Electronic Arts 'Appreciates Steam's Decision' to Put Alice: Madness Returns Back on Steam

@Mojokilla said:

It's pretty simple for me. No Steam version, no sale. Your move EA.

This, 100%

So are we thinking now that it might have been Steam who took the games down as a jab at EA for promoting Origin so heavily or something?

This whole situation is bumming me out. No one wants a different digital distribution service, EA. Steam killed your last thing and they'll trample over Origin. Just knock it off...

Jeez, I hope it doesn't have anything to do with Valve saying you can't sell the games digitally on your own if you want to be on Steam. That would be super dickish and not at all Valve-like.

@mosdef said:

@Kyle said:

So are we thinking now that it might have been Steam who took the games down as a jab at EA for promoting Origin so heavily or something?

This whole situation is bumming me out. No one wants a different digital distribution service, EA. Steam killed your last thing and they'll trample over Origin. Just knock it off...

well said.

Couldnt agree more! Who the hell wants a client for each publisher? I liked when it was all neat and tidy in one place, i swear if EA hadnt announced that The Old Republic was only going to be available via Origin i woulndt even have bothered downloading it

This smells like EA trying to spin the situation in their favour.

EA is being EVIL. I think the only time I'll use Origin ever, is for SWTOR.

Son of a bitch I just purchased it at gamestop.  GRAH!

I don't relaly like the idea of steam or origin - the idea hat a developer can have a decision of distribution of others game is ludicrous  and I think both are at fault here - neither of them are really showing themself up that well and really making me second guess looking into getting a gaming PC - grow up retailers - selling all kinds of games form a variety of developers is a good thing for all of you and using alterior motives to skew the market is bad for everyone.

@Beforet said:

@Evilsbane said:

Since when did steam turn into this evil thing? Steam was released as a pile of trash and has been reconstructed into the last bastion of Future PC gaming. Damn, I hate missing all the twist and turns of the "what thing do we hate this month even though nothing has really changed about it"

Who here is hating on Steam? Most of the vitriol I have seen is for EA's Origin system.

I haven't read every comment here, but you do get the occasional "omg Steam DRM is evil they're ruining PC gaming omg they're using up so much CPU power running in the background omg theyre so intrusive blah blah blah" comment here.  While I'm well aware of this abstract thing called an opinion, Steam is slowly becoming another popular thing to hate on such as CoD, WoW, and anything else at the top of it's game. I don't know why, but that's what it's starting to feel like anyway. Meh...go figure

best part about this news is knowing that you use Rainmeter and love metro.

yea god dammit ea , stop talking around the thing , tell us what you and valve are actually disagreeing on.

until this is clarified , its impossible to know if ea or valve is being the douche here...

I really hope Crysis 2 comes back to Steam because I planned to buy it cheap on a Steam sale after I buy a new computer. I don't want to start an an account on a competing program for one game.

I want to see what steam says about all of this stuff.

oo chaos rising is only 20 bucks.

Way to complicate things for no reason EA. fucking hell, as soon as the PC market stabilizes, another stupid piece of shit like GFWL pops up.

really glad i bought the origin version now.

:|

And this is why I'm hesitant to buy anything from origin.com. EA is much too squirrelly over their IP. That, and they'd sell their grandmother to make a few extra bucks. Just take it easy EA and you won't have any complaints from me.

I want my BF3 on Steam damnit!!!

Look, I like Valve, but they are a business as well. It is not beyond the realm of possibility that they took down Crysis 2, etc, because of business conflicts. If I recall, the reason they removed Crysis 2 was due to an agreement with Crytek that only Steam would sell digital versions of the game within North America. When Crysis 2 was sold on Origin, that broke that agreement and Steam pulled it from their serice.

Who is at fault? Valve had a business agreement. If they pulled the game because the agreement was broken, why is it "bad"? If you sign a contract, you're supposed to stick to a contract, right? On the other hand, EA were the major supporters of Crysis 2 - they helped fund and publicize the game, and surely they have some right to sell it as well?

EA wants to crack the Digital market. There is nothing immoral about wanting to compete against Valve. It's called competition and it's generally considered a good thing. Now, true, I think Origin as a service is pretty bad, but I don't equate that with bad intentions on EA's part. They want a slice of the pie, just like any other business.

As for the whole Alice issue: I definitely recall seeing advertisements on Steam for Alice. Maybe it's because I live in Australia and Steam might run different ads for us down here, but I remember seeing ads for Alice Madness Returns a good 2 weeks ago.

Is EA at fault? Is Valve? Morally, NO ONE is at fault. EA want to break into the digital market, and they have a right to do so. Valve want to protect their share, and are using their contracts to ensure that people can't put their games on more than one service.

Legally, I think EA made the misstep - they had contractual obligations to keep the games on Steam. If they didn't like they shouldn't have signed the contract with Valve. Valve pulled the games, not out of a hissy fit, but because of a genuine legal issue with Crytek, Crazy Horse and EA. You can understand them being a bit miffed when a previously exclusive game suddenly gets sold on Origin.

But I stress, morally, no side is being "evil". I will never, ever, ever in my life understand why people would so readily, so determinedly, so passionately defend a multi-million dollar software publisher. They're just publishers. They aren't your friends, and to see them as such is silly. I really, really like the games Valve puts out. But I don't pretend that they aren't anything other than a business that wants to make money. I really like BioWare's games, but I'm under no delusions (and it is a delusion) that they owe me favours because I'm a fan or that they even really care about what I think or feel as as person.

Valve and EA are competing for the digital distribution market. That's all anyone needs to know. To get all hissy and emotional over this subject is just silly. It's business folks. You don't get into passionate arguments over which washing-machine manufacturer you love. Why a software developer or a software publisher?

I really wish Valve would SAY something about this whole rabble.  It could very well be EA being unreasonable with its IP as they tend to be (notice how this shit NEVER happens with Activision?  Or anyone else, really?), or if it was a contract violation, or what the hell is going on?  Letting EA's vague words be the only voice is the real frustration here.

There is only one reason I can think that anyone would logically take the time to passionately, emotionally defend a giant software conglomerate or a publisher - and that is that they work for the company in question. It makes no logical sense for anyone else to do it. The way some of you guys are going on about this, it's like EA or Valve are your friends, or that you belong to the EA tribe or the Valve tribe and have incorporated these.... software publishers.... as a part of your identity. It's almost as if you identify with them on a personal level, it's almost as if you actually feel that these corporations (run by business people for the benefit of investors/owners, as all functioning business are) represent you as a person, and when you hear someone attack them, you feel as if they are attacking you and your identity.

It's tribalism 101. You know, I thought it was pretty stupid when people decided to group themselves into tribes based on what cave they were born in. But hey, at least they had an excuse - they were cave people. But us? We don't have an excuse for fostering this rampant tribalism over..... software publishers.

Think about it. No, really! Repeat this to yourself: "I am emotionally hurt because someone said something nasty about the big software developer/publisher that I buy games from". Once you verbalize it, you'll realize how utterly stupid it is to get all uptight and emotional over..... a goddamn software publisher.

I like this but I don't get why this is happening when Alice: Madness Returns was made to be an origin only game. Maybe I just shouldn't question it.

Keep digging patrick!!

I feel like every message from EA at this point is going to include origin.com.

"is there a new medal of honor in development"

"EA does not comment on rumor or speculation btw origin.com"

hey guys, origin.com

Interesting. I'd like to hear more.

This is what I don't understand. If this was Steam who pulled it - why was EA clearly advertising that Alice: Madness Returns was an "Origin exclusive until the 17th" on their website until now? This is sounding increasingly suspect.

I predict this is just the beginning of the digital download "land rush" and there will be more confusion for all of us consumers in the years to come.  It's like when every music distributor felt a need to open their own music service where we could get just their performers and a smattering of indie artists.  Steam has been on top of the mountain for so long sometimes we forget their are other services.  With PC gaming capturing more and more revenue from direct download, the publishers are going to want a bigger piece of that pie.  And, should new ($60) console games ever switch to this system, well then the real fun begins.

               

This is what I don't understand. If this was Steam who pulled it - why was EA clearly advertising that Alice: Madness Returns was an "Origin exclusive until the 17th" on their website until now? This is sounding increasingly suspect.

           

@SleepyBuddha said:

And what's so bad about a little competition on the DD front? I don't want any service to dominate.

As long as it is run responsibly, I do. Having to manage multiple download services sounds like a mini-nightmare. I would much rather have all my games in one place.

Yo, fuck origin.

Where?
 
ORIGIN.COM!!!!

               

@SleepyBuddha said:

And what's so bad about a little competition on the DD front? I don't want any service to dominate.

As long as it is run responsibly, I do. Having to manage multiple download services sounds like a mini-nightmare. I would much rather have all my games in one place.

           

Origin.com is really an odd decision. I don't blame anyone for competing with Steam, but you can't do it when you terms and service is just lightyears behind. Makes no sense at all.

Competition in theory is great, but EA aren't above playing dirty, I just wouldn't be suprised if Valve had been left in a place where they were 'allowed' to sell EA games, but EA would be selling them first and cheaper on their own service. So then, that's not really competition is it?

I've done fine on steam for a lot of years with their sales and sets etc. They barely had any competition and yet it still seemed like they were being generous with their pricing.

wtf is wrong with EA and their origin.com it cant compete with steam in the slightest

@nintendoeats said:

               

@SleepyBuddha said:

And what's so bad about a little competition on the DD front? I don't want any service to dominate.

As long as it is run responsibly, I do. Having to manage multiple download services sounds like a mini-nightmare. I would much rather have all my games in one place.

           

I understand, convenience is awesome and that's also a part of why I like Steam so much. But that comes at a price: lack of competition.  Right now, if I wanted to buy Alice MR PC for example, I would have to choose between buying on Steam for 50 euros (DD only), Origin for 40 euros (DD only) or ordering a new retail copy from Amazon UK for 30 euros (DD on Origin as well after registering the retail key). Considering this, I'd probably end up ordering from Amazon. Besides, someone like me who owns a PC, a PS3 and a 360 already has to deal with multiple services. Sure it's a chore, but I still prefer it to the alternative. If Steam dominates, it will control prices. Simple economics.

Not totally disagreeing with you but did Steam totally control prices when it WAS the only choice? Sure it controlled it's own game prices but it was selling games with direct download before anyone else and the individual companies set their game prices. We have several DD services now and yet they're all still around the same regular prices. (Sale prices are crazy across the board) So I don't think Steam is setting the prices so much as just game prices in general set the prices.

@MattyFTM: Came here to say this. Origin was also advertising that if you bought it there you got the original Alice game as well, which doesn't appear to come with the Steam Version.

@Jeaz: agreed. If EA is able to put together a semi functional model, all the best to them to increase market diversity. But if origins.com is just a jazzed up EADM, then there's no way they'll be effective competitors.

This whole thing is so internet.

This reeks of some kind of stunt to get the Origin.com site more publicity.

I like competetion as much as the next guy. Options are great, as long as it's easy to get to the content I've purchased no matter what system/store I buy it on. Steam has spoiled me, I want it to work the same way no matter where I buy it.

@theredace said:

Jeez, I hope it doesn't have anything to do with Valve saying you can't sell the games digitally on your own if you want to be on Steam. That would be super dickish and not at all Valve-like.

That's not the case. There's countless games that are on steam and other services. Valve wouldn't just go HERP DERP LET'S REMOVE ONE GAME THAT'S ALREADY SOLD THE MAJORITY OF ITS COPIES, THAT'LL GET 'EM! DERP!  Wanna know the reason why EA isn't giving a reason Steam is doing this? Because that reason is their own fault, and they're trying to spin it against Valve.

Crysis 2 is selling shitloads. if they make it exclusive to their Origin service, that will drive shitloads of traffic. 
Alice is selling zilch. Therefore they put it on both Origin and Steam in the hope to sell a bit more.

I am not even going to say Steam or Valve is perfect, but this totally seems like EA are the ones whom are screwing with Valve or Steam. That whole Origin is BS.

@Pinworm45 said:

@theredace said:

Jeez, I hope it doesn't have anything to do with Valve saying you can't sell the games digitally on your own if you want to be on Steam. That would be super dickish and not at all Valve-like.

That's not the case. There's countless games that are on steam and other services. Valve wouldn't just go HERP DERP LET'S REMOVE ONE GAME THAT'S ALREADY SOLD THE MAJORITY OF ITS COPIES, THAT'LL GET 'EM! DERP!  Wanna know the reason why EA isn't giving a reason Steam is doing this? Because that reason is their own fault, and they're trying to spin it against Valve.

No, I don't mean Valve getting upset about the game being available elsewhere, I mean potentially them getting upset about the developer selling it through their own competing portal. Not many developers have their own online Steam-like service through which they sell digital copies of their games (which it seems EA is now trying to do with Origin). The only other ones I can think of are Blizzard with Battle.net, and Stardock with Impulse, neither of which have their games on Steam.
 
Remember, this all happened immediately after EA announced Origin. I'm not saying that's what it is, I'm just wondering.