Dark Souls PC Games for Windows Live Petition

When Namco Bandai announced that the extremely challenging Dark Souls would be making its way to the PC many gamers rejoiced, but when it was also revealed that the PC edition of the game would be using Games For Windows Live that rejoicing lost a little bit of its luster. Disappointed by the news, gamers have now banded together and started an online petition to try to get the game away from GFWL.

According to the message in the petition, PC fans find the DRM in Games for Windows Live to be extremely intrusive and hard to work with. As a counterpoint they suggest using Steamworks — the standard for PC gaming — to keep fans happy.

At least the hopeful Dark Souls gamers are being reasonable and acknowledging that a DRM-free game isn't possible, and are instead suggesting a better alternative. Currently, the petition has amassed some 19,000 signatures, but seems to be losing traction.

When Dark Souls was first revealed to be getting a PC version, complete with a new quest and an updated look, the petition started to take off, logging some 17,000 signatures in the first couple of days. Since then, however, there have only been about 2,000 additional signatures in a similar time span.

Petitions these days have been getting a little bit overzealous, especially after the Mass Effect 3 ending petition reaped some real reactions from developers. The online petition isn't something that started with Mass Effect 3, in fact this PC version of Dark Souls might have happened because of an online petition, but it definitely gained a certain bit of usefulness because of it.

While Games for Windows Live, and to a lesser extent Origin, aren't exactly the optimal choices for a hardcore title like Dark Souls that shouldn't discourage any gamer from picking up the title. What should discourage them is how difficult, yet oh so satisfying, the combat in the game is (make sure to read our review).

Would you outright boycott Dark Souls for the PC if it stayed with its Games for Windows Live support? Does the service ruin your PC gaming experience?

Dark Souls is heading to the PC on August 24, 2012.

Source: Economic Justice