They call it restrictive because they won't allow EA to spy on their customers.snowplow said:4) Will ME3 be available on Steam?
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. 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.
EA calling steam restrictive is laughable.
I guess the good news is that it MIGHT eventually be on steam, meaning i MIGHT eventually purchase it, if its on sale.
I can one up that. I refuse to buy anything EA new anymore. I just can't stand their shitheadedness.JasonKaotic said:Good thing I'm getting it on Xbox, then. 'HA' IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY TO YOU, EA. HA.
But ME3 will be the last EA game I buy. I'll make sure of it.
Since I agree with the sentiment of what you're saying, I won't pick apart your analogy. Basically, I don't really care whether people pirate this game or not - the problem I have is if they pretend (or worse, believe) that Origin gives them logically sound justification for doing so. I agree with your general tone and sentiment of your post, but I don't make the leap to deciding it means I can actually defend obtaining their game without paying a dime. That's an argument I don't believe you can logically back up (as in, free of holes, contradictions and fallacies).Peuter said:Your metaphor was nice, but whatever happened to the good old "the customer is king"? Why do we have to swallow everything they present us? I, and I believe most people, do not want Origin at all, but do want to play Mass Effect 3.
So here's a metaphor to give another take on the ordeal: I'm in my house and want to go outside, but suddenly, I find there's a door-to-door salesman blocking my path who says, "Sorry, sir, I can't let you out unless you buy this vacuumcleaner." But I don't want a vacuumcleaner, I just want to go outside.
Similarly, I don't want Origin, but I do want Mass Effect 3. Here's where my metaphor ties in: The previous 2 instalments of the series required no Origin, but now the concluding chapter does, and according to your reasoning, I have 2 choices: I am to either accept Origin, or not get the game at all and be forever deprived of the concluding chapter of a game series that I liked.
But, what happened to option number 3, namely: to get this game without any unwanted bloatware hanging off its sides?
Nowadays, it seems we are herded into believing that the customer is supposed to take any shit that a company gives them without objecting to it, and we seem to have forgotten that it is the customer that gives the company power.
So, I kinda really dislike Origin, and am a huge fan of STEAM, but you are aware that STEAM does the exact same thing? They analyze your computer's components, hardware- and software-wise, yet we don't scrutinize them for it because they've been doing it since day one, and thus no one has really noticed.evilneko said:Not purchasing ME3 now.
Objectionable portion of Origin EULA:
Egregious unnecessary spying clause highlighted.In addition to information that you give EA directly, EA collects non-
personally identifiable (or anonymous) information for purposes of improving our
products and services, providing services to you, facilitating the provision of
software updates, dynamically served content and product support as well as
communicating with you. The non-personally identifiable information that EA
collects includes technical and related information that identifies your computer
(including the Internet Protocol Address) and operating system, as well as
information about your Application usage (including but not limited to successful
installation and/or removal), software, software usage and peripheral hardware.
Translation: "We get to peek at what else you have installed on your system and how often you use it, as well as peek at whatever hardware you have, and we get to do it all without letting you opt out. Nice tax returns by the way, hey, we see you use TaxCut, did you know TurboTax is better? Yeah, might wanna try it. Oh, if you don't consent to all this, you don't get to play Mass Effect 3. Have a nice day."
EA doesn't need to gather this information silently, behind users' backs and essentially without their consent. Sure some of it could be useful during troubleshooting, such as which antivirus or firewall you might be running, but they could ask for that if and when necessary. They could even have a button to click to generate a problem report containing the relevant info. Instead, this gives them carte blanche to look at everything, silently, with no way to stop it.
It's disgusting.
It's spyware.
Never buy an EA published game on the PC. They intentionally pump their PC relases with as much garbage and DRM as they can to discourage piracy, but instead just screw the legitimate buyers.DustyDrB said:I hadn't seen this here so far, and I know it concerns a number of Escapist users. Mass Effect 3 on PC [http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/323/index/8975536] is going to require Origin. Even though I'm not a PC gamer, am a massive fan of the Mass Effect games, and am anticipating ME3 unlike any game since ME2, this disappoints me.
My preorder stands firm (360 version), but I know I've seen a lot of you say you'd think of cancelling if this came to be. I don't pretend to understand the issue fully, but back gamers' right to vote with their wallets on issues that concern them.
Yet another person who has not closely read the Steam EULA and privacy policy.HassEsser said:So, I kinda really dislike Origin, and am a huge fan of STEAM, but you are aware that STEAM does the exact same thing? They analyze your computer's components, hardware- and software-wise, yet we don't scrutinize them for it because they've been doing it since day one, and thus no one has really noticed.
To be honest, I couldn't care less that these digital distributors are looking at my computer. I mean, I give them my fucking credit card information and email address, why wouldn't I trust them?
So I've heard.Tohron said:If the stuff in the leaked story documents remains in place (and it would take a lot of work to change it at this point), you may not want to see the ending at all.PurePareidolia said:I'm not buying Mass Effect 3 because of it. I want to see the ending, but not that much.
I was already fairly set on avoiding this - the Origin requirement just reinforces that decision.
Same here, same here.Somonah said:It's a deal breaker for me. Refuse to have origin on my PC. That said i refuse to also get it on my PS3 as well. So i will be acquiring the game another way, and i will not feel guilty about it in the slightest.