Does the steam version of fallout new vegas include xbox achievements? ie. can you link your xbox 360 gamertag with the steam version of the game (similar to other games for windows live pc games)?

The steam version includes steam achievements that mirror xbox achievements. You cannot link your gamertag like in Games for Windows Live games. Fallout New Vegas is not a Games for Windows Live game.

You only get steam achievements. Bit of a shame, but at least you're freed from the crappy games for windows live interface and save game management.

By the sounds of it, people are losing significant progress because of Steam Cloud issues. At least with FO3, people weren't losing significant progress, the only problem with that was people were playing the game with an offline profile, then making an online profile and complaining their saves were "missing" only to find out that the saves were in a slightly different directory. Once they were moved they had access to them again. Personally, I'd rather have GFWL.