Poll: Origin v Steam with battlelines drawn, where r u?
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I'm for whatever gives me games faster and cheaper. I'm not "Loyal" to any particular piece of software - because that's all it is, a piece of software. Hard for me to get all "emotional" over lines of code someone else wrote.
And of course, I use both. I have both Steam and Origin installed. If a new game has come out and it is being sold on Origin and Steam, I will literally go with whatever service provides it cheaper (it's usually Steam, by the way). If I can't get the game on Steam and I find it being sold on Origin for a price I am willing to pay, then I'll get it on Origin.
I will look at whatever options are provided and pick the one best for my wallet and sanity. As far as I'm concerned, that's all there is to it.
What I'm surprised is the moral indignation over EA's attempts to enter the market. Why is it "immoral" for a company to pursue the bottom line and increased profits? That's normal. That's how businesses function. It's normal for consumers to seek out the most cost effective method of purchasing things, and it's normal for business to want more money. That is why they are business after all. They are not charities.
Steam is a distribution network and storefront. It is not your friend. It is a business. Valve just happens to be more consumer savvy and intelligent than EA. Both are motivated almost solely by profit, but Valve are better at making the customer THINK that they are his or her friend. In reality they are not. Sorry, but Gabe Newell doesn't care about you. He never did. He doesn't even know who you are. Neither Valve or EA are your friends. I will enthusiastically claim that Steam is a better service than Origin - more discounts, faster download speeds, more security and a far, far, far wider selection of titles. But just because I find Origin to be an inferior service does not mean I find it an "evil" service. What is "evil" about competition? Competition is USUALLY seen as a good thing, isn't it?
And of course, I use both. I have both Steam and Origin installed. If a new game has come out and it is being sold on Origin and Steam, I will literally go with whatever service provides it cheaper (it's usually Steam, by the way). If I can't get the game on Steam and I find it being sold on Origin for a price I am willing to pay, then I'll get it on Origin.
I will look at whatever options are provided and pick the one best for my wallet and sanity. As far as I'm concerned, that's all there is to it.
What I'm surprised is the moral indignation over EA's attempts to enter the market. Why is it "immoral" for a company to pursue the bottom line and increased profits? That's normal. That's how businesses function. It's normal for consumers to seek out the most cost effective method of purchasing things, and it's normal for business to want more money. That is why they are business after all. They are not charities.
Steam is a distribution network and storefront. It is not your friend. It is a business. Valve just happens to be more consumer savvy and intelligent than EA. Both are motivated almost solely by profit, but Valve are better at making the customer THINK that they are his or her friend. In reality they are not. Sorry, but Gabe Newell doesn't care about you. He never did. He doesn't even know who you are. Neither Valve or EA are your friends. I will enthusiastically claim that Steam is a better service than Origin - more discounts, faster download speeds, more security and a far, far, far wider selection of titles. But just because I find Origin to be an inferior service does not mean I find it an "evil" service. What is "evil" about competition? Competition is USUALLY seen as a good thing, isn't it?
I'm getting both ME3 and Battlefield 3 for 360 so that's a non-issue for me. However I'll have to side with Steam as it has a far more varied selection of downloadable games than Origin.
Of course we could bring Impulse into this discussion but I feel that would over-complicate the issue.
Of course we could bring Impulse into this discussion but I feel that would over-complicate the issue.
There is no option for "I will use both." and I have already done so. I don't care about Origin. I will buy games I like on it if they are not Steam available. For example I bought Star Wars The Old Republic on pre-order from it.
So where's the "Powerd Sandwich Man" option.
But really I couldn't care less. Likely having more than one online distributer is a good thing. At least for the consumer anyway.
But really I couldn't care less. Likely having more than one online distributer is a good thing. At least for the consumer anyway.
I would like to know WHY people are so emotional: While it is natural to gravitate towards a service which is better for you (and so far I've seen nothing in Origin to make me want to prefer it over Steam), I don't understand the need for the emotional language being used in this debate.
Neither Steam or Origin are "evil" or "good". They are software services offered by private businesses. The vast majority of people on this forum have no financial ties to Valve or EA (especially not Valve as you cannot publicly invest in Valve). The vast majority of you didn't create either service or have any personal ties to anyone who did. Steam and Origin don't praise you on your grades, take you out for ice cream, sit with you on a rainy day and neither will attend your birthday party or wedding. These digital store fronts are just... lines of code. That's literally all they are.
Now, of course, I can understand why you would debate which service is superior - consumers obviously want the best available service. But to couch the debate in such emotional terms - why? What do you gain by calling either EA or Valve "Evil", when they are clearly just private software publishers/developers. Tell me exactly what moral rule has EA or Valve transgressed by offering these digital stores? Because I can't think of any moral rule being transgressed.
So EA wants a bigger slice of the pie from digital sales of its games. That's a greedy motive, but they're a business - what did you expect? And since it's THEIR games that they are talking about, why DON'T they have the right to distribute it in a manner that they see fit?
And so what if Valve pulled Alice Madness Returns or Crysis 2 from Steam? It's their service, and if the EA games violated those terms of service, don't they have a right to pull the games from the store? It's THEIR service - not EA's, not yours. They are the ones who made it and maintain it and decide what to put on it. What moral rule have they transgressed by removing Crysis 2 from Steam?
Right now there are children starving to death in Africa. Think about it. Get emotional over THAT. Not over which bits of code or digital store front for games you prefer. By all means debate which service is superior. But the level of hostility and scorn being expressed in this forum is unwarranted and illogical.
Neither Steam or Origin are "evil" or "good". They are software services offered by private businesses. The vast majority of people on this forum have no financial ties to Valve or EA (especially not Valve as you cannot publicly invest in Valve). The vast majority of you didn't create either service or have any personal ties to anyone who did. Steam and Origin don't praise you on your grades, take you out for ice cream, sit with you on a rainy day and neither will attend your birthday party or wedding. These digital store fronts are just... lines of code. That's literally all they are.
Now, of course, I can understand why you would debate which service is superior - consumers obviously want the best available service. But to couch the debate in such emotional terms - why? What do you gain by calling either EA or Valve "Evil", when they are clearly just private software publishers/developers. Tell me exactly what moral rule has EA or Valve transgressed by offering these digital stores? Because I can't think of any moral rule being transgressed.
So EA wants a bigger slice of the pie from digital sales of its games. That's a greedy motive, but they're a business - what did you expect? And since it's THEIR games that they are talking about, why DON'T they have the right to distribute it in a manner that they see fit?
And so what if Valve pulled Alice Madness Returns or Crysis 2 from Steam? It's their service, and if the EA games violated those terms of service, don't they have a right to pull the games from the store? It's THEIR service - not EA's, not yours. They are the ones who made it and maintain it and decide what to put on it. What moral rule have they transgressed by removing Crysis 2 from Steam?
Right now there are children starving to death in Africa. Think about it. Get emotional over THAT. Not over which bits of code or digital store front for games you prefer. By all means debate which service is superior. But the level of hostility and scorn being expressed in this forum is unwarranted and illogical.
I'm probably going to have both if necessary.
To be honest, I don't really like either or the concept of either, but hey, I can put up with them if I need them to play my games. I'd rather have a box, a disc, a manual, reference cards, whatever, but if I'm paying $10 for something someone else paid $50 dollars for, I think I can go without.
To be honest, I don't really like either or the concept of either, but hey, I can put up with them if I need them to play my games. I'd rather have a box, a disc, a manual, reference cards, whatever, but if I'm paying $10 for something someone else paid $50 dollars for, I think I can go without.
I am a Steam Punk. (terrible pun intended)
I really like steam, and think that origin really doesn't stand much of a chance. Steam has a massive head start, tons upon tons of games, and ridiculous sales all the damn time. I honestly don't see how EA can hope to compete.
It's like Trying to dethrone WoW. It's gonna take monumental effort just to make it even!
I really like steam, and think that origin really doesn't stand much of a chance. Steam has a massive head start, tons upon tons of games, and ridiculous sales all the damn time. I honestly don't see how EA can hope to compete.
It's like Trying to dethrone WoW. It's gonna take monumental effort just to make it even!
all right heres what you do...you make a downloadable 3rd party action/war game for xboxlive, steam, psn, and origin. heres the catch, its cross platform and its a four way battle. which ever team dominates the servers is the winner. heres the best part, since the score boards all ways change and no one distributor can claim victory for more than a little while, there is always competition.
problem solved.
problem solved.
Somehow I doubt that Origin stand a chance against Steam. To put it simple Origin EA's games, Steam Valve and loads of other (big and small publishers) who might win? I also kinda doubt EA's support and prices will stand a chance against Valve (love the huge sales on Steam... not sure about EA's thoughts on slicing of 75% on year old games or better..)
But still competition is great keeps Steam from staling to much.. so keep on going Origin but stop removing games from Steam thats just stupid and mean towards people that's already bought them there (thinking about problems with DLC and updates...)
But still competition is great keeps Steam from staling to much.. so keep on going Origin but stop removing games from Steam thats just stupid and mean towards people that's already bought them there (thinking about problems with DLC and updates...)
Yea...there is no point to draw "battlelines" steam sales are ok, I just buy from whoever gives me the better deal or use whatever platform I have to in order to run a game. Ever since I got screwed over by Vavle's region locking I really have no super love for them. Sure they win some people over with their sales, but they really have to change up their deals, seriously we've seen some of these games on sale over and over.
Steam is infinitely better than Origin. It's a reckless venture which will only serve as a money sink.
You are kidding right?Wieke said:
Origin will be a requirement on all EA games from this point on, they won't pass up on the opportunity to shove their money milker down everyone's throat.
Luckily some young men of the PC world always find ways to disable bullshit DRM, but on multiplayer you still get fucked.
I need only say 3 words to describe why Origin can go suck a dick as far as I'm concerned:
EA Download Manager
*shudder*
Unfortunately I'll likely be forced to do business with Origin since The Old Republic will not be available on Steam, and I'm far too lazy to go out at midnight and wait in line at Gamestop.
EA Download Manager
*shudder*
Unfortunately I'll likely be forced to do business with Origin since The Old Republic will not be available on Steam, and I'm far too lazy to go out at midnight and wait in line at Gamestop.
As far as I'm concerned they can both go right down the drain. I only buy physical copies of games, because I like actually owning things rather than owning them in theory and trust the internet as much as a dingy back alley.
I own precisely one steam game, Civilization V; and if I had known that it required steam installation twenty minutes before I was confronted by the steam installer on my screen, the number would still be zero.
I own precisely one steam game, Civilization V; and if I had known that it required steam installation twenty minutes before I was confronted by the steam installer on my screen, the number would still be zero.
I think if anything, Bioware is losing out with all of their sales here.
I hope that one day, they get rid of that horrible EA tag on their shoulders.
Edit: Steam is also pretty much cross platform with the PS3. Origins is going to need a lot more than motivation to get themselves to that standard.
Also, didn't EA work with Valve to get the Orange Box onto the PS3? Why do they feel a need to compete in a war that has already been won?
I hope that one day, they get rid of that horrible EA tag on their shoulders.
Edit: Steam is also pretty much cross platform with the PS3. Origins is going to need a lot more than motivation to get themselves to that standard.
Also, didn't EA work with Valve to get the Orange Box onto the PS3? Why do they feel a need to compete in a war that has already been won?