I know Steam is my preferred platform for my PC games, but I also have a ton of games form the old EA Download manager and games from Direct 2 Drive and games from other platforms.
Orgins is another program for my PC, but as long as I can re download my games I am good to go.
Nothing wrong with competition. As good as Steam has become, nothing wrong with throwing a wrench in it. Though Origin in its current state really is just a glorified EA Download Manager with HTML content.
Ideally I'd like to see the day where Valve games would be on Origin and EA games back on Steam, so I can continue to purchase on STEAM. But that day will probably never come.
Then the walls and the ceiling. While it's (mildly) inconvenient the solution I have is buy the game at retail and just add a shortcut to a non-steam game in Steam. I looked over Origin when I installed Alice: MR the other day and it looks like a mess to me. I understand that it's still a work in progress but considering what a bunch of junk it was trying to install expansion packs for Battlefield 2 (which I never did succeed in due to the CD key printed on the damn manual being INVALID and getting absolutely zero help from EA "support", fuck you EA, fuck you very much) I have little hope that they'll put the effort into Origin to make it work anywhere near as well as Steam.
I'm less likely to buy a game from a brick and mortar store than I am from EA Origin, and that's pretty unlikely. What would I do with a physical disk? Seriously?
A game has to be very compelling for me to buy it somewhere other than Steam.
In fact there are only two non-steam PC games that I've purchased over the last four years or so, maybe longer.
Steam was a POS when it started, too, and took at least 2 years before it became inviting, let alone workable.
I really can't understand the absolute vitriol towards EA for pulling games from an online store to open their own. You can argue they're shooting themselves in the foot, fine, but you'd swear the company took a busload of newborns and drove it off a cliff with the reaction the internet is giving towards this news.
They're a large publishing house, why pay someone else when you can do it yourself?
In all each gaming company works to make more money so they can make more games. By offering more digital content they make the most cash. Steam already has a tough time staying competitive with other retailers due to the back end of Steam. Most of us have been paying more blindly because we have enjoyed the service.
EA selling their top games only on Origin allows them to keep all $60 instead of the typical $30-$35 they get form retailers. Remove the middle man and make more money. It’s funny how everyone thinks each giant gaming company gets $60 per game when in reality after shipping, packaging etc… they see maybe $25-$30 per game sold.
Most of the older EA games are still on Steam, but a lot of the newer hits have no trace.
My problem with Origin, is that its basically the EA Download manager. I've had the EA Download manager since 2007 and really, all that has changed is that you can buy direct and add friends. It takes 4 years to gain that ability and games no cheaper than anywhere else.
On the otherhand, you can get everything from Amazon and their download catalog is only going to get bigger. With their Droid Store, Games Download store, etc, all my transactions are with them, so why not buy with them, AND with the IC affiliate program.
Cats, kittens, kids, there's the big picture here - this isn't going to stop people from buying EA games. We talk big, but we all know when EA releases its next blockbuster... we're gonna play it. Which means buying it. And we're probably not gonna go to a store. Hell, this probably won't even stop me, and I'm a rabid boycotting zealot when it comes to stuff like this.
...or maybe just rabid. whatever. Something in the LA air.
HOWEVER: there's that big picture. They're going to try to get OTHER developers to publish their games through Origin. And honestly, given EA's reputation as, well... satan... who's going to do that when Valve is busy being a good guy? Origin is doomed to be just one big EA Download Manager because hey - who the hell wants to be in league with these guys?
So to reiterate - Valve is going to wipe the floors, walls, ceilings - all available interior area with EA.
Knock on wood, I hope I didn't jinx it...
EDIT: quick question - I see Origin has been around a while. Is it hemorrhaging profit or something? Is that why they decided to move their shit?
I was planning on buying from a brick and mortar store anyways, I normally do if I'm getting a special edition for a game. I'm a sucker for boxes.
However, if it was another game I was on the fence about getting and I had to either get it and a brick and mortar store or get it on Origin, I may not get it at all. But if it was on Steam and it stared me in the face every day when I opened the store tab, I would probably get it.
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AnnesTripped Up by Libidos and HubrisAlexandria, VAIcrontian
edited June 2011
I bought the new Alice game from the Origin store. Break out yer pitchforks!
My complaint about multiple download services is then having multiple accounts, multiple policies to follow and multiple things that could go wrong (especially on the DRM front, which thankfully I haven't had any problems with Steam).
If I buy Battlefield 3, it will be brick and mortar and not through Origin as for the moment I've adopted Steam as my digital platform.
If these companies really wants to make a splash, they should use some form of OpenID or equivalent for their sign-on information, that way its just one account to manage.
if there was only one (Steam) it would be a monopoly, which is bad as we all know. competition is good, as much as it pains you to have to buy something not on steam
I have gotten several games off EA|origin because they were cheaper than steam and I have had no issues.
I'm pretty sure games like Mass Effect 3 will be EA|origin only, and we all know how many of us wouldn't boycott that game...
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AnnesTripped Up by Libidos and HubrisAlexandria, VAIcrontian
if there was only one (Steam) it would be a monopoly, which is bad as we all know. competition is good, as much as it pains you to have to buy something not on steam
I have gotten several games off EA|origin because they were cheaper than steam and I have had no issues.
I'm pretty sure games like Mass Effect 3 will be EA|origin only, and we all know how many of us wouldn't boycott that game...
When it comes to software, I don't believe the old axioms about competition being good applies. Can you imagine what the PC world would be like if there were a dozen different OSs with legitimate market share, all competing. They would be constantly outdoing each other for performance, maybe, but they would also be making exclusive deals left and right, and everyone would have to have a dozen OSs installed at a time just to run all the latest software, and who knows if they would talk to each other properly over the internet. Forget it. It's not worth the advantages, I'll take MS monopoly any day over the nightmarish alternative.
While not as dramatically dystopian, if every game studio had their own distribution client, it would be a huge PITA. As far as I'm concerned Valve beat everyone to the punch, and everyone else should just do business on their terms. If necessary, we can have regulator step in and moderate service usage, like when you buy power from a different company, but still use the same power lines.
Yes. It was an Origin exclusive until 10:00am today.
A couple of folks on the Steam forums think the Crysis 2 problem comes down to DLC. EA seems to want to offer DLC exclusively through Origin, which may be the magical TOS violation. The theory is that Steam requires any DLC offered for a game to also be available through Steam. EA didn't feel like splitting profits, so they refused and got Crysis 2 kicked. If true, it explains why Battlefield 3 and probably Star Wars: The Old Republic will not be offered on Steam.
It seems like a solid theory, but nobody is officially saying what's really going on.
While not as dramatically dystopian, if every game studio had their own distribution client, it would be a huge PITA. As far as I'm concerned Valve beat everyone to the punch, and everyone else should just do business on their terms. If necessary, we can have regulator step in and moderate service usage, like when you buy power from a different company, but still use the same power lines.
Digital Distribution stores
Valve: Steam (exclusive)
Stardock: Impulse (exclusive, service sold to GameStop )
EA: Origin (partly exclusive)
There are now at least three players in the game. I f***ing hate Impulse as well - it isn't smart enough to figure out that if I want Impulse installed to a secondary drive, the games should go there by default as well...unlike Steam which puts everything in subdirectories under the Steam folder. Really wish it wasn't required to play Sins and Demigod. They'd have gotten a lot more playtime if it wasn't the case.
So who here can program us a nice neat Icrontic branded client to wrangle these all into a nice neat bundled interface. Heck, I'd pay for that software.
Comments
I know Steam is my preferred platform for my PC games, but I also have a ton of games form the old EA Download manager and games from Direct 2 Drive and games from other platforms.
Orgins is another program for my PC, but as long as I can re download my games I am good to go.
Ideally I'd like to see the day where Valve games would be on Origin and EA games back on Steam, so I can continue to purchase on STEAM. But that day will probably never come.
...and Valve is going to wipe the floor with EA.
Then the walls and the ceiling. While it's (mildly) inconvenient the solution I have is buy the game at retail and just add a shortcut to a non-steam game in Steam. I looked over Origin when I installed Alice: MR the other day and it looks like a mess to me. I understand that it's still a work in progress but considering what a bunch of junk it was trying to install expansion packs for Battlefield 2 (which I never did succeed in due to the CD key printed on the damn manual being INVALID and getting absolutely zero help from EA "support", fuck you EA, fuck you very much) I have little hope that they'll put the effort into Origin to make it work anywhere near as well as Steam.
A game has to be very compelling for me to buy it somewhere other than Steam.
In fact there are only two non-steam PC games that I've purchased over the last four years or so, maybe longer.
I really can't understand the absolute vitriol towards EA for pulling games from an online store to open their own. You can argue they're shooting themselves in the foot, fine, but you'd swear the company took a busload of newborns and drove it off a cliff with the reaction the internet is giving towards this news.
They're a large publishing house, why pay someone else when you can do it yourself?
EA selling their top games only on Origin allows them to keep all $60 instead of the typical $30-$35 they get form retailers. Remove the middle man and make more money. It’s funny how everyone thinks each giant gaming company gets $60 per game when in reality after shipping, packaging etc… they see maybe $25-$30 per game sold.
My problem with Origin, is that its basically the EA Download manager. I've had the EA Download manager since 2007 and really, all that has changed is that you can buy direct and add friends. It takes 4 years to gain that ability and games no cheaper than anywhere else.
On the otherhand, you can get everything from Amazon and their download catalog is only going to get bigger. With their Droid Store, Games Download store, etc, all my transactions are with them, so why not buy with them, AND with the IC affiliate program.
Oh, wait....
...or maybe just rabid. whatever. Something in the LA air.
HOWEVER: there's that big picture. They're going to try to get OTHER developers to publish their games through Origin. And honestly, given EA's reputation as, well... satan... who's going to do that when Valve is busy being a good guy? Origin is doomed to be just one big EA Download Manager because hey - who the hell wants to be in league with these guys?
So to reiterate - Valve is going to wipe the floors, walls, ceilings - all available interior area with EA.
Knock on wood, I hope I didn't jinx it...
EDIT: quick question - I see Origin has been around a while. Is it hemorrhaging profit or something? Is that why they decided to move their shit?
If they can beat Valve on the cut they take from publishers, they'll make a big splash with other publishers.
However, if it was another game I was on the fence about getting and I had to either get it and a brick and mortar store or get it on Origin, I may not get it at all. But if it was on Steam and it stared me in the face every day when I opened the store tab, I would probably get it.
How was it compared to buying with Steam?
If I buy Battlefield 3, it will be brick and mortar and not through Origin as for the moment I've adopted Steam as my digital platform.
If these companies really wants to make a splash, they should use some form of OpenID or equivalent for their sign-on information, that way its just one account to manage.
I have gotten several games off EA|origin because they were cheaper than steam and I have had no issues.
I'm pretty sure games like Mass Effect 3 will be EA|origin only, and we all know how many of us wouldn't boycott that game...
It was pretty much the same. I buy a game, it shows up in my library for download. I download and play.
http://store.steampowered.com/app/19680/
When it comes to software, I don't believe the old axioms about competition being good applies. Can you imagine what the PC world would be like if there were a dozen different OSs with legitimate market share, all competing. They would be constantly outdoing each other for performance, maybe, but they would also be making exclusive deals left and right, and everyone would have to have a dozen OSs installed at a time just to run all the latest software, and who knows if they would talk to each other properly over the internet. Forget it. It's not worth the advantages, I'll take MS monopoly any day over the nightmarish alternative.
While not as dramatically dystopian, if every game studio had their own distribution client, it would be a huge PITA. As far as I'm concerned Valve beat everyone to the punch, and everyone else should just do business on their terms. If necessary, we can have regulator step in and moderate service usage, like when you buy power from a different company, but still use the same power lines.
A couple of folks on the Steam forums think the Crysis 2 problem comes down to DLC. EA seems to want to offer DLC exclusively through Origin, which may be the magical TOS violation. The theory is that Steam requires any DLC offered for a game to also be available through Steam. EA didn't feel like splitting profits, so they refused and got Crysis 2 kicked. If true, it explains why Battlefield 3 and probably Star Wars: The Old Republic will not be offered on Steam.
It seems like a solid theory, but nobody is officially saying what's really going on.
Valve: Steam (exclusive)
Stardock: Impulse (exclusive, service sold to GameStop
EA: Origin (partly exclusive)
There are now at least three players in the game. I f***ing hate Impulse as well - it isn't smart enough to figure out that if I want Impulse installed to a secondary drive, the games should go there by default as well...unlike Steam which puts everything in subdirectories under the Steam folder. Really wish it wasn't required to play Sins and Demigod. They'd have gotten a lot more playtime if it wasn't the case.