Relic revealed via its blog that the party is over for Games for Windows and its upcoming Warhammer 40,000 titles. The general consensus among PC gamers is that GFW support in earlier Warhammer 40K games was more of a hindrance than a help when it came to playing multiplayer.
Nevertheless, the horror seems to be abating: the upcoming Dawn of War II: Retribution will only use Valve's Steamworks. THQ and developer Relic seem to prefer Steamworks because it provides Steam community features such as groups, achievements, and Steam chat. THQ said that, in addition to Steamworks support, it is working on new matchmaking and ranking built specifically for Retribution.
The bad news is that Relic has changed the game from a regular expansion to standalone, which means that Dawn of War II owners are stuck with Games for Windows. Here is more on the decision to make the game a standalone expansion:
To accomplish this transition, Dawn of War II - Retribution will be a completely stand alone title in the series and will provide multiple campaigns to play, as well as all six multiplayer races, with new units for each of the existing five races and one new unannounced one. In a change from our previous strategies with expansion packs, we will not be patching this content back into Dawn of War II and Chaos Rising.
Owners of Dawn of War II and Chaos Rising will get the chance to try out the full set of Retribution’s Steam features in a multiplayer beta that will take place in the new year. More details on the beta will be announced at a later date.
Comments
Re: Relic Dumps Games for Windows Support in Dawn of War ...
AE
I am not saying the editors should stop and read the site for user input and comment on it. What I am saying is without them putting a personal flare to articles it makes GP samey and generic.
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Copyright infringement is nothing more than civil disobedience to a bad set of laws. Let's renegotiate them.
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Re: Relic Dumps Games for Windows Support in Dawn of War ...
That's fine. As I said earlier: "...while I will continue to correct you when you say something that's flat-out untrue, I don't at all begrudge you your opinion."
Andrew Eisen
Re: Relic Dumps Games for Windows Support in Dawn of War ...
Ya I like GFWL it should be live lite and be a extension account like thing but MS has no idea what they are doing half the time and thus have let GFWL rot. Seriously they could have been on equal grounds with steam if they had a clue.....
I have a dream, break the chains of copy right oppression! http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/2010/05/21/cigital-disobedience/
Copyright infringement is nothing more than civil disobedience to a bad set of laws. Let's renegotiate them.
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Re: Relic Dumps Games for Windows Support in Dawn of War ...
I guess I will do the obligatory 'why is this on GP' post?
Seriously..... game engine changes are interesting industry news, but there are industry sites for that already. GP's uniqueness was its focus on politics.. .stories like this make it more and more generic.
Re: Relic Dumps Games for Windows Support in Dawn of War ...
What did't you get the memo? GP is now a Game indutry news meme site now! *giggles*
I have a dream, break the chains of copy right oppression! http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/2010/05/21/cigital-disobedience/
Copyright infringement is nothing more than civil disobedience to a bad set of laws. Let's renegotiate them.
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Re: Relic Dumps Games for Windows Support in Dawn of War ...
Heh.
Now there is a depressing thought....
If GP tries to be just another industry site, competing dirrectly against sites like kotaku, it will not win.
Looking over the last few months of posts you can really see how GP is struggling... I know we do not have the big thousand-comment posts about JT, but even the regular posts are only getting a handful of comments when we used to see at least one or two hundred+ threads per week.
Re: Relic Dumps Games for Windows Support in Dawn of War ...
Well Dennis sold off the site and new management is generic and soulless. The charm of the old site was Dennis not following a script and today they have to have their script made by 3 or 4 people and none of the editors can really talk to the site users or ad lib/comment on their articles. Its all quite sad really
I have a dream, break the chains of copy right oppression! http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/2010/05/21/cigital-disobedience/
Copyright infringement is nothing more than civil disobedience to a bad set of laws. Let's renegotiate them.
---
http://zippydsm.deviantart.com/
Re: Relic Dumps Games for Windows Support in Dawn of War ...
"Well Dennis sold off the site..."
No, he didn't. He left and Pete took his place.
"...none of the editors can really talk to the site users or ad lib/comment on their articles."
Yes, they can.
Andrew Eisen
Re: Relic Dumps Games for Windows Support in Dawn of War ...
AE
Whatever he was with the site since the beginning and made it what it was, the editors can interact with the site users but do not bother much with it and commenting/ad libing on a story is a high crime these days..... there is no personal flare leaveing the site generic and bland.
In order to fix this they need to chose a main/head editor and have him become the sites personality. Also in order to not to piss off the other editors they need to be listed on a article they worked on.
I have a dream, break the chains of copy right oppression! http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/2010/05/21/cigital-disobedience/
Copyright infringement is nothing more than civil disobedience to a bad set of laws. Let's renegotiate them.
---
http://zippydsm.deviantart.com/
Re: Relic Dumps Games for Windows Support in Dawn of War ...
To be clear, while I will continue to correct you when you say something that's flat-out untrue, I don't at all begrudge you your opinion. If you like Dennis's style better, fine. If you desire more interaction with the editors, great. If you'd prefer each article have a byline so you know which editor wrote it, cool beans.
Andrew Eisen
Re: Relic Dumps Games for Windows Support in Dawn of War ...
Perhaps constructive criticism shouldn't so quickly fall on deaf ears. There's always the possibility that reader criticisms are valid, informative, and useful. After all, it ain't exactly like the current course couldn't do with some tweaking.
Re: Relic Dumps Games for Windows Support in Dawn of War ...
"Perhaps constructive criticism shouldn't so quickly fall on deaf ears. There's always the possibility that reader criticisms are valid, informative, and useful."
Absolutely, and I'm not implying otherwise. However, limiting said constructive criticism to the very places one's complaining those that would have any say in the matter never visit probably isn't the best approach.
Andrew Eisen
Re: Relic Dumps Games for Windows Support in Dawn of War ...
Huh?
The thrust of the criticism, as best as I - or anyone else - can accurately figure out what the Zip's trying to say, is aimed at the site's editorial staff and, furthermore, suggests changes that those staff can make. Am I to understand that the site's editorial staff never visits the site?
Re: Relic Dumps Games for Windows Support in Dawn of War ...
"Am I to understand that the site's editorial staff never visits the site?"
Of course not. One of Zippy's complaints seems to be that the editorial staff doesn't comment in the comments section or the ShoutBox. If that's the case, placing critisisms in those areas may not be the best way to get them noticed. That's all I'm saying.
Andrew Eisen
Re: Relic Dumps Games for Windows Support in Dawn of War ...
Huh?
Are you saying, given the assumption that the editorial staff doesn't ever comment or shout, it follows from that they also never read the comments and shouts?
Re: Relic Dumps Games for Windows Support in Dawn of War ...
No, I'm saying that given the assumption that the editorial staff doesn't read the comments or ShoutBox, then those probably aren't the best places to put criticisms one wishes the editorial staff to read.
However, if Zippy really thinks the editorial staff is simply lurking, then hey, this is indeed be a fine spot.
Andrew Eisen
Re: Relic Dumps Games for Windows Support in Dawn of War ...
I don't think it's entirely far-fetched to assume, even by Zippy standards, that the editorial staff would actually read comments and shouts. If they aren't, they ought to be.
Re: Relic Dumps Games for Windows Support in Dawn of War ...
"I don't think it's entirely far-fetched to assume... that the editorial staff would actually read comments and shouts."
Neither do I.
Andrew Eisen
Re: Relic Dumps Games for Windows Support in Dawn of War ...
Does that mean I can look out for some of your peppermint bark this X-mas?
Re: Relic Dumps Games for Windows Support in Dawn of War ...
Sure! Let me know if you see any.
Andrew Eisen
Re: Relic Dumps Games for Windows Support in Dawn of War ...
You've got garlic in your soul, Mr. Grinch.
Re: Relic Dumps Games for Windows Support in Dawn of War ...
I don't think the Zipster meant to cast the selling as contemporaneous to the leaving. I think he meant it more as a zenith, a high water mark, from which the current decline commenced.
Nor do I think that he meant to say that they "can't" in the sense of it being some sort of impossibility. I think he meant to say that they willfully "don't."
And - shudders to admit it - he's actually and for once in his life raising a good point. On both counts. With his radically improved typing, spelling, and cognitive skills, I'm inclined to conclude that they've finally got him on an effective medication regimine.
Re: Relic Dumps Games for Windows Support in Dawn of War ...
Hrm. I had not even realized there was no editor interaction until someone pointed it out.... but now that you mention it, that element does feel like it has been missing and really added something.
Re: Relic Dumps Games for Windows Support in Dawn of War ...
Neeneko
Ignore JD he's jsut jelous becuse he didnt think of it frist.
Anyway without a personal flare GP is degradeing into just another game news site sadly.
I have a dream, break the chains of copy right oppression! http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/2010/05/21/cigital-disobedience/
Copyright infringement is nothing more than civil disobedience to a bad set of laws. Let's renegotiate them.
---
http://zippydsm.deviantart.com/
Re: Relic Dumps Games for Windows Support in Dawn of War ...
Ha! You got suckered! That's obviously not the real Zippy posting. Look carefully and you'll see the tell-tale absence of spelling and typographical errors. No way that's the Zipster. And whoever it is actually makes a good point. Have you ever known the Zipster to make a good point?
Re: Relic Dumps Games for Windows Support in Dawn of War ...
You didnt get the memo? Someone must be asleep at the wheel.
Smacks a post-it note to Zippys forehead.
There you go bro.
Re: Relic Dumps Games for Windows Support in Dawn of War ...
*AAHHHH AAHHHH runs around with a post it stuck to his head*
*POUNCE CUDDLES* How ya been icey??? =^0^=
I have a dream, break the chains of copy right oppression! http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/2010/05/21/cigital-disobedience/
Copyright infringement is nothing more than civil disobedience to a bad set of laws. Let's renegotiate them.
---
http://zippydsm.deviantart.com/
Re: Relic Dumps Games for Windows Support in Dawn of War ...
Here and there Zip. Bit more there then here though. Posted a few times over the last weeks but guessing you missed those.
Its just not the same without the shoutbox. Almost leaves one expecting tumbleweeds to roll though.
Re: Relic Dumps Games for Windows Support in Dawn of War ...
Suck to hear that GFWL support is going downhill. I actually liked the concept behind it and it worked fine for me.
http://www.magicinkgaming.com/
Re: Relic Dumps Games for Windows Support in Dawn of War ...
This seems to be the general trend being followed right now, and I doubt will come as a surprise to anyone here. Althought GFWL was a good idea on paper, it never got the support it needed - not from the community or from developers, but from Microsoft who just wrote it off as the bastard child of Xbox Live and left it to rot. It's a system that with serious revamping, could excel and even potentially best the Xbox console's iteration of Live itself, but without Microsoft actually investing the money and time to get it off the ground in the way it should be, it will continue to just flop while more and more publishers / developers back away from it (see: Fallout: New Vegas).
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Papa Midnight
http://www.thesupersoldiers.com
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Papa Midnight
Re: Relic Dumps Games for Windows Support in Dawn of War ...
In Microsoft's mind, GFWL will never be the cash cow that XBox Live is and thus not worthy of continued support.
E. Zachary Knight
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
http://www.theeca.com/chapters_oklahoma
E. Zachary Knight
Divine Knight Gaming
OK Game Devs
Random Tower
Re: Relic Dumps Games for Windows Support in Dawn of War ...
Most already pay to game online on their consoles or pay for an MMO of some name or another, most won't be willing to pay to just generally play online on their PC. I know if Team Fortress 2 went pay to play, well, I won't be playing Team Fortress 2 anymore.