Major Nelson dishes on Games for Windows Live

I got my hands on a gold copy of Halo 2 for Windows Vista yesterday (it goes on sale in a few weeks) and after installing it I did a few things that, while geeky, are worth mentioning. Some are downright cool:

• After installing H2 for Vista, I was able to sign in to Xbox LIVE from the ‘Guide’ within the game, and see all of my LIVE friends, messages etc. (above and here)
• I hooked up my Xbox 360 Wireless Controller and my Wireless headset to my PC via the Wireless Gaming Receiver.
• I was able to send and receive text and voice messages from the guide to other LIVE members who were on their Xbox 360’s. You press the Guide button on your controller and the guide pops up over the game – just like on the Xbox 360.
• Got my first Halo 2 Achievement (and added another 30 points to my GS)
• While I was playing through the first level of the campaign, I was on a voice chat over my wireless headset with Litheon who was playing Gears of War on his Xbox 360.

There was a LOT of technology going on here but it was a fairly seamless experience. Once you get your hands on Halo 2 for Vista, you’ll see what I mean. It will get even better when Shadowrun ships later this year and PC players and Xbox 360 players can not only communicate over LIVE but also compete against each other. With the the new LIVE connectivity with PC games this is the start of a new era of gaming for Games for Windows and Xbox 360 owners.

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