Unfortunately, that sounds similar to my experiences with Fallout 3. MS are seriously losing the PC space and I think they'll really regret it if they don't already.

Not just the lack of appealing software. It's also the fact that on PC we've been playing multiplayer for free since the days of Doom. Steam would never have been popular if you had to pay to play online. Can you imagine all those people who had been playing Counterstrike for free paying to play CS: Source? They'd just keep playing Counterstrike original.

MMORPGs are a different beast altogether as they require far more server and maintenance costs and people accept that, yet even so their are free to play MMOs.

Actually, it looks like Fable 3 will be released several months after the 360 version- http://www.product-reviews.net/2010/08/03/fable-3-pc-release-date-delayed/

The problem for Microsoft with GfWL is that they've completely lost the momentum.  Now, not only do they have to make it 'as good as' Steam, it has to be better, otherwise there's really no point in using it. Ports of 360 games just aren't going to be enough.

GFWL is dead born years ago

Steam and Bnet are just way way way bigger

Yet more evidence of MS' "We'll support PC" line being nothing more than rhetoric that most don't believe anymore. That's actually quite annoying. I suppose I'll have enough RPGs to play on PC though with Dragon Age 2 and Witcher 2.

And at this stage I think you're right. It does have to be better than Steam. I think at the moment GFWL only serves 360 gamers that want more and easier acheivement points.

the only way for them to compete with steam at this point is ether cheaper games (I don't see it happening) or a larger selection of games available, and with the number of franchises ditching GFWL (Fallout, Warhammer etc) I don't see that happening especially with games like call of duty etc requiring steam the fact that Valve seem to be making more games for PC than Microsoft on PC ATM, which is strange considering the time it takes traditionally valve games to be made, I mean where the hell is ep3??? 

If Microsoft really wanted to compete with steam they would need to bring a load of GFWL exclusive (as in not available on steam) games people wan't Halo 3, Halo reach, Halo MMO, gears 2 3, a REAL Age of empires game etc would be a start but would still need a steady stream of support. And for their patching and save game systems to be fixed and add a raft of additional features like cross game voice chat, a standalone client with the ability to easily invite people to join games and a bunch I can't think of right now. 

and even with all that I am not sure they could be more popular than steam. Yes I know you said compete...

oh yea and the ability to buy a game like Fable 3 once and play on both 360 and PC, so at home you could play on the big TV an on the go play it on your laptop and of course have you save game in the cloud and cross compatible.

really, it's been 3 years since GFWL launched, there's no external client and there's a variety of problems that have not and will never be solved (e.g. avatars, chat). it's mostly useful for companies like Capcom and Codemasters that can then port their games focusing on optimizing graphics and other things instead of coding for a PC version.

Steam is getting exclusives faster than GFWL gets better too, on the "platform" part I don't see GFWL EVER getting near Steam.

Bear in mind I said years. Not over night.

I'd like to think several things you mentioned will be accomplished eventually.

Good, I hope Darksiders doesnt use GFWL either, I would also like to see Capcom ditch GFWL and opt for Steam as well, but who knows how long their contract is with MS. GFWL is a failed experiment, I dont see why its so hard for MS to admit that.

The worst thing about GFWL is the way it handles save games, its a pain in the ass to transfer them between Pcs and different OS, or just plain back them up.

Thank you for Direct X libraries MS, that's all you need to do, let other devs take care of the rest.

Darksiders is not using GFWL, it seems it ain't using anything, not even Steam.