EA Says Steam "Too Restrictive" For Battlefield 3

Fail said:
If you buy a game on Steam, you shouldn't need any DRM whatsoever, EA is full of shit, I will pass on Battlefield 3, I hope you all enjoy getting it up the ass from EA when you buy their piece of shit game with all the fucking restrictive shit they pile on top of it.

Nobody advocates piracy around here, it's an old tired argument, but there's something to be said for how the pirates get a much better experience than the LEGITIMATE CUSTOMER DOES.

THEY ARE DOING IT WRONG.
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And this is why pirates exist. The companies did it to themselves.
 
sleepeeg3 said:
There are plenty of reasons to get angry at EA, but not selling their games through a competitor's system is not one of them.

Why is anyone advocating Steam anyway? It sucks the control away from the consumer, makes games unresellable and shovels ads down your throat. Valve sure hoodwinked you all.
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That's not so much STEAM's fault as the game stores that no longer take PC gaming seriously to support it.

STEAM is far less intrusive than having to fill out your address details, your contact information, card details, and then proceed to get spam email every time someone farts at EA.

And when was the last time your STEAM account was hacked, when an EA account is linked to every game developer site EA publish, I got warned about my account being hacked on Bioware's old site, and EA itself; never had this problem with STEAM.

Just another big business with no thought put into customer security...unless you count Origin being a big lump of steaming DRM?
 
Will still buy this game at some point. Being on Steam or not doesnt make the game better or worse.
 
Yeah, Bioware got hacked, so did EA, yet they want US to trust them?

No . . . .
 
Let's not forget what happens when EA has control over your game

This gentleman bought Dragon Age 2 and then posted on the forums.





In March 2011, reports began emerging from consumer-advocacy website Reclaim Your Game that Dragon Age II was being distributed with the controversial DRM software SecuROM, despite assertions from EA that it would not be.[52] Producer Fernando Melo stated that although the game uses software made by the makers of SecuROM, it is a different program completely. "They have the same support site through which is the URL you're seeing." The software is a form of release-date checker, designed to prevent copies of the game from being played before the release date in that territory. The software runs from the disc, and does not install anything on the system.[53] BioWare confirmed that there is no SecuROM DRM in the game and clarified that in the case of downloaded versions, the release date check program's executable deletes itself after having performed the check.[54]

Further issue arose when a player was unable to activate his purchased copy of the game due to being temporarily banned from the BioWare forums for posting "Have you sold your souls to the EA devil?". BioWare's Stanley Woo replied to the user in support of the ban by pointing to sections 9 and 11 of EA's terms of service, which state "EA may terminate access to any online or mobile products and/or EA Services at any time by giving you notice of such termination within the time period specified when you joined the particular EA Service."[55] Woo clearly acknowledged that “These bans can affect access to your game and/or DLC,” adding that players should “consider it an added incentive to follow the rules you say you're going to follow.”[56] Technology news website Ars Technica called the incident a "potentially dangerous precedent, where saying something inflammatory about a developer or publisher could result in the company revoking the player's right to play a game he or she lawfully acquired."[55] When the story was later picked-up by several news websites, EA's Andrew Wong said the entire incident was actually an unforeseen glitch, and that the player's account had been reactivated.[57]

A BioWare employee was caught posing as a consumer on the review site Metacritic. The employee, Chris Hoban, who posted under the name of Avanost gave a score of 10/10 saying "Anything negative you'll see about this game is an overreaction of personal preference." A representative for EA responded after much online controversy saying "Of course the people who make the game vote for their own game. That's how it works in the Oscars, that's how it works in the Grammys and why I'm betting that Barack Obama voted for himself in the last election", though it is unclear if Hoban acted on his own behest or on that of the company.[
 
ChrisRam said:
In my house we have to keep two accounts for everything. I have two sons that play games all the time and I like to play from time to time.

The problem with Origin is that they put out an update every week or two so when my boys want to play Crysis 2 or something else on there they have to grab me to do the update, then I have to remember all of the username and passwords for all of these accounts.

Anyhow, the cool thing about Steam is if there is an update it just does it and you don't have to log back in or just through a bunch of BS hoops.
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Exactly! I've got four accounts in my house. Two for the kids, and two for me (so I can play multiplayer with people who might not have the same game. (I only do it for a few of my favorites.) I've got close to ten PCs in my house. We can freely move around to any of them, and the games are always up to date, and ready to play, wherever we are in the house. It's ridiculously easy, and it just works. The worst problem I've ever had is slow downloads during a huge release, and that's only happened maybe a couple of times since I've been using it. (that I've noticed anyway) (BioShock release, UT3 free weekend, and this last summer sale.)

Anyway, the thought of keeping all the systems up to date in my house using multiple services... Well, I'd just stop doing it I think. I used to have time for that sort of thing. (I used to have time to configure PC hardware in DOS with jumpers too) :D I don't have that kind of time now, and quite glad I don't have to jump through the proverbial hoops.

I still don't understand how people can stick up for EA. They're slime. Is Valve perfect? Maybe not, but their system works, they have good sales, they make it easy to game on PCs (multiple PCs even,) the former holy grail of PC gaming basically realized.)) People wanted it to get easier, and Valve made it happen. They deserve their success.

Tell me one good thing EA has done since Archon on the C64. (ok, well maybe they did a few good things a little bit after that, but really...) The absolute most I can credit them with is publishing someone's decent game (talking about Bioware here for the most part.) And even then they have issues...
 
ChrisRam said:
In my house we have to keep two accounts for everything. I have two sons that play games all the time and I like to play from time to time.

The problem with Origin is that they put out an update every week or two so when my boys want to play Crysis 2 or something else on there they have to grab me to do the update, then I have to remember all of the username and passwords for all of these accounts.

Anyhow, the cool thing about Steam is if there is an update it just does it and you don't have to log back in or just through a bunch of BS hoops.
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It is reason's like this why I don't support the current prevailing model for digital distribution where you essentially access your purchases through a subscription service. While this offers convenience it also serves to restrict consumer movement and competition.

There are other digital distribution services that sell games and do not require you access them through a central account.

Thuleman said:
Any digital distribution prevents resale, so that's not an issue unique to Steam. Not sure what you are talking about but I haven't seen ads on Steam, other than ads for other games offered on Steam.

What makes Steam great is the selection and the deep discounts if you care to wait for them.

Steam is to games what Netflix is to movies. Yes, there are alternatives but in comparison they all suck.
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Netflix is advertised as a subscription service where you rent movies.

The problem with Steam over the long run is the same thing that makes it convenient. By locking access to all your purchases to a subscription service, you are essentially more and more tried into that service. For proof look at threads whenever Steam is brought up, many people will simply buy through Steam only because their existing library and social network is tied to Steam even though other options offer cheaper prices as well as less restrictive DRM.
 
limitedaccess said:
It is reason's like this why I don't support the current prevailing model for digital distribution where you essentially access your purchases through a subscription service. While this offers convenience it also serves to restrict consumer movement and competition.

There are other digital distribution services that sell games and do not require you access them through a central account.



Netflix is advertised as a subscription service where you rent movies.

The problem with Steam over the long run is the same thing that makes it convenient. By locking access to all your purchases to a subscription service, you are essentially more and more tried into that service. For proof look at threads whenever Steam is brought up, many people will simply buy through Steam only because their existing library and social network is tied to Steam even though other options offer cheaper prices as well as less restrictive DRM.
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Here's the thing, Steam is simple, easy to use, and a known commodity.

Origin is NOT even a new service, EA has had it's own online store for a few years now. It has yet to get any significant market share, I wonder why? COULD IT BE THAT NOBODY WANTS TO USE IT?

I wonder . . . .
 
J3RK said:
I still don't understand how people can stick up for EA. They're slime. Is Valve perfect? Maybe not, but their system works, they have good sales, they make it easy to game on PCs (multiple PCs even,) the former holy grail of PC gaming basically realized.)) People wanted it to get easier, and Valve made it happen. They deserve their success.
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It is really simple :
1) Who's is the game ? EA.
2) Who wants all the money from the DLC ? EA.
3) Who doesn't want to sell DLC on other platforms than Origin ? EA.
4) Who doesn't like that, and wants their own cut from DLC sales ? Valve.
5) Who decides whether it is financially viable alternative to not selling the game at that specific distribution channel ? EA.

In short - it is EA game, and they decided that they don't like the new Valve rules, that they don't want to give away a share from the DLC revenue. Valve reaction is that the game doesn't comply to the requirements for publishing game.

Failure is at both - Valve for demanding the sale of the products EA don't want to sell through them (DLC) and EA for not trying to find a solution.

If i have to draw a real good analogy to this Valve-EA-BF3 situation, then it is like the Apple in-app purchases. You are not allowed to do in-app purchases in any other way than through Apple, and Apple takes 30% of all in-app sales. Do developers like this ? Hell no. So why should EA like the same situation, only this time with Valve as bad guy (yes, Valve is bad guy for demanding all DLC to be sold through them).
 
xBanzai89 said:
Hello Steam fanboys. It is not the end of the world if a game isn't on Steam. I am still going to buy the game even though I like Steam, I really do not see the big deal. People say Apple fanboys are bad lol.
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+1000000000000
 
Probably just going to get it retail. Hopefully it means I can avoid using Origin and then just connect Battlefield 3 to my Steam account so I can still talk to friends with Steam while in-game.
 
Fail said:
Here's the thing, Steam is simple, easy to use, and a known commodity.

Origin is NOT even a new service, EA has had it's own online store for a few years now. It has yet to get any significant market share, I wonder why? COULD IT BE THAT NOBODY WANTS TO USE IT?

I wonder . . . .
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I never mentioned Origin, nor do I care if people choose to use it or not. You don't have to buy any game digitally directly from Origin, which is not the case for every publisher. I directed a point purely at how the current prevailing model in digital distribution indirectly acts to limit consumer choice.

Even so there are two things Steam can take from Origin to improve. Serving as a downloader and initial actvation tool only, allowing you to run the game without the client at all. And also adding better, and live, support options.

If you are a fan of Steam and like the service, than you should want it to improve in all areas in comparison to its competitors so you willingly choose to use the service, not because you are indirectly forced to due to being locked into the service. That is the difference between a fan and fan boy.

I don't care about Origin, Steam or any individual service. The main purpose for any of these digital distributors should be to facilitate a transaction and deliver the game from the publisher to the consumer. Publishers and Consumers should be free to choose whichever service they wish based on how favorable its terms are. A single unregulated middleman in a market should not dictate terms to either the supplier or consumer, this is the worst case scenario for both suppliers and consumers.
 
How disappointing. I may wait now for the "game of the year" edition to come out in the next year or two. Perhaps by then EA will wake up and see the support we have for our steam library.
 
Not to turn this into a Steam thread, but ...

limitedaccess said:
The problem with Steam over the long run is the same thing that makes it convenient. By locking access to all your purchases to a subscription service, you are essentially more and more tried into that service. For proof look at threads whenever Steam is brought up, many people will simply buy through Steam only because their existing library and social network is tied to Steam even though other options offer cheaper prices as well as less restrictive DRM.
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Restrictive DRM is only a problem if you find it restrictive or if you are some anti-DRM crusade based on principle rather than reality. I have been with Steam for years though my collection is modest by any standard. I don't care that I have to be connected to the net to play (though apparently offline mode is an option) because when I am gaming I am connected to the net anyway, so to me it's a non-issue.

Cheaper elsewhere? Don't care as long as it isn't like half price elsewhere. Every single day in our lives we pay more for something based on convenience, that's because effort and time incur an opportunity cost. I could buy flour, yeast, and use those and water to bake my own bread, or I could buy the bread at the store, in fact, I could grow my own grain, yet we don't do it because it doesn't make sense. Likewise it doesn't make sense to me to have approximately 373,483,483 accounts with all digital distributors out there. If consolidation means that I have to pay a few bucks extra every once in a blue moon then I am OK with that.

Steam has over the years provided me with outstanding service, I see no reason to switch until that service becomes anything less than outstanding and viable alternatives exist.
 
When people might call me a steam fanboy You know how I would respond?

Why the fuck not?


Steam does shit right... unlimited downloads, they've noted that they will unlock everything if they somehow go under.. they constantly run sales and have quite good and reasonable deals on most preorders...


What has EA done right? .....


Yeah, fuck everyone who is defending EA.
 
I don't even want BF3 in the first place. :D I'm actually participating in this thread because I can see it applying to ME3 in the future. Most unfortunate.
 
Weenis said:
When people might call me a steam fanboy You know how I would respond?

Why the fuck not?


Steam does shit right... unlimited downloads, they've noted that they will unlock everything if they somehow go under.. they constantly run sales and have quite good and reasonable deals on most preorders...


What has EA done right? .....


Yeah, fuck everyone who is defending EA.
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Fuck everyone who is defending EA? Sorry man but it's really not their fault BF3 won't be on Steam, it's Valve's fault. Yeah Steam is great, it's the only chat program I use and I have 140 games on it but they are in the wrong here.

Implying someone is a fanboy isn't like saying they are a fan of the product or enjoy the product, it is instead implying blind loyalty to a company. If you can't see that Valve is keeping BF3 off Steam and not EA then you are basically blind. I could list the many many other digital distribution services BF3 is available on but that will never change your mind about the subject.
 
Valshistixol said:
Fuck everyone who is defending EA? Sorry man but it's really not their fault BF3 won't be on Steam, it's Valve's fault. Yeah Steam is great, it's the only chat program I use and I have 140 games on it but they are in the wrong here.

Implying someone is a fanboy isn't like saying they are a fan of the product or enjoy the product, it is instead implying blind loyalty to a company. If you can't see that Valve is keeping BF3 off Steam and not EA then you are basically blind. I could list the many many other digital distribution services BF3 is available on but that will never change your mind about the subject.
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EA is throwing a hissy fit because Steam wants to be able to distribute the DLC... how is this unreasonable at all...

Maybe they want to ensure they want their customers to have access to all the same game content? --- That's just crazyyyyyyyyy!
 
Yossarian22 said:
Considering Fail is hard of hearing/deaf, I believe, I would imagine it was a pain in the ass.
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That's not really the point, just the fact I had to make a call because a damn key I was given when I bought the pre order on Steam that worked before was considered invalid months later when i tried to play again.

It shouldn't be that way.

This was for my EA account, mind you, and my fucking key was already tied to my account.

Fuck those asshats at EA.
 
hmm, I get it,sucks they aren't using steam sucks too about EA's response that steam is too restrictive (still waiting for steam's side of the story though), but it never crossed my mind not to buy the game, why with all the boycotting?, just buy it somewhere else?, I reckon if you wan't to boycott it don't buy it over origin, but really? "uhhh fuck EA Im NOT gonna buy BF3 EVAAHHH" attitude? a bit childish aren't we?
 
dyzophoria said:
hmm, I get it,sucks they aren't using steam sucks too about EA's response that steam is too restrictive (still waiting for steam's side of the story though), but it never crossed my mind not to buy the game, why with all the boycotting?, just buy it somewhere else?, I reckon if you wan't to boycott it don't buy it over origin, but really? "uhhh fuck EA Im NOT gonna buy BF3 EVAAHHH" attitude? a bit childish aren't we?
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You don't see the big picture.
 
It's going to be $35 (well around that range anyway - EA games don't reach the same prices as CoD games here, MW2 and Black Ops still started at $60 when converted) from a retail store chain over here, and the pre-order is just $11 so you'll just have to pay $24 and you'll even get some of the pre-order goodies.
 
All I can say is i honestly hate steam. Always have, always will. I especially don't give two F***'s after the shit that happened with Civ 5 and LAN gaming. I bought the game on a disk, I should be aloud to install it on my 3 computers and network them all together to play one game, but because the game requires steam to play i cannot. Bull.....
 
Weenis said:
When people might call me a steam fanboy You know how I would respond?

Why the fuck not?


Steam does shit right... unlimited downloads, they've noted that they will unlock everything if they somehow go under.. they constantly run sales and have quite good and reasonable deals on most preorders...


What has EA done right? .....


Yeah, fuck everyone who is defending EA.
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I think you just nailed it. Valve isn't an innocent company, but companies have to earn our respect by doing things right which Valve did. EA however has done nothing to earn our respect other than to continuously piss off the gaming community along with turning many of our favorite games into nothing but crappy shovleware. By the same token though, I also feel that Valve should offer their own 1st party games for sale on services other than Steam in the interest of fairness. Their 1st party stuff can still utilize steamworks anyway, so I don't see why they don't do this.
 
[Tripod]MajorPayne;1037606415 said:
I hope they figure out that customers don't like being on the other side of that coin, but I'm not getting my hopes up.

I have it preordered from Amazon.com anyway with release day delivery (RDD is a steal at $0.99!).
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They aren't going to figure that out if everyone pre-orders or buys it. :)
 
Ea locked me out of all my games by mistake. I could load it up from steam but the steam serial was no longer tied to my ea account.. So i couldnt login and play

They offered new cd keys to use on origin instead of steam

A steam dev saw my plee for help here on the forum and spent a few hours working with me to get a new steam serial generated and tied to my ea account

Ea can die in a fire for all i care

No steam, no buy
 
What the hell are you talking about? No one has been allowed to install a game on multiple computers in many, many years even if you do have physical media. If you mean you are pissed you can't hack your install and pirate the game to play on several computers in your house at once... sorry no sympathy. That ship sailed years ago.

Now, you want to know what REALLY PISSES ME OFF?

EA named their download service "ORIGIN." Seriously, as an old school gamer I find my blood absolutely boiling that they would resurrect the name of the best game studio of all time, WHICH THEY DESTROYED, for some dumbass online store. ORIGIN made ULTIMA and WING COMMANDER, and a whole host of other games that will live on some of the best of all time. I'm surprised it angers me this much but you know, it just does. Can't help it.
 
You people are confusing defending EA with not giving a shit. I was mad when the original rumors came out that it wouldn't be on Steam, but there is no way I would give up playing this game for such a stupid ass complaint.
 
Fail said:
That's not really the point, just the fact I had to make a call because a damn key I was given when I bought the pre order on Steam that worked before was considered invalid months later when i tried to play again.

It shouldn't be that way.

This was for my EA account, mind you, and my fucking key was already tied to my account.

Fuck those asshats at EA.
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Your key was marked invalid because you already used it. You needed to log back into steam and just re-download the game.
 
wizdum said:
Your key was marked invalid because you already used it. You needed to log back into steam and just re-download the game.
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That's just it, I DID redownload the game and it gave me that.
 
Fail said:
That's just it, I DID redownload the game and it gave me that.
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Odd, might have been a problem with EA then. I had to go to a special web-page to get the DLC I purchased for mass-effect 2, because the EA store refused to recognize my key. Their system seems horribly convoluted, like its made up of 6 separate systems that dont communicate.
 
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