Microsoft today announced that it will be closing the Xbox.com PC Marketplace on August 22. The closure will come as part of the scheduled Xbox 360 system update that will retire Microsoft Points, converting the entire system over to real currency. Luckily for Dark Souls fans, gamers will still be able to play already-purchased PC games that use the much maligned Games for Windows Live client.
According to a Microsoft support page update, Games for Windows Live games will cease to be for sale through Microsoft after the store closes. In fact, Games for Windows Live titles published by Microsoft will no longer be available in any online marketplace. Microsoft-published titles that use Games for Windows Live include Fable III, Gears of War, Halo 2, and Brad Muir‘s Iron Brigade. Other publishers may still offer their Games for Windows Live games through other stores, notably Steam.
This news comes just one day after the news hit that a former Valve employee that was in charge of Steam has been hired on at Microsoft to improve its Games for Windows Live platform. Whatever is coming next for Microsoft Studios on PC, the end of the Xbox.com PC store demonstrates that the company has either given up on Games for Windows Live or is preparing for a major overhaul of the service.
