If Mass Effect 3 requires origin...

[irishScott]

ftfy

To each his own. 87% of the users and 94% of the critics seem to agree with me. Liking Mass Effect 2 is like saying you don't have a problem with the voice in The Dark Knight on this forum.
http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/mass-effect-2

Just saying...

 

[irishScott]

LOL. Check out your pre-conceived bias that Valve must be awesome and always right and EA must be always wrong and evil.

Notch is also being paid off by EA to say Steam is bad:
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/forums/showthread.php?1229-Notch-and-Steam

EA have already made such statements with relation to other games:
http://www.computerandvideogames.com/314498/battlefield-3-not-on-steam-due-to-dlcpatch-restrictions/

Here's an explanation about why Dragon Age 2 and Crysis 2 were pulled/not on Steam:
http://www.platformnation.com/2011/08/18/why-cant-valve-and-ea-get-along/



But no, you are right. It's EA spewing corporate BS and Valve are perfect in every way and could never do anything bad or wrong or evil, or something that a publisher wouldn't be happy with. EA is in the wrong for wanting to do their DLC in the way they want, and to get other services to compete with Steam by offering exclusive DLC content when a game is purchased from another digital distribution site.

EA bad for not putting their games on Steam and being forced to abide by all Steam's rules with respect to DLC and patches.
Valve good for having these rules and forcing publishers and developers to abide by them or not be allowed on Steam. (Hey, didn't Apple do this sort of thing, e.g for marketplaces within apps?).


WE SHOULD ALL HATE ON EA BECAUSE WE THINK EA MUST ALWAYS BE WRONG. FACTS BE DAMNED!

Never said Valve was perfect. But it's not like they're completely denying them access. Many games, with DLC, have been extremely profitable on Steam. I'm sure being able to directly patch and sell DLC is a bonus for a company like EA, but don't pretend that the primary motivation for this isn't to forcibly promote their own platform that thus far has completely failed to compete with Steam, and for good reason.

 

[Lonyo]

Never said Valve was perfect. But it's not like they're completely denying them access. Many games, with DLC, have been extremely profitable on Steam. I'm sure being able to directly patch and sell DLC is a bonus for a company like EA, but don't pretend that the primary motivation for this isn't to forcibly promote their own platform that thus far has completely failed to compete with Steam, and for good reason.

Considering that games which don't require Origin were removed from Steam, I don't need to pretend and invent motivations.
Other games, which also don't require Origin and were pretty much released before Origin (the rebranding), are on Steam.

So you have 3 classes of games:
Those on Steam which don't require Origin.
Those not on Steam which don't require Origin.
Those not on Steam which do require Origin.

Most of the games from EA are available at various other non-Steam places for digital download, including, but not limited to, Amazon.com, Direct2Drive.com, Impulsedriven, Gamersgate etc

So yeah, clearly they are not putting their games on Steam but putting them on pretty much EVERY OTHER DIGITAL DOWNLOAD SERVICE because they want everyone to use Origin and are forcing people to use it. By having their games on all the other services as well.

 

[frozentundra123456]

So speaking of DLC, will there be any DLC for ME3? I mean if they make a game that really ties up the storyline, there should be no need for DLC. But I cant imagine that they will pass up the chance to milk us for a few more bucks.

My main reservation toward the game is not the distribution platform, but if the game will really be an epic conclusion to the single player storyline, or some lame ending that does not really fiinish the storyline and leads into a batch of DLC or an MMO. I am also concerned that they will just turn it into a consolized shooter in space.


Edit. I am also concerned that mutiplayer will dilute the single player storyline, especially since Bioware has said that bonuses earned in co-op will carry over to single player. I only play single player, and feel that this is unfairly forcing one to play co-op. Also conveniently forcing you to buy another copy of the game if you want to play coop with someone else in your own household that otherwise might have palyed the game before or after you.

 

[irishScott]

Considering that games which don't require Origin were removed from Steam, I don't need to pretend and invent motivations.
Other games, which also don't require Origin and were pretty much released before Origin (the rebranding), are on Steam.

So you have 3 classes of games:
Those on Steam which don't require Origin.
Those not on Steam which don't require Origin.
Those not on Steam which do require Origin.

Most of the games from EA are available at various other non-Steam places for digital download, including, but not limited to, Amazon.com, Direct2Drive.com, Impulsedriven, Gamersgate etc

So yeah, clearly they are not putting their games on Steam but putting them on pretty much EVERY OTHER DIGITAL DOWNLOAD SERVICE because they want everyone to use Origin and are forcing people to use it. By having their games on all the other services as well.

Valve is a direct competitor. Everyone else you mentioned is simply a distributor. Putting ME3, or any of their popular games on Steam in addition to everywhere else would earn them mucho profit. Hence the reason they're doing it with the other services you mentioned. Why would they deny themselves extra revenue from the largest digital distribution system currently available? Answer: They want to compete with Steam, and aren't clever enough to come up with better marketing/actual competition, so they're making their largest titles, for the most part, require Origin, or are at least not putting them on Steam. Thereby having a large captive audience to promote their product.

 

[KMFJD]

Do not care, some of the arguments in this thread make me question how people make it through the day without seriously hurting themselves

 

[Terzo]

Same, I have 240+ games on steam and I'm not installing a 2nd client, no matter how many exclusives I have to miss out on, I think it's manipulative and I'm willing to sacrafice good games to maintain my position, I skipped BF3 and I'll skip this if it requires origin.

Don't have anything against origin, steam was here first and that's the provider of my digital content that i've chosen to use, thats where all my digital content is and will stay. In the same way I only have one mobile phone and one internet connection, I only have one digital distribution service, it benefits me the most and strong arming me into using your software in the hope i'll start buying games later on down the road is not going to work, sorry.

I don't know if it applies to you personally, but isn't that how steam got a foothold? HL2, CS, and others with a large fan base required steam when it was new. Are you giving steam a free pass simply because it was here first?

You might not buy games on Origin, but someone else will and potentially end up with a 240 game catalog on steam.

So speaking of DLC, will there be any DLC for ME3? I mean if they make a game that really ties up the storyline, there should be no need for DLC. But I cant imagine that they will pass up the chance to milk us for a few more bucks.

There could be epilogues for NPCs, scenarios independent of the main story line, whatever. They don't necessarily need to gut the storyline to provide DLC.

 

[PrincessFrosty]

I don't know if it applies to you personally, but isn't that how steam got a foothold? HL2, CS, and others with a large fan base required steam when it was new. Are you giving steam a free pass simply because it was here first?

Sort of.

Steam gets a pass because steam is what I chose to use when I swapped to Digital Distribution, it was there first offering a service which I thought was very good value for money, had that been origin then I'd be using origin now and not steam.

End of the day the point still stands, having more than 1 digital distribution platform doesn't make sense to some of us, we treat it very much like we'd treat our mobile phones, we have 1 provider which reaches as many networks as possible and if someone else creates a new unique network which you can't phone from any other then you ignore that network because we can't be encouraging that kind of forceful business otherwise we'd end up carrying 5 mobiles phones and subscribed to 20 different networks to get full coverage.

The principle is really the same here, of course whoever is first gets somewhat of a free pass because theres no alternatives so valves offerings tied to steam is somewhat of a moot point, at least for me personally.

Again, had origin been there first then this would be the same conversation but in reverse, I don't particuarly have anything against origin, I'm just not going to install it.

My actions are such that if we ALL behaved that way (you all copied me) then developers would have no choice but to go multi-platform because exclusivity would fail before it began, I've done my part all I can do is hope others follow.

 

[Lonyo]

Done your part to try and ensure there's only a single dominant digital distribution platform which will discourage competition?

Thanks!
If everyone was like you, we would only have a single everything (called a monopoly) and it would be pretty bad for everyone.
As it stands now, you have various digital download sites each competing with each other, and sometimes you get deals on games on one site that another site doesn't have.

Given how god awful Steam prices are ALL THE TIME in the UK, including when they have "sales" outside their deeply discounted holiday season sales (once a year), I'll take my competition over a de-facto monopoly, thank you very much.

Then again, I'm the kind of person who likes a deal and is willing to shop at more than one store to get everything I want at the cheapest price, rather than using a single location and settling for whatever crappy price they might offer.


Unless I am misunderstanding your post, your approach sucks.

 

[frozentundra123456]

Sort of.

Steam gets a pass because steam is what I chose to use when I swapped to Digital Distribution, it was there first offering a service which I thought was very good value for money, had that been origin then I'd be using origin now and not steam.

End of the day the point still stands, having more than 1 digital distribution platform doesn't make sense to some of us, we treat it very much like we'd treat our mobile phones, we have 1 provider which reaches as many networks as possible and if someone else creates a new unique network which you can't phone from any other then you ignore that network because we can't be encouraging that kind of forceful business otherwise we'd end up carrying 5 mobiles phones and subscribed to 20 different networks to get full coverage.

The principle is really the same here, of course whoever is first gets somewhat of a free pass because theres no alternatives so valves offerings tied to steam is somewhat of a moot point, at least for me personally.

Again, had origin been there first then this would be the same conversation but in reverse, I don't particuarly have anything against origin, I'm just not going to install it.

My actions are such that if we ALL behaved that way (you all copied me) then developers would have no choice but to go multi-platform because exclusivity would fail before it began, I've done my part all I can do is hope others follow.

A PC distributor is not like a cell phone provider in that you can use more that one distributor, or many acutally, on one PC. You would not need a separate PC to use each platform because the PC is not tied to a specific distribution platform like a cell phone is tied to a particular carrier (unless you hack it). Personally, I would much prefer that ME3 would be available on Steam, but unfortunately EA has the right to distribute their game any way they choose, even though it might be inconvenient for us or not meet our personal preferences. Personally, as I went into in another post, considering what Bioware has done recently, I am more concerned about the quality of the game than how it is distributed.

 

[Powermoloch]

I'll just wait ME3 hit the bairgain bin. The days of popping in the cd and play are long gone.

 

[PrincessFrosty]

Done your part to try and ensure there's only a single dominant digital distribution platform which will discourage competition?

No that's wrong.

I'm not saying we should all use steam or any one specific DD method, I'm saying we should all avoid buying games that force the use of one specific digital distribution platform.

A PC distributor is not like a cell phone provider in that you can use more that one distributor, or many acutally, on one PC. You would not need a separate PC to use each platform because the PC is not tied to a specific distribution platform like a cell phone is tied to a particular carrier (unless you hack it).

That depends what phone you buy, if you buy an unbranded phone then you can use whatever network you please, in fact it's a perfect example of why you shouldn't buy a branded phone and get an unlocked one. Following the same analogy buying a locked phone is the same as buying a game that only works via one digital distribution method, you're handing yourself over to the mercy of whatever the publishers decide to do.

That's why I have an unbranded phone :}

 

[Red Hawk]

No that's wrong.

I'm not saying we should all use steam or any one specific DD method, I'm saying we should all avoid buying games that force the use of one specific digital distribution platform.

So, we should avoid buying Valve's own games because they force the use of Steam?

 

[frozentundra123456]

No that's wrong.

I'm not saying we should all use steam or any one specific DD method, I'm saying we should all avoid buying games that force the use of one specific digital distribution platform.



That depends what phone you buy, if you buy an unbranded phone then you can use whatever network you please, in fact it's a perfect example of why you shouldn't buy a branded phone and get an unlocked one. Following the same analogy buying a locked phone is the same as buying a game that only works via one digital distribution method, you're handing yourself over to the mercy of whatever the publishers decide to do.

That's why I have an unbranded phone :}

So by this agruement, we should not buy any game that requires Steam.

 

[gothamhunter]

Basically confirmed it will require Origin:

http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/16/mass-effect-3-isnt-launching-on-steam-requires-origin/

Mass Effect 3 is yet another entry in EA's stable of PC games that can't be purchased via Steam. At least "initially," that is, according to BioWare community manager Chris Priestly, who posted a variety of FAQ answers on the EA division's forums late last week. "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 said.

Unsurprisingly, this also means that all PC versions of Mass Effect 3 will also require EA's Origin service to launch the game -- regardless of where you buy it -- just like Battlefield 3 before it. And despite EA's wording, which implies the game may end up on Steam at some point after launch, we're doubtful that'll be anytime soon.

Alongside the confirmation that ME3 won't end up on Steam, Priestly goes on to list the issues his company sees with launching on Steam ("restrictive terms of service," BioWare claims). Given Steam's ubiquity across the PC gaming landscape, not to mention the vast majority of its clients not complaining about said terms of service, we're gonna go ahead and wager that the terms aren't changing anytime soon.

 

[irishScott]

Done your part to try and ensure there's only a single dominant digital distribution platform which will discourage competition?

Thanks!
If everyone was like you, we would only have a single everything (called a monopoly) and it would be pretty bad for everyone.
As it stands now, you have various digital download sites each competing with each other, and sometimes you get deals on games on one site that another site doesn't have.

Given how god awful Steam prices are ALL THE TIME in the UK, including when they have "sales" outside their deeply discounted holiday season sales (once a year), I'll take my competition over a de-facto monopoly, thank you very much.

Then again, I'm the kind of person who likes a deal and is willing to shop at more than one store to get everything I want at the cheapest price, rather than using a single location and settling for whatever crappy price they might offer.


Unless I am misunderstanding your post, your approach sucks.

And you think Origin is somehow going to drive down prices? If that were the case they'd be engaged in real marketing right now making their games available for cheaper than Steam, undercutting Valve and actually competing/gaining popularity. And don't say they couldn't afford it, we're talking EA here not some poor start-up. Personally I don't like being forced to buy a game on a platform not of my choosing any more than I would enjoy being forced to buy a nook and and a kindle to get respective exclusive eBooks.

 

[busydude]

Not buying it. Even though I loved ME and ME2.

 

[darckhart]

i refuse to use steam and origin and any other drm-infested digital distribution platform for pc. if indeed confirmed (as that post above hinted at), then i'll have to get my fix on x360.

 

[irishScott]

i refuse to use steam and origin and any other drm-infested digital distribution platform for pc. if indeed confirmed (as that post above hinted at), then i'll have to get my fix on x360.

Yeah, because consoles have no DRM whatsoever.

 

[Lonyo]

And you think Origin is somehow going to drive down prices? If that were the case they'd be engaged in real marketing right now making their games available for cheaper than Steam, undercutting Valve and actually competing/gaining popularity. And don't say they couldn't afford it, we're talking EA here not some poor start-up. Personally I don't like being forced to buy a game on a platform not of my choosing any more than I would enjoy being forced to buy a nook and and a kindle to get respective exclusive eBooks.

I don't like being forced to buy games on a platform not of my choosing either.
That's why I don't buy any Steamworks games.

 

[irishScott]

I don't like being forced to buy games on a platform not of my choosing either.
That's why I don't buy any Steamworks games.

And Origin is going to change this how? You're just getting a worse copy of steam. Oh and mildly mouth off in the forums, and you lose access to all of your games. Go EA! Wish there was some way to legally mandate that every PC game has to be available on every distribution platform that wants it.

 

[AstroManLuca]

Combo of options 2 and 3. I'm not really against Origin. I don't plan on using it often, but if I really want a game and it's the only option, I guess I can deal with it.

However:

- I almost never buy games at full price,
- Games on Steam go on sale frequently,
- I have no confidence that Origin-only games will become available at a reasonable price within a reasonable timeframe, and
- I am no longer sold on Bioware since Dragon Age II and SW:TOR. They appear to be going downhill.

So I'm obviously going to wait for reviews (and a good bit longer than that just because there's no way I'd pay $60 for ME3 or any other game). And I'll wait longer for it to drop to $30 or less on Origin. If they do like Blizzard and keep the price artificially inflated for years after release (see: Starcraft 2 still at $50), no sale.

 

[OVerLoRDI]

Buy it and crack it.

 

[Red Hawk]

And Origin is going to change this how? You're just getting a worse copy of steam. Oh and mildly mouth off in the forums, and you lose access to all of your games. Go EA! Wish there was some way to legally mandate that every PC game has to be available on every distribution platform that wants it.

Again, Valve would be the bigger violator of that principle, not EA. Anyways, no one whines about Target or Wal-Mart keeping their proprietary brands in their own stores.

 

[poohbear]

i dont understand what the big problem is? its not like Steam is some altruistic platform, they're in it to make money too and they control 70% of digital sales. Full prices for games despite no shipping, packaging, or physical costs. Ridiculous regional pricing which makes absolutely no sense. They have there own share of problems which are easy to fix but they've grown complacent. eg: games disconnecting all of a sudden due to "steam maintenance" and i lose my ranking (DoW2), if i lose internet i can't play my games offline... i have to first choose OFFLINE mode BEFORE disconnecting from the internet, but how on earth am i supposed to know when my internet is gonna be out? Sometimes the cable company cuts it off for maintenance and i lose access to it for a few hours, ALL my games are no longer available to me. Its been out for almost 7 years and i can't even choose which hard drive to install to! how easy are these things to fix? They're just lazy.

I installed Origin for BF3 and no problems at all. AND if my internet disconnects i can play my games offline without having to FIRST choose offline mode WHEN im online. Stop touting Steam as if its a charity. I dont understand the point of these threads, do you get commission for pimping Steam?