<s>
Games	B-Application
for	I-Application
Windows	I-Application
is	O
a	O
discontinued	O
brand	O
owned	O
by	O
Microsoft	O
and	O
introduced	O
in	O
2006	B-Application
to	O
coincide	O
with	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
the	O
Windows	B-Application
Vista	I-Application
operating	I-Application
system	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
brand	O
itself	O
represents	O
a	O
standardized	O
technical	O
certification	O
program	O
and	O
online	B-Application
service	I-Application
for	I-Application
Windows	I-Application
games	I-Application
,	O
bringing	O
a	O
measure	O
of	O
regulation	O
to	O
the	O
PC	O
game	O
market	O
in	O
much	O
the	O
same	O
way	O
that	O
console	O
manufacturers	O
regulate	O
their	O
platforms	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Games	B-Application
for	I-Application
Windows	I-Application
was	O
promoted	O
through	O
convention	O
kiosks	O
and	O
through	O
other	O
forums	O
as	O
early	O
as	O
2005	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
promotional	O
push	O
culminated	O
in	O
a	O
deal	O
with	O
Ziff	O
Davis	O
Media	O
to	O
rename	O
the	O
Computer	O
Gaming	O
World	O
magazine	O
to	O
Games	B-Application
for	I-Application
Windows	I-Application
:	O
The	O
Official	O
Magazine	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
GFW	O
issue	O
was	O
published	O
for	O
November	O
2006	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2013	O
,	O
Microsoft	O
announced	O
that	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
PC	O
Marketplace	O
would	O
cease	O
operations	O
,	O
which	O
would	O
result	O
in	O
the	O
discontinuation	O
of	O
the	O
Games	B-Application
for	I-Application
Windows	I-Application
brand	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
spite	O
of	O
this	O
announcement	O
,	O
the	O
company	O
stated	O
that	O
content	O
previously	O
purchased	O
could	O
still	O
be	O
accessed	O
via	O
the	O
Games	B-Application
for	I-Application
Windows	I-Application
–	I-Application
Live	I-Application
client	O
software	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Its	O
successor	O
is	O
the	O
Xbox	B-Protocol
app	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Games	O
certified	O
by	O
Microsoft	O
feature	O
a	O
prominent	O
"	O
Games	B-Application
for	I-Application
Windows	I-Application
"	O
logo	O
border	O
across	O
the	O
top	O
of	O
their	O
packaging	O
,	O
in	O
a	O
manner	O
similar	O
to	O
games	O
developed	O
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
Xbox	I-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Certain	O
games	O
certified	O
under	O
the	O
Games	B-Application
for	I-Application
Windows	I-Application
brand	O
,	O
including	O
Shadowrun	B-Application
,	O
and	O
UNO	B-Application
featured	O
cross-platform	O
compatibility	O
,	O
allowing	O
gamers	O
to	O
play	O
against	O
each	O
other	O
across	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
consoles	O
and	O
traditional	O
Windows	B-Application
Vista	I-Application
or	O
Windows	B-Device
7	I-Device
PCs	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Starting	O
with	O
Halo	O
2	O
on	O
May	O
31	O
,	O
2007	O
,	O
certain	O
Games	B-Application
for	I-Application
Windows	I-Application
titles	O
have	O
access	O
to	O
Microsoft	O
's	O
Live	B-Device
network	O
for	O
online	O
play	O
and	O
other	O
features	O
,	O
including	O
voice	B-Protocol
chat	I-Protocol
,	O
instant	B-Application
messaging	I-Application
and	O
friends	B-Protocol
lists	I-Protocol
,	O
accessed	O
from	O
an	O
in-game	O
menu	O
called	O
the	O
"	O
Guide	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Users	O
can	O
log	O
in	O
with	O
their	O
Xbox	B-Application
Live	I-Application
gamertags	O
to	O
gain	O
achievements	O
and	O
play	O
games	O
and	O
chat	O
across	O
platforms	O
with	O
games	O
that	O
support	O
cross-platform	O
compatibility	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
features	O
,	O
including	O
cross-platform	O
multiplayer	O
gaming	O
and	O
multiplayer	O
achievements	O
,	O
initially	O
required	O
a	O
subscription	O
to	O
the	O
Xbox	B-Application
Live	I-Application
Gold	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
on	O
July	O
22	O
,	O
2008	O
,	O
Microsoft	O
announced	O
that	O
all	O
Games	B-Application
for	I-Application
Windows	I-Application
functionality	O
would	O
be	O
free	O
for	O
existing	O
and	O
future	O
members	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
early	O
adopters	O
of	O
the	O
technology	O
would	O
receive	O
refunds	O
for	O
previously	O
incurred	O
charges	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
,	O
Microsoft	O
launched	O
a	O
Games	B-Application
for	I-Application
Windows	I-Application
Live	I-Application
Marketplace	O
,	O
similar	O
to	O
the	O
Xbox	B-Application
Live	I-Application
Marketplace	O
,	O
which	O
allowed	O
users	O
to	O
download	O
or	O
purchase	O
content	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
game	O
demos	O
,	O
add-ons	O
,	O
and	O
gamer	O
pics	O
,	O
with	O
Microsoft	B-Device
Points	I-Device
;	O
the	O
publisher	O
of	O
a	O
title	O
would	O
determine	O
if	O
an	O
item	O
required	O
to	O
be	O
purchased	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
same	O
time	O
,	O
Microsoft	O
announced	O
its	O
intentions	O
to	O
make	O
the	O
Games	B-Application
for	I-Application
Windows	I-Application
-	I-Application
Live	I-Application
client	O
software	O
interface	O
more	O
friendly	O
and	O
to	O
reduce	O
the	O
technical	O
requirements	O
for	O
developers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Games	O
Explorer	O
,	O
included	O
with	O
all	O
versions	O
of	O
Windows	B-Application
Vista	I-Application
and	O
Windows	B-Device
7	I-Device
,	O
is	O
a	O
special	B-General_Concept
folder	I-General_Concept
that	O
showcases	O
the	O
games	O
installed	O
on	O
a	O
user	O
's	O
computer	O
and	O
their	O
related	O
information	O
,	O
essentially	O
making	O
it	O
a	O
games	O
gallery	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
a	O
compatible	O
game	O
is	O
installed	O
,	O
the	O
operating	B-General_Concept
system	I-General_Concept
adds	O
a	O
shortcut	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
to	O
the	O
Games	O
Explorer	O
,	O
and	O
can	O
optionally	O
download	O
additional	O
information	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
game	O
packaging	O
and	O
content	O
rating	O
information	O
(	O
e.g.	O
,	O
ESRB	O
,	O
PEGI	O
,	O
ACB	O
,	O
CERO	O
)	O
through	O
the	O
developer	O
's	O
own	O
game	O
definition	O
file	O
or	O
from	O
information	O
provided	O
by	O
the	O
Internet	O
,	O
although	O
this	O
feature	O
was	O
discontinued	O
since	O
2016	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Games	O
Explorer	O
supports	O
custom	O
commands	O
for	O
games	O
and	O
also	O
includes	O
shortcuts	O
to	O
configure	O
various	O
operating	B-General_Concept
system	I-General_Concept
components	O
which	O
may	O
be	O
pertinent	O
to	O
gamers	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
audio	O
devices	O
,	O
display	O
devices	O
,	O
firewall	B-Application
settings	O
,	O
and	O
game	O
controllers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Windows	B-Application
Vista	I-Application
,	O
Games	O
Explorer	O
allows	O
developers	O
to	O
expose	O
game	O
metadata	O
and	O
thumbnails	O
to	O
the	O
interface	O
and	O
Windows	B-Application
Search	I-Application
through	O
a	O
shell	O
handler	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Games	O
Explorer	O
is	O
fully	O
compatible	O
with	O
the	O
parental	O
controls	O
feature	O
included	O
in	O
Windows	B-Application
Vista	I-Application
and	O
Windows	B-Device
7	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Tray	O
and	O
Play	O
is	O
a	O
technology	O
developed	O
by	O
Microsoft	O
for	O
Windows	B-Application
Vista	I-Application
that	O
allows	O
users	O
to	O
insert	O
a	O
game	O
disc	O
into	O
an	O
optical	O
disc	O
drive	O
and	O
play	O
the	O
game	O
while	O
it	O
installs	O
itself	O
in	O
the	O
background	O
and	O
streams	O
off	O
the	O
disc	O
with	O
minimal	O
or	O
zero	O
caching	B-General_Concept
—	O
in	O
a	O
manner	O
similar	O
to	O
a	O
game	B-Device
console	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Part	O
of	O
the	O
Games	B-Application
for	I-Application
Windows	I-Application
initiative	O
involved	O
ensuring	O
that	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
peripherals	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
the	B-Operating_System
Xbox	I-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
Controller	O
and	O
Wireless	O
Gaming	O
Receiver	O
worked	O
across	O
Windows	O
platforms	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
peripherals	O
not	O
only	O
work	O
with	O
certified	O
games	O
,	O
but	O
also	O
with	O
the	O
default	O
games	O
included	O
with	O
Windows	B-Application
Vista	I-Application
,	O
such	O
as	O
Minesweeper	B-Application
.	O
</s>
