Gabe Newell: It's Up to Valve to Bring EA Back to Steam

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Steam was unadulterated shit for quite awhile after it came out. But Valve persisted, worked on it and now have a platform that, for people who buy digital, is pretty damn awesome.

Why are so many of you so insistent on not giving EA the same opportunity?

EA have had many opportunities. Mirror's Edge - while killing the fanmod [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/108978-EA-Games-Chief-We-Are-on-the-Offense-Working-on-Mirrors-Edge-2], their marketing [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/extra-credits/2794-An-Open-Letter-to-EA-Marketing], and a certain DRM issue in The Needles [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/columns/the-needles/7333-EA-Making-DRM-Disappear-in-One-Easy-Step]

Electronic Arts created some wonderful games in the past, I still have Racing Destruction Set, but they're trying to sell Origin as a Steam beater - due to Steam having a monopoly - without realising that Steam do it better. Steam even trashes Battlenet for ease of use, functionality, deals and overall use.

If EA wants to sell Origin, they need to provide a service better than "You can't play it without us".

Be like Gabe, get John Riccitiello out to say
"Look Gabe, we've had our differences, but we're going out on our own. Who's with us?

Praise the people that do that. Give them special offers. Make them feel like they're better for going with Origin without just trashing Steam.

Stop fighting Gabe and Kotick, because they've got their own little nests that you're not gonna break into without a vault of money. Build your own corner, get EA Sports to join up with real sports places, ditch all the boob money and spend it on putting as much effort into selling Origin as you ahve with your mobile EA Sports van.

In short: Gabe worked hard for Steam, Kotick (much as I loathe the guy) made some shrewd decisions. Show them that Riccitiello deserves as much respect as Molyneux and others because of what he can give to the market.

Or go back to Steam, where you know you can get some easy sales. Your call.

 

[Deef]

Read: To get EA titles back on steam, DON'T BUY THEM OFF OF STEAM.

 

[42]

Hey, Gabe, instead of pissing around with EA, why don't you get to work on Episode Three? Or better yet, why don't you just admit that you aren't making it and stop dragging us along, you bastards! D-:<

Sorry, got a little worked up there ...

Hahaha i was just waiting for someone to say that. Btw they're too busy with DoTA 2, and Portal 2 DLC (hopefully) to bother with silly old Episode 3. But i think we should all just show a bit of patience. the constant bringing up of the subject matter will get to Newell. eventually.


OT: To put the whole thing in simple terms

Valve: Realistic about the situation, wants to find a solution. and not holding a grudge about it. And they took their time to find the right thing to say.

Alright this is restraint on my part from going hurr durr EA is evil and all that crap
EA: Unrealistic about the situation, and they're almost trying too hard with Origin.

However lets be fair, Valve and EA have had a strong relationship given that EA publishes Valve games in physical form. which i think might allow negotiations of both parties to go well.

As for Battlefield 3, let's face it Call of Duty is still going to outsell it, even if they get it to Steam by the time of release of BF3. The way EA has handled it, in personal opinion, Activision is looking like the bigger man.

 

[Yopaz]

like FIFA 12 or Sims Medieval.

The Sims Medieval is on Steam.

Yes, but it's also on Origin.

OT: I guess I don't hate Origin, but I would prefer to keep all my gaming collected in one place. However if I decide I want Battlefield 3 or any other upcoming EA game I will settle and get Origin.

 

[Commissar Sae]

you know what? i like steam... BUT! i've got an incredibly positive story to share about Origin.

Back in the day, i purchased a few EA games, hardcopies. Including Spore (and all expansions and packs) and the Sims 3. I registered these games back in the day to prove ownership. And some point between moving 3 times, being homeless for a year, and general life disorder, i lost the discs. But i knew that SOMEWHERE out there, my registration existed, proof that I had purchased these games legally.

Then Origin showed up, a Steam-eque digital download service. So i asked myself "If they have my information in their databanks, AND if they have the ability to offer the downloads digitally, what reason is there that I can't be granted digital rights to download a game i legally own?"

as it turns out, there is no reason. EA was happy to provide me with quick support offering digital downloads of ALL my registered products. Not bad for a company that has (i'll admit, rightfully so) been demonized by fans.

And i've read numerous stories of Steam not offering that same level of customer support, sometimes screwing customers over, though I've never had much issues aside from crashing or not loading from Steam)

Steam offers a similar service but only for valve games, so its a somewhat less expansive list of games. I bought a hard copy of left 4 dead and its available for download whenever I want.

I don't really have anything against origin or EA, but I'm happy with the way steam has served me in the past and don't really feel like jumping around between 2 seperate systems to play games all the time.

 

[cybran]

Damn right Gabe, let them know that customers prefer their games on steam than Origin and that EA should listen to their customers.

And I quote, YOU mister! well said

Steam is DRM enough ^^

 

[MonkeyPunch]

That man just seems so composed and smart in the things he says.

I don't think they'll manage to make EA stay on Steam. EA want money and control (not a criticism) so they will try and make Origin work regardless of how advantageous it is for their products to be on Steam. Only when (or if) Origin fails will they think of "coming back" to Steam.
I don't know there's much point in trying to get EA back on board at this precise moment in time because they are obviously investing a lot in trying to push Origin out.

The thing is I think BF3 will skew EA's perception on the popularity of Origin.

 

[fractured_sanity]

A customer will install steam because it is a stable program for game purchases and some free games.
A customer will only install Origin because it was on the battlefield 3 disk.

Have you used Origin? No? Then don't judge. You'll probably claim you have, but it's plenty stable.

All the bitching about Origin is out of sheer laziness and some misplaced love of Steam. Sure, Steam is great. You know what else is great? Competition. It keeps prices low. Steam has sales because it has to, to keep business good.

And nobody remembers Valve pulled this same shit in 2004 with a single player only game. So, sit down, shut up and quit whining about something that's good.

Or they they like you know. Have to. Like with New Vegas

and Dawn of War 2
and Empire Total War
and Modern Warfare 2
and the dozens of other PC games that require Steam.

Only Dow2: Retribution. But more on topic, don't forget every single Valve game, even if you buy the physical copy.

How is one store selling bananas and another selling mangoes competition?

The love Steam gets was won over time, EA has a spotty reputation in the community's eye. Asking to trust them blindly off the bat could kind of be akin to having a friend who regularly gets shitfaced and pisses on your leg. This has happened several times over the course of your friendship and now he's calling you up to go barhopping again with a bunch of his friends. Some of those people haven't known him long enough or seen him drunk, but would you automatically go knowing he has a habit of wetting your leg?

 

[GeorgW]

That is some damn classy way of handling it, I hope they can reach an agreement. Man, I love Valve.
I've said it before, EA is shooting themselves in the foot with Origin. Valve is offering them a peaceful way out, take it before they'll make you beg!
Btw, the thing that EA is doing wrong isn't giving Steam competition, that's great for everybody. The problem is forcing it down everybody's throat by pulling games from Steam.

 

[WickedSkin]

I've just tried Origin just because I read about it here. It's not bad, it's like steam. I see no problem with this. I like what Gabe is saying now though. He has said stupid things to, but this is good stuff. Keep it up Gabe and get to work on HL2: EP3 now PLEASE! Any fucking time now sweet heart.

I can run both Steam and Origin, no problem. As long as GFWL dies and I never have to deal with that shit again I'm good. But sadly it's forced on me and it's complete bullshit.

I only installed Steam at first because I was forced to if I wanted to unlock my digital copy of HL2. Steam was crap in the beginning and forced on me. It's a good service now, it can work perfectly well alongside Origin. I wasn't forced to install Origin, I did it on my own free will. It's fine. People should throw their own biased opinion out the window. If they don't like that I hope they REALLY hate what Activision is doing to gaming. Also what consoles are doing to PC gaming. Do you?

Competition is always good.
Can't wait for BF3. A real and proper Battlefield, GO DICE GO DICE!

EDIT
Now adding Origin compatible games from Steam to Origin, this is good stuff. No hassle.

 

[Kushan101]

I like how he's been honest about the whole thing - it isn't about ego's or "they did this", he's said its down to them to try convince them they can do the job well.

To be honest though, I can't stop seeing EA as some giant evil publishing machine that keeps mass-producing the same tired cash cows every year. I know, I know, they also published mass effect and various other truly great games. But, for the most part, they exist for the money and yes, I know thats what ANY company is there for - but, and this is difficult to explain, there seems to be no "soul" behind it. Maybe I've watched too much "extra credits" but I feel games should be a labour of love as well as a way of making cash. EA doesn't seem to have that. Not anymore. They want their own download service so they can cut out the middle-man.

Anyway, long story short - Valve will have to prove its cost effective to win EA back. Thats all they care about.

Note: I do like steam, think its a decent bit of software. Wasn't always like that though. When HL2 first came out: I fucking hated steam, it was a slow and clunky piece of shit. I hated it for quite some time after - its only in the last year or two that its won me over.

 

[Bebus]

I might start using Origin, if it ever decides to butt out of my games, not crash my computer by running in the background and not break every single thing I download through it.

Until then, I will remain happily kneeling in front of Steam's useful and non-intrusive gaming experience.

 

[Hitchmeister]

Here's the $64 question in my mind: Does Gabe Newell want to sell Valve games on Origin? I mean, some people may still be holding out on Steam, but really want battlefield 3 or Star Wars: The Old Republic. In that case if they already have Origin, it might be easier to sell them DOTA 2 there.

 

[Andy of Comix Inc]

I liked the part where Valve was calm and mature.

EA's response will obviously be "SHUT UP VALVE, YOU'RE NOT MY REAL DAD!"

 

[rayen020]

"We don't have a natural right to publish their games."

That right there is why Valve is the best game publisher in the business right now. you would never hear Ubisoft, Activision or EA rep say something like that. ever.

 

[robert01]

Steam was unadulterated shit for quite awhile after it came out. But Valve persisted, worked on it and now have a platform that, for people who buy digital, is pretty damn awesome.

Why are so many of you so insistent on not giving EA the same opportunity?

Because EA were @$$holes over it. "It ain't us! Its STEAM! They're the cause of all this! It wasn't us violating their terms of use! It wasn't us piggybacking on their service to sell the game then taking all the DLC profit and cutting them out!"

They weren't upfront and honest. All it takes is "By using Steam, we must give them a cut of the DLC profit. We apologize for the inconvenience. We would like to use our own service so that we may have a bigger sale of the profit. We recognize many of our fans like Steam, and we hope they can use Origin along side it."

But no. Finger pointing at Steam/Valve, a good company, with good marketers (one of the worst aspects of EA I may add) and being royal pricks over it.

That is why EA doesn't deserve the benefit of the doubt.

Lets think outside the box and look at the overall situation and the facts.
EA did business a certain way, aka allowing people to purchase DLC directly through their games, most other companies don't do this because they probably can't afford the server space. EA is a fucking giant and can so they do. Steam used to allow this, as do all the other major digital distributors. Steam changed their policies, EA did not, not should they have to. It was a coincidence that Steam changed their policies around the same time the Origin was launching. And EA was honest, Steam was the ones the pulled the games from the service, not EA. The reason why most new EA games aren't going to be on Steam is because they violate these new policies and aren't allowed on it. So EA just decided that they wouldn't even bother submitting to Steam. Why should one company be forced to change their business practice because of the greed from another company. They shouldn't have to. And I ask you this, would you if you were in EA position spend the time and money to either re-write your software or write a special version of all the upcoming games so that they could be sold on Steam? Probably not, I know I wouldn't. I would tell Steam to kiss my ass.
And how was EA taking money from Steam, when the DLC wasn't actually on their servers? The DLC was being downloaded from the Bioware/EA servers directly through the game. This is just Steam wanting a slice of the pie for nothing. I could understand if Steam hosted the DLC and EA refused to give them money, but that isn't the case.

On another note. I have both Steam and Origin. Steam I can't say I am too fond of, they have an invisible stranglehold on the games they sell, and it drives me insane. I was having connection issues with my net(only connecting to Steam), and it took me 4 fucking hours to figure out what the problem was. It turned out to be a setting on my router that has been unchanged since I installed. In the midst of this they decided that my computer is a 'new computer', which it fucking isn't, I haven't changed any of the hardware since I built it a few months back. So I was locked out of my games, and couldn't connect to Steam to enable me to use offline mode.

If you have used Origin you would know that it is probably the most relaxed piece of software going(at least for the moment) in terms of how you have to use it. You only have to use it to install the game. It doesn't have to be running to launch the games, unlike Steam.

 

[Fiz_The_Toaster]

Steam was unadulterated shit for quite awhile after it came out. But Valve persisted, worked on it and now have a platform that, for people who buy digital, is pretty damn awesome.

Why are so many of you so insistent on not giving EA the same opportunity?

To be fair to EA, yeah, Steam was absolute shit for a long time and some people didn't like it when it first came out, myself included, and Valve received a lot of criticism for that. The only reason I'm not really excited about Origins is because I just want one place to go to for games on my PC and I really don't want to go to another place for the same thing, and, for now it seems, just for EA games.

That's my only complaint about the whole thing. I have nothing against EA and what they are trying to do, it makes sense for them to pull out from Steam, but will I give them a chance? I don't know. It all depends on what they're going to do with it.

 

[MightyRabbit]

I think that what we all really want to hear on this issue is Origin's policy vis-a-vis hats.