How does Games for Windows — LIVE activation work?
Activation is not required if you play offline. Online activation is only required if you want to connect to the Games for Windows – LIVE service. If you don’t want to connect to the Games for Windows — LIVE service, you can create an offline profile as described below. Games for Windows — LIVE offers gamers two different forms of online activation. Game publishers can choose whichever system best suits their game. • Server Side Authentication (SSA). This is the newer system that ties the game’s Games for Windows — LIVE access code to an individual user account. This means the user can download, install, and play the game on any number of machines, without limits. Note, however, that only the user account that activated the game’s Games for Windows – LIVE access code will be able to play the game online using Games for Windows — LIVE. • Non-SSA. This is the original system that Games for Windows — LIVE used. In this system the game’s product key is not tied to a user account. Any numbe
