Mass Effect 3 Gives Steam a Miss at Launch

[toquio3]

I dont get it. I have ME2 on steam, and I bought all of the DLC for that game. Steam doesnt sell it, never did. I always went through EA / Bioware.

So EA's reasons are bullshit. They want to force origin on people and thats that. well they can off themselves for all I care.

 

[WonderWillard]

Saw this coming. Whatevs though, I knew I was getting Mass Effect 3 since the moment I beat ME2, nothing has changed that. Of course a lot of other people are going to flip out, because it's EA and it's Origin. Then again, if there's enough uproar and lost sales because of it, it will make a difference.

 

[Shifty Tortoise]

EA... You cunts

 

[Chaos42]

EA is turning into the game world version of the Nazi party our way is the only way and we will destroy anything different. Seriously this online pass crap and such is really starting to irritate me -im actively avoiding buying EA titles with the exception of mass effect to avoid dealing with them. Im also avoiding other game series that do this. I think people need to show EA we won't stand for this crap.

Also many of us by used because games are a luxury we all can't pay 60+ dollars for -also why are these games that much. Personally i think that these games are over priced to begin with.

 

[Chronodc]

I wonder what will happen with my saved games, I managed to save all my crew during the final mission and I was looking forward to play ME3 to use that data to continue the game. But now with this move from EA I'm not sure that I want to install Origin in my PC, I've seen it and it is terrible

 

[willsham45]

bla, Right disk virtion and download a crach to play without origin, If there is no info on the disk ie a glorified code, maybe a torrent will be in order, with a perchiest copy that should not be an issue.
But then again I am not getting it straight away and we will see how things could change...and possably send out a few e-mails with a basic message.

I AM NOT INSTALLING ORIGIN, I AM NOT GETTING A 360 OR PS3 (any time soon). I WANT TO PLAY YOUR GAME, GIVE ME A SOLUTION TO MY PROBLEM.

 

[Bertinan]

EA is attempting to set up a competing digital distribution service. Valve is king of that particular business. It's just basic business sense that they don't sell their products on Steam, because they are a competitor.

And finally, get your heads out of your asses. Every single product Valve has released has been Steam only. I remember when I first bought counterstrike way back when, I had to install Steam in order to even play it offline. So basically, Valve did and does the same exact thing.

 

[FamoFunk]

Damn, EA is butt-hurt Origin will never be what Steam is. Therefore, trying to punish Steam which in-turn is just punishing themselves if everyone on PC who says they'll refuse to buy it actually does boycott it.

 

[The Great JT]

Another theory is that EA is complaining for the sake of it.

 

[Vigormortis]

It's actually Valve that's being the greedy company here (Or well... Both companies being the "greedy company" just Valve being greedier). The "restrictive" polices has nothing to do with spying, it has something to do with the delivery of downloadable content. Valve wants a slice out of those sales as well now.

Before you go off saying "But Dragon Age 1 had DLCs not sold by valve!" That is because they signed a different contract so it wasn't applied retroactively... Unlike Dragon Age 2 or Crysis 2. Didn't you connect the dots here and notice that Dragon Age 2 and Crysis 2 were both taken down the same time they released some new DLC? Although it's brilliant watching the amount of company loyalty you're showing to Valve by putting EA up as the bastards in this ordeal "just cause".

Valve doesn't have to do a thing and they will win the argument simply because of their fans jumping the gun and assuming it's the other companies fault and not theirs.

Except, for us, it's "brilliant" watching people make the wrong assumptions about why Crysis 2 and Dragon Age 2 were removed from the Steam store and then turn around and defend EA.

Allow me to, once again, repost something I already said:

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)

Basically, Valve didn't want to sell broken versions of the games to their users. Never having the possibility of getting the patches or DLC. Anyone who already bought the games still have access to them on their accounts, though. Also, I hardly consider it being "greedy" for Valve to expect a company to share in the DLC sales when Valve is paying to host, provide, and advertise said content. It'd be like a clothier selling clothes in a store and expecting the store to NOT take any money from the sale.

It's funny. To me, the PR EA has been using for the past year has been laughably bad and blatantly childish. Yet, as is evident here, a lot of people are actually falling for it. It's fascinating, really. I guess I've not given their PR department enough credit.

I suppose EA's childish, whiny bitching is more appealing and more relate-able to the generally "childish" internet culture than Valve's more level-headed, adult attitude. I.E. avoiding the mud-slinging and turning the other cheek.

 

[Kakashi on crack]

I'm getting annoyed with the "Steam does the same thing" arguement going on here.

Admittedly I don't use EITHER Steam or Origin because I like to maintain a physical copy of my game I have legally purchased, but that's besides the point.

In regards to the info-taking, Steam asks you first on whether or not it can collect data, and if you tell them no, it won't. Origin does it before you've even gotten it installed. Steam also is made by Valve, a trusted company who's been around for what? Near a decade I think? Origin is made by the company who paints gamers in a horrible light and has been know for shady business tactics/wording things to get their way.

Steam is faster than Origin by a ton

Steam does not take up the majority of your memory just to run it.

And Steam is the same thing... how? Because it's a digital distributor? That's like comparing an Xbox to a Playstation; Just because they're both gaming rigs doesn't mean they're the same thing...

 

[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."

You're right, most people don't have anything to hide, from EA. However, what EA chooses to do with that info is not being discussed. Suppose they sell that information, which in turn gets handed to or picked up by data smugglers. What if you name files with the same name as your pssword? What if you use the same password as your atm pin? This is where it gets hairy.

Yeah, that's the biggest problem I have. At one point info collected by Origin was being sold to third parties. It's probably gonna keep happening, as the data that is sent to EA from Origin is encrypted, so no one knows what it actually contains.

 

[Bradeck]

Yeah, that's the biggest problem I have. At one point info collected by Origin was being sold to third parties. It's probably gonna keep happening, as the data that is sent to EA from Origin is encrypted, so no one knows what it actually contains.

I have an odd time understanding why no one has attempted to use decryption on it. Granted, my knowledge of decryption extends no further than the spelling, but still.

 

[PinochetIsMyBro]

Who cares?

By that, I mean that I play Mass Effect on the 360 so this doesn't concern me at all.

 

[Stephen Wo]

I'm sad to say I won't be getting ME3 unless it comes out on Steam. EA has been pretty whiny and unethical in its business practices. Despite being one of the biggest video game publishers in the world, they continue to ignore their real player base (a bit no-true-Scotsman there) and enforce negative stereotypes about the gaming community as a whole.
It's frustrating, as well. Very frustrating.

I predict though that a petition, backlash, something will change and ME3 will wind up on Steam eventually.
In the mean time though, EA can go fuck themselves.

 

[Yureina]

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

Probably because there's no hassle installing DLC on Steam? You just buy it and boom, it starts downloading into your main game. Compare that to the Bioware Store... thing where I had to jump through all these hoops before I could finally be allowed to play ME2 DLC's, and it is no contest.

Steam makes DLC's extremely convenient to deal with. EA does not.

 

[Jennacide]

If nobody else mentioned it yet, they're also pulling this with Kingdoms of Amalur.

Well good job EA, I say, you found a way for me to not purchase either game, after I was originally excited for them. I will never support Origin, as it is the worst digital distro platform out. Yes, it's even worse than fucking Games for Windows Live.

 

[CoL0sS]

Personally I don't think these "differences" exist. Complaints are coming from a rival distributor so it's just EA trying to force us to use Origin over Steam.

They'll most likely release it on Steam after some time, if they think it can net them a tidy profit, but this game will sell in millions, and despite all the bitching a LOT of people will still buy it, even if it means agreeing to despised Origin ToS. Possible sale losses that could come from not releasing it on Steam will be rectified by higer DLC profit. But, that's just a speculation.

Honestly, I'm really tired of all this EA vs. Valve shit. EA is lightly patting our head, saying this is for our own good, all he while not being able to let go of that petty excuse for a service, while Valve is playing it cool, not saying anything at all. Neither side really cares about consumers, and perhaps it's for the best. We're a dishearteningly difficult bunch to please.

I for one am grateful that EA helped me choose which game to buy in the upcoming months.