Why I Won't be Playing ME3

[Orion]

This is why I always buy a game on a console if I have the choice. Hell I don't even like being forced to log in to battle.net just to play offline Starcraft 2.

[Josh]

I don't really care, it's so much of a non-issue. Steam and EA are just trying to make money, Steam just comes out on top because it's got better PR and people like them.

The whole reason Mass Effect 3 isn't coming to Steam is because steam refuses to let EA sell DLC on Origin and the Bioware site that can be used on the steam version of the game. Essentially Steam is like "Nope, you can't sell your DLC, you have to sell it through us so we get a cut of the profit".

Edit: This is also why you can't buy Minecraft on steam either.

[Pinky]

I don't really care, it's so much of a non-issue. Steam and EA are just trying to make money, Steam just comes out on top because it's got better PR and people like them.

The whole reason Mass Effect 3 isn't coming to Steam is because steam refuses to let EA sell DLC on Origin and the Bioware site that can be used on the steam version of the game. Essentially Steam is like "Nope, you can't sell your DLC, you have to sell it through us so we get a cut of the profit".

Edit: This is also why you can't buy Minecraft on steam either.

yeah. valve did good by leaping into digital downloads before any other major distributors. its a great, cheap way of selling software products, but now they are just squeezing every other developer so this pushback was inevitable.

i'm still turned off by the fact that they require you to have their seperate steam program on if you want to play anything that you bought through them. thats why i abandoned general PC gaming in favor of consoles, sony/ms/nintendo controls all distrubution on their hardware so this stuff will never be a problem.

[Jonathan Meer]

The DLC-situation is a non-issue. Steam provides a service: millions of people who already use this client, have their credit cards registered, and like having a central location for all their games. As part of that provision, they expect a portion of the funds. If people don't like it, they're free to go off and do what they like.

It gets fucked up when they just make a shitty-copy of Steam, though. That's poor play.

[Josh]

The DLC-situation is a non-issue. Steam provides a service: millions of people who already use this client, have their credit cards registered, and like having a central location for all their games. As part of that provision, they expect a portion of the funds. If people don't like it, they're free to go off and do what they like.

That's exactly what EA did, and people are bitching.

It gets fucked up when they just make a shitty-copy of Steam, though. That's poor play.

That's like saying people should get bent if they try and compete with Gamestop.

[Jonathan Meer]

Let me clarify by restating: EA are well within their rights to make Origin, a platform that amounts to a lesser clone of Steam.

I see it as a tacky annoyance; an unnecessary obstacle between me and the games that EA publishes. It's like Steam, but worse. But even if it were just as good as Steam, I want a central location for all of my games; I don't want two Steams. For that reason, I condemn it.

[Tyr]

It's expected to have competition with products, it's good for the products.

When it comes to competition with distributors, it's just annoying.

[Ashe]

Cutting that post short. Ultimately, using these types of systems is a major investment. Maybe not now on the first game, not the second, but over time it will become one. Looking at my Steam account, that's quite a lot of money to get locked out of if things were to go awry, and the problem is that EA has a worse reputation currently about things of that nature. I acknowledge that Steam was similar years ago in reputation and they've resolved a lot of that. I am willing to revisit an opinion when I feel that a substantial change has been made in EA's direction with Origin (and their general practices) but for now, I don't feel secure in putting that much of an investment under EA's grasp. I would have to have a damn high opinion of Valve in general to trust such an investment there, and thankfully they have earned that with me at least.

[Tyr]

Hello there! I like putting flammable fluids on fires there's nearly out!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ri0vrJ-y2zM

[Jonathan Meer]

Far Cry 3 ad was at the beginning of that and it was awesome

EDIT: That video makes a lot of sense. I never really thought about the used game issue that much; just kind of knee-jerk "wow fuck you guys for devaluing a used game". I won't be buying used games any longer.

[Maruset]

...god dammit, really? Buying that character is non-optional to anyone who's actually into the series, fuck those guys.

[Jarka]

Oooh, at least now I can use a boycott as the reason why I'm not buying the game right away instead of just being a cheapass who waits until the price drops to $30.

[Tyr]

...god dammit, really? Buying that character is non-optional to anyone who's actually into the series, fuck those guys.

Yeah, a fucking [spoiler]Prothean?![/spoiler] That's so damn greedy I can't even fathom it.

Worst part is that because of Origin, instead of the $10 dollars, I'd probably be asked €10 and be fucked over once again.

[Alura]

I don't like Origin, or EA, but Bioware has earned their money. Holy fuck have they earned. Mass Effect is a fucking epic trilogy and more enthralling than 90% of the other games I've played in the last five years since ME1 came out.

I don't understand why it's that serious. Just like Mario and Josh said. EA has every right to attempt to do something successful like Steam. I don't know how good Origin is (I just uninstalled it after I finished getting SWTOR), but I don't understand why people are getting upset at a business trying to break into a successful market. If you like Steam, that's fine, but no reason to boycott another program because it tries to do something similiar.

And like many people said, I'm getting ME3 on the XBox and if it requires a login to Origin or whatever, that's no big deal. The game will be worth the minor hassle.

[Tyr]

I don't understand why it's that serious. Just like Mario and Josh said. EA has every right to attempt to do something successful like Steam. I don't know how good Origin is (I just uninstalled it after I finished getting SWTOR), but I don't understand why people are getting upset at a business trying to break into a successful market. If you like Steam, that's fine, but no reason to boycott another program because it tries to do something similiar.

And like many people said, I'm getting ME3 on the XBox and if it requires a login to Origin or whatever, that's no big deal. The game will be worth the minor hassle.

Okay, if we look past Origin and more recently at my post's link, you still think that's okay business strategy?

e: also, is used game sales really that big a problem in the NA? We barely have any used game stores here in Denmark and even if it they do, they're the original retailer which have already been acclaimed as douchebag companies. They buy old games for like 10% of original price and then have the balls to sometimes if the game's in mint condition to sell it as new - GameStop I'm looking at you, dirty bastard.

[Alura]

From what I understand, yea, used games are a big deal over here in the States. Gamestop is probably the largest (but not only) contributor to the problem.

Anyway, yea, it's a good business strategy. The people protesting or boycotting are either A) not enough numbers to matter in the long run or B ) going to break down and buy it anyway.

It's not a nice strategy. It's actually very cheap and exploitive. But it's going to pay off for them. People will spend their nickels and dimes on everything available to them and EA will profit greatly. It's not nice, but it's smart.

[Anzekay]

Used games are a fucking big deal, and yeah gamestop and its various offspring are the biggest retailers who are to blame for the whole mess that used games sales have caused.

[Super Buu]

Yeah I really don't like this new DLC thing at all. I didn't mind the previous 'DLC' deal because all new games came with a copy: I get a bonus for supporting the developer and buying at release day, that's actually kinda cool. This DLC is just an additional microtransaction for an already full price game. As a result I might wait and buy ME3 used since it's not gonna make a difference anyway.

[Vad]

My name is Bob. I live in a skid row.