Battlefield 3 not coming to Steam

[Baradiel]

I'm getting it on 360, mainly because of the community (Yes, I just called the Live community better than the PC one. Yes, that could cause the universe to end.) so this doesn't really effect me. However, I will say that EA is making a bad decision here. Steam and Valve have the loyalty of countless gamers, and being forced to make the move the Origins is not going to make them like it.

Alternatively, this could be EA's plan to turn customers away from Digital Distribution altogether; unlikely that they either 1) Think that far ahead or 2) would do something like that in the first place.

 

[elz_bellez]

The death of PC gaming is (and has been for a long time) nigh. many games designed for PS3/360 simply don't allow downloadable content for so many of their games on steam/PC release. My brother actually couldn't finish one release because you got the ending on DLC, something the PC game didn't allow. Sometimes I fee like its just half arsed attitude but looking at it rationally all that is happening is the slow conversion of all us PC gamers to something flashy with buttons (a console)

 

[88chaz88]

The death of PC gaming is (and has been for a long time) nigh. many games designed for PS3/360 simply don't allow downloadable content for so many of their games on steam/PC release. My brother actually couldn't finish one release because you got the ending on DLC, something the PC game didn't allow. Sometimes I fee like its just half arsed attitude but looking at it rationally all that is happening is the slow conversion of all us PC gamers to something flashy with buttons (a console)

Millions of WoW and Farmville players beg to differ.

Edit: Ohlol, my 88th post.

 

[JPH330]

After the lurching atrocity of the Bad Company 2 PC port, I really can't say I mind this.

 

[RA92]

Awesome service like pricing everything 30% higher than every other place? As long as Steam keeps it stupid $=? I can't even call there service decent.

That unfortunately isn't their fault. Most of Europe, especially the UK, tax the shit out of games, even digitally distributed ones.

They force steam to hike the price up for Europe.

Ummm... Steam doesn't set the prices for games - <url=http://www.steampowered.com/steamworks/SteamworksBrochure2011.pdf>the publishers do. And more often than not launch prices on Steam are higher than retail so that retail stores don't through a hissy fit.

Why would they care about the PC sales? The PC version of the COD games regularly manages to sell almost as badly as the Wii version. Like, barely a million.

Don't trust these sales numbers, they never track digital sales.

 

[Vakz]

I did cancel my pre-booked bf3 when I heard I would not be able to install games that used Origin one year after I first activated them.

Way to go, reading and all that. Nowhere does it say you won't be able to install them after a year. It says the game will be available for AT LEAST one year. Most likely this is a legal thing, actually a good thing for customers, so that they cannot one day just say "Origin didn't work out, so we're scrapping it. Bought a game yesterday? Too bad, no refunds."

 

[Vakz]

Unless digital sales account for 97% of a major PC games sales, it hardly matters.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/103632-NPD-Group-Digital-PC-Game-Sales-Outpace-Retail

You were saying? It might not be 97%, but it's still more than retail.

 

[linwolf]

I think Origin will be the best for all of us in the end.

Why? Because Steam has not had any real competition up till this point, and will force Valve and EA to find better and cheaper ways to do everything.

In the end, the consumer wins.

Steam always has been doing awesome sales and giving awesome customer service even before it has Microsoft as a competitor. Microsoft's digital distribution program is enough considering they aren't pulling out exclusive stunts like EA.

Awesome service like pricing everything 30% higher than every other place? As long as Steam keeps it stupid $=? I can't even call there service decent.

That unfortunately isn't their fault. Most of Europe, especially the UK, tax the shit out of games, even digitally distributed ones.

They force steam to hike the price up for Europe.

Their games are still more expensive than if I went to a local store a brought the game. Outside of their sales Steam are expensive as fuck.
And my country have 25% sales tax so that argument does hold any water.
At the moment Portal 2
On Steam 50?
At local store 40?

 

[Vakz]

For those who still find themselves unable to google and/or read, here is what it says about the whole "one year"-thing:

Q: Will my game download ever expire?
A: Digital download rights remain available for at least one year after purchase. Origin typically doesn?t retire games, and we?ve only retired around 10 of the 150 games we sell, and these have generally been because of the expiration of licensing rights. If you come across an issue, simply contact Origin Help and we'll reconfigure things for you.

Note the part where it says " these have generally been because of the expiration of licensing rights."

Remember that BF3 is an EA game. Origin is EA. It's license will NEVER expire.

 

[Wicky_42]

I did cancel my pre-booked bf3 when I heard I would not be able to install games that used Origin one year after I first activated them.

Wait what? Once a key is activated on Origin its only good for a year before having to buy it again or something? Am I getting this right? You have a source?

Uh should have just give me a sec to find it.


Edit:
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.293108-EA-Origin-Keeps-your-games-after-one-year-possibly

Can't get into the original side that had the article but maybe you got better luck:
http://gotgame.com/2011/06/15/ea-origins-keeps-your-games-after-one-year/

Oh god damn it EA, you bunch of dick brained dumb fuckers. I was looking forward to BF3, but by the looks of things even the retail games that require Origin could end up having this shit.

After Dice has done some really good PR for the PC crowed, EA has come along and just stuck their dick in the pie.

http://forums.electronicarts.co.uk/battlefield-3/1405852-you-wont-require-origin-play-bf3.html

*holds out hope that Origin will remain optional for those staying the fuck away from that piece of shit but still want to play what looks like the most awesome game of the year*

 

[Wicky_42]

After the lurching atrocity of the Bad Company 2 PC port, I really can't say I mind this.

...

Bad Company 2 rocks - what's irking you about it?!

 

[Vakz]

so PC games seel 1 and a half more digitally than they do in retail. So lets crunch those numbers, shall we? Black Ops. On 360 - 12.73 million copies sold. On Ps3 - 10.86 million copies sold. On PC - boosting the sales to 1.5 that of their retail numb ers - 2.5 million. Less than a fifth of the 360 version.

Where exactly did you find these numbers of more than 23 million copies sold for consoles? Best I could find was this: http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/28/call-of-duty-black-ops-sets-uk-sales-record-with-3-72-million-c/, stating 3,72 million sold in TOTAL, including PC-sales, with a date two weeks ago.

 

[Akihiko]

People are actually surprised by this news?

Battlefield 3 isn't on EA's largest competitors service? Who would have thought.