EA Gets Ready to Throw Down With Steam - UPDATED

[Shifty Tortoise]

Well, this can only go horribly wrong for EA, there missing out on millions of possible customers. Doesn't help that Valve is being kind of a dick though... Surely by their own rules they should drop every game that appears on GoG as well?

 

[synobal]

I'll buy physical copies of ME3 and SW:tOR. Unless EA decides to go digital only with either, in which case they just lost my sales on them (and my sub for SW).

SW:TOR is supported entirely via origin so even if you buy the disk all your patches game updates etc require you to use an origin long in name and password. You're not avoiding Origin by buying the actual disk.

 

[Hungry Donner]

Ok so let me get this straight -

EA is saying that Crytek signed a contract with a different DD service that violated the terms they agreed on with Steam.

Reading between the lines, it's possible that the "different DD service" is, in fact, Origin, and that EA specifically wrote the agreement so that signing on with Origin would violate the terms Crytek agreed to with Steam, and maybe even pressured Crytek into doing it.

Bravo.

I'm confused as well. Plenty of games on Steam are available on other DD services, the fact that EA would not elaborate on what specific detail got Crysis 2 kicked makes me very suspicious about the finger they're pointing in Valve's direction.

Maybe Valve is antagonist here, but if so tell me why EA.

 

[koroem]

Ok so let me get this straight -

EA is saying that Crytek signed a contract with a different DD service that violated the terms they agreed on with Steam.

Reading between the lines, it's possible that the "different DD service" is, in fact, Origin, and that EA specifically wrote the agreement so that signing on with Origin would violate the terms Crytek agreed to with Steam, and maybe even pressured Crytek into doing it.

Bravo.

Yeah I'm scratching my head on this one too. If that was the case then why are the other 2 Crysis titles still there? Did it go on a title by title basis?

 

[Shifty Tortoise]

From The Origin Help section [http://help.origin.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/2085/kw/activation%20limit]

QUESTION
I've received an error message on Origin, what does the error mean?
ANSWER
You may receive one of the following error messages if you have reached the maximum amount of times your game can be downloaded through Origin:
For security reasons, you are allowed # concurrently active licenses. This limit has been reached. Please wait until one of the other licenses auto-expires, then try again.
License response error: '78008,Max machine lifetime entitlement met:#
Error: 10000:78008
Every time the download button is clicked, a download count will be added to your lifetime total. If you have installed your game via Origin on more than three computers within a ten day period, you will need to wait until the first installation expires.
Note: Re-installing your operating system, or interrupting a current download, will count as a new computer installation.
If you have reached your download limit, click Contact Us and include your account name, the title of the file or game you are downloading, and a brief description of the issue.

So if you stop a game while it's downloading, you've used up one activation if you do this 3 times with in ten days of each other you have to wait at least ten days to finish downloading your games.

That's nuts if you ask me. I've stopped downloading huge games many times on steam because I wanted to stream a movie or download a patch for WoW or what ever.

It says it will freeze it if you do it on more than 3 computers, not 3 times on the same computer

 

[synobal]

Ok so let me get this straight -

EA is saying that Crytek signed a contract with a different DD service that violated the terms they agreed on with Steam.

Reading between the lines, it's possible that the "different DD service" is, in fact, Origin, and that EA specifically wrote the agreement so that signing on with Origin would violate the terms Crytek agreed to with Steam, and maybe even pressured Crytek into doing it.

Bravo.

I'm confused as well. Plenty of games on Steam are available on other DD services, the fact that EA would not elaborate on what specific detail got Crysis 2 kicked makes me very suspicious about the finger they're pointing in Valve's direction.

Maybe Valve is antagonist here, but if so tell me why EA.

Valve refuses to sell a product that Crytek has signed a deal with EA to only support via them. So Sure Steam could sell Crysis 2 but the version they sell would be inferior to the one on Origin because it won't be getting bug fixes nor would it get any future DLC.

Steam's contract with developers pretty much says that when they release updates for a game they must provide steam with one as well. Since Crytek aren't doing that and have signed a deal with Origin not to they pulled the game.

Bottom line is EA tried to drive sales of Crysis 2 from Steam by ensuring that the game offered on steam was Buggier and wouldn't have future updates. Then when Steam refused to play their game they did a press release saying 'well Steam has evil contracts that keep developers from selling their game via other digital download services' which is patently untrue.

From The Origin Help section [http://help.origin.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/2085/kw/activation%20limit]

QUESTION
I've received an error message on Origin, what does the error mean?
ANSWER
You may receive one of the following error messages if you have reached the maximum amount of times your game can be downloaded through Origin:
For security reasons, you are allowed # concurrently active licenses. This limit has been reached. Please wait until one of the other licenses auto-expires, then try again.
License response error: '78008,Max machine lifetime entitlement met:#
Error: 10000:78008
Every time the download button is clicked, a download count will be added to your lifetime total. If you have installed your game via Origin on more than three computers within a ten day period, you will need to wait until the first installation expires.
Note: Re-installing your operating system, or interrupting a current download, will count as a new computer installation.
If you have reached your download limit, click Contact Us and include your account name, the title of the file or game you are downloading, and a brief description of the issue.

So if you stop a game while it's downloading, you've used up one activation if you do this 3 times with in ten days of each other you have to wait at least ten days to finish downloading your games.

That's nuts if you ask me. I've stopped downloading huge games many times on steam because I wanted to stream a movie or download a patch for WoW or what ever.

It says it will freeze it if you do it on more than 3 computers, not 3 times on the same computer

You missed this bit

Note: Re-installing your operating system, or interrupting a current download, will count as a new computer installation.
If you have reached your download limit, click Contact Us and include your account name, the title of the file or game you are downloading, and a brief description of the issue.

 

[synobal]

Edit: Double Post sorry.

 

[JochemDude]

Ahhh, so that's why I can't Pre-Order Battlefield 3 through Steam yet. Well hope they realize that almost nobody is gonna use that 'Orgin' stuff when you already have the great and awesome Steam around I'll just Pre-Order Retail then.

 

[ThorUK]

If it requires you to run it to play the game and autopatches for you (as steam does) I'll not be using this platform.

 

[iDoom46]

I don't see the harm, or why everybody's getting all riled up over this new Origin service. Sure, my initial reaction was to hate it, when I first found out about it, but I've gotten passed that and I'm surprised that nobody else has either.

Its a free service. As long as the service is at least as easy of an experience comparable to Steam, than I really don't mind using it at all.

Frankly, Steam could use some healthy competition.
Regardless of whether this service will fail or not, it doesn't deserve the intense hatred you all seem to have for it.

 

[THEoriginalBRIEN]

Would those terms Steam put on developers be for the game to fucking work??

 

[Hungry Donner]

Valve refuses to sell a product that Crytek has signed a deal with EA to only support via them. So Sure Steam could sell Crysis 2 but the version they sell would be inferior to the one on Origin because it won't be getting bug fixes nor would it get any future DLC.

Steam's contract with developers pretty much says that when they release updates for a game they must provide steam with one as well. Since Crytek aren't doing that and have signed a deal with Origin not to they pulled the game.

Bottom line is EA tried to drive sales of Crysis 2 from Steam by ensuring that the game offered on steam was Buggier and wouldn't have future updates. Then when Steam refused to play their game they did a press release saying 'well Steam has evil contracts that keep developers from selling their game via other digital download services' which is patently untrue.

Thank you.

EA, when you stop punishing your customers I'll be happy to start buying your games again - assuming you have something worth buying of course. The last EA title I picked up was Mirror's Edge during Steam's Holiday sale, before that was Crysis Warhead which I was looking forward to during developement but didn't pick up until after you'd removed the stupid DRM.

 

[sleeky01]

EA Gets Ready to Throw Down With Steam - UPDATED


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."

I wonder what business term that EA is talking about entails?

 

[chibivash]

apparently, ea didn't ask steam to remove it. crytek is violating steams new terms with having a different download client than steam. interesting. maybe battlefield 3 won't be exclusive for origin.

 

[Soviet Steve]

This'll make it all the easier for people who hate EA to avoid buying their games, so I wish EA the best with this.

 

[Harbinger_]

Also with the new information if Steam has them sign a contract or some sort of agreement and a company goes back on it I can understand them pulling it from their store/site. That makes sense. They can't play favorites.

 

[Woodsey]

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?

I agree, it makes no sense. Downloading The Witcher 2 through Steam was made to be less appealing by CDP (since GOG got the pre-load) and yet that's still on there. This is very bizaree.

I can't see why they'd outright lie when Valve can prove them wrong in a matter of seconds, but then I can't see why Valve would do this, and only to Crysis 2.

 

[nebrius]

To everyone saying "but Steam was crappy when it first came out too, so don't be so hard on Origin". Yes Steam sucked at first (I remember swearing to never use it either back in the HL1 days). But the comparison isn't really valid simply because Steam didn't have any competition to be compared with, Origin does. It's like the iPhone...it sucked when it first came out, but had no competition and did well. Windows Phone 7 also sucked when it first came out, but had iOS and Android as competition, and it's not doing very well. It may not be fair, but Origin will have to compete with Steam quickly or it will fail.

 

[bombadilillo]

Well, this can only go horribly wrong for EA, there missing out on millions of possible customers. Doesn't help that Valve is being kind of a dick though... Surely by their own rules they should drop every game that appears on GoG as well?

If you think real hard you will see why this fact makes EA's arguement a lie. Or at least a twisted truth. There are tons of other games on GOG and D2D and steam and nobody has had a problem until now. Think.

 

[Enrathi]

I'll buy physical copies of ME3 and SW:tOR. Unless EA decides to go digital only with either, in which case they just lost my sales on them (and my sub for SW).

SW:TOR is supported entirely via origin so even if you buy the disk all your patches game updates etc require you to use an origin long in name and password. You're not avoiding Origin by buying the actual disk.

I can live with that, since all MMOs I've played have their own patch system.

I'm not against Origins, per se, just against them attempting monopolizing the digital market (in regards to EA games). If I have the choice, I'll get a physical copy for whatever pre-order bonus or rewards membership I want to take advantage of. But if they tell me I can only get it through Origins, that's when I have an issue.

EDIT: Making a few games exclusive is ok, I just have this feeling they're going to try to distribute a majority of future EA games through Origins for digital purchase. I much prefer to be able to shop around and find sales or other incentives to purchase from one retailer (be it physical or digital) over another.