Microsoft reckons it’s found a way to stop pirates in their tracks, announcing tweaks to its Games for Windows service to block out online software thievery.
Announcing the move at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco today, Microsoft said its new service would use “server-side authentication help prevent game piracy before street date” – as we understand it, that means each game supported by Games for Windows will ‘phone home’ to a Microsoft server before letting you play.
That’s fine for anyone connected to the web, and should stop games being played even if they leak before the official release, but what if you fancy playing on a train or a plane? Don’t worry. Microsoft says its anti-piracy checks will only apply to multiplayer games.
Microsoft’s also adding more tools for game publishers to make money, with new Marketplace APIs letting game makers create in-game stores to sell bonus material and downloadable content (DLC).
Microsoft also wants gamers to take their accounts onto other PCs, with new roaming features allowing Games for Windows accounts to be accessed from any PC connected to the web.
TBC | £TBC | Microsoft
