Games For Windows LIVE *The Help Thread*

[Flash]

Need help then post here.
:)

[D3AD ROMANC3]

ok say i wanted to play Gears of war on my pc, u are saying i dont need vista ?? is it as easy as put disc in connect it to gamertag and then wammo im play as d3ad Romanc3 on my pc ??

[Flash]

ok say i wanted to play Gears of war on my pc, u are saying i dont need vista ?? is it as easy as put disc in connect it to gamertag and then wammo im play as d3ad Romanc3 on my pc ??

Easy as that, Gears doesnt need Vista to run. But it does need a fairly good Video Card as it's not the best port (It's not as bad as Halo 2, but it's still not perfect).

[D3AD ROMANC3]

well i may give it a try then :) thanks for the info Flash

[Flash]

well i may give it a try then :) thanks for the info Flash

No worries dude, It seems a few people are confused about the compatability of GFW's titles, probably because the first two titles were Vista only.

I'll be sure to note down the compatability of all future titles here.

[Azeron]

The latest version of Live (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=d6a69b9f-2aef-4125-b162-edf0ae922caf&DisplayLang=en)

The latest version of the .NET framework (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=10cc340b-f857-4a14-83f5-25634c3bf043&DisplayLang=en)

These can be useful when encountering problems with live. Back when I did some tech support for shadowrun a lot of it was people having a bad installer for live on their disc.

[D3AD ROMANC3]

Flash here you say that we dont need vista for GoW yet on the main page it says Gears of War pc ( vista ) ??

[Flash]

Flash here you say that we dont need vista for GoW yet on the main page it says Gears of War pc ( vista ) ??

Hmm sounds like the forum needs renaming, I'll inform code now.

[blum3]

there really isn't anything on games for windows live that i would want to play that isn't already out on xbox. i thought about getting a couple for achievements but now that i'm not whoring anymore i have decided against it.

[Flash]

there really isn't anything on games for windows live that i would want to play that isn't already out on xbox. i thought about getting a couple for achievements but now that i'm not whoring anymore i have decided against it.

I think the only GFW's timed exclusive with achievements in the forseeable future is universe at war, It's already out over there in the states but it won't be arriving in the UK until the 25th.

[Haly]

Nice guide :) Almost tempts me to try it out although most games would run pretty bady on my system at the moment.

[Burner110]

Nice guide :) Almost tempts me to try it out although most games would run pretty bady on my system at the moment.


Yea same here.

[JJ UK]

just a quick few questions Flash, im running an iMac, which i can easily install vista onto but im not too sure if it will play, il post my specs here, im pretty good with computers but hardware isnt my thing :p

lol well after a long time of looking i couldnt work out what I had so il just post a link :p http://www.apple.com/imac/specs.html
PS. I have the second most expensive (£1100) 24" Mac

2.4GHz Intel
Core 2 Duo
1GB memory
320GB hard drive1
8x double-layer SuperDrive
ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO with 256MB memory

so if anyone could answer my question before I waste my money, thanks much :)

[Josef]

JJ: The graphics card is pretty good, and it supports DirectX 10, so you'll be fine there (If you have enough dedicated memory to run DirectX 10...). But that's about all I can say, as I don't know enough about memory/dedicated memory or processors to give advice on them! Haha!

Anyway, nice thread Flash. Taught me a few things I didn't know! :D

[Flash]

Looking at reviews and specs of the ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO it has cores running at 600/1000mhz, good ammount of memory etc etc. If you had Vista on your machine you could play nearly every title mentioned above on medium / low settings.

Unreal 3 for Mac you should be able to play on High / Medium though.

[JJ UK]

Great, I have an official copy of Home premium, and an *ahem* acquired copy of Ultimate, don't ask me where, my dads computer genius of a friends can get anything :p, so i think I may have to invest in few games ;)

[XXXJUICEDXXX]

So you can't use xbox 360's wireless controller.? It must be the one that looks like it but has to be the pc version.? I want to go get the stuff to enable playing live on my pc and just want to be sure so I don't over buy. I want to go wireless. I know I need the little adaptor but what about the wireless controller? Can I use the same wireless controller I use on my 360?

[Flash]

So you can't use xbox 360's wireless controller.? It must be the one that looks like it but has to be the pc version.? I want to go get the stuff to enable playing live on my pc and just want to be sure so I don't over buy. I want to go wireless. I know I need the little adaptor but what about the wireless controller? Can I use the same wireless controller I use on my 360?

You can use the wireless controllers that come with the console, or ones that were bought seperatly.

You can find what you need HERE (http://www.gamestop.com/product.asp?product%5Fid=802337)

It comes with a CD and all you have to do is install it, and then just sync the device with your controller and / or a wireless headset!

[XXXJUICEDXXX]

Pimp. Thanks for clearing that up for me.

[Bradmatic]

guy what video card would you recommend to play GoW on, ive got an intergrated one which apparantly wont do the business so any suggestions?????

[Flash]

guy what video card would you recommend to play GoW on, ive got an intergrated one which apparantly wont do the business so any suggestions?????

Best card i'd recommend playing Gears on would be an 8800GTX :P

If that's out of your price range a High end 7 series (7800 / 7900 GTX) would play it on maximum / high settings (At a resolution of 1204x600, if you want a good framerate) and probably the mid range 7 series would play the game on Medium / low settings dependant on the model.

[codedigital]

Best card i'd recommend playing Gears on would be an 8800GTX :P

Close to what I got.

I have the GeForce 8800 GTS (640 MB)

[Bradmatic]

holy jesus, the 8800GTX costs around £360, thats a whole lotta money, you know any decent priced sites i can get either a high end 7 or an 8800 from???

[Flash]

holy jesus, the 8800GTX costs around £360, thats a whole lotta money, you know any decent priced sites i can get either a high end 7 or an 8800 from???

Here's a 8800GTS (Still a badass card) (http://www.ebuyer.com/product/138869)
And here is an 8600GT XXX Edition (http://www.ebuyer.com/product/139051)

Both are made by XFX, which is my favourite Manufacturer for Video Cards.

The 8600GT you may need to make some sacrifices as far as visuals go, but it will play the majority of new games (Including Crysis on a Medium / Low settings on DX9).

Before buying them make sure you have one (maybe two) internal power connections spare, as these badboys need additional power. Oh and of course be sure you have a PCI-Express slot, If you have an AGP slot let me know and I'll try and find the best card available for the slot.

[Bradmatic]

Before buying them make sure you have one (maybe two) internal power connections spare, as these badboys need additional power. Oh and of course be sure you have a PCI-Express slot, If you have an AGP slot let me know and I'll try and find the best card available for the slot.


Wow lol, im such a n00b, where am i looking for an spare internal power connection and by-the-by wtf is a PCI express slot/ AGP???????? SOMEONE PLZ HELP TEH ME IM A N00B

[Flash]

Wow lol, im such a n00b, where am i looking for an spare internal power connection and by-the-by wtf is a PCI express slot/ AGP???????? SOMEONE PLZ HELP TEH ME IM A N00B

What graphics card do you have at the moment, that should tell me what socket you have. And the power connections have four small round holes, the plug is white and it will have red / yellow black and white cables coming from the plug.

[Bradmatic]

AMD ATI Radeon X1300 Pro 256 MB AGP Card is what i think i have i dunno if thats the information your after, thats all i could find on my comp info worth putting in here.

[Flash]

AMD ATI Radeon X1300 Pro 256 MB AGP Card is what i think i have i dunno if thats the information your after, thats all i could find on my comp info worth putting in here.

Right ok, well this card HERE (https://pc-stop.co.uk/product/xfx-nvidia-agp-7950gt-256-ddriii-tv-dvi) is pretty much the best you can get with an AGP socket, i'd expect this to play it on a mixture of medium and high settings.

[codedigital]

If you have PCIX...the molex connector will look like this black one:

http://www.atxpowersupplies.com/images/Molex-to-PCI-Express-Adapter-350x350.gif

[Bradmatic]

cheers, i think im gonna go with the GeForce 7950 seeing as you've recommended it and its only £166 inc VAT so im not that bothered, hopefully this should make PC gaming a bit more crisp. How do i go about installing it, can it be done easily or will i have to take it somewhere like PC World?

P.S. Thanks a lot guys for your input especially you Flash, quick responses and great communication make this place what it is.

[Flash]

cheers, i think im gonna go with the GeForce 7950 seeing as you've recommended it and its only £166 inc VAT so im not that bothered, hopefully this should make PC gaming a bit more crisp. How do i go about installing it, can it be done easily or will i have to take it somewhere like PC World?

P.S. Thanks a lot guys for your input especially you Flash, quick responses and great communication make this place what it is.

Don't take it to PC World!!!

It's literally a matter of removing the old, and just plugging in the new. Probably connecting a Power Wire and you're done. Once it's installed remove the old ATI drivers and install the new. Download and install the drivers from HERE (http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx?lang=en-us), not much point in installing the driver from the disk as it's most probably out of date.

If you do take it to PC World, have a good look inside the machine first and remember what components you have inside, they have a reputation of "misplacing" things.

[codedigital]

Don't take it to PC World!!!

It's literally a matter of removing the old, and just plugging in the new. Probably connecting a Power Wire and you're done. Once it's installed remove the old ATI drivers and install the new. Download and install the drivers from HERE (http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx?lang=en-us), not much point in installing the driver from the disk as it's most probably out of date.

If you do take it to PC World, have a good look inside the machine first and remember what components you have inside, they have a reputation of "misplacing" things.

If he is a total newbie with computers, as he sounds, I recommend taking it to someone. There are a lot of things that can go wrong with an installation...I've seen my fair share.

Don't take it to big stores. Find a local repair shop that's got a great reputation. Take a picture of the inside though so you don't get screwed.

[Bradmatic]

UMMM im confused lol, yeh, i really dont wanna take my computer apart as im not sure if ill be able to put it back together again, right, so maybe ill ring my dad's friend, he made my old PC so he might be able to do this for me (free of charge lol) i wont need to be soldering or anything like that will I???

[Flash]

UMMM im confused lol, yeh, i really dont wanna take my computer apart as im not sure if ill be able to put it back together again, right, so maybe ill ring my dad's friend, he made my old PC so he might be able to do this for me (free of charge lol) i wont need to be soldering or anything like that will I???

Nah, it's literally Take out and slot it in. But like code said, take it somewhere else then it's their problem if it breaks :)

[Josef]

Flash (or anyone for that matter!), do you know whether Monster Madness and Sega Rally have achievements of some kind for the PC? They're Games for Windows that have a Xbox 360 equivilant, but there being a bit inconsistant with the cross-platform achievements system, so I have know idea... Just wondering.

[Bradmatic]

I know what im looking for in the hardware but i just dont know where im looking, will i have to take off the shell of the pc or just the rear, or maybe some other part to get to it and remove it??

[Flash]

Flash (or anyone for that matter!), do you know whether Monster Madness and Sega Rally have achievements of some kind for the PC? They're Games for Windows that have a Xbox 360 equivilant, but there being a bit inconsistant with the cross-platform achievements system, so I have know idea... Just wondering.

Both are a no :( Easiest way to tell is if the box says Games for windows LIVE, it's got achievements. If it hasnt it's a no.

[Flash]

Custom, how is gears playing on your system?

[Bradmatic]

please dont ask lol, i turned all settings down to low and its quite slow at times at then just stops altogether for about 20 seconds then plays fine for another 30 seconds and just repeats this process. Is this a sign i need a better Graphics/Video Card? lol

[Flash]

please dont ask lol, i turned all settings down to low and its quite slow at times at then just stops altogether for about 20 seconds then plays fine for another 30 seconds and just repeats this process. Is this a sign i need a better Graphics/Video Card? lol

Yeah haha :P That 7950 will suit gears nicely though.

[Bradmatic]

yeh, only problem is that the site you forwarded me to only has the availability as awaiting stock, those A holes!!!!!

P.S. where abouts in the South of the UK are you from??

[Bradmatic]

hey flash what's your thoughts on this model??

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000P7NDN4/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&2115R1QQP8JJDT6I0AHelpfulReviews1.s=SUCCESS&qid=1199564949&sr=8-1&voteError=0&2115R1QQP8JJDT6I0AHelpfulReviews1.v=1

[Flash]

hey flash what's your thoughts on this model??

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000P7NDN4/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&2115R1QQP8JJDT6I0AHelpfulReviews1.s=SUCCESS&qid=1199564949&sr=8-1&voteError=0&2115R1QQP8JJDT6I0AHelpfulReviews1.v=1

Awesome card and good for the money.

Pretty much the same as what I posted before, but it's XFX. It'll play pretty much everything you throw at it.

I'm from Bournemouth but i'm in the process of moving to Brighton.

[Bradmatic]

wow, freekish, ive applied for both Bournemouth and brighton for univeristy for the next following academic year to study architectural technology and architecture for 5-7 years.

Also, these NVIDIA cards are getting some really bad reviews about there life expectancy saying they last only weeks and crash and freeze up alot, would you say they're still trustworthy to get?

[Flash]

wow, freekish, ive applied for both Bournemouth and brighton for univeristy for the next following academic year to study architectural technology and architecture for 5-7 years.

Also, these NVIDIA cards are getting some really bad reviews about there life expectancy saying they last only weeks and crash and freeze up alot, would you say they're still trustworthy to get?

I'd say it was probably reviewed by an ATI fanboy.

In 6 years of using NVIDIA i've never had a problem.

[Bradmatic]

Hmmm, anything ey?? What about Crisis on Highest running quality, lol
right okay so the one i found on amazon will work fine right??
Will i also need to get any cables or attachments to hook it up, or any software??

[Flash]

Hmmm, anything ey?? What about Crisis on Highest running quality, lol
right okay so the one i found on amazon will work fine right??
Will i also need to get any cables or attachments to hook it up, or any software??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UYgM7rzBCw

That's running on a PCI-e card, but it's practically the same card.
You won't be able to run it in DX 10 to get the highest settings as that card isnt DX10 enabled. but yeah, pretty much it can run it on high.

[Bradmatic]

wow, not bad quality in that vid, i was only joking seeing as crisis is known for being a beefy game for PC's but thats a shocker that it could run it, i might buy the one from amazon in the next half hour if i can find my online bank details and check my balances, lords knows what i got left from payday :) probably a hefty number in the red, hopefully im wrong though.

[Flash]

wow, not bad quality in that vid, i was only joking seeing as crisis is known for being a beefy game for PC's but thats a shocker that it could run it, i might buy the one from amazon in the next half hour if i can find my online bank details and check my balances, lords knows what i got left from payday :) probably a hefty number in the red, hopefully im wrong though.

Thats running Crysis in DX9, but it still looks good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsC1oTICwrM&NR=1

Bioshock needs more hardcore hardware, but it runs that amazingly too.

I'd snap up the card being as it rocks!

[Bradmatic]

yeh i just bought it from amazon and got it promised for delivery by wednesday!!!! ill be bugging you then on how to set it all up, may need to get your mobile or something as ill have to turn off my pc for the most of it. cheers for all your help in this situation, you must feel like an agony aunt lol.

[Flash]

yeh i just bought it from amazon and got it promised for delivery by wednesday!!!! ill be bugging you then on how to set it all up, may need to get your mobile or something as ill have to turn off my pc for the most of it. cheers for all your help in this situation, you must feel like an agony aunt lol.

No worries man.

PM me when it arrives and i'll send it over.

We'll have to play some Crysis when you get the card through.

[Bradmatic]

all ive got to worry about now is my hardware, ram capacity and memory etc, do you reckon they're alrite atm anyway.

[Bradmatic]

No worries man.

PM me when it arrives and i'll send it over.

We'll have to play some Crysis when you get the card through.

No doubt, some crisis, gears, maybe kane an lynch if i can be bothered to buy it lol

[XXXJUICEDXXX]

cheers, i think im gonna go with the GeForce 7950 seeing as you've recommended it and its only £166 inc VAT so im not that bothered, hopefully this should make PC gaming a bit more crisp. How do i go about installing it, can it be done easily or will i have to take it somewhere like PC World?

P.S. Thanks a lot guys for your input especially you Flash, quick responses and great communication make this place what it is.

These things can be installed as easy as ram. Plug and play. Open case and you will instantly see its home . Plug it in power it up. I just put mine in 2 days ago. Was a 7800 gt and took 5 mins . That includes unhooking all from pc and reconnecting.:) Check their site for update. Think newest update for geforce is 12-20-07.

[Bradmatic]

cheers juiced, ive got a pick of my old one so i know what im looking for, so ill just take the back off and it should just be in there right, it wont be screwed to a surface or any of that rubbish i hope, should take me no time in that case.

[XXXJUICEDXXX]

cheers juiced, ive got a pick of my old one so i know what im looking for, so ill just take the back off and it should just be in there right, it wont be screwed to a surface or any of that rubbish i hope, should take me no time in that case.

I didn't even remove my old one. It was combined with stuff that I was not touching. I just plugged my graphic card into to open slot(PCI) that matched the teeth for it then put the case back unwrapped my unused DVI cable :) connected and powered up . No problems at all. Computer recognizes the best card and uses it. I have a Dell so it's nothing really high dollar so I'm sure most computers will be the same.

[Flash]

Just added a guide on how to setup the Xbox 360 Headset being as it's not plug & play.

[Khaos x3h]

Seeing as how I won't be able to play much games on my laptop until my mom upgrades her computer. She's lookin at an 8800. So, I've heard that their are external graphics cards, after doing some research on them, I have found nothing on them or anything for that fact. Help Flash!

[XXXJUICEDXXX]

Seeing as how I won't be able to play much games on my laptop until my mom upgrades her computer. She's lookin at an 8800. So, I've heard that their are external graphics cards, after doing some research on them, I have found nothing on them or anything for that fact. Help Flash!

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=5602

:)

[Khaos x3h]

Thanks juice! I'll look into it.

[Flash]

Positioned horizontally, the L-shaped device measures 10.75-inches wide by 4.5-inches high by 6.35-inches long. ASUS confirmed support for Windows Vista and Windows XP in addition to most modern ATI and Nvidia PCI-Express boards. The notable exception: Nvidia's recent high-end 8800-based cards (they're too long to fit inside the XG Station's casing).

Looking at the review on PCWorld.com the device isnt big enough for the 8800 you wanted (Quoted above).

It doesnt look like it's hit the market yet either, being as it was reported back at CES 07 it will probably be out soon. But the device takes the whole point of having a laptop to game on, being as you have to use an external monitor.

If it's a stationary laptop it's an awesome device.

[Khaos x3h]

Oh well then I'll just wait for my mom to upgrade our desktops this summer

[Bradmatic]

I didn't even remove my old one. It was combined with stuff that I was not touching. I just plugged my graphic card into to open slot(PCI) that matched the teeth for it then put the case back unwrapped my unused DVI cable :) connected and powered up . No problems at all. Computer recognizes the best card and uses it. I have a Dell so it's nothing really high dollar so I'm sure most computers will be the same.

Yeh ive got a Dell too, hopefully ill have a spare PCI slot then to put it into, whats all this about a DVI cable?

[Flash]

Added two new Games for Windows Live titles to the list

http://www.gamesforwindows.com/PublishingImages/games/UniverseatWar/universeatwarboxshotang3.jpg

And

http://www.gamesforwindows.com/PublishingImages/games/TheClub/theclubboxshotang2.jpg

[Flash]

GFW's Update: Assassins Creed PC has just been confirmed to be a standard PC game, not a Games For Windows Live title.

[im a manatee]

Yeh ive got a Dell too, hopefully ill have a spare PCI slot then to put it into, whats all this about a DVI cable?

It's a digital cable. Check your monitor for the funky input. It's an array of square pins and one large pin. Basically, when you use a VGA cable, the computer sends digital information over an analog connection, or VGA. It's like taking a shower and then going dumpster diving behind the local BBQ restaurant.

With a DVI connection, it's digital the whole way, allowing for higher resolutions and refresh rates. Thats a tad oversimplified, but I figured thats enough for you. Google DVI to find some great information on the subject.

[XXXJUICEDXXX]

Yeh ive got a Dell too, hopefully ill have a spare PCI slot then to put it into, whats all this about a DVI cable?

Look at the back of your monitor . If it has a DVI Hook up . This cable will plug into it and give you Top notch Resolution / speed / quality .
http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee140/XXXJUICEDXXX/DVI-IEXT15_FULLSIZE.jpg

[Mightymango]

I've noticed that Juiced 2 HIN isn't available in the states yet, but that has a separate achievement list. You can import it to play in in the states, but it doesn't look like alot of people have played it.

[Mailboxhead]

I've noticed that Juiced 2 HIN isn't available in the states yet, but that has a separate achievement list. You can import it to play in in the states, but it doesn't look like alot of people have played it.

Yeah, this game is apparently pretty lousy on PC.