Delusions of grandeur are funny and all, but they are a sign/warning of deeper issues, especially in a company that looks to do business. For starters, how many self-proclaimed “Wow-killers” have you seen that ended up being disappointments? Aside from virtually all of them. Yes, it seems that by the time a product (WoW, Steam, Ipod, Windows, etc) gets to the point of success where other products use it as a focal point of sales (___-killer), the product has become so successful that it has rooted itself in the number one spot, at least for the time being.
Microsoft’s Games on Demand (Or GOD) was just recently announced, and is essentially a digital download addition to Games for Windows Live. The company aims to take a chip off of Steam’s 70% hold of the digital download market, and I say good luck with that. Good luck in the same manner you tell your friend “good luck” as he dons his helmet, cape (bath towel), and proceeds to jump off the roof of a building to prove he can fly.
At this juncture, GOD will only allow you to purchase and download Live-enabled games; Which makes the market very, very small. Granted, Microsoft can play some dirty tactics and use their endless coffers to pay for exclusive titles. So you have a smaller collection, most likely at equal or similar pricing to Steam, what could possibly give Steam more of an edge?
Microsoft Points! For some reason Microsoft insists on using the Xbox Live’s point system rather than a real currency, of which you are almost guaranteed to have a small amount of cash lingering after every purchase. Why pay $25 dollars for something when you can pay $30 and see that extra five dangle in perjury for all of eternity.
If Microsoft hopes to compete with Steam, at all, Games for Windows Live needs to be less of a nuisance. There are some of us who still remember when Microsoft wanted to charge for playing GFWL games online.
MMO Fallout 