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(Microsoft quickly changed course on that requirement and made it a free PC service.)Ī chicken-and-egg game followed, where players and publishers alike remained hesitant to adopt this add-on system when PC storefronts like Steam already offered conveniences like matchmaking and friends lists. Out of the gate, it required a $50/year subscription fee, mirroring that of Xbox 360's Live Gold tier, which PC gamers instantly rebuffed. It was intended to unify the Windows and Xbox 360 player bases but infamously crashed and burned thanks to a number of stumbles. Further Reading Microsoft refunding gamers, Games for Windows Live goes freeIf you're familiar with GFWL, you'll recall that the service has been defunct since 2014.
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