Microsoft has announced the forthcoming November release of its Games for Windows Live platform featuring a number of new service features including offline Achievements, 'joinable' notifications for friends, and other UI features.
Microsoft notes that its last update, v1.1 added new language support for Russian, Polish, Czech, Norwegian and Dutch, 12 new gamer pics and a new Network Information Viewer, as well as backend updates like improved error messaging and security.
The new 1.2 update will add the aforementioned offline Achievement feature which ensures that players will not have to be connected to the internet to score points, as well as the ability to see whether friends are 'joinable' through the service itself.
Finally, Microsoft also notes a number of UK holiday releases that will support the updated service, including
The Club, Kane & Lynch: Dead Men, Universe at War: Earth Assault, Gears of War and
Viva PiƱata.