Reason Crysis 2 Moved off steam: DLC

[Miya]

[url]http://www.1up.com/news/ea-desire-stay-in-touch-keeping-games-off-steam[/url]

[QUOTE][URL="http://www.1up.com/games/pc/crysis-2"]Crysis 2[/URL] was quietly [URL="http://www.1up.com/news/crysis-2-pulled-from-steam-ea-says-valve-to-blame"]pulled[/URL] from Steam last month. Given the timing, it looked as if EA was looking to secure more exclusives for its [URL="http://www.1up.com/news/ea-launching-new-online-service-connect-games-sell-them"]rebranded[/URL] EA Store, Origin. But the game continued to be sold at other digital game distributors, and other EA titles remained on Steam. EA explained it "was not an EA decision or the result of any action by EA" and that it was in fact due to "business terms" set by Steam. Another new EA game, [URL="http://www.1up.com/games/pc/alice-madness-return/"]Alice: Madness Returns[/URL], wasn't available at launch on Steam but was made available on there [URL="http://www.1up.com/news/alice-steam-wheres-battlefield-3"]soon after[/URL]. EA's biggest title of the year, [URL="http://www.1up.com/do/gameOverview?cId=3174413"]Battlefield 3[/URL], however, remains unavailable. Meanwhile, both Direct2Drive and GamersGate have it up for pre-order.
Origin boss David DeMartini published a [URL="http://www.ea.com/news/demar-at-ea-we-believe-in-choice"]blog[/URL] today emphasizing that EA "respect[s] consumer choice." An official policy on third-party digital game distributors has been [URL="http://forum.ea.com/eaforum/posts/list/7372195.page"]posted[/URL] today, said to be in response to the initial confusion that it was responsible for Crysis 2 being pulled -- but more likely to reinforce that Steam has decided not to sell it and other games.

Update: [B]DeMartini told [URL="http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/35703/EAs_DeMartini_Its_Never_Been_About_Facing_Off_With_Steam.php"]Gamasutra[/URL] today that Crysis 2's removal from Steam was due to DLC being available through Direct2Drive, but not Steam. [/B]

It notes that EA games are offered to "EVERY major download service," Steam included. "Any retailer can sell our games, but we take direct responsibility for providing patches, updates, additional content and other services for the individuals and communities that play our games," the policy states. "These players are connecting to our servers, so we want to provide them with the very best service. This works well for our partnership with Gamestop, Amazon and other online retailers."

DeMartini clarified this point, saying, "To be very clear, except under extremely special circumstances we offer our games to every major download service including Amazon, Gamestop, and Steam." The one big exception on the horizon, of course, is [URL="http://www.1up.com/games/pc/star-wars-old-republic/"]Star Wars: The Old Republic[/URL], the digital version of which will only be sold [URL="http://www.1up.com/news/ea-launching-new-online-service-connect-games-sell-them"]through Origin[/URL].

We previously were given no indication as to why certain EA games weren't showing up on Steam, but apparently it's due to EA's desire to stay in touch with gamers about DLC, patches, and so on. Without naming Steam specifically, the policy continues, "However, when a download service forbids publishers from contacting players with patches, new levels, items and other services -- it disrupts our ability to provide the ongoing support players expect from us. At present, this is the case with only one download service. While EA offers its entire portfolio to this site, they have elected to not post many of our games. We hope to find a mutually agreeable solution to this issue soon."

After Alice appeared on Steam, EA PR Director Amanda Taggart had a somewhat unusual comment for 1UP. She said, "EA Partners and Spicy Horse Games appreciate Steam's decision to sell Alice: Madness Returns." 'Appreciate' is not a term that's typically used in this sort of situation, though it would appear -- without knowing the specifics -- that Valve is picking which EA games to allow on its service on a case-by-case basis due to EA's desire to be in contact with gamers.

In his blog today, with regards to the "one download service that will not allow this relationship," DeMartini said, "This is not our choice, and unfortunately it is their customer base that is most impacted by this decision. We are working diligently to find a mutually agreeable solution.
"Going forward, EA will continue offering our games to all major download sites. We will also remain committed to providing you, our players, with the best possible content, services, and gaming experience that we can."

Steam sells DLC and automatically downloads patches for every game it sells. Presumably EA wants to do have some way of notifying users about these things, but it didn't specify if the way it wants to stay in contact is through Origin, which could be the problem, but that's purely speculation.

1UP has contacted Valve for comment to find out what it will take to get EA's entire catalog on Steam, as well as what it is that EA wants to do that it finds so objectionable.

As someone who owns the majority of my PC games on Steam -- and has a desire to keep it that way -- this is a frustrating situation. Hopefully something is able to be worked out so all of EA's games can end up on Steam. [/QUOTE]

It was EA's fault all along for violating the contract and releasing DLC on another Distribution platform while not giving the same DLC to Steam :eng101:

[Ohm]

So EA was the badguy all along? I've been flamboozled!

[LATTEH]

if this is true then why isnt mass effect taken off? i call bullshit.

(not that i want mass effect taken off steam.)

[YouWithTheFace.]

Didn't even notice that they took it down

[Miya]

[QUOTE=LATTEH;30967685]if this is true then why isnt mass effect taken off? i call bullshit.

(not that i want mass effect taken off steam.)[/QUOTE]

There's different contracts for different games

[Kwaq]

I'm not sure, it sounds as if this could be just fabricated

[juGGa]

Didn't we know this already?

[Curls]

Honestly do you really think steam would do it without a good, actual reason? :rolleye:

EA is kinda filled with greedy dicks.

[Nautsabes]

So... Everyone is being a douchebag?

[Shugo]

And let me guess: EA will quietly refuse to put the DLC onto Steam so that the game stays off of Steam.

At the risk of sounding like a Valve fanboy here, EA really sounds asshole-ish about all this. "It was because of our [i]desire to stay in touch with our dear, beloved gamers[/i]. :(" If that doesn't sound both cheesy and ridiculous, I don't know what is. Sounds like they just wanted to send us spam.

[commander204]

[QUOTE=Nautsabes;30967842]So... Everyone is being a douchebag?[/QUOTE]

What you call 'being nice' is actually not fulfilling a contract, something that in a business environment is not tolerated.

[~ZOMG]

I knew my beloved Valve weren't the bad guys :3:

[aznz888]

Looks more like EA's fault here. I love Valve, but that's not going to influence my opinion on this one. EA should have also released the DLC on Steam so that steam owners of Crysis 2 could also have the choice of buying the DLC without having to resort to Origin and buying the whole game again.

[Riutet]

Seems like EA have engineered this to cause damage to Valve's reputation, because they initially blamed Valve but then didn't elaborate in any meaningful way and now that they have (and they've tried to spin it so they look like the benevolent party) it's somewhat apparent that it's actually a problem on their end.

[Ven Kaeo]

Fuck you EA and fuck your Origins put ME3 on Steam you cockbaggers.

I'll be damned if I'm buying it from you if I'm forced to use Origins

[Edthefirst]

I'm pretty pissed seeing as I was waiting to buy Crysis 2 during the summer sale. Had it gone on sale I would have bought it immediately, but I can't buy it now because I can only access the Brazilian version of the EA Store (Origin now I guess) and all my cards are registered in the US.

It's also still $60 bucks wherever I go and I'm not paying that for Crysis 2.

[Diet Kane]

[QUOTE=RichyZ;30968616]it's origin and calm the hell down, you can install your games from origin, then uninstall origin
BAM butthurt gone[/QUOTE]

but waaaaahhhh I unly wunt to use shteeeeem cuz everythin else sukz
gib me yo cock, gabe

[Starpluck]

[quote]
DeMartini clarified this point, saying, "To be very clear, except under extremely special circumstances we offer our games to every major download service including Amazon, Gamestop, and Steam." The one big exception on the horizon, of course, is [URL="http://www.1up.com/games/pc/star-wars-old-republic/"]Star Wars: The Old Republic[/URL], the digital version of which will only be sold [URL="http://www.1up.com/news/ea-launching-new-online-service-connect-games-sell-them"]through Origin[/URL]. [/quote]

So this means BF3 is most likely coming to Steam?

EDIT: Ah never mind, thought he said the entire passage there, rather then ending on "...and Steam"

[sephrosasia]

[QUOTE=LATTEH;30967685]if this is true then why isnt mass effect taken off? i call bullshit.

(not that i want mass effect taken off steam.)[/QUOTE]

Difference being Mass Effect 1 + 2 DLC was downloaded directly from Bioware/EA's website and the same service was offered regardless of whether you had the steam, d2d or retail copy of the game. With Crysis 2, the DLC was available on D2D but not steam, meaning you didn't have the same level of service.

I'm assuming here, also, that if you managed to buy and download the DLC from D2D without buying the game there (is that possible?) it wouldn't be compatible with a Steam install? Is that right? Because I'm guessing that is partly why Valve were upset.

[TheCloak]

They're loosing a ton of money keeping it on Origin. Oh well.

[editline]7th July 2011[/editline]

As much as I want BF3, I refuse to play it on Origin.

[ardosos]

It's a shame, I was going to buy it.

[Ven Kaeo]

[QUOTE=RichyZ;30968616]it's origin and calm the hell down, you can install your games from origin, then uninstall origin
BAM butthurt gone[/QUOTE]

Oh no I put an S on it when there isn't one.

Doesn't matter. EA is pulling a bullshit move and Origin is the most retarded thing ever.

Especially if they put big titles on it and not Steam. They're gonna lose revenue.

[editline]7th July 2011[/editline]

[QUOTE=sephrosasia;30969506]Difference being Mass Effect 1 + 2 DLC was downloaded directly from Bioware/EA's website and the same service was offered regardless of whether you had the steam, d2d or retail copy of the game. With Crysis 2, the DLC was available on D2D but not steam, meaning you didn't have the same level of service.

I'm assuming here, also, that if you managed to buy and download the DLC from D2D without buying the game there (is that possible?) it wouldn't be compatible with a Steam install? Is that right? Because I'm guessing that is partly why Valve were upset.[/QUOTE]

Yes. Steam installs DLC directly to the game, if you got it from an outside source it wouldn't install correctly.

Also the reason why DLC from steam doesn't work if the game it's for isn't also on your steam account (Sims 3 for example)

[nikomo]

I'm not buying Battlefield 3 unless they bring it to Steam.

I remember having to use some bullshit program from EA that I had to install to play Battlefield 2142.
Never again. I can't trust a company that sucks that much dick.

[dass]

[QUOTE=Sir Colton;30967611]So EA was the badguy all along? I've been flamboozled![/QUOTE]

since when is steam/valve the bad guy in anything? (kinda biased question)

goddamn your avatar...it took me 2 minutes to write and post this

[Miya]

[QUOTE=nikomo;30971449]I'm not buying Battlefield 3 unless they bring it to Steam.

I remember having to use some bullshit program from EA that I had to install to play Battlefield 2142.
Never again. I can't trust a company that sucks that much dick.[/QUOTE]

Starting up first time installation.....

Origin (1 of 3)

[Teddi]

Their statements are somewhat odd for EA reps. The fact they're all sadface about "not being able to serve DLC" seems an odd one and rather bad example due to the fact there's plenty of games on steam that sell DLC. It's even odder they appreciate that Steam sells it suggesting that somethings gone down somewhere with EA.

EA, what are you trying to do here, because I just don't see it.

[evilweazel]

[QUOTE=TheCloak;30969841]They're loosing a ton of money keeping it on Origin. Oh well.

[editline]7th July 2011[/editline]

As much as I want BF3, I refuse to play it on Origin.[/QUOTE]

Thats a terrible reason to miss out on a great game.

[ThatHippyMan]

-snip-

[editline]7th July 2011[/editline]

This was posted in the wrong thread oh god

[PvtCupcakes]

Pretty lame of Valve to pull it because they didn't get the crappy DLC. Like who cares about DLC?

[editline]7th July 2011[/editline]

Valve fanboys ITT

[Hakita]

[QUOTE=PvtCupcakes;30974471]Pretty lame of Valve to pull it because they didn't get the crappy DLC. Like who cares about DLC?

[editline]7th July 2011[/editline]

Valve fanboys ITT[/QUOTE]
When a deal is made the deal sticks.