"The key problem with the service right now is that any feature that Microsoft implements and charges for, the developer can't implement themselves," Sweeney said. "As a PC developer, we're used to having complete freedom and defining our feature set-what we can give gamers and what they can do in our game. That's a big change, quite a huge change, for PC developers to now have features that we simply can't do."

"We'll wholeheartedly jump onto Games for Windows [Live] if it evolved into the sort of system that's compatible with gamers' expectations on the PC platform," Sweeney added.

In March, Microsoft announced that a free silver membership to Games for Windows Live would bring Xbox Live features to PC, including Achievements, Gamerscores and Gamertags. An annual $50 fee for the gold service would add features such as matchmaking and most notably, PC-to-Xbox 360 online multiplayer for compatible games. The problem is that PC gamers have come to expect many core online features for free and might not be willing to pony up the cash when the service launches May 8. "Taking all of these things that everybody has come to expect for free and now yanking them back and trying to sell them isn't going to fly with the Windows platform-not with Epic and not with the big publishers," said Sweeney.