Games for Windows was a brand owned by Microsoft and introduced in 2006 to coincide with the release of Windows Vista. The brand itself represents a standardized technical certification program and online service for Windows games, bringing a measure of regulation to the PC game market similarly to how console manufacturers regulate their platforms. The branding program was open to first and third-party publishers. It was officially discontinued on August 25, 2013; however, the company stated that content previously purchased could still be accessed via the Games for Windows - Live client software.