Any way to play this game without GFWL and still save games? :(

[Lostie]

I tried XLiveLess (xlive.dll) and BMAA wouldn't start Can this game be played without signing in to GFWL and still have the ability to save your games?

I've had it up to here with GFWL

Edit: Solution found, scroll to my post further down.

[Hulahoop]

Can't you create offline profile? I used that for GTAIV. For Batman i didn't bother, since i created Live account in the mean time.

[Lostie]

Could you possibly elaborate on how to do that please? Sorry I only got this game in the sale the other day. My primary issue is that I don't want to lock this game to a specific windows live account for a few reasons: because I have more than 1 live account, privacy concerns, and I don't want to lock my games to another platform (Steam is enough FFS). To be clear I do have GFWL installed because of GTA IV, but no games are tied to it (thanks to XLiveLess ).
Does this "offline profile" allow me to play and save without giving GFWL my CD-KEY? (I already gave it to SecuROM which was about as much as I could stand!). If not then thanks for the suggestion anyway, I'm going to play it a while without the ability to save to decide if selling my soul to GFWL will be worth it for this game or not (of the 10min I played so far, I'm really liking it).

[Hulahoop]

I just tried it, it's easy as a pie, you don't even need an email address.

Just watch this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLMr4tPV9Hc

In the Live window with wall of text just scroll down and click create local profile link, it's easy to miss if you don't scroll down. I suppose they made it that way on purpose

Don't know about the CD key though, if it's still neccessary to be entered...

[Knoxer]

Make an offline account, and I don't believe it will ask you for a password.
To make an offline account at the start screen hit the home key, click create a profile and you'll have the option of making an offline account.

[Lostie]

I found the solution at last! Your advice to create an offline profile was correct (thank you!), but the method only applies to old versions of GFWL - it is different and far less obvious in the latest version.

There is no "offline profile" option immediately visible in any of the GFWL screens, instead it steamrolls you onto the Microsoft Xbox website to create a "gamer profile" and then to enter your CD-KEY. The "offline profile" option is in fact buried in a blue link (looks like a normal web link) at the bottom of 2 or 3 screens of text which I think was on the help or information screen, or maybe the where can I get a CD-KEY screen. Once you've done this it will let you play the game and save your progress, and at no point do you need to give your CD-KEY and personal information to Microsoft! Of course any multiplayer or online scoreboard features will not work, but everything else should be fine. Note: Every time you start the game you will still be prompted to sign in to GFWL - just press ESCape and it will instead use your offline profile.

[bryonhowley]

Originally Posted by Lostie

I found the solution at last! Your advice to create an offline profile was correct (thank you!), but the method only applies to old versions of GFWL - it is different and far less obvious in the latest version.

There is no "offline profile" option immediately visible in any of the GFWL screens, instead it steamrolls you onto the Microsoft Xbox website to create a "gamer profile" and then to enter your CD-KEY. The "offline profile" option is in fact buried in a blue link (looks like a normal web link) at the bottom of 2 or 3 screens of text which I think was on the help or information screen, or maybe the where can I get a CD-KEY screen. Once you've done this it will let you play the game and save your progress, and at no point do you need to give your CD-KEY and personal information to Microsoft! Of course any multiplayer or online scoreboard features will not work, but everything else should be fine. Note: Every time you start the game you will still be prompted to sign in to GFWL - just press ESCape and it will instead use your offline profile.

Or instead of going though all that you could have just signed into GFWL entered your game key code accepted the license aggrement and played the game. Would have taken a whole minute and you would have been done!!! The only and I mean the only reason to bypass GFWL like this is because of a pirated copy that is it and all!

[Whinis]

Originally Posted by bryonhowley

Or instead of going though all that you could have just signed into GFWL entered your game key code accepted the license aggrement and played the game. Would have taken a whole minute and you would have been done!!! The only and I mean the only reason to bypass GFWL like this is because of a pirated copy that is it and all!

Or Because GFWL sucks and you don't want to have to deal with it. I have stopped buying GFWL games because of this.

[Ghostbreed]

Yeah yeah, GFWL is such a virus oh and it works so bad oh dear me

[Whinis]

Ghost maybe you should read more thread on GFWL or the reviews from major websites on how bad it is. For threads is another one on this game where the guy got his account deleted and lost all his GFWL games and Microsoft refuses to help. In the same thread is people complaining it takes over an hour to get the game running after install. Even Microsoft admitted that it was a colossal failure as far as they were concerned but that's probably because they can't charge monthly for it like they can on xbox.

Fact of the matter is the system is broken, offers nothing but xbox achievements to show xbox friends. I have xbox friends but I really don't care about my xbox gamerscore as I am playing on a PC and NOT an XBOX.

[castun]

Originally Posted by bryonhowley

Or instead of going though all that you could have just signed into GFWL entered your game key code accepted the license aggrement and played the game. Would have taken a whole minute and you would have been done!!! The only and I mean the only reason to bypass GFWL like this is because of a pirated copy that is it and all!

Yes, it's totally awesome when I'm trying to play Batman on my PC and I suddenly get kicked out of my game and locked out of my saved games because my GF tried to watch Netflix on the 360 in the living room (which of course has my XBL account which is tied to my GFWL account.)

FYI, GWFL has nothing to do with copy protection itself, it's only so you can tie the game to your XBL/GFWL account for achievements.

[Versteken]

Originally Posted by Whinis

Ghost maybe you should read more thread on GFWL or the reviews from major websites on how bad it is. For threads is another one on this game where the guy got his account deleted and lost all his GFWL games and Microsoft refuses to help. In the same thread is people complaining it takes over an hour to get the game running after install. Even Microsoft admitted that it was a colossal failure as far as they were concerned but that's probably because they can't charge monthly for it like they can on xbox.

Fact of the matter is the system is broken, offers nothing but xbox achievements to show xbox friends. I have xbox friends but I really don't care about my xbox gamerscore as I am playing on a PC and NOT an XBOX.

And for every horror story you hear there's about a zillion more people who use it and have no problems whatsoever. You don't hear from them though, because they're not having a problem. It's human nature, people are more likely to kvetch than they to say they have no problems.

But pray tell, where exactly did Microsoft say that it's a "colossal failure" as you so eloquently put it? Please, show us a citation. I googled "Microsoft Says GFWL is a failure" and came up with nothing. Perhaps you can do better?

[castun]

Originally Posted by Versteken

And for every horror story you hear there's about a zillion more people who use it and have no problems whatsoever. You don't hear from them though, because they're not having a problem. It's human nature, people are more likely to kvetch than they to say they have no problems.

But pray tell, where exactly did Microsoft say that it's a "colossal failure" as you so eloquently put it? Please, show us a citation. I googled "Microsoft Says GFWL is a failure" and came up with nothing. Perhaps you can do better?

Even if just 1 person out of millions loses their account, or loses their saved game progress because GFWL somehow corrupts it (google that, it does happen plenty) it's still 1 too many people. It's bad enough getting kicked out of your game without warning and losing all your progress just because your 360 was turned on and logged in as you.