Patch downloads frequently freeze or time out without telling the user, leaving them staring at an unmoving progress bar. Wardell cites “a lack of commitment to quality” as one of the problems with the service, and it’s easy to see why. While we’re talking, he sends us a screenshot of what Live is displaying as he’s logging in: a ‘Server Too Busy’ error message on the homepage. This is, let us remember, a service that is supposed to cover the vast PC gaming landscape, backed by the resources of the world’s biggest software company

Online profiles work in much the same way as Xbox Live: you sign up, create a Gamertag and, by being signed in, collect Achievements as you play games. The issue is that, if you start a game while logged in to your account, your saved games are then irrevocably tied to that online profile. If your internet connection is ever unavailable, or if the Games for Windows Live servers aren’t working, then those saves are inaccessible. You cannot play your singleplayer game.