Games for Windows – Live
| Developer | Microsoft |
|---|---|
| Type | |
| Launch date |
|
| Current version | 3.5.95.0 |
| Last updated | February 20, 2014 |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows |
| Operating system(s) | Windows XP and above |
| Status | Digital distribution store closed; online services still available |
| Website | www |
Games for Windows – Live or GFWL is a deprecated online gaming service used by Games for Windows–branded PC titles that originally enabled Windows PCs to connect to Microsoft's Live service. Users, each with a unique Gamertag (the Microsoft username service for gaming that began on Xbox Live), were able to play online, keep track of their friends' status, send and receive messages, gain and keep track of Achievements and associated Gamerscore, voice chat across platforms (removed in 2010), and more. Some games allowed for cross-platform play, such as Shadowrun, putting Windows players against Xbox 360 players. The successor to Games for Windows – Live is the Xbox network, which allows players on a PC to use online functionality and play various Xbox games without having a console.