Signed. I want this game too.

I don't really have the chance to play on ps3 cause my housemates use it for FIFA and NBA frequently. I like to take my time to explore and immerse in its gameplay and atmosphere, not people sitting there waiting to play their game or worse, make me feel that my games are boring. Those are games like Mass Effect 2. In the end, I barely played the games I got. Not point buying Dark Souls then.

Also, I still prefer playing it on pc if I have the chance. better graphics, controls and frame rates.

Holy, the PC Powerplay copy is right in my hands and i didnt know "You Died" is actually for Dark Souls.

Gonna get this game. Just hope i didnt destroy my keyboard or laptop out of frustration.

Oh god, why did you use GFWL?

Dont think i want to get this game on Day 1. Do not want to be frustrated by GFWL again.

Namco Bandai did it right with Ridge Racer Unbounded with Steamworks out of the box. They manage to port RRU from PSN or Xbox LIVE to Steamworks, what make it so difficult to port Dark Souls to Steamworks if they have done it in the first place? RRU did have some multiplayer issue, but those problems can be fixed. To be honest, I rather have a broken Steamworks implementation than GFWL to begin with. If i am not wrong, Space Pirate and Zombies developers took 1 week to implement Steamworks into their game with full Steam intergration such as authentication, achievements and so on. Considering Dark Souls is a more complex game, maybe a month would be sufficient.

Many publishers such as THQ, Codemasters, Bethesda and 2K had abandon GFWL in their newer games for Steamworks because Steamworks is more acceptable by gamers. Even Square Enix, who is also a Japanese publisher also use Steamworks for all their games. At the same time, Steamworks is far less problematic because Valve actually improves the Steam's functionality, while Microsoft never improve GFWL at all. Just because Xbox LIVE is working great, no doubt it's a great system, that does not mean GFWL is the same, even if both is using the same backend. GFWL is a terrible system by any stretch, worse than TAGES with it's 3 activation limit, Securom or even Starforce.

When your game is using a better, easier to use system, the sale of the game will be much better. PC gamers get to play an absolutely stellar game, while Namco Bandai manage to make a profit out of it. So, why shouldnt any developer use Steamworks in their games? Even Alan Wake uses Steamworks, despite its a port from 360 and manage to earn back their investment in porting the game over to PC in a few days. Bethesda seem to be making a huge profit with Skyrim on Steam with the game constantly appearing at Top 10 Best Sellers. From a business prospective, i do not see why Dark Souls should not use Steamworks. "Steam or no sale" indeed is fanboyism, but i can see the reason behind it.

A game with GFWL is a no buy for me. Anything else, from TAGES, Securom, Steamworks, Origin or even Ubisoft DRM are alright for me. GFWL has caused me numerous hassle in even playing a game that i legitimately own, why should i bear the frustration again? I do not mind dying in Dark Souls, but the frustration of using GFWL is just not worth the hassle at all.

Putting GFWL with a good game will make it a much more frustrating experience for the gamer. As someone who had a lot of problems with GFWL, no way i'll stomach it again as the problems i had is far more than all the problems Steam, Origin, Ubisoft DRM combined.

Namco Bandai manage to release Ridge Racer Unbounded PC with Steamworks, and what makes it so difficult to release Dark Souls with Steamworks too? Since both games are by the same publisher.

Steam is not perfect by any means, especially the offline mode is difficult to use and it's ridiculous policy in banning people. I had the redownloading problem and i hate it with my guts too. And the problem with sharing account, its you yourself who got into this problem. Not the platform's problem and by Steam's EULA, you are not suppose to transfer your account to anyone else. Also, comparing all the Steam problems to GFWL, Steam is by far better and easier to use than GFWL which manage to be preferred service by most gamer.

At the same time, i would say, look into the unhappy Dark Souls PC gamer's thoughts. These people want Dark Soul to be a commercial success on PC and GFWL is preventing the game from being successful. Bulletstorm was a flop on PC partly due to GFWL with it's infamous bad multiplayer NAT and region locked for most countries in the world. How are you gonna achieve commercial success if you confine your game to that selected 35+ countries chose by Microsoft? Or on a DRM/multiplayer system that barely changed since it's launch? Even the original petition had a mock up Steam store page for Dark Souls where it could be a sign where consumers wants a Steamworks version.

I dont see this as an entitlement issue, as if the product is unfit for it's purpose, such as a game that comes with GFWL that has a very high chance of preventing you from playing your game, why should anyone buy it? Consumers need to have a good product with no glaring defects, which GFWL has been failing to provide it.

I made my stand, if Dark Souls comes with GFWL, no sale for me.

This post has been edited by Cheesenium: Apr 14 2012, 01:52 AM

I am assuming you have not played RRU. RRU is also just a port with console issues on the PC version such as 30 fps lock and a strange bug with it's multiplayer system. It wasnt even a good port like Skyrim or Alan Wake to begin with.

As mentioned by indie developers, such as Minmax Games, Steamworks is extremely easy to implement where it only took a week for Minmax to add Steamworks to their almost completed game. From Software has no reason not to choose Steamworks over dreaded GFWL, other than its a bad decision. Even Relic claimed that the porting from GFWL to Steamworks is fairly easy to do and also resulted better sales of the Retribution expansion.

No one's blaming From Software or Namco Bandai for the poor decision. PC gamers wants to see this decision changed before its too late.

There is nothing to do with the similarity of code with xbox LIVE. Alan Wake was a 360 exclusive game but the PC version does not have GFWL at all. Remedy took about 6 months to port the game over, and add PC specific features with some aid from an external studio. In the end, they manage to earn back all their investments for the PC port in a few days.

Why cant From Software do the same as Remedy? Rather than using GFWL, even if PC gamers hates it so much. Then, release Dark Souls with GFWL and could not earn back the money they spent to port the game over. After that, blaming that all PC gamers are pirates while the truth is, their DRM and multiplayer system is unfit for purpose.

Nobody wants to see that happening, which is why almost everyone wants this bad decision with GFWL be changed.

Bulletstorm did even worse on PC than consoles, due to the region lock that GFWL impose on and it's poor reputation that it has been giving since it's launch. Blaming GFWL is not scapegoating in this case, as it is just a terrible DRM and online system by any means that discourage people from buying the game.

I do not see whats wrong with the non transferable model as it is done to increase security of a game. Me and my brother have a Steam account each, and i have no problem getting single player games for 2 separate account as games do not cost that much during Steam sales.

No one is being a Gabe trooper, but PC gamers wants to see Dark Souls to be successful on PC. Putting GFWL is just trying to piss off legitimate owners while restrict the sales to a handful of countries. People are done with GFWL with countless horrible experience with Fallout 3, Dirt series, Dawn of War series and so on. They do not want to see Dark Souls being ruined by GFWL.

Majority of users who used GFWL for a while will know how intrusive or annoying is the system. There is no need for any customers feedback since GFWL is never being improved on. I do not think that the idea of not buying Dark Souls because it has GFWL is a foolish decision. In fact, the idea of ignoring the poor reputation that has been associated with GFWL for years while still buy the game is even more foolish.

The question is, have you even used GFWL? Or you are just looking from the point of view of the well implemented Xbox LIVE? Both GFWL and Xbox LIVE are completely different thing to begin with, except they share the same backend.

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Added on April 14, 2012, 7:33 pm+1 to Total Biscuit. I do agree most of the stuff he said, but i do not agree with the "tolerate GFWL" part. It's a subpar system with no improvements ever made.

No way im gonna spend my money on it, unless there is a huge sale with it.

This post has been edited by Cheesenium: Apr 14 2012, 07:43 PM

I read somewhere that Namco Bandai has not signed the contract with GFWL yet. They are still considering the options.

The bad thing will be, Dark Souls will be a straight port from console with bare bones PC features. Thats not gonna change, and From Software admit it.

Push it back to next year, i dont mind waiting as long as the PC version is gold. Without GFWL. And console players must have those PC "exclusive" DLCs by a free patch or a paid DLC. Love the honesty of From Software so far. If the final game is using Steamworks, i'll get it day 1.

This post has been edited by Cheesenium: Apr 18 2012, 09:03 PM

Unfortunately, thats probably gonna stop me from buying but maybe the game itself might still sell the game to me, like Toy Soldiers and Arkham City.

I think, the Steam version will still have GFWL, as they are using xbox LIVE as the backend for multiplayer in Dark Souls.

Not gonna buy this game at all, since the port is even worse than some half assed console port.

Dark Soul port is pretty done without any asses.

The absence of GFWL logo at the end of the trailer makes me really excited. Hopefully it will stay that way.