Mass Effect 3 Gives Steam a Miss at Launch

[_tinned_magpie_]

What a complete and utter load of rubbish.

If EA would just tell the truth: that they don't want to share their DLC profits and want more people using Origin, maybe I might understand. Instead they force my hand by wailing that if Steam won't let them have their way, they'll take their game and go home so nobody gets to play.

Screw that. I'm not paying to encourage EA's toddler tantrum.

 

[tzimize]

OK. I'll give ME3 a miss. I was stupid enough to buy BF3 and Origin STILL says beta. How the hell EA/Dice expect to compete with the most popular DDS in the world with a product so inferior is beyond me.

Goddamit EA...I thought you were starting to get your act together. You wont see a dime of my money, thats for sure.

 

[USSR]

If I can still buy it through PayPal, I really don't care.

 

[Use_Imagination_here]

I was hoping to play this on my laptop but with origin required I'd rather not play at all (note, I am playing on my xbox but my laptop would have been much more convenient considering my schedule).

If it wasn't SO MORALLY WRONG AND TERRIBLE I might even consider pirating the game. But I won't, because I really wan't to support the people who are hell bent on spying on me for no fucking reason.

I might actually just buy a copy of the game, never install it and pirate it instead. I mean I would if it wasn't SO MORALLY WRONG AND TERRIBLE.

Edit: I think this might be the first time a large amount of people are boycotting a game for moral reasons. And no one actually declared a boycott (that I am aware of). Pretty bizarre.

 

[Use_Imagination_here]

Required to have Origin? Screw that.

Sorry Bioware, You just lost a sale.

That's actually the reason I won't play ME2 as well. I bought the original on the PC, but before I got around to buying and playing the second they announced Origin and then said it would be required for ME3. I figured it was best I just leave my experience with the series at the fairly mediocre first entry and move on before I risked getting attached by playing the, by all accounts, superior sequel. Because what the hell is the point if I will absolutely never play the third title?

You can buy an used console of the internet for 100 euros (or dollars, or whatever). Maybe consider that? Just a suggestion.

 

[Varrdy]

I already ordered my N7 Collectors Edition of ME3 for the PC...oh well...Origin is just something I will have to endure.

Mind you, my current internet provider's level of service reliability is so shocling it wont maintain a connection long enough for EA to learn what porn I like...

Wardy

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

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.

And the honourable gentlemen himself should learn that condemning one part of an argument, without providing backup on why it is wrong, is a tactic used only by the desperate Mass debaters.

If you have a better statistic on the worldwide broadband speed great enough to carry the entire Mass Effect signal that never suffers brownouts, then I would be glad to hear it.

Until then, given a rough check of my area - including those people without connections or still on dial-up - I'm gonna stick with the 'approximation' of 5%.

Merely reverse exaggerating ("never drops" to "drops all the time") is a poor argument.

There isn't a statistic. It doesn't exist except in your mind, where all made up statistics live. My point is that while yes, connections drop from time to time, everywhere in the internet using world, it is in no way such an epidemic that it would prevent users/players from enjoying their games because of the "always online" DRM. I am not defending EA, or DRM in general but rather pointing out a very flawed argument. If this epidemic of horrible connections were true, that 95% of people who have internet lose connection a large chunk of the time, then how is it that WoW players can pull off 25-man raids without losing players to this problem? You make it seem as if people can't stay connected to the internet long enough to enjoy online gaming, like dial-up is still the most popular form of internet usage.
Yes brownouts happen from time to time, but thats not a constant enough nor widespread enough issue to be part of an anti-always online argument. Otherwise other games that require constant connections would suffer the same problem (see: ANY MMO, multiplayer or Co-op game).

 

[the spud]

Why!!! Why are you fucking up Bioware's stuff, EA? They are literally the only developer associated with EA that I give a single crap about and you force your terrible business practices on them. Just. Stop.

 

[Snotnarok]

I don't know, when indie developers praise steam for being easy to make money on and a giant competitor claims it's difficult I have a hard time swallowing that. It's funny you don't hear EA whining about how tedious it is to get DLC/patches out on 360 when other developers have complained about that, but steam? It's just EA having troubles.


I'm buying the game physical anyway but still, bullshit is bullshit when you get down to it.

 

[Vigormortis]

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: . . .

Oddly enough, that's a scenario that played out in my head when I heard this bit of news. Thinking on it as if Valve and EA were a couple of snot-nosed kids in school.

'Course, it's the same thing I thought of when EA started all of this PR bullshit back when they pulled the same shenanigans with Crysis 2 and Dragon Age 2. (for those who don't know, EA basically made any and all further DLC, updates, and bug fixes available ONLY on Origin. Thus nerfing the Steam version, and all other versions for that matter. Hence, why Valve removed those games from the Steam store. This was around the time EA started pointing the finger at Valve saying they had adopted "restrictive policies". Funny how, even after MONTHS of spewing this bullshit, they've yet to actually SAY what those policies are.)

Still, you typing it out mustered a few laughs from me. So thanks. Made my otherwise miserable day a bit better. (not related to the topic)

 

[grammarye]

Oh well, there goes my preorder. Sick & tired of EA pulling this kind of stuff; Bioware used to be a great developer. When are they going to figure out that I don't want their buggy beta Origin service with their apparent ability to ban accounts for no obvious reason? For a game I don't intend to play online, no less.

I agree with other posters; it's hard not to read that news as 'Valve won't let us spy on the consumer the way we want to'. Since when did EA need to care about when I patch my game? Oh wait.

I at least trust Steam a tiny amount. EA have not earned even that.

 

[Vivi22]

You can buy an used console of the internet for 100 euros (or dollars, or whatever). Maybe consider that? Just a suggestion.

I actually do own a PS3, but the original Mass Effect wasn't on it, and I don't think 2 was even quite out yet when I bought it for PC. So while, it's actually not a bad suggestion, my desire to see what ME2 and 3 are like doesn't outweigh my hatred of Origin and EA's handling of it so far.

Sadly I'm one of those people who hates Origin and some of EA's recent conduct enough that I won't even buy their games, even on consoles, anymore until they stop being complete assholes. It's a shame too. 4 years ago I thought EA was making a shift to being pretty awesome by putting out games they never would have given a chance before like Mirror's Edge and Dead Space. Then they had to go and fuck it up.

 

[DSK-]

I thought I'd post this up for my fellow ME PC players.

http://www.totalbantercommunity.com/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=632

Ignore the fact that it mentions Battlefield 3, and just get an idea of the sort of steps that may be taken to do the same thing for ME3.

I'd expect a guide would be up for it by the time it comes out.

It offers a slight glimmer of hope that I will get the game. Very, very slight.

 

[Jesus Phish]

In all honestly, as long as it doesn't require Origin to play SP, which it does not. From what I read, you will need to verify one single time through Origin and then you don't need to use it anymore. And they are giving you unlimited installs. I don't trust EA or Origin. So, I buy a digital EA game I'm interested in through Amazon Digital, that way I always have access to it. I don't trust EA after the banning fiasco [http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/12/05/ea-origin-bans-update-edition/]. I would never purchase anything through Origin ever. I either have it on Steam or Amazon Digital. But, after ME3, my interest has evaporated. I am looking at Kingdoms of Amalur, but I think I'm gonna give that one a pass.

actually, it does require origin to play the SP only. so origin will run in the background wile you play ME3. basically like steam that it has to tun if you want to play a game.

Source? I remember Dragon Age, Mass Effect 2 and I think Dragon Age 2 all needing to be activated online, but they didn't need to be connected all the time while I was playing, all that would happen if I wasn't, my little Bioware profile wouldn't update until the next time I was online.

Still buying this on PC on release.

Still going to enjoy it.

Still not going to notice not activating it on Steam but activating it on Origin instead because when I'm playing the game, the game is going to make me enjoy it or not. Not the platform that's going to hold my CD key for me because to me it really doesn't matter.

 

[Dr.Nick]

Scumbag EA:
Won't put ME3 on Steam because it's too "restrictive"
Only lets you play through Origin

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

If this epidemic of horrible connections were true, that 95% of people who have internet lose connection a large chunk of the time,

Warned you of overexaggeration.

then how is it that WoW players can pull off 25-man raids without losing players to this problem?

Because a group of 25 people is indicative of the entire world's speed.

Because Otherwise other games that require constant connections would suffer the same problem (see: ANY MMO, multiplayer or Co-op game).

Yeah...wanna ask Team Fortress players how often they lose their loadout? Or have a few troubles...
Or any rubber banding in WoW - also a state wiper.
Or the idea that EA servers might be browned out - need maintenance - or anything else of that ilk.

That's not so bad when you're bashed down to vanilla weapons - but total loss of position? That's pretty bad.

I'm glad that you've been able to answer all the rest of the problems though - not just focus on one statistic that you can't disprove.

Yes brownouts happen from time to time

Boom. Savestate gone.

Otherwise other games that require constant connections would suffer the same problem (see: ANY MMO, multiplayer or Co-op game).

Thing is - they don't. They just need a connection when pulling stuff down from the main server - that allows for lag/brownouts and the like.

Might want to check on the broadband connectivity outside of Florida once in a while.

 

[Dr.Nick]

Scumbag EA:
Won't put ME3 on Steam because it's too "restrictive"
Only lets you play through Origin

 

[survivor686]

thank you sir!

 

[Dunkerloop]

I think EA's forgetting just how much of an effect what services a game is offered on has on a person's decision to buy a game.

 

[Omnific One]

Well, can I just shutdown the Origin startup processes using CCleaner, deactivate my network card whenever I want to play to go offline, then play? Afterward I would manually go and shutdown Origin processes (including shared ones) before reactivating my network card. That way, Origin would never be able to send my information to EA.

Upon installation Origin does a cursory scan of your system. It also checks your registry for conflicting programs, or blocked areas. Same with most virus scanners, or updaters. Steam does it too, but it asks you if it can the first time you install it, and if you say no, it doesn't.

Well, I don't have anything to hide, so it's not an issue, but still a bit unnerving and it is something of a violation of my privacy "rights."