I really want to keep this article short enough so somebody actually reads it but I fear that I have too many ideas in my head about the subject and this post will quickly turn into a wall of text. I do want to say that it is great to finally see Microsoft making some improvements to its Games for Windows – LIVE system with the addition of Games on Demand, but it has a long way to go.

For starters, the name sucks balls. Games for Windows – LIVE Games on Demand. You can’t expect people to keep typing or saying that shit all the time. The second major issue is the LIVE logo itself. This complaint applies to both GFWL and the Xbox 360. That shitty orange logo back from the original Xbox is disgusting and needs to be replaced. Everything on the 360 is smooth with white and green and that orange sticks out something fierce.

The general interface for GFWL (this doesn’t roll off the tongue nearly as well as “XBLA”) is clunky, but it might just be that I am used to the Xbox 360 dashboard. I think that Microsoft should keep a windowed version of their software similar to what is available now, but they should also have a full screen version that could function just like the current Xbox 360 dashboard.

There is also an area that lists the system requirements for whatever game the user is looking at. It would be a simple feature to have it check the specs of the computer and give a green or red light to indicate if the current computer meets the minimums. There are a few things that I think we can look forward to over the next couple of years as they build up GFWL, however.

I think that we will see more games like Tinker and possibly straight ports of existing XBLA games. I also think that there is a good chance that they will integrate other features like the group chat to allow for cross chat between PC and Xbox 360. I also think there will be a chance of Microsoft trying cross platform play with XBLA titles as well. Sure, Shadowrun failed but that is mostly because the game itself sucked.

Of course, we are also going to see more titles and more DLC available across the board. It won’t take much convincing by Microsoft to release more games on GFWL when publishers can apply the same DLC tactics that have been profitable on the Xbox 360. In addition to more full priced games, we should start seeing older titles like Oblivion or Mass Effect possibly making its way onto the platform at a budget price of somewhere around $20.

Despite my complaints, I think the future is bright for GFWL. I mean, the service can only get better. And with Microsoft ever so slowly adding to their product, it is going to become something that Valve with have to think about at some point over the next couple of years which may just lead to Steam becoming even better than it already is. Competition is always good for the consumer.