Rumors recently circulated about Xbox Live Silver members getting access to free online play for certain cross-platform games. Well, more information has come to light, and the rumors happen to be true. Find out what games are getting free online play after the jump!

We know - releasing Games for Windows LIVE for free looks something short of a desperate plea to get the platform running. But on top of that, it looks like Microsoft wants to take control of download content distribution on the PC as well. That's right - there a Windows LIVE Marketplace announced as well. But the biggest news we get from the XNA Gamefest 2008 is the fact that Windows LIVE Gold services are now completely free. Get the primary details at the full story.

Wondering what ever happened to Microsoft's original plan for Live Anywhere? For some, it's been taking the company a while to fully finish the integration of the service across many platforms. Xbox Live Executive John Schappert said that the service is till going to push through. Know more after the jump!

If you're an MMORPG player, you've probably found at least a couple of things that could've been done better as far as your favorite MMORPG is concerned.

Now, Microsoft is offering players a chance to create the kinds of online multiplayer games they want with XNA Game Studio 2.0 game development software for Xbox Live or Games for Windows. More game creation goodness after the jump!

Effective July 9, Chris Early will become the general manager of Windows Live. Replacing his former position is casual games executive Bryan Tussel.

Formerly the president and chief operating officer for GameSpy Industries, Early's first position in Microsoft was as a studio manager for Microsoft Casual Games and product unit manager for Xbox Live Arcade. His specialty is the ins and outs of multiplayer gaming, which makes him the ideal man to fill the role in taking Windows Live a step further into becoming a milestone in the gaming industry.

Windows Live is Microsoft's new initiative in creating a cross-platform network between the Windows and the Xbox 360, allowing multiplayer capabilities between the two. It is currently only available on the Windows Vista. The Windows Live service has also been demonstrated to perform on mobile devices and Zune and although these aren't a reality yet, the possibilities seem to be endless. Let's wait and see what Chris Early will bring to the stage.