Mass Effect 3 Gives Steam a Miss at Launch

[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.

 

[Irridium]

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.

Hm, from what others have been telling me, it seems Steam just requires DLC to be sold through Steam in addition to other places. So essentially, they can sell the DLC however/wherever they want, they just need to be selling it on Steam as well.

And if this is the case, EA's reasoning is even dumber.

 

[getoffmycloud]

i heard that the restrictions they talk about is buying DLC from within the game to avoid paying to Valve a little percentage, but im not sure thats the case, so can someone please confirm this? i remember reading it somewhere, but cant really remember where

Yeah that is pretty much it which to be fair I don't see anything wrong with why should Valve take a cut of something they had nothing to do with making

 

[Rangerboy87]

Ok...it looks like it is time for my EA translation services...here we go

"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"
(We run a competitive business so we will use any opportunity to screw Valve.)

"Steam has adopted a set of restrictive terms of service which limit how developers interact with customers to deliver patches and other downloadable content."
(They won't let us spy on our customers and we don't like how they do DLC)

"We are intent on providing Mass Effect to players with the best possible experience no matter where they purchase or play their game,"
(As long as it is on Origin)

"and are happy to partner with any download service that does not restrict our ability to connect directly with our consumers."
(as long as they pay us handsomely and allow us to spy on our customers)

In all seriousness, this is ridiculous. I understand giving themselves a leg up on the competition which is part of the business. But blaming Valve is just ludicrous. EA infuriates me in every possible way. This is what causes such a conundrum for me. I love Bioware. I love their games and they are one of the best game developers right now. I just wish they hadn't let EA buy them out.

On a side note, people should not be blaming Bioware for this. This is totally EA's thing. It be like the CEO of the company you work for making some dickish idea and people blaming you for it. I have never agreed with guilt by association but people seem to be doing it to Bioware. Just because EA does this, doesn't mean Bioware agrees with it.

 

[Xanthious]

I think I've figured out EA's business plan on this, and if it is what I'm thinking, it's pure genius.

Remove games from steam, force people to buy them on other services/consoles, where they earn more money on DLC. But, you say, they lose custommers that wanted to buy it on steam? No problem, once they are done reaping all the money on the DLC, they release all the games at once on steam (the issue was miraculously solved), and everyone who didn't buy it till then, buys it.

EA wins either way if they do this. Your "boycott" is over the second they put those games back on steam, and they haven't lost a single sale. Basically the perfect time to put crysis 2, BF3 and ME3 on steam is after ME3 GOTY is released. The only hole I can find in this business plan is the fact that BF3 will lose sales due to the multiplayer appeal being lowered.

I may be giving EA too much credit, but this seems like what a smart businessman would do.

Well it would be a great plan if a massive number of Steam users weren't simply going to pirate ME3 due to it being unavailable on Steam. It's not like these people are going to sit around and not play the game. You can bet on that. People saying they are boycotting any specific PC title anymore usually translates into "We'll just pirate it thank you". If they keep the game off Steam at launch they will simply be pushing people to piracy and costing themselves would be sales in the process. Even if they do release it on Steam at a later date a large number of people that would have bought it on Steam will have already pirated it or moved on.

 

[Eruanno]

Well, that helped me settle if I should get the PC or Xbox version, EA. Thanks, I guess?

 

[Mothhive]

Until it's available on Steam and does not require Origin, I'm giving Mass Effect 3 a miss!

 

[INeedAName]

ME3's Origin requirement is a big dissapointment. Now I'll either have to intstall and authorize the game on another computer then move it over to mine (if that works?), or I'll buy ME2 for the PS3, make a save as similar to my main as possible then play ME3 on the PS3 when it comes out, cause I won't help support this whole bussinessmodel EA's going at right now.

 

[super_mumbles]

They'll probably release a statement a few months after launch along the lines of "Well, the PC version sold poorly so we don't see any interest in that area and because of this the game will not be released on Steam."

I hope I'm wrong.

 

[Rariow]

Oh crap. I sense Origin knocking on my computer's virtual door. This is going to suck.

"Oh noes! Valve will not let us use their digital distribution platform to spy on people, when thousands of other developers have no problems with them! We, EA, the gentle, peaceful, completely non-douchey corporation need your help to defeat the bad, evil Valve. Use our completely crappy platform, and not Valve's actually somewhat bareable one!"

If BioWare wasn't behind this game, and I didn't feel the need to help THEM, I'd just pass out on Mass Effect 3. Honestly, I don't even have very high expectations for it. People seem to have gotten past EA hate, but I still can't stand them.

 

[Shadows Risen]

I'm just going to buy it on xbox because I'm a console gamer predominately, but this just seems like a dick-move from EA. If they wanted ME3 to be exclusive to Origin, then that's fine, it's their game after all but they could at least be straight about it and say "We don't like the way Steams DLC works, and we don't want to split the profits with them either" instead of trying to blame Valve and Steam for being restrictive.

And the fact it requires Origin to run would make sense for digital copies bought through Origin, but for physical copies it's a bit ridiculous.

 

[Hitchmeister]

The EA party line is that Valve changed their policies for selling third party games and DLC on Steam and the two companies can't reach an agreement that allows them to work together. But all they'll says is that vague, unexplained "policies" are getting in the way. If EA has a legitimate complaint, they should publicize what the problem areas are. If they have a valid case, everyone will say, "WTF Valve? Get your act in gear." The fact that EA can't or won't define what exactly the problem is, makes people doubt EA's sincerity.