Microsoft readies browser-based Windows store for PC games

Microsoft has announced plans for a new Web version of its Games for Windows Marketplace. Come November 15, Windows PC users will be able to use the online portal to buy digital copies of video games from their browser, with 100 titles available from the likes of Rockstar and 2K Games, among others. The new marketplace will require a Windows Live ID and users will be able to purchase games with their Microsoft Points or a credit card.
In addition to online access from any PC, Microsoft is touting "ultra-fast" transfers, fewer clicks for both purchase and download, easier navigation, improved search, dedicated publisher pages to find new games, and recurring specials such as "Deal of the Week." Much like competing services, gamers will be able to easily redownload games they purchased.
Microsoft currently offers PC software for downloading and managing the more limited set of games that work with its Games for Windows Live online gaming service. The Games for Windows Marketplace is really just a browser-based version of this, but that's the crucial part: the store is more accessible and the number of steps required to purchase a game has been slashed.
Digital downloads in the video game industry are growing in importance, and Microsoft is still playing catch-up. Just recently, Steam passed the 30 million user mark and Valve announced the platform was offering over 1,200 games.
Launch and upcoming titles include Age of Empires Online, Dead Rising 2, Deus Ex: Game of the Year Edition, Fable: The Lost Chapters, Fable III, Flight Simulator, Gears of War, Grand Theft Auto III, Halo, Lego Universe, Lost Planet 2, Max Payne, Microsoft Flight, Zoo Tycoon, and others.
"With Games for Windows Marketplace, we set out to create a digital store built for PC gamers end-to-end," Kevin Unangst, senior global director of PC and mobile gaming at Microsoft, said in a statement. "And by integrating with our existing Xbox LIVE and Windows Live services, we've made it easier than ever for millions of gamers to see for themselves how easy buying PC games can be."