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Microsoft has confirmed that the revamped version of Games for Windows Marketplace will be launched on November 15th.
The software giant described the site as a “new online PC games store that combines convenience of the web with the power of Games on Demand online distribution.”
Games on Demand was the name the company gave to full game downloads on the current incarnation of the Games for Windows Marketplace.
“With Games for Windows Marketplace, we set out to create a digital store built for PC gamers end-to-end,” said Microsoft PC gaming boss Kevin Unangst.
“And by integrating with our existing Xbox Live and Windows Live services, we’ve made it easier than ever for millions of gamers to see for themselves how easy buying PC games can be.”
The store will not be limited to games that support the Games for Windows online functionality; the November launch will see over 100 titles on offer.
Launch titles include Fable: The Lost Chapters and Grand Theft Auto III while the company announced the support of games publishers such as Capcom, Square Enix and 2K games.
Microsoft called out the new Games for Windows Marketplace as “the place” for Microsoft Game Studio franchises such as Flight Simulator while also pointing to future heavyweight releases such as Fable III, Age of Empires Online and Microsoft Flight.
The move follows an earlier relaunch of Valve’s dominant Steam platform in April this year, a popular digital distribution platform with the support of the majority of the world’s PC games publishers as well as a strong showing from independent games and Valve’s own titles.
Microsoft may struggle to match the appeal of Steam for exclusive PC gamers but has already painted Xbox Live integration as a key selling point.
See below for a ‘walkthrough’ trailer of the new Games for Windows Marketplace web site:
