Microsoft is shutting down its Games for Windows Live marketplace on August 22nd. In a support note on the company's Xbox site, Microsoft reveals that its Points system and PC Marketplace will be closed, meaning Games for Windows Live users will no longer be able to purchase games. The client software will be unaffected initially, so previously purchased games and content will still be available for customers.

The closure comes just days after former Valve employee Jason Holtman revealed he had joined Microsoft to focus on "making Windows a great platform for gaming and interactive entertainment." Holtman spent eight years working on Valve's Steam digital distribution platform, and it's likely he'll be focusing on similar work at Microsoft. The software giant has largely ignored PC gaming over the years to focus on Xbox. Games for Windows Live is widely criticized by PC gamers over its DRM mechanisms and lacklustre ports of Xbox titles. Although the full service isn't shutting down fully, it's clearly the beginning of the end for Games for Windows Live.