The new user desire for paid download, the marketing strategies based on the success of Apple's App Store and other portals would have identified, also in relation to Microsoft Windows games take advantage of. The in-house PC-gaming platform Games for Windows on 15 November this year, their "marketplace" open up the German users and the paid download of many commercially available games to allow in the title. As the company reports, will offer 100 titles, and start around both current highlights include the classic as well.

As partners, Microsoft has big games publishers on board. In addition to the in-house games department, international provider Capcom about 2K and Warner Bros. To Square Enix represented. Examples of titles offered is called Microsoft the third-Pirson shooter Lost Planet 2 (Capcom) and the online game LEGO Universe (Warner) and brand new titles, classics, the "Game of the Year Edition" of the cyberpunk shooter Deus Ex (Square Enix), the undercover spy thriller Max Payne and the gangster action game Grand Theft Auto III (both Rock Star) called. The game studios of the Redmond software company, according to the announcements include their current Flight Simulator and the classic first-person shooter Halo to contribute. Also Fable III and Age of Empires online to its release for Windows PCs there to be available via download.

Condition for the use of the marketplace is a Windows Live account. To keep alive the interest of users, you want just the regular games offer discounts for weekly changing "Deal of the Week" titles and other promotions give. A search function will offer games filtered by title, genre or publisher open up the. Buying a title is selected, paid per click is done either by credit card or with "Microsoft points". Users can earn points as a comprehensive means of payment for the purchase of the house platforms use them. They are in the market places of Games for Windows and Xbox Live as well as for the loan of films about the Zune Video Marketplace accepts both.