Details regarding the launch of Live for Windows have been emerging recently, despite Microsoft remaining tight-lipped overall about the whole ordeal. Even at the GDC, they were more or less silent, but one detail that has leaked is in regards to pricing. The cost will be the same regardless of platforms, including Silver level being free as it currently is on the Xbox. Also, those who have existing Xbox Live accounts and/or Gold level accounts will be able to carry those over to PC games and retain their existing data. They are worried about the perception PC gamers will have about paying a fee for a service such as live, and as such as looking to make it “worthwhile” :

“We're not crazy enough to think that people will suddenly start paying $50 a year to get something they already get for free on Windows ... all I can say now is that we're working to make a Gold membership worthwhile even if you're only connecting to Live from Windows Vista.”

What this entails they aren't telling, though I'm sure it's more than just online statistics. Whatever the incentives will be, I hope they also work to making PC Live games and Xbox Live games interact, introducing millions of new players to each other. It has been said before that even in online play, they may not allow the same game from different platforms to interact.