Mass Effect 3 Gives Steam a Miss at Launch

[Fredvdp]

Notch also won't release Minecraft on Steam for the exact same reason.

 

[Mrmac23]

EA, i'm sorry but you can't keep denying this; no one likes Origin. You're having to force us to use it in order to make yourselves feel like people actually enjoy it. Let it go.

 

[mindlesspuppet]

The reason I've never bought ME DLC is because it's not on Steam. EA wants to force you to buy Biopoints then fight with their shitty website to actually download the pack, then you have to install it, as opposed to simply pressing "Buy DLC" on Steam and letting it handle everything.

So not only has EA lost DLC sales, but now they're losing ME3 sales.

 

[Bob_F_It]

Looks like I should find out how to convert my PC ME2 saves to the PS3, or hope that EA u-turns like they did with SecuROM on Steam games.
I don't need to tools doing the exact same thing, so I'm not using Origin just because a publisher wants to have their cake and eat it.

 

[The Hot Sauce Thief]

Notch also won't release Minecraft on Steam for the exact same reason.

I though it was because he didn't want to community to separate, or something like that

 

[Seneschal]

It comes with mandatory Origin? I do feel this is a publisher mandate, not a BW decision, but...

Couldn't you at least make your game release just as good as the cracked ones, and not worse?

 

[SenseOfTumour]

So massive levels of always online checking and DRM for all PC versions and no Steam version.

Anyone else think EA just pushed torrents of the console versions up thru the roof? (Not condoning it, just saying I think EA are just pushing the problem from PC to console instead of fixing it, while saddling PC gamers with a ton of needless BS)

Can't say I know much about console piracy, but I know it happens, and if it's easier than the PC version, won't people just grab that version?

Pirated console version - no Origin, too.

I personally pretty much only buy from Steam and places like GOG.com now anyways, last thing I need is another online account for one damn game.

Wonder if EA will manage to make a single game in 2012 I'll care enough about to change my mind?

 

[pirateninj4]

He's saying STEAM is restrictive? Lol. Origin is the worst game sales platform I've ever encountered and that's after using Gamedownload and Amazon...

 

[iRevanchist]

I have never pirated a piece of software I had not already owned in my life.

However, I think I may start on March 6th.

 

[DTWolfwood]

nicely done EA, you've just lost yourself yet another customer

I am done with EA.

 

[kurupt87]

basically no matter what we are being shoehorned into Origin and the only way not to is not play the game

The only way not to is to not buy the game, not to not play it. A difference that I'm sure some will appreciate.

 

[Dogstile]

"Playing Mass Effect 3 multiplayer will require a constant connection."

Well there's plenty of other games to play anyway, looks like ME3 can wait.

But...if the multiplayer is online wouldn't you NEED a constant connection to...y'know, stay connected?

I thought that at first, but then I was thinking "why mention something that obvious". I'm gonna eye them suspiciously because i'm expecting it to need a constant connection.

 

[michael87cn]

Mass Effect 3 Gives Steam a Miss at Launch

EA blames Valve for Mass Effect 3 not appearing on Steam.

It seems that the spat between EA and Valve over Steam is still going strong, as Mass Effect 3 [http://www.amazon.com/Mass-Effect-3-Xbox-360/dp/B004FYEZMQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1326587274&sr=8-2] will not appear on the service when the game launches on March 6th. Writing on the BioWare forums [http://social.bioware.com/forums/forum/Mass-Effect-3/Mass-Effect-3-General-Discussion/Origin-and-Mass-Effect-3-8975536-1.html], community co-ordinator Chris Priestly said that while ME3 would be available on certain third party download platforms, Steam would not be one of them.

The blame is once again being laid at Valve's door, with Priestly saying that Steam's restrictive policies regarding downloadable content and interaction with customers. He didn't say that the game would never be available on Steam, but implied that Valve would have to change its policy before that could happen.

"During initial release Mass Effect 3 will be available on Origin and a number of other 3rd party digital retailers, but not on Steam at this time," he wrote. "Steam has adopted a set of restrictive terms of service which limit how developers interact with customers to deliver patches and other downloadable content. We are intent on providing Mass Effect to players with the best possible experience no matter where they purchase or play their game, and are happy to partner with any download service that does not restrict our ability to connect directly with our consumers."

Priestly also made it clear that Origin would be necessary to play the game on the PC, regardless of where the copy of the game had been bought. "Mass Effect 3 will require a one time, single authorization for the single player game. There is no limit to the number of installs. Playing Mass Effect 3 multiplayer will require a constant connection ... Origin is required for the PC versions of Mass Effect 3, both physical and digital."


Mass Effect 3 comes out for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 on March 6th.

Source: Ripten [http://www.ripten.com/2012/01/14/mass-effect-3-for-pc-will-not-be-available-on-steam/]

Permalink

Translation:

EA: Hey Valve, check out Mass Effect 3.
Valve: Cool game! Oh, it has spyware in it... well, unfortunately you'll need to remove that from the game before we can put it on Steam.
EA: LOL! STFU NOOB IM GONNA TELL THE INTRNETS HOW MUCH STEAM SUX CUZ UR LAME!
Valve: . . .

 

[Crazy_Dude]

I will get Origin anyways never heard of it but I want to freaking play Mass Effect 3.

It spies on you and sends back information to EA on everything you do with your computer, just so you know.

http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/4103/originwhy.png

And now I suddenly get all the angry comments. Seriously doubting if I will get ME 3 on the PC now.

 

[Neonit]

ea should have BALLS enough to admit that its just to force their piece of schmidt origin upon their customers.
i dont have as much problem with origin as with their lack of BALLZ to admit it......
if you ask me, i wouldnt be surprised if they are going to get their game pirated more than usual because of that.
me? meh, maybe ill buy it, but ill probably wait for some time before doing so. i have games enough to last me a lifetime.

ps playing multiplayer requires constant connection? no sh!t!

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

and are happy to partner with any download service that does not restrict our ability to connect directly with our consumers."

In other words, EA want direct access to their customers.

Why's that EA? Given that Wadjet, Team Meat, Bioware, Bethesda, Firaxis, iD, Activision and others are still able to communicate directly - through Steam?

Is it because Steam won't give you access to customers peripheral details and software loadout - that Origin requires? And that Steam won't do unless you allow it to.

How strange.

Or is it because Steam made a billion [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/107536-Steam-Flirts-With-1-Billion-in-2010], EA lost nearly 5 billion [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/jump/7.337275.13625063], but regained a billion through Digital - allegedly? [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/7.338023-EA-Breaks-a-Billion-Bucks-in-Digital]

How odd indeed.

But it must be Steam. Especially when EA have underlined exactly which parts of Steam's contract they have problems with.

Oh...

And hold on:

Mass Effect 3 will require a one time, single authorization for the single player game.

Origin is required for the PC versions of Mass Effect 3, both physical and digital.

But Origin is constant authorisation connection. So Single/Multi Player is constant connection, I think? Which is fine for all of us that have superfast broadband that never cuts out - which, at last count, was maybe 5% of us?

Before we even talk about the 4 separate areas between training camp and mission end that Bioware are bound to have made up - along with the two characters that rescue you - one based around mystical cybernetics and the other on pure strength.

So only 5% of the gameplaying world has constant connections that don't drop all the time? I ask sir where you get your information... for if that were true, wouldn't it be impossible to play online multiplayer games since as you say only 5% of gamers have that "superfast broadband that never cuts out"? Maybe you should learn that fake statistics do not back up an argument about "always online" DRM.

 

[Andy of Comix Inc]

The fishy wording of this release makes me feel that Valve is doing only the right thing in regards to customer service. They didn't say "we want to help our customers" or "we want to provide a better entertainment service for our customers". They said "better CONNECT". Why would they choose that wording? Frankly, this whole release is a joke. "This game isn't coming on Steam" would have sufficed; laying the smack down on Valve for a vague, unapparent reason will only go to make people feel hostile towards EA.

And from what I know from their whole spat a while ago, it was because Steam requires DLC for Steam games to be sold on Steam. Meaning EA wouldn't be able to sell us DLC through their websites using their stupid-ass "Bioware points".

That doesn't seem right. Quite a few games sold on Steam have DLC available on both Steam and another platform; a lot of GFWL titles do this, having DLC sold on both Steam and GFWL storefronts. I'm not sure how it affects Steamworks games, but certainly a non-Steamworks game like Mass Effect 3 would be able to handle it, I'm sure.

 

[Dogstile]

There's an extremely large amount of petty people who are willing to miss out on the long awaited conclusion to Mass Effect over something as trivial as a different delivery platform.

Petty? Dude, EA has shown that they're willing to take away access to your games on mere fucking suspicion or even if you just tell them they've pulled a dick move.

Avoiding because they haven't shown that we can trust them yet.