EA Gets Ready to Throw Down With Steam - UPDATED

[Andy Chalk]

EA Gets Ready to Throw Down With Steam - UPDATED

Electronic Arts appears to have set its sights on Steam, confirming that more of its titles will be digitally released exclusively via Origin in the future - but denying that it had anything to do with the removal of Crysis 2 [http://www.amazon.com/Crysis-2-Pc/dp/B002BS47YE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1308154237&sr=8-3] from Steam.

You may have noticed that Crysis 2 is no longer available on Crysis 2 website [http://store.steampowered.com], where it now sports a label proclaiming that the game is available "only on Origin." EA says that's just the first step.

EA plans to have more than 150 games ready to purchase when Origin goes live, the most high-profile of which at this point has to be GamesIndustry [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/110617-The-Old-Republic-Downloads-to-be-Exclusive-to-EAs-Origin-Service].

"I think long-term you'll see we believe in reach so we will have other digital retailers for our products because we want to reach as many audiences as possible," he continued. "But at the same time if we can use exclusive content or other ideas to help grow our audience then we're going to do that because we're growing a platform."

"We are going to continue to be great partners for our retail channel partners as they evolve their business models to account for digital," he said. "But at the same time you talk about platform exclusives like Uncharted [http://www.amazon.com/Halo-Reach-Xbox-360/dp/B002BSA20M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1308154669&sr=8-1], EA's going to have some of our own platform exclusives."

UPDATE: There's been no small amount of confusion about why Crysis 2 is missing from Steam. The initial assumption was that EA pulled the game to make the point that it was going after the big dog, a notion reinforced by the fact that it's still available on IGN [http://www.direct2drive.com/10262/product/Buy-Crysis-2-Download] that it didn't make the decision to take down the game - Valve did.

"It's unfortunate that Steam has removed Crysis 2 from their service. This was not an EA decision or the result of any action by EA," the company explained. "Steam has imposed a set of business terms for developers hoping to sell content on that service - many of which are not imposed by other online game services. Unfortunately, Crytek has an agreement with another download service which violates the new rules from Steam and resulted in its expulsion of Crysis 2 from Steam."


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[Sean Strife]

Yeaaaaaaaaaaaah... this idea's gonna tank. And tank horribly. They'll wind up going back to Steam once Origin fails miserably.

 

[Irridium]

So, what about people who bought it, and other EA titles on Steam? Will they still be able to play it?

So Valve did this now? What new rules does Steam have that Crysis 2 violates? Is it because Crysis 2 is being offered on the Publisher's own service? If that's the case, why hasn't The Witcher 2 been removed for being on GoG?

Is it because Crysis 2 is offered on other Digital distribution services? If so then almost every single game on Steam should be removed.

So... what are these new rules, and where can we read them?

Not exactly looking forward to how this turns out, since EA doesn't have the same amount of care for its customers that Steam/Valve does. As evidence by how they say they have the right to ban you from playing your games if you say something naughty in their forums.

And what the hell is with EA challenging everything lately?

 

[Booze Zombie]

"Sir, we're going to limit our products to one platform, this will 'drive' people into our business like cattle!" "Won't this also limit how many places we can make money from and as a result, make us less money as convenience is the master of impulse-buying?" "Um..."

 

[V8 Ninja]

Wait a sec, does that mean people who bought Crysis 2 on Steam don't have it anymore?

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

oooh...

This is gonna be good. Better get some beers in as well.

Who will reduce your yearly sports updates now EA?

 

[Shamanic Rhythm]

I think perhaps 'grow our audience' might be code for 'grow our wallet'.

I'm not signing up to another bloody digital distribution service just because EA wants to grab every last penny they can.

 

[Worgen]

in related news, ea decides to be totally retarded and do the stupidest thing it can think of

you know cause if there is one thing pc gamers love its having to have a bunch of background programs open to run their games library

 

[robert022614]

They want more control and even if all EA games were pulled from all digital distributors that it wouldnt make a dent in Steam because they have something that EA will never have and that is loyal customers who appreciate how Steam and Valve run their business with the customer in mind.

 

[Quellist]

*facepalm* this is such a bad idea and its going to fail horribly...

 

[bombadilillo]

I don't understand why they are doing this. Why do they want people to use this service? Well have fun with that. I rufuse to uses your crap.

 

[gCrusher]

I do not approve of this decision.

 

[Blind0bserver]

As far as I can tell EA is doing this across the board with their new releases. For example, Alice: Madness Returns launched yesterday but I haven't seen word one about the game being released on Steam.

This does beg a question, though; now that EA has pulled Crysis 2 from the Steam catalog, are Steam members being refunded whatever money they paid to pre-order it? If that's the case this entire "plan" of theirs seems incredibly stupid and all around counter-intuitive to their bottom line.

 

[isnosche]

Remember the the we are not evil, we love our games press release.
Well this kinda says it all no ?

 

[TheMadJack]

Can't wait to see EA's idea flop, sink and drown.

There is no way I'll be buying anything from Origin. I'll even pass Mass Effect 3 if they only make it available from there.

I already have to put up with your bad decisions and ludicrous support, no way in hell/heaven/wherever that I'll put up with that.

 

[doomboy29]

What about the guys that already bought it of Steam?

 

[Doom972]

I planned to buy this game once I can buy it for 30 bucks or less, so I occasionally checked it's price on Steam ever since it came out.
I checked about an hour ago to find it's no longer available and now I find out why.
I won't buy this game unless they bring it back there since it's the only way for me to get it at a good price.
If they continue to act this way I'm not sure if I'll buy any EA game after Mass Effect 3.

 

[IKWerewolf]

Can't argue with any of the statements. The trouble is it is Steam vs EA. EA constantly uses Perisistant online connection where as at most Steam uses one time sign in online to validate the copy, WIN to Steam.

EA is only just starting out with this project whereas Steam has expierience with this sort of process, WIN to Steam.

EA will only be dealing with one pulisher, i.e. themselves. Steam has a multi-publisher network varying from indie to major publishers, WIN to Steam

Valve enjoys taking innovative ideas and making them viable and giving Indie Game Firms the cruicial stepping stone into the industry, do you see EA doing this, WIN to Steam.

4-0 to Steam, the term "look out below" screams in my mind as EA sales plummet through the floor.

 

[William MacKay]

"Sir, we're going to limit our products to one platform, this will 'drive' people into our business like cattle!" "Won't this also limit how many places we can make money from and as a result, make us less money as convenience is the master of impulse-buying?" "Um..."

"and wouldnt it piss people off as they have to set up a separate account for a similar service with a limited amount of games?" seriously. this idea will crash burn and stop people from deciding to play EA games on PC: "new EA title for the PC great- oh, wait, i need to set up an Origin account and i cant be assed..."

 

[RadiusXd]

So, what about people who bought it, and other EA titles on Steam? Will they still be able to play it?

Not exactly looking forward to how this turns out, since EA doesn't have the same amount of care for its customers that Steam/Valve does. As evidence by how they say they have the right to ban you from playing your games if you say something naughty in their forums.

And what the hell is with EA challenging everything lately?

I see what you did there!

OT: for my reaction to this please magnify my avatar (for those who don't know the text is "are you fucking kidding me") not cool EA, I very much enjoy having the option to centralise with steam.
If you think you really need to remove your products from steam in order to give "origin" a fighting chance at anything, well what does that say about the quality of your product.

The goal here if anything, should not be to become the ONLY choice, but the BEST choice.

TLDR; you are playing with fire EA, and I hope you roast.