EA vs STEAM: Steam the baddy for once...?

PLEASE READ and share your opinions...

This article clarifies the matter:

Eh, Steam doesn't force approval processes on patches so from what I know of the platform, patching seems to be almost directly to the developer.

Hopefully they can come to an agreement. It sucks when companies argue and the consumers suffer.

Simply put filipe my friend ea is jealous of steam nuff said..They want people to use there own site..They stiff steam users constantly..Its nothing to do with steam..Thing is million of users use steam..So why wouldnt you put your games on the site..It could only make you more cash..Ea has always been selfish they dont care about the fan base never have never will..They say they listen but never do all they do is give half arse explainations..

Sounds like EA wants to spam people with product offers and Steam said no.

This article clarifies the matter:

David DeMartini, senior vice president of global e-commerce at EA and the head of its new Origin download service, has revealed to Gamasutra the reason for Crysis 2's abrupt removal from Steam last month. "Crysis 2 was taken down because the DLC was not available through Steam; it was available through [Direct2Drive]," he said. Despite the questionable wisdom of Crytek signing an exclusivity deal with one provider in an increasingly crowded download market, DeMartini insists: "We believe in absolute freedom of choice to allow customers to buy through whatever retail outlet [they choose]."UpInFlames

omg, who cares. you dont have to buy every game off steam. just go to a store and pick it up. no "fanbase" is suffering from this.

This article clarifies the matter:

David DeMartini, senior vice president of global e-commerce at EA and the head of its new Origin download service, has revealed to Gamasutra the reason for Crysis 2's abrupt removal from Steam last month. "Crysis 2 was taken down because the DLC was not available through Steam; it was available through [Direct2Drive]," he said. Despite the questionable wisdom of Crytek signing an exclusivity deal with one provider in an increasingly crowded download market, DeMartini insists: "We believe in absolute freedom of choice to allow customers to buy through whatever retail outlet [they choose]."UpInFlames

I posted this in the comments when Gamespot ran this story... 2 days ago...

If you read between the lines this is what you get: "Valve wouldn't let a spam their users with annoying emails and continuous pop-ups so we took our ball and went home. It's Valve's fault we swear." This is just a face saving ploy, nothing more. The bottom line is they want to force people to come to them to get patches and DLC so they can spam them with adds, the guy practically says so.

No, EA is definately still the bad guy, they are just trying to cover up their own BS.

This article clarifies the matter:

David DeMartini, senior vice president of global e-commerce at EA and the head of its new Origin download service, has revealed to Gamasutra the reason for Crysis 2's abrupt removal from Steam last month. "Crysis 2 was taken down because the DLC was not available through Steam; it was available through [Direct2Drive]," he said. Despite the questionable wisdom of Crytek signing an exclusivity deal with one provider in an increasingly crowded download market, DeMartini insists: "We believe in absolute freedom of choice to allow customers to buy through whatever retail outlet [they choose]."UpInFlames

Couldn't EA still send us messages though? I mean majority of their games require us to make an EA account so they already have our email addresses. Couldn't EA just send out an e mail to us all saying "new patch or DLC coming soon" Its not like Valve can tell EA who they can and can't send e mails to.

So yeah EA wants to send me their BS emails and advertise their BS origen service. No wonder Steam game them the boot.

Couldn't EA still send us messages though? I mean majority of their games require us to make an EA account so they already have our email addresses. Couldn't EA just send out an e mail to us all saying "new patch or DLC coming soon" Its not like Valve can tell EA who they can and can't send e mails to.

toddx77

at least EA is saying that most of their games will be available on multiple platforms. Except of course for TOR, but you don't have to run Origin to play TOR so I'll buy that retail. Anyway, I guess who cares?

Couldn't they just come up with their Origin crap AFTER BF3... ugh.trastamad03

Can't wait to the day where every producer will have it's own store.

1- turn on pc
2- log on steam
3- log on origin
4- log on ubisoft play
5- log on activision store
6- log on bethesda
7- log on dice
8- log on rockstar games
9- log on popcap games
10- log on battle.net
11- log on eidos
12- log on thq
13- play

Sounds terribly fun *-*

well, ea was trying to help the customer on their own and steam wanted to keep control on their network, I dont think any side was doing anything wronglightleggy

Its all speculation but take another read, here

Something smells of BS there, how can Crytek sign a deal involving content for an IP controlled by EA? I can't believe EA is so inept as a publisher that they don't control what the developers of the projects they fund and publish do post release, you don't become the largest in the industry by being inept. Developers in this industry don't breathe unless their publishers tell them to, I can't imagine EA was blind to the fact, let alone even allowed Crytek to sign an exclusive deal with what is numbers wise an inferior choice.MadCat46

Crysis is a wholly-owned Crytek IP. It was funded entirely by Crytek and published through the EA Partners program. Meaning, Crytek can do whatever they want to do. And between this and supporting Kinect - their management is eager to show just how inept they really are.

well, ea was trying to help the customer on their own and steam wanted to keep control on their network, I dont think any side was doing anything wronglightleggy

[QUOTE="lightleggy"]well, ea was trying to help the customer on their own and steam wanted to keep control on their network, I dont think any side was doing anything wrongSerOlmy

Crysis is a wholly-owned Crytek IP. It was funded entirely by Crytek and published through the EA Partners program. Meaning, Crytek can do whatever they want to do. And between this and supporting Kinect - their management is eager to show just how inept they really are.UpInFlames

I find it incredibly difficult to believe that EA would allow themselves to have zero influence over a game they attach their name to and publish. That's just not how they operate nor is it a smart way to operate.

[QUOTE="UpInFlames"]Crysis is a wholly-owned Crytek IP. It was funded entirely by Crytek and published through the EA Partners program. Meaning, Crytek can do whatever they want to do. And between this and supporting Kinect - their management is eager to show just how inept they really are.MadCat46

I find it incredibly difficult to believe that EA would allow themselves to have zero influence over a game they attach their name to and publish. That's just not how they operate nor is it a smart way to operate.

[QUOTE="toddx77"]

Couldn't EA still send us messages though? I mean majority of their games require us to make an EA account so they already have our email addresses. Couldn't EA just send out an e mail to us all saying "new patch or DLC coming soon" Its not like Valve can tell EA who they can and can't send e mails to.

DanielDust

I'm not sure if Im reading that right, but basically your saying Crysis 2 was taken down becausewas the DLC wouldn't be on steam?

Can't wait to the day where every producer will have it's own store.

1- turn on pc
2- log on steam
3- log on origin
4- log on ubisoft play
5- log on activision store
6- log on bethesda
7- log on dice
8- log on rockstar games
9- log on popcap games
10- log on battle.net
11- log on eidos
12- log on thq
13- play

Sounds terribly fun *-*

tjricardo089

I also fear that happening lol.

Trust me, I get about 10-15 emails a week because I stupidly signed up for PowerUp rewards. I don't even use their DD service, but I know Ubi, GFWL, and D2D have some blatant and annoying adds. Steam is pretty much the only DD service that doesn't do it.SerOlmy

Really? GS only sends me two or three email a week and that's the weekly sales ad and one or two PowerUp emails.

i dont like having to run games within an app

lol you always have links for us Felipe. :PGamesterpheonix

[QUOTE="Gamesterpheonix"]lol you always have links for us Felipe. :PFelipeInside

[QUOTE="FelipeInside"][QUOTE="Gamesterpheonix"]lol you always have links for us Felipe. :Ptopsemag55

Yep but thats what's weird....didn't they ALREADY come to an agreement since Crysis 2 was on STEAM...? FelipeInside

crytek has full, or at least 99% control of crysis.

they choosed not to use the ea online pass for crysis 2, ea didnt wanted that but they couldnt do a damn thing about itlightleggy

Now it's entirely possible Crytek only agreed to give them control of the launch product and nothing in regards to the post release IE. DLC though it's tough to swallow the notion that EA allowed themselves to get worked like that, losing out on the DLC is a large chunk of change.

]
I'm thinking that Steam said something to EA that was in violation of their agreement. If that's the case, then EA would be right to pull Steam's right to sell.topsemag55

Er, simply "saying" something doesn't void a contract. Someone did something and apparently Crytek signed an exclusive DLC deal with D2D without EA's knowledge and Valve pulled the plug. I don't know if that's the whole story or not but if it is the only one getting screwed and losing out is EA.

What do you mean full or 99%? It doesn't work that way. EA is the publisher, their name is tied to that product. They purchase the right to become publisher, they control the distribution and legal work for said product, they take control of the IP (Note the IP solely being Crysis 2, not the Crysis franchise), and in turn they give Crytek whatever percentage of units moved agreed upon. And of course if you don't believe me, check the copyright which is set under Electronic Arts.MadCat46

In this case, you happen to be completely and totally wrong. This is EA Partners, and this is how they've *always* operated. It's flexible, and they specifically do not demand full rights over the game. It's why Valve, id, Harmonix, etc. all had such nice things to say about them and honestly liked working with them.

To wit:

EAP's deals vary from each partnership, ranging from straight retail distribution to full co-publishing where EA is funding, assisting with design, and handling ports (see the PS3 version of The Orange Box). It all depends on what the developer wants, and rarely are two deals the same. "We laugh and say there's no such thing as a deal that's not complicated when EAP is involved, because we're signing star free agents," DeMartini says. "Of course that complexity is always worth it because these are the cream of the crop, absolute best of the industry. They've got their ways of doing things and it's incumbent upon the publisher to zig to their zag."GameInformer

EAP's also the group that was responsible for... say, Bulletstorm, Rock Band 1/2/3/Beatles, Crysis 1/2, Brutal Legend, Hellgate London, Half-Life Ep1/Ep2, The Orange Box, Portal 1/2, Left 4 Dead 1/2, APB... it was a very developer-friendly publishing arm, and one where the developers were allowed to retain creative control over their stuff if they so desire. Crysis is one of them.

edit:

Another quote RE: EAP's operations, this one from Wikipedia from John Carmack:

"I'll admit that, if you asked me years ago, I still had thoughts that EA was the Evil Empire, the company that crushes the small studios...I'd have been surprised, if you told me a year ago that we'd end up with EA as a publisher. When we went out and talked to people, especially EA Partners people like Valve,we got almost uniformly positive responses from them."

In 2008, John D. Carmackof id Softwaresaid that EA is no longer the "Evil Empire"and decided to go with EA Partners, despite having a poor opinion of the publisher's past record.

Like other EA Partners, such as Harmonix/MTV Games, Carmack stressed that EA Partners deal "isn't really a publishing arrangement. Instead, they really offer a menu of services—Valve takes one set of things, Crytektakes a different set, and we're probably taking a third set"Wikipedia

[QUOTE="DanielDust"][QUOTE="toddx77"]

Couldn't EA still send us messages though? I mean majority of their games require us to make an EA account so they already have our email addresses. Couldn't EA just send out an e mail to us all saying "new patch or DLC coming soon" Its not like Valve can tell EA who they can and can't send e mails to.

toddx77

It's about Crytek, because they developed the game to run through gamespy, and it's about DLC, it fits, everything else "OMG EA is evol" and "Valve is a saint", is nonsense, I'm sure EA would pull titles and lose sales, because that's how they'd make more money right?

It's about Crytek, because they developed the game to run through gamespy, and it's about DLC, it fits, everything else "OMG EA is evol" and "Valve is a saint", is nonsense, I'm sure EA would pull titles and lose sales, because that's how they'd make more money right?DanielDust

[QUOTE="lightleggy"]

crytek has full, or at least 99% control of crysis.

they choosed not to use the ea online pass for crysis 2, ea didnt wanted that but they couldnt do a damn thing about itMadCat46

Now it's entirely possible Crytek only agreed to give them control of the launch product and nothing in regards to the post release IE. DLC though it's tough to swallow the notion that EA allowed themselves to get worked like that, losing out on the DLC is a large chunk of change.

]
I'm thinking that Steam said something to EA that was in violation of their agreement. If that's the case, then EA would be right to pull Steam's right to sell.topsemag55

Er, simply "saying" something doesn't void a contract. Someone did something and apparently Crytek signed an exclusive DLC deal with D2D without EA's knowledge and Valve pulled the plug. I don't know if that's the whole story or not but if it is the only one getting screwed and losing out is EA.

In this case, you happen to be completely and totally wrong. This is EA Partners, and this is how they've *always* operated. It's flexible, and they specifically do not demand full rights over the game. It's why Valve, id, Harmonix, etc. all had such nice things to say about them and honestly liked working with them.Makari

But I'm not refering to creative control or claiming EA sustains full rights. I'm talking about publishing rights, Crytek self-publishing their post release content and taking a step which actually causes one of EA's contracts to go void, a big one at that? And all this is done without input or a thumbs up from EA? It reeks of incompetence, and I never saw EA as incompetent so I don't know, just feels fishy.

Still vague, I don't care either way, but I do want to know what it's all about. Valve is silent and EA is vague, nothing new.DanielDust