EA Blames Dragon Age 2 Disappearance on Valve

[TheGuy(wantstobe)]

Valve basically imposes a "We're the only ones to digitally sell this high profile product" clause. It's not a new concept.

This is demonstrably false. Tons of games launch simultaneously on D2D, Onlive, Gamer's Gate and Steam.

The DLC thing says otherwise. Buy with Valve or fuck you is the message.

And yet DiRT 3 as a very recent example sells it's DLC exclusively through Live and ingame and Valve has no problem with this. This is EA looking for an excuse to pull content and not seem like massive dicks and it's failing miserably.

Umm... Yeah... really over-priced DLC that they get a cut of is clearly evidence they aren't cutting a publisher out of their service.

They do not get a cut of sales of DLC that do not go through the Steam store. DiRT 3 DLC is not sold in the Steam store so they do not get a cut. I would have thought the word "exclusive" would have tipped you off to this but you are even more challenged than the average internet denizen.

Coming from someone who doesn't understand quotation marks aren't what you use for emphasis I'll manage to live. Legacy, the DA2 DLC, came out on the 26th and now DA2 is removed from the store. Want to act even dumber and call it coincidence?

Use-mention distinction quotation marks in this case, but of course someone as learned as yourself knew this and was just testing me.

I'm not calling the removal a coincidence as that would be rather foolish. What I am calling foul on is that it has only happened to EA and then only to their two most popular games on Steam that would be applicable in a change of TOS and not to the other games that have had DLC released exclusively ingame from other Publishers or even EA themselves with the Alice: Madness Returns DLC since said TOS changes took place.

 

[Irony's Acolyte]

This sounds more like 'Valve wouldn't let us side-step them and abuse their servers, so we're gonna throw a hissy-fit.'

More like 'Valve didn't like how they weren't getting money on everything and so they threw a hiss-fit.'

Both of the Dragon Age games have had it so you can buy DLC in game, exactly what Valve doesn't seem to like because they don't get any money for it. I'm not sure if this is why DA2 disappeared, but it does make some sense.

Also wow, I see alot of people in this thread that immediately jump to Valve's defense. I don't know if that's because I believed EA way to easily or because people don't like to think that Valve and Steam aren't an amazing company who can't do wrong (beyond the usual 'Valve time'). Maybe both.

 

[Azaraxzealot]

What "restrictive terms of service" was there exactly that prevents download off of Steam? I've got to call BS on EA on this part. It cannot possibly be purchasing downloadable content in-game, because many other games allow that including the just added new set of Free-2-Play titles that Valve ENCOURAGES!

because OBVIOUSLY steam is infallible, right?

ah, so steam shows its true colors now? its going to savage the competition and just sit back and watch the hordes of mindless fanboys that is the es[redacted]t and all PC gamers jump to its defense

steam is not a prophet of chirst (which the greater PC gaming community believes valve to be), if they do something questionable or bad it means they're just as fallible as any other game company!

This sounds more like 'Valve wouldn't let us side-step them and abuse their servers, so we're gonna throw a hissy-fit.'

More like 'Valve didn't like how they weren't getting money on everything and so they threw a hiss-fit.'

Both of the Dragon Age games have had it so you can buy DLC in game, exactly what Valve doesn't seem to like because they don't get any money for it. I'm not sure if this is why DA2 disappeared, but it does make some sense.

Also wow, I see alot of people in this thread that immediately jump to Valve's defense. I don't know if that's because I believed EA way to easily or because people don't like to think that Valve and Steam aren't an amazing company who can't do wrong (beyond the usual 'Valve time'). Maybe both.

just read my above post. you'll get the idea.

 

[Azaraxzealot]

Valve Cars for its customers/players, Look at what it did for the polycount people in tf2 IT PAID THEM, not a few bucks A LOT OF CASH!

Look at the community maps for L4D2! Its even helping with one! They even promote modding! Holy Crap I KNOW!

and it supports free to play games (and the humble indie bundle) and even made tf2 F2P.

Valve cares. What about you EA? How do you care for your customers?

And screwing them up the arse isn't caring.

it was valve's decision to start taking down EA games, not EA. stop [redacted sexual reference involving this poster and valve] and start realizing VALVE IS NOT INFALLIBLE! they're a corporation just as much as any other and money is the first thought in their minds.

My money is on a publicity grab for Origin.

After all, what better way to draw attention to your own Digital Distributor than to pick a fight with the king of the hill?

Exactly, there is no way it is a coincidence that EA decides to make its own digital distribution network and then suddenly Steam has crazy restrictions, especially since not a singe other company has voiced concerns over these alleged restrictions

take your tin foil hat off and just realize that Valve can be just as greedy as EA. this is no conspiracy theory, stop trying to facilitate it as such and just go off of the hard evidence.

Steam took down Dragon Age 2.

that's the evidence. there's no conspiracy, just deal with it.

 

[theriddlen]

If this is really because Valve doesn't allow DLC's to be sold ingame... well Valve, it's a dick move. However thanks to it I now can say that I'm not a Valve fanboy and give this as a reason.

 

[KeyMaster45]

Hmm, it's a real pity for me to hear that. I may have bought DA2 at some point in the future if a steam sale brought it down enough. Though now I guess EA just won't get my money. Their loss I suppose, guess I'll just sit back and wait for their Origin service to slowly explode in their face due to their typical draconian bullshit DRM.

 

[Nalgas D. Lemur]

You know, this whole Origin vs Steam, EA vs Valve thing is one of the few times I'm glad to be a lowely console player. I don't have to worry about where I will get my games.

EDIT: I'm not anti-PC gaming at all. I'm just saying that "Not having to deal with DD services is a plus for me"

I definitely get where you're coming from, because this is starting to get to be a pain in the ass. I wish they'd just keep everything available from all the stores, both digital and physical, and we could choose based on who has the best price or special bonus features or whatever else makes any given person happy, instead of doing this crap that just makes our lives difficult as customers.

On the other hand, you're not entirely safe on consoles, either, with things like the way Microsoft requires everyone to use their network services through Xbox Live, which has hurt (or even resulted in the cancellation of) some MMOs and free DLC and things like that. Everyone seems to want control over their platform/games if they can get it, usually as a way to get more money out of it, not because it's in our best interest.

 

[Something Amyss]

The first rule of PR is...Well, the first rule of PR seems to be "deny there's a problem." But right up there, maybe number 2 or 3, is "blame the other guy." Ea's been rather restrictive themselves, it seems easier to believe they were at loggerhads due to EA's terms rather than Steam's.

However, both are evil empires. One's just got a friendlier face at the moment and offers kill sales.

 

[Azaraxzealot]

Valve Cars for its customers/players, Look at what it did for the polycount people in tf2 IT PAID THEM, not a few bucks A LOT OF CASH!

Look at the community maps for L4D2! Its even helping with one! They even promote modding! Holy Crap I KNOW!

and it supports free to play games (and the humble indie bundle) and even made tf2 F2P.

Valve cares. What about you EA? How do you care for your customers?

And screwing them up the arse isn't caring.

it was valve's decision to start taking down EA games, not EA. stop [redacted sexual reference involving this poster and valve] and start realizing VALVE IS NOT INFALLIBLE! they're a corporation just as much as any other and money is the first thought in their minds.

My money is on a publicity grab for Origin.

After all, what better way to draw attention to your own Digital Distributor than to pick a fight with the king of the hill?

Exactly, there is no way it is a coincidence that EA decides to make its own digital distribution network and then suddenly Steam has crazy restrictions, especially since not a singe other company has voiced concerns over these alleged restrictions

take your tin foil hat off and just realize that Valve can be just as greedy as EA. this is no conspiracy theory, stop trying to facilitate it as such and just go off of the hard evidence.

Steam took down Dragon Age 2.

that's the evidence. there's no conspiracy, just deal with it.

Really? Well heres some "evidence" for you. If you pre-order via Steam you save money. If you pre-order from origin, they charge you. Example THE OLD REPUBLIC

So.... how much they charge for a game automatically makes Valve innocent in taking Dragon Age 2 down? That's what I'm getting from that argument.

 

[Catalyst6]

It's funny, I was half-thinking about buying Crysis 2 and DA2 when they dropped in price on Steam. I would *never* pay full price for them, but Steam's been good to me and it usually gives good deals eventually.

...

Guess I'm not buying C2 or DA2!

 

[Xanadu84]

I...am biased. I love Steam, so really I don't have a credible leg to stand on. But I can't bring myself to take EA seriously here. I personally have spent money in EAs store, through both Dragon Age AND Mass Effect 2 which I bought on Steam. No one else is complaining like this. And this is timed so conveniently after they released there own DD system. I REALLY wanna hear what Valve has to say about this, because they have a lot more credibility.

Also, it's worth repeating: I was going to buy Battlefield 3. If it's not on Steam, I won't. Simple as that.

 

[koroem]

I don't see the issue here EA, clearly you agreed to steams terms of service and knew you wasn't allowed to sell dlc inside the game, denying steam it´s share of the profit.

This is exactly why people should be questioning this shadiness. The terms of the distribution had to have been set before the deal was set into motion. Both Dragon Age 2 and Crysis 2 were on Steam, then pulled. Someone had to have breached contract for them to have been pulled.

The first question is who was it, and the second is why haven't legal actions been taken by either party? The bottom line is this hurts the customers and hurts competition. It really seems like deliberate action on EA's part to cut Steam out of their profits, and distribution even though they have some kind of deal.

I'm no Steam Fanboi, but I can certainly see problems abrewin for PC gamers...

 

[Danpascooch]

It's not a coincidence, it's EA looking for an excuse to pull their product and deal a blow to the goodwill Steam has generated by trying to blame them.

How do you know its not the other way around. Steam is pulling the products and knows that if it just shuts up on the whole subject its loyal fanboys will flock to its defence. Mabey they see origin as a threat and are trying to kill it off.

So.... how much they charge for a game automatically makes Valve innocent in taking Dragon Age 2 down? That's what I'm getting from that argument.

If he is using that logic just point out the fact that three quarters of the games on steam are priced higher then everywhere else.

Valve has never taken this position with any other games from publishers that utilize their own distribution network, also Valve has nothing to gain from pulling the games if they didn't break contract because if anything that HELPS EA since their network will be the only place to buy it, they certainly aren't going to get more profits that way.

 

[Omnific One]

Ea has the wool pulled over their eyes. PC gamers are by far the most informed gamers and about 95% of them use Steam (hardcore, that is). So when factor into account that many, if not most, Steam gamers use Steam exclusively (i.e. they won't even use D2D or other sites, just because they aren't Steam), why would they think that alienating that group entirely will make them more money? It's just ridiculous.

 

[synobal]

Seems kinda obvious, EA signed a contract with Valve when they decided to distribute their games through Steam, now that they have origin they are breaking the contract and shouting 'it's valves fault!' when they get pulled from steam. I mean what the hell seems kinda obvious to me it's your fault if you're breaking a contract. Trying to build negativity against valve and support for your Origin service by this childish behavior is just lame and shows how stupid you think your customers are EA.

Besides Dragon age 2 sucks, it's better for everyone if they just remove it from Origin as well.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

What "restrictive terms of service" was there exactly that prevents download off of Steam?

That's what everyone's asking. Until you come up with the goods EA, don't start this playground tattletale.