There was me hoping BF3 would use Steamworks *le sigh* Atleast I'll get Game reward points now I suppose...
So if you want to sell on Steam you can ONLY sell on Steam?? After reading this and how Valve reject indie devs without even a reason or advise (worse than Apple in that regard). **** em. Seems like everyone wants to do their best to kill off PC gaming :/ Also, Wait, what??
It's complete hogwash used to defuse the PR problem. If EA wanted to sell on another digital distribution system too, there is nothing that Valve has historically done to forbid this. Half the games on Impulse are on Steam too so there is no exclusivity contract between those devs and as it was pointed out in the article, other games where not pulled. The main issue that I see with this is that if the online distributors start waging wars between themselves, it is going to majority hurt the PC gaming community. Online distributors are the only major advantage that developers and gamers have over piracy as it bundles DRM and the game into one nice package that is in theory invisible to the end user with an added advantage of no-CDs and instant updates. If gamers are going to need to register an account (with their credit card information tied to it) with each and every publisher who wants to make their own unique system, we're going to start having problems and eventually some of the systems are going to fail. When this happens, our games go bye bye and that no-cd advantage along with the instaupdate become gonzo. All that we have left is a unplayable DRM system that keeps legitimate users from their games. If this happens a few times, piracy will justifiably jump up as users no longer trust any PC game to work after a few years.
Source for that? I always got the impression that Indie devs were treated well by Valve. Of course, that impression comes from the ones signed on Steam; but I had never heard much in the way of complaints from indie devs who weren't on Steam, either.
Valve/steam have never wronged me. However, I have never played an EA game that wasn't insanely buggy, and their tech support is even worse.
source? I think that the game got removed because because crytek signed an agreement with EA to have their upcoming DLC sold exclusively through Origin's store. That must probably conflict with valve's agreement.
http://blog.magrathean.ca/ It's not the greatest game in the world but it doesn't mean that people haven't bought it. Indie dev's arguably look up to Valve and could use the feedback as development advise, but just to say "it's not suitable" when other episodic games are? Big kick in the nuts. In relation to earlier comments - so Valve's issue with Crysis 2 is that EA get's exclusive on DLC only, so it throws out the toys from the pram? It's hard to read between the lines of the statements.
If that's the case, I don't blame Valve. They're selling muffins made by EA, if suddenly EA gips all of Valve's customers by stating that they can't have sprinkles even if they want some, but Origins down the street can, who is the customer going to blame for a subpar product that contains no sprinkles?
What I've heard from various indy devs (on the web and in person) is that Valve is the superhero of this story that literally makes their lives possible, I've got a friend thats an indy dev with a rather successful game on Steam (eventually). The one weak point, the one thing Valve needs to do is improve communication with them, I don't believe they have anyone specificity responsible for communication with indys, so communication can go sometimes months without a reply when trying to get into the store, or a game can be rejected for QC reasons or for not dotting an I or crossing a T in the submission process, the weak point being that Valve doesn't communicate back why they're rejecting things or why its taking so long very well. That said when a game does get in apparently you can buy yourself a new Audi A4 with cash within a couple of weeks. As was I I hate having to add all my friends to yet another platform, its like having to join a new social network each time you want to share some photos with friends.
So I was reading RPS comments and someone struck up an interesting idea: Valve may have changed their disti agreement to state that DLC and future content packs MUST be available on Steam if they are released elsewhere, because Valve doesn't want to get stuck selling a gimped game. With Crysis 2 DLC about to launch, EA may have made it an Origin exclusive, thus cutting out all Steam owners?? = Bad!! or Valve are just not getting a cut, so are saying in that if a game is sold through them - all the future stuff goes via them too. If there's an in-game function where DLC updates connect direct to a publishers server (did Mass Effect's Cerebrus network do this too?), then that doesn't suit their bottom line. Time will tell the details.
Both of those seem more likely than valve = evil. I could imagine EA making DLC exclusive to their platform then saying "but valve did it" would explain why other games are not affected too. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
As noted, Bioware (i.e. EA) already sell DLC through their games, rather than Steam. That said, I don't know what to think, but EA are perfectly entitled to railroad us into using Origin, if the only stick/carrot they are using is the quality of the games they are selling, and the service they provide. Steam is no different. (And let's not forget the DD outlets that have to sell games that use Steamworks which require a rival to their own service to be installled on the customer's PC).
Oh EA, just as your getting your **** sorted, you mess your pants again. 1. They are entitled to do this even if its a complete and utter ballache to their customers. 2. It wont last. Everyone knows EA Download Manager was a complete pile of turd. Whos gonna be stupid enough to use EADM mk2? Not many people. 3. They will un doubtable release BF3 on steam closer to the release date. 4. When origin fails they will have to go back to valve, cap in hand like oliver twist. 5. Im going down to Game to pre order my boxed copy. Simples.. Sorry yes that an annoying meercat joke
Let World War EA Bashing commence some more in this thread..... Joe, at this rate you're getting no "Happy Christmas" either
"****, lulzsec.. umm.. direct their attention to Steam and hopefully they'll leave us alone". "Ooh, while I remember, put an advert up for someone who's into IT security". More like.
Eh?! Most of the games that are on Steam are available as retail disks that don't use Steam, and a good proportion are available on other digital distribution systems like Impulse. If this is to do with a refusal to sell DLC through Steam, that's f****** annoying. If you bought the game through Steam, is the issue that you can't buy the DLC through Steam, or you can't buy it at all?
I was wondering that myself, I was tempted to pick up the retail DLC for borderlands (before teh sales) but couldn't find out if they would work with the Steam versions so didn't bother. A quick google now shows that the Retail DLC discs will not work with the Steam version of Borderlands, so I'm guessing it would be the same with Crysis 2 DLC.
