Come July 11 and Xbox.com is going to be the new home of Games for Windows Marketplace. On this development PC Mag posted on Sunday, “Microsoft’s just merging the Games for Windows marketplace into the one place that naturally comes to mind when you think about downloading PC titles: Xbox.com.”
Kevin Unangst, Microsoft Senior Global Director of PC and mobile gaming said in a statement in October, “With Games for Windows Marketplace, we set out to create a digital store for PC gamers, end-to-end. And, by integrating with our existing Xbox Live and Windows Live Services, we have made it easier than ever for millions of gamers to see for themselves how easy buying PC games can be.”
Though not in the sense it was meant to be, the integration bit now seems to be truer than ever before. The move appears to be just one more step in Microsoft’s quest to make its Xbox Live Platform the single source for gaming and entertainment across Microsoft’ hardware and software products.
X-box will be a one-stop shop for gaming no matter what device you are using. Microsoft vice president Mike Delman speaking to the Seattle Times said in a June E3 interview, “Live has been successful on the Windows Phone. Live will be built into the PC. It will be the service where you get your entertainment. We were talking about it – you will not just see consoles and hand-helds at this show next year, this show is going to morph into other devices.
An announcement on the Games for Windows Marketplace site gives the bare details: “Games for Windows is merging into Xbox.com.” That’s it. PC Gamer’s Dan Stapleton went after Microsoft to get some additional elaboration on the merger, and the company was able to confirm that the mash-up would begin on July 11.
A Microsoft spokesperson said, “Members of our passionate communities across Xbox 360 and Games for Windows can now purchase and get details on their favorite games, all in one place. All user account information will remain the same and community members can still take advantage of their Xbox Live profile in their Windows games and stay connected to friends who are playing on the PC.”