OK for single player games. It isn’t without flaws, I agree. But at least I’ll be able to install offline, at worst activate the executable – that is something everyone’s favourite Steam does not provide (online installation only).
30/08/2011 at 13:06 Malk_Content says:
The last game I tried to play with GFWL was Bulletstorm. Trying to lay the singleplayer only. Never got it to work because I needed to update GFWL (even after downloading it straight from the website) and it always (after about two days worth of on off attempts to fix) crashed during that process. After two days I had to download a crack just so I could play. GFWL is a buggy piece of shit. I’ll admit that the only problems I had prior to it was finding my save games (what do you mean if I’m not connected to the internet I can’t play my saves, oh because you store them in several different places?) but still that worse than no problems.
30/08/2011 at 13:18 Khemm says:
That is unfortunate indeed. But it surely didn’t crash for no reason. What OS do you have? Do you have all necessary services enabled (mainly Windows ID)?
30/08/2011 at 13:25 TheApologist says:
I have definitely had problems. In my entirely personal experience, GfWL makes gaming more of a hassle and less reliable. As such it puts me off games I would otherwise wish to purchase.
You can say I’m only complaining because it’s trendy if you like, but that doesn’t make my complaint not true. It makes you sound a bit patronizing, though.
30/08/2011 at 13:27 Malk_Content says:
Windows 7 (64bit) and I went through every available piece of troubleshooting that I could find (Official first, then unofficial.) I’ve used GFWL in other games (DoW2) and because they didn’t force me to update to play the singleplayer I had no problems. Bulletstorms bungled attempt to use GFWL (needing it to even access the fecking menu) was partly the developers fault but the blame can also be put on GFWL, at least a little.
30/08/2011 at 13:36 AmateurScience says:
Positives: GFWL taught me a lot about the complexities of networking. I had never heard of ‘port forwarding’ before I bought Batman: AA from steam.
Negatives: It took me 9-10 very frustrating hours of installing, cursing, uninstalling, reinstalling, redownloading, cursing, deleting, updating, signing up, signing out, getting knee deep in router settings, cursing, redistributable getting, facepalming, ragequitting and googling to get it working. I still haven’t played more than the first 30 minutes as a result.
30/08/2011 at 14:41 bluebomberman says:
Telling people that all the problems they’ve had with a piece of software are all made up for the sake of looking cool on the Internet isn’t going to make you many friends.
EDIT: Damn, you sound just like a Windows IT nerd. “Do you have all the necessary services enabled?” What the heck does that mean?
30/08/2011 at 16:22 Ridnarhtim says:
“It worked for me, therefore there is nothing wrong with it, and everyone who had trouble with it is stupid.”
How about this:
A well designed piece of software will work for the majority of, or preferably all, users and systems, without causing the consumer unnecessary hassles.
When the majority of people complain that your interface is ugly, confusing and intrusive, your update system requires constant restarts and takes hours, not to mention frequently crashes or simply doesn’t work, then clearly SOMETHING isn’t right. Not to mention most of these people have no problem whatsoever with the way Steam installs, updates and interacts with your games.
30/08/2011 at 16:41 PoulWrist says:
Because people are unable to install a program, they moan and bitch. They should get consoles instead. More up their alley. Less of everything, including potential issues.
30/08/2011 at 17:10 Sheng-ji says:
PoulWrist – you seem to be saying that PC gamers SHOULD have frustrations, issues and problems with their games… is that part of the PC gaming experience in your view? Should nothing work properly first time, should we always have to trawl the internet every game we install to get it to work?
I don’t think so, Microsoft should be called out on this. They have the resources to make it right, they have unique access to understanding how the damn OS’s work. They should be able to provide the smoothest experience of anyone.
Poulwrist, you continue to live in your nerdy little hole where only you can get games to work. It gives you power over the bullies. When they resort to the inferior gaming experience that is a console, you feel smug that they will never know how great the game runs on a PC. The rest of us will demand better service from games. When we hit install, download the game, only to have to re-download great chunks of it because GFWL saw fit to not patch the game for the download, when it works fine then suddenly changes it’s own settings so it no longer can connect, when it drops connection even though your actual connection never dropped, when it makes you relearn everything you wished you could forget about networking protocols – I’m a lawyer, becoming an expert in something from scratch in an hour or two is pretty much what I get paid for, I realise I am much better at it than most people. I really feel for everyone else who has to struggle with the damn software just to get it to do what they paid for.
GFWL sucks, and the worst thing about it is, it doesn’t have to.
30/08/2011 at 21:29 DarkNoghri says:
The biggest problem I ever had with GFWL was on a purely single player game. At least, as far as I can recall, Red Faction: Guerrilla didn’t have multiplayer. Anyway, I spent about a month troubleshooting, on and off, trying to get to the main menu of that game. No solutions anywhere. Tried game updates, driver updates, GFWL updates, uninstall/reinstall, compatibility modes, etc. Nothing. Still couldn’t get to the main menu. All I had was a black screen with a funny looking cursor on it.
I eventually got to play it. How? By installing xliveless. Which is a user mod/patch/thing that REMOVES GFWL functionality. The only real problem I had after that was the game crashing if I changed graphics settings in a certain menu.
Aside from that, the amount of bad design decisions is astounding, ranging from a terrible in-game UI, encrypted saves, forced updating (that often doesn’t work), broken help pages, to a lack of documentation (oh, I have to go to a broken website to agree to the new TOS? why couldn’t this be in the client somewhere?). For all that, I don’t hate GFWL. I would prefer not to use it, however.
31/08/2011 at 00:38 Malk_Content says:
@Poulwrist
I’m not an idiot. I can install program quite fine. I can update programs with equal ease. Hell I can build my own computer (not hard I know) and keep it tip top continue with everything it needs. I can get pretty much anything to work on my computer with enough fiddling, manual downloads, troubleshooting etc. GFWL did not work, plain and simple. Direct download gave me an apparently unpatched version, patching requires you to exit the game, which you have to end the process for as without the patch you couldn’t get to the menu screen and thus quit normally. Attempting to patch outside of the game crashed the updater. Cracking the game to remove GFWL eventually worked but should not have to be an option.
I’m able to hot fix basically any problem I have ever come across for any piece of software I’ve had installed for the last decade, but not GFWL. So I should go play on the consoles instead?
30/08/2011 at 13:02 Lukasz says:
i do remember having few problems with actually starting up AA. Had to register for gfwl and then do something in game.
but afterwards i just played offline without any problems whatsoever from the game or from GFWL.
no reason for me not to get it.
30/08/2011 at 13:13 deadstoned says:
£3 sale off Amazon then like the last one, seriously Rocksteady what fucking idiot took the decision to use this shit again……
30/08/2011 at 17:12 Sheng-ji says:
They probably signed a multi-game contract
30/08/2011 at 13:14 virtualmatrix258 says:
Sorry but I can’t. GFWL has restarted my games, updated and restarted my computer over and over without me knowing and in the middle of a game. Can’t justify the price tag for a game that I’ll have to play in 5 minute increments.
30/08/2011 at 13:18 Subject 706 says:
Never had any major problems with GfWL, but lots of annoyance, from the crap updater to the horrid UI. This won’t stop me from buying the game though, but I sure hope xliveless will support it. Worked wonders in GTA4.
30/08/2011 at 13:34 I4C says:
I have more problems with steam, then gfwl(never had any).
So this is great news for me.
30/08/2011 at 14:50 skinlo says:
You are pretty rare then.
30/08/2011 at 13:38 Sheng-ji says:
Pissflaps…. I’ll be buying it because I loved the first game so much – GotY for me last year – but still Pissflaps!
30/08/2011 at 13:45 hilllbilllyjoe says:
GFWL is a broken piece of crap. It’s kind of hilarious that the Microsoft is so large now, that they can even consistently produce products of a decent quality for their own software.
30/08/2011 at 13:51 Sheng-ji says:
Didn’t you mean can’t?
30/08/2011 at 13:57 AMonkey says:
Does that mean GFWL isn’t dead yet? Damn shame.
30/08/2011 at 13:59 Vexing Vision says:
I regularly play three GFWL titles: Bulletstorm, Street Fighter 4 and Arkham Asylum.
In Bulletstorm and SF4, GFWL is a bitch but it works and doesn’t cause any additional problems apart from another login and password to remember. In Arkham Asylum, my saves get corrupted all the time.
This is what makes me very wary. I really want to play the game, but this announcement just moved my purchase from “Day 0″ to “2 weeks later when a reliable crack that removes GFWL comes out”.
30/08/2011 at 14:03 moarage says:
what does he mean by “[sic]“?
30/08/2011 at 14:45 EOT says:
It means written as intended/written as it appears in the original source.
30/08/2011 at 14:09 boiglenoight darkstar says:
Going with the PS3 version then.
30/08/2011 at 14:14 Khemm says:
Enjoy the worst version, then. And the more expensive one at that.
30/08/2011 at 17:52 TheApologist says:
Well indeed, Khemm, because this person is clearly unable to decide which is the best or worst version for themselves. If only we all had your insight into our personal preferences.
Again, I’d suggest you stop patronizing people.
30/08/2011 at 22:25 Ridnarhtim says:
I think ‘no GFWL’ is a reasonably good argument for not being the worst version. Not to mention I’d expect the PS3 version to be better than the 360 one.
30/08/2011 at 22:25 Khemm says:
@Aplogist
I’m the one constantly being patronized here, because I DARE not like Steam.
30/08/2011 at 14:48 Lemming says:
I’ll be buying this on PS3 as I always was. I love my PC for gaming, but I’m sorry guys I just cannot bring myself to play any 3rd person action game on anything but a console no matter how many extra bells and whistles they tempt me with. It just fits the couch+tv+joypad approach too easily to ignore.
30/08/2011 at 14:49 skinlo says:
Works fine on keyboard on mouse? I suggest you give the demo a try first if one comes out.
30/08/2011 at 15:14 Khemm says:
All I have to say is: LOL, more couch/joypad/huge ass TV stereotyping…
What, do they give you couches and 50″ TVs free of charge when you buy a console these days? Btw, it’s such a shame we have no USB ports so we can’t play using controllers. Such a shame.
P.S. I had much more fun playing Batman with k&m, surprisingly, considering it was made with controller in mind…
30/08/2011 at 20:10 Lemming says:
Khemm, you really LOL’d?
It’s not a stereotype if I have a big tv, couch and decent sound system is it? Am I not allowed nice things?
Also the fact you think it comes down to whether I can plug a joypad into my PC or not is quaint.
Quit being such a fanboy. It’s a good thing that some of us don’t live on rails in life like yourself, and can enjoy games by circumventing the hurdles (like GFWL) put in front of us. It’s about choice.
30/08/2011 at 21:35 DarkNoghri says:
Lemming: You obviously have the equipment, so what is stopping you from playing a PC version of Arkham City on your TV, while sitting on your couch with a joypad? Is it location? If your PC is anywhere near your TV set, I would imagine a higher resolution, shinier game would make you happier.
31/08/2011 at 00:05 Lemming says:
Opposite end of the house. I have a dual monitor set up for my computer in its own room.
I don’t think I’d rig up the PC to my TV even if it was easily transportable back and forth. A PC is wonderful to use on a desk with a keyboard and mouse. Hooking it up to the TV in the front room would cheapen the PC experience for me. I mean, it’s not as if I want to be using word and checking email/internet on a 40″ wall mounted tv a considerable distance from my face with people wandering around and chatting in the same room.
30/08/2011 at 15:23 Tunips says:
It’s single player only, right? No hurry then.
30/08/2011 at 15:41 MFToast says:
I heard GFWL slowly turns your PC into an Xbox 360. And you always have to click slightly below the interface buttons for some stupid reason. Way to go, death star.
30/08/2011 at 19:42 Navagon says:
It’s because Microsoft have never even heard of this “Windows” thing. They actually created it you say? Nah, can’t be. No other company is as inept at programming stuff to work on Windows, so that must be bullshit, right? They can’t possibly be the ones who actually created it. No way that’s true.
30/08/2011 at 15:45 Kefren says:
I won’t buy this then. I tried GFWL once, with Fuel, it was a pain in the arse. I avoid Steam or GFWL, anything with ridiculous online shenanigans. I just want to play the game, not log in. Luckily there are so many games to play that I’ll never regret this decision (I need about ten years for the ones I have already bought on GOG and GamersGate!)
30/08/2011 at 16:37 BreadBitten says:
‘Arkham Asylum’ is a fantastic game despite being a GFWL title. As long as the developers don’t tack on some hokey multiplayer component as a last minute decision, having GFWL is no biggie for me…
30/08/2011 at 16:45 skinlo says:
I’ll probably wait until it goes down to £5 before I buy it then, like I did for the first game.
30/08/2011 at 16:48 rocketman71 says:
So it’s a “don’t fucking buy this” title?.
Pity.
30/08/2011 at 17:13 wazups2x says:
I buy it when it goes on sale.
30/08/2011 at 18:06 Christian Dannie Storgaard says:
Oh yay… now I won’t be buying the sequel, just as I didn’t buy the first one, and only because I can’t save my progress when in Linux (which is always). A shame; the game runs beautifully in Linux, apart from the Microsoft blob… COINCIDENCE?
30/08/2011 at 18:22 Drinking with Skeletons says:
As someone who has to play most of his games offline (all I have at home is an abysmal wireless modem from Verizon; I live in the country and no internet company sees any profit in extending service to my street), I have to say that I’ve actually had less trouble with GFWL than Steam. I know, heresy!
But the fact is that Steam has this wonderful tendency to ignore my settings regarding keeping games up to date, resulting in it trying to perform updates that would take over six hours per game on random titles. This means that any time I install–from disk, since that’s all I can reasonably expect–a Steam game, I can expect at least one of my other titles to be locked up until I lug my PC to someplace with a decent internet connection.
Steam also has an even more wonderful tendency to completely delete critical files for some of my titles. After wrestling with it to install Human Revolution from the disk, I discovered that my entire Portal directory had been erased.
GFWL has the obnoxious habit of always demanding my password, even in offline mode, but is otherwise quite stable. It also manages to record achievements and let me look at them even when offline, a feat that Steam seems unable to replicate (a little thing, I know, but why does Steam fail at something so simple?).
God help me, but this is good news.
30/08/2011 at 18:35 WrongThinker says:
Good lord. Does Microsoft think PC users actually want this tripe? Anyone who can afford a half-way decent PC can afford a 360. If PC users want that experience, they’ll pay for it. MICROSOFT! LET THE PC BE THE PC!!!
I’m still going to get this game because it’s going to be great and the developers deserve my money for treating the PC platform with respect (3D Support, HQ Textures, etc.), but I am pissed at whoever made the choice to include Xbox Live for Windows.
30/08/2011 at 20:40 Navagon says:
“the developers deserve my money for treating the PC platform with respect”
It’s the publisher that sees the money. It’s the publisher that thought GFWL was a good idea, despite all the problems the first time around. Rocksteady aren’t indies. You’re not supporting the little guy here. They get their salaries regardless*.
*nothing is certain in the games industry… but still.
31/08/2011 at 00:19 BatmanBaggins says:
They may get their salaries regardless, but if everyone boycotts their game, the publisher is going to drop them the next time around on account of lack of sales. It’s not like the developers live in a vacuum, even if the publisher sees most of the front-end.
30/08/2011 at 19:45 Navagon says:
After my experiences with the first game thanks to GFWL I actually won’t be getting this one now. Such was the extent to which GFWL trashed my experience with the first game that I’d have to be some sort of masochist to actually wilfully bring that upon myself again.
30/08/2011 at 19:57 ASBO says:
Another preorder cancelled. Yeehaw!
30/08/2011 at 21:09 foda500orama says:
Just cancelled my pre-order *sigh*
30/08/2011 at 22:29 Eynonz says:
GFWL is still going? ……
30/08/2011 at 22:30 BatmanBaggins says:
You guys are so dramatic sometimes.
Yeah, GFWL sucks pretty bad, but it’s nothing I can’t deal with. If Arkham Asylum was any indication of how good this game will be (and it’s looking like Arkham City will be even better), then I’m willing to put up with it to support such a good developer.
And to be pretty frank, GFWL has pretty much been a non-issue for me when going back to replay AA a few times. The only real beef I ever had with it was the initial awful update process.
31/08/2011 at 00:20 Shooop says:
I haven’t had any problems from GFWL on my Arkham Asylum. Is that because I bought it off Steam perhaps?
31/08/2011 at 01:26 Dorako says:
Hm, on one hand, I had no intention of buying this game (I’ve never played the first one though I’m sure it was amazing and I’m sure this will be amazing, it just isn’t the kind of game for me).
On the other hand, I’ve never played a GFWL game where GFWL worked without a problem (out of the four GFWL games I’ve played anyway). Halo 2 didn’t work at all after hours of updating, Red Faction: Guerilla gave me minor trouble updating, Section 8 only worked on one of my two computers and Section 8 Predjudice had a bunch of login issues.
Despite the fact that I didn’t want it, it still ticks me off that they’re still using this crap.
31/08/2011 at 01:40 Vinraith says:
The only “good” thing about GfWL is that it’s usually pretty easy to remove, via xliveless or similar.
I don’t think it would keep me from buying this, were I not allergic to boss fights, but it’d certainly keep me from buying it at full price.
31/08/2011 at 03:18 kud13 says:
my Steam account currently has 3 GFWL games
Batman: AA
Bioshock 2
Dawn of war 2: Chaos rising
i’ve recently moved my Steam installation onto a new external hard drive from my C drive
as a result:
both Bioshock and Chaos rising simply refuse to launch–I click “play game”, and nothing happens
Batman AA gives me the launcher, but then devolves into a crash, citing a “general protection fault” and missing xlive.dlls.
long story short, I think I need to re-install all 3 games. fuck you, GFWL.
31/08/2011 at 07:00 Craymen Edge says:
I’ve only played 3 games with GFWL on my PC (Arkham Assylum, Fallout 3, and Dawn of War 2).
I know it’s not the popular opinion but I never had problems with it in any of those games, so I have no issue with it being in Arkham City.
31/08/2011 at 18:15 DarkByke says:
never had any issues with gfwl or steam, ever. why everyone bitching?