WLM GameStatus v0.1
Update #2: Updated binaries and source code now available from Codeplex!
Update: this has been updated, I recommend you get the latest version by visiting the front page.
I’m a gamer, and I use Windows Live Messenger (why does this sound like an AA meeting?). I dislike it when people will start spamming talking to me asking questions like ‘whatcha up to?‘ while I’m playing a game. So, WLM GameStatus (WGS) will automatically set my Personal Message (PSM) to the name of whatever game I’m playing, and then revert back to what I had it when I close the game
Installation
Installation is a bit convoluted, since WLM Add-in support isn’t automatically enabled, that has to be done through the registry (step 2 & 3)
- Download and extract Zip file
- Open up RegEdit.exe
- In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\MSNMessenger, set AddInFeatureEnabled to 1
- Create HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Aeoth, add a new String Value called Location. Set the value of ‘Location’ to where you extracted the dll and xml files (ie, D:\wsg0.1)
- Install the DLL into the Global Assembly Cache – drag and drop it into C:\Windows\Assembly or from commandline, gacutil -I wgs.addin.dll
- Run Windows Live Messenger, Options, Add-ins, Find the DLL, Click ‘Settings’, Detect Games. Close that settings window
- Use the drop down where you set your ‘status’, and you should see a “Turn on ‘WGS’”. Select that.
- Play game
Supported Games
So far I’m only ‘supporting’ games I’ve got installed – mainly ’cause they’re the only ones I can test.
- World of Warcraft
- Command and Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars
- Neverwinter Nights 2
- Lord of The Rings Online
- Hellgate: London (Beta)
- Starcraft
- Unreal Tournament 2004
- Battlefield 2142
- Enemy Territory: Quake Wars
If you want to add more games support, edit gamesdatabase.xml (and then run detect games again) or detectedgames.xml. Feel free to add the details of other games in the comments
In vNext (or I should say, features I’ll try and add over many versions) my plans are
- Simplify installation process
- Add some exception handling
- Use DDE instead of setting messenger.AddInProperties.PersonalStatusMessage. Should be a lot more friendly, and use the ‘WLM’ game icon
- XFire_Games.ini file converter
- Manual Adding/editing of games
- More “secure” detection. Currently just looks for process name, doesn’t care about where it comes from.
- DirectX Overlays to enable in game chat. Need to sign a third party DLL to do that first, eek.
Disclaimer
While it shouldn’t damage anything, if it does, its not my fault. It should be used ‘as-is’, and at your own risk.
Comments
3 Comments
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[...] digging around in my registry lately, to find a few registry values for games I have installed for WGS (v0.2 was meant to be out yesterday, but I’m waiting ’till I get the DDE code right), [...]
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[...] installation instruction, read the previous post on WGS Programming , [...]
Bleh, found at least one bug already…doesn’t save the XML list of detected games.
I’ll release a second version with at least that bug fix late tomorrow.