I saw this coming from a mile away, but it's still crap. Literally the day after the Signature Edition Dragon Age 2 deal was up they finally put DA2 on Steam for pre-order for the same price.
If you're on Twitter, send them this Tweet:
Dragon Age 2 pre-order shows up on Steam as soon as the Dragon Age 2 Signature Edition deal has expired. Keep it classy @dragonage @biofeed.
Maybe if enough people show them it's bullshit, they'll rethink their stance on this.
Dragon Age II
Game » consists of 16 releases. Released Mar 08, 2011
This sequel to Dragon Age: Origins features faster combat, a new art style, and a brand new, fully voiced main character named Hawke.
Bioware screws Steam users out of Dragon Age 2 Signature Edition
" I think you mean EA. EA publish it, and thus most likely have full control over distribution. Developers like Bioware rarely have a say in this sort of stuff. "If Bioware hears enough about it, EA will find out. Apparently they're banning people in the Dragon Age forums for calling them out on this.
" @MattyFTM said:Why not just bitch at EA then? Why give Bioware, a fucking brilliant company, a bunch of crap 'cause EA screwed Steam users over. Seems kinda petty." I think you mean EA. EA publish it, and thus most likely have full control over distribution. Developers like Bioware rarely have a say in this sort of stuff. "If Bioware hears enough about it, EA will find out. Apparently they're banning people in the Dragon Age forums for calling them out on this. "
I feel for you PC cats, because I pre-ordered my copy back at the end of November. All paid up, too. If I was playing on PC I'd be pretty pissed about this.
That said, it should be pretty easy for you guys to pirate the add-ons. Not a huge deal, eh?
I'm confused... what's the problem? The signature edition offer expired, as we all knew it was going to do, and so now it's just the regular edition available... as we all knew was going to happen? And they're both the same price because the signature edition upgrade was free. So... what's the problem?
" I feel for you PC cats, because I pre-ordered my copy back at the end of November. All paid up, too. If I was playing on PC I'd be pretty pissed about this. That said, it should be pretty easy for you guys to pirate the add-ons. Not a huge deal, eh? "Yeah, and then we get called out as pirates, even when we're just getting screwed. Personally, I would pay $60 today to pre-order a copy of DA2 Signature Edition on Steam. Now I'll wait for a weekend deal or better yet I'll wait for the Game of the Year Edition a year from release for $30. I got plenty of games to hold me over, I don't need petty corporate politics in my gaming, and it will definitely keep my money in my wallet.
I think the Signature Edition bonus is to appease retail stores.
There is no reason for Bioware or EA to offer that up on Steam where they aren't shipping physical copies of the game.
" @KingWilly said:If that's what you want to do, go for it. Sounds like you guys got the short end of the stick." I feel for you PC cats, because I pre-ordered my copy back at the end of November. All paid up, too. If I was playing on PC I'd be pretty pissed about this. That said, it should be pretty easy for you guys to pirate the add-ons. Not a huge deal, eh? "Yeah, and then we get called out as pirates, even when we're just getting screwed. Personally, I would pay $60 today to pre-order a copy of DA2 Signature Edition on Steam. Now I'll wait for a weekend deal or better yet I'll wait for the Game of the Year Edition a year from release for $30. I got plenty of games to hold me over, I don't need petty corporate politics in my gaming, and it will definitely keep my money in my wallet. "
This is definitely EA. They seem to have a something against Steam...you can pre-order Dead Space 2 and Mass Effect 3 (!) from Direct 2 Drive, yet neither of those games are even mentioned on Steam at the moment.
Did they have a signature edition for the PC? If so you should've just ordered it from Amazon or something - it's the exact same price and release date shipping was .99 cents. There have been plenty of games from EA that got special editions on Steam. I understand that Steam has it's benefits, but if you're really that interested in Dragon Age I doubt having a physical copy would be such a huge deal.
" I'm confused... what's the problem? The signature edition offer expired, as we all knew it was going to do, and so now it's just the regular edition available... as we all knew was going to happen? And they're both the same price because the signature edition upgrade was free. So... what's the problem? "I think what he's saying is that DAII wasn't available for pre-order on steam until the day the pre-order bonus ended.
A pre-order bonus ended. There are still several preorder bonuses available (including the Steam version) called The Black Emporium." @melcene said:
" I'm confused... what's the problem? The signature edition offer expired, as we all knew it was going to do, and so now it's just the regular edition available... as we all knew was going to happen? And they're both the same price because the signature edition upgrade was free. So... what's the problem? "I think what he's saying is that DAII wasn't available for pre-order on steam until the day the pre-order bonus ended. "
Nestled deep under Kirkwall, you'll find a market with a curious collection of items, some for sale, some for free, and ranging from the mundane to the mysterious! One artifact can even transform your very body, face, hair, eyes—all new! We've even granted you your very own mabari war hound to call to your side with a whistle—a boon in battle and a beloved pet at home. Visit the Black Emporium today, and you’ll be the envy of adventurers everywhere. Your invitation awaits!
The Black Emporium features:
- A magic item store that has some of the best equipment you’ll find in the game. It’s restocked with better items as you progress through the story.
- A loyal mabari hound that fights at your side in battle.
- The “Mirror of Transformation”. Gaze into it and you can change your very appearance. Hair, eyes, tattoos, and more can be changed with the click of a button.
- A crafting store which sells powerful unique recipes.
- Explore the Black Emporium and uncover its strange secrets and lore. Be sure to see its strange proprietor. It should prove most… memorable.
" Did they have a signature edition for the PC? If so you should've just ordered it from Amazon or something - it's the exact same price and release date shipping was .99 cents. There have been plenty of games from EA that got special editions on Steam. I understand that Steam has it's benefits, but if you're really that interested in Dragon Age I doubt having a physical copy would be such a huge deal. "This pretty much. If you wanted the pre-order bonus that much then you should have just pre-ordered a hard copy of the PC version. They set out the rules that the pre-order chance would end Jan 11 a long time ago and they never said that Steam would be included in the pre-order. Really the only one to blame is yourself for not getting off your ass and fixing this easily solved problem. It's also kind of hard to believe that you care this much bout the content if you didn't care enough to pre-order it earlier, despite apparently being aware of the deal.
Don't blame Bioware for this. They make the product but EA is in charge of pretty much everything else including the marketing and retail shenanigans.
The steam version also appears to come with bonus content. Is it the same stuff that was in the "signature edition"? I'm guessing that since the "signature edition" didn't cost any extra that it may have been misleading branding designed to improve retail sales.
It's not really a big deal. I got the signature edition (or equivalent) of DAO, and it was basically just an extra hour of half-baked content and some weapons that I quickly abandoned early on in the game for better ones. Collector Edition type stuff are almost all just marketing gimmicks.
Eh, was already pretty iffy about this game. Now it just gives me a reason to hold off on it for awhile.
Based on what I'm seeing from Bioware's site, and the description of the steam version, you still get the same "signature edition" bonuses. I could be wrong, but if this is the case, I'll cancel my amazon order, and buy it through Steam.
I doubt the people at Bioware who made the game said, "You know what would be funny? If we screwed Steam owners out of free dlc."
I'm guessing that some deal got made between EA and retailers so only they could have the Signature Edition. Its the retailers way of trying to stay relevant and ahead of Steam. But at the same time if game company's want to stop used game sales and start going all digital they need to stop making all these backroom deals with retailers.
" I think the Signature Edition bonus is to appease retail stores. There is no reason for Bioware or EA to offer that up on Steam where they aren't shipping physical copies of the game. "Impulse and Direct2Drive managed to get the Signature Edition. I just think it's EA's way to fight against everyone going to Steam instead of their download store. I tried to find a good reason why EA would do this, maybe to increase traffic to their own store, but that's not the case if other download services managed to sell it. I'm siding with the Steam users on this one. Yeah, everyone can say that there are other places to get the game, but not for the kind of person that likes to keep it on one system instead of using different services.
I'm really beginning to think that EA just hates Steam and its users.
" @animateria said:Huh, that really doesn't make sense. I guess EA is jealous of Steam." I think the Signature Edition bonus is to appease retail stores. There is no reason for Bioware or EA to offer that up on Steam where they aren't shipping physical copies of the game. "Impulse and Direct2Drive managed to get the Signature Edition. I just think it's EA's way to fight against everyone going to Steam instead of their download store. I tried to find a good reason why EA would do this, maybe to increase traffic to their own store, but that's not the case if other download services managed to sell it. I'm siding with the Steam users on this one. Yeah, everyone can say that there are other places to get the game, but not for the kind of person that likes to keep it on one system instead of using different services. I'm really beginning to think that EA just hates Steam and its users. "
Steam users should pirate this game as a retaliation!
I kid, I kid.
I noticed this on the Steam store page for DA II...
*OFFER EXPIRES 3/8/2011. CODE EXPIRES DATE 3/31/2012. GOOD ONLY EXISTING PRE-ORDERS OF AND FOR NEW PURCHASES OF DRAGON AGE II FOR THE PC or XBOX 360 (the “PRODUCT”). VALID AT PARTICIPATING RETAILERS. CUSTOMERS WHO ORDER ONLINE WILL BE SENT THE CODE VIA EMAIL ONCE THE PRODUCT RELEASES. CUSTOMERS WHO ORDER AT A RETAIL STORE WILL BE GIVEN THE CODE WHEN PRODUCT IS PICKED UP. OFFER MAY NOT BE SUBSTITUTED, EXCHANGED, SOLD OR REDEEMED FOR CASH OR OTHER GOODS OR SERVICES. MAY NOT BE COMBINED WITH ANY OTHER OFFER, GIFT CARD, REBATE OR DISCOUNT COUPON. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED, TAXED OR RESTRICTED BY LAW. INTERNET CONNECTION AND EA ACCOUNT REQUIRED. YOU MUST BE 13+. EA MAY RETIRE ONLINE FEATURES AFTER 30 DAYS NOTICE POSTED ON WWW.EA.COM/2/SERVICE-UPDATES. PC PRODUCT REQUIRES ACCEPTANCE OF END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT. ACCESS TO PC ONLINE FEATURES LIMITED TO ONE EA ACCOUNT.
I wonder what the first 2 sentences mean. Are they talking about the pre-order code or the installation code? Because if it's the latter, then everyone will be pissed that they get to only play it for a year.
Yeah me too, what does " CODE EXPIRES DATE 3/31/201 " mean exactly?" I noticed this on the Steam store page for DA II...
*OFFER EXPIRES 3/8/2011. CODE EXPIRES DATE 3/31/2012. GOOD ONLY EXISTING PRE-ORDERS OF AND FOR NEW PURCHASES OF DRAGON AGE II FOR THE PC or XBOX 360 (the “PRODUCT”). VALID AT PARTICIPATING RETAILERS. CUSTOMERS WHO ORDER ONLINE WILL BE SENT THE CODE VIA EMAIL ONCE THE PRODUCT RELEASES. CUSTOMERS WHO ORDER AT A RETAIL STORE WILL BE GIVEN THE CODE WHEN PRODUCT IS PICKED UP. OFFER MAY NOT BE SUBSTITUTED, EXCHANGED, SOLD OR REDEEMED FOR CASH OR OTHER GOODS OR SERVICES. MAY NOT BE COMBINED WITH ANY OTHER OFFER, GIFT CARD, REBATE OR DISCOUNT COUPON. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED, TAXED OR RESTRICTED BY LAW. INTERNET CONNECTION AND EA ACCOUNT REQUIRED. YOU MUST BE 13+. EA MAY RETIRE ONLINE FEATURES AFTER 30 DAYS NOTICE POSTED ON WWW.EA.COM/2/SERVICE-UPDATES. PC PRODUCT REQUIRES ACCEPTANCE OF END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT. ACCESS TO PC ONLINE FEATURES LIMITED TO ONE EA ACCOUNT.
I wonder what the first 2 sentences mean. Are they talking about the pre-order code or the installation code? Because if it's the latter, then everyone will be pissed that they get to only play it for a year. "
This is typical EA bullshit when it comes to Steam. They seem to think their piece of shit store (that charges you extra for "extended download" windows) is going to somehow take off. Hot Pursuit wasn't even available on Steam until a couple weeks after launch elsewhere; a mod on the official forums noted they did everyone a "favor" by caving in and putting the game on Steam. The list continues on with this DA2 issue and Bulletstorm will not be released on Steam until the day of launch thus removing any chance of preorder bonuses.
Personally, I think this trend of "free" preorder bullshit is abhorrent and I wish they would end the whole thing, but it pales in comparison to EA's shenanigans in regards to Steam. For those of you saying buy it somewhere else if you really want the perks, I agree. However, that doesn't diminish the fact that EA is making it difficult for genuine PC customers to buy games at the store of their choice.
Nevermind, I was wrong. It is missing the extra content. It seems like this is a common new EA game these days (especially bigger releases). They offer you some DLC for free with a new copy of the game, and then some more with a pre-order. The problem is, that their plan is working, and they keep pushing it further and further to see how much they can get away with. I really don't mind that they're offering additional content with new copies/pre-orders, and I can appreciate that they're experimenting with new ideas on how to decrease used game sales. This move; however, appears to be an attempt to appease certain retailers, and not (necessarily) to improve sales. Now that I've found out I'd be missing out on content by doing so, I'm sure not going to be canceling my amazon order for a Steam version.
Pretty pissed about this. There's a reason I like Steam. It's the best digital distribution service. I like having all my games in one place, easily accessible.
I've already got a bunch of games lined up, this time I think I'll wait for all the DLC to come out and get packaged together. I've been getting boned on that lately, and I'm getting sick of it.
" I'm confused... what's the problem? The signature edition offer expired, as we all knew it was going to do, and so now it's just the regular edition available... as we all knew was going to happen? And they're both the same price because the signature edition upgrade was free. So... what's the problem? "Exactly This. I ordered mine ages ago. Us PC-gamers should know better than to simply rely on steam...
" This is definitely EA. They seem to have a something against Steam...you can pre-order Dead Space 2 and Mass Effect 3 (!) from Direct 2 Drive, yet neither of those games are even mentioned on Steam at the moment. "I've observed this as well. Most EA titles on Steam also do not carry over achievements from the 360 or windows live counterparts. I'm not much of an achievement buff myself, but its one other aspect I've seen EA cut corners on, most recently with Hot Pursuit.
" @BeachThunder said:There are many, many more developers and publishers other than EA that release games on Steam without Steam achievements. Hell, most PC games, in general, still ship without any kind of achievements at all. I wouldn't exactly call that cutting corners." This is definitely EA. They seem to have a something against Steam...you can pre-order Dead Space 2 and Mass Effect 3 (!) from Direct 2 Drive, yet neither of those games are even mentioned on Steam at the moment. "I've observed this as well. Most EA titles on Steam also do not carry over achievements from the 360 or windows live counterparts. I'm not much of an achievement buff myself, but its one other aspect I've seen EA cut corners on, most recently with Hot Pursuit. "
" @MattyFTM said:That isn't how it works at all. Developers answer directly to Publishers. They are plenty aware of the discontent, trust me. They don't care, though. Their eyes only focus on the sales, and sales have been going up. People buy their stuff, because people don't want to miss out on any content, and they get the money. It's dirty, yes, and I hate it probably more than you do. Posting annoying shit like this doesn't help anyone." I think you mean EA. EA publish it, and thus most likely have full control over distribution. Developers like Bioware rarely have a say in this sort of stuff. "If Bioware hears enough about it, EA will find out. Apparently they're banning people in the Dragon Age forums for calling them out on this. "
We understand that you choose to believe any good publishing decision is made by Bioware and any bad one is made by EA. That's just your delusion,though. Nobody forced Bioware to make Sonic Chronicles. They make plenty of bullshit decisions." Can someone please just explain once and for all, to make it clear to those who don't get it, that Bioware makes cool shit, and EA tends to fuck up cool shit. And that's just the way some things are. "
" @EvilTwin said:A pre-order bonus ended. There are still several preorder bonuses available (including the Steam version) called The Black Emporium." @melcene said:
" I'm confused... what's the problem? The signature edition offer expired, as we all knew it was going to do, and so now it's just the regular edition available... as we all knew was going to happen? And they're both the same price because the signature edition upgrade was free. So... what's the problem? "I think what he's saying is that DAII wasn't available for pre-order on steam until the day the pre-order bonus ended. "
"Nestled deep under Kirkwall, you'll find a market with a curious collection of items, some for sale, some for free, and ranging from the mundane to the mysterious! One artifact can even transform your very body, face, hair, eyes—all new! We've even granted you your very own mabari war hound to call to your side with a whistle—a boon in battle and a beloved pet at home. Visit the Black Emporium today, and you’ll be the envy of adventurers everywhere. Your invitation awaits!
The Black Emporium features:
- A magic item store that has some of the best equipment you’ll find in the game. It’s restocked with better items as you progress through the story.
- A loyal mabari hound that fights at your side in battle.
- The “Mirror of Transformation”. Gaze into it and you can change your very appearance. Hair, eyes, tattoos, and more can be changed with the click of a button.
- A crafting store which sells powerful unique recipes.
- Explore the Black Emporium and uncover its strange secrets and lore. Be sure to see its strange proprietor. It should prove most… memorable.
Yes, the good one that gave you basically the collectors edition of the game.
@Azteck said:
Actually, Bioware kinda is going the way of "abandoning our audience to make games that sell better because we don't really give a shit about the genre anymore. And really, who doesn't love a good sequel to a deep RPG with an amazing story being a shooter with a shitty story or an action game with kinda janky controls", AND they chose to partner with EA. So I'd say that they have shit coming either way. Yeah, it's probably EA, but it's not like your going to get much to happen directly to EA. Going through Bioware might actually remind them of how great they used to be and encourage them to work with EA to rectify the issue." @Krakn3Dfx said:
" @MattyFTM said:Why not just bitch at EA then? Why give Bioware, a fucking brilliant company, a bunch of crap 'cause EA screwed Steam users over. Seems kinda petty. "" I think you mean EA. EA publish it, and thus most likely have full control over distribution. Developers like Bioware rarely have a say in this sort of stuff. "If Bioware hears enough about it, EA will find out. Apparently they're banning people in the Dragon Age forums for calling them out on this. "
" Pretty pissed about this. There's a reason I like Steam. It's the best digital distribution service. I like having all my games in one place, easily accessible. I've already got a bunch of games lined up, this time I think I'll wait for all the DLC to come out and get packaged together. I've been getting boned on that lately, and I'm getting sick of it. "Hey, Ditto! It drives me insane.
Completely agreed on the perks of Steam. When my last computer ate it about a year ago, it was comforting to know all my games would be available to download once I re-installed steam.
Its really irksome to see things like retailer specific content and pre-order bonuses cropping up everywhere, and EA is a major offender. As a developer, I think I would actually be offended to see some of the content I designed and worked on getting withheld from the public as some sort of "carrot-on-a-stick" incentive. I'm sure it isn't quite so simple as EA holding back already implemented items, but I still find the practice insulting to both developers and the audience its being marketed to.
I sometimes wonder- if publishers feel it is necessary to withhold content or promise perks as a means to justify early purchases, is it indicative that the pre-order business model itself isn't working and is in need of an overhaul?
" @AceBlack19 said:A fair point. The point I was trying to make is that now that Steam offers an achievement system, some developers are starting to copy over the 360 achievement equivalents. EA has yet to do the same." @BeachThunder said:There are many, many more developers and publishers other than EA that release games on Steam without Steam achievements. Hell, most PC games, in general, still ship without any kind of achievements at all. I wouldn't exactly call that cutting corners. "" This is definitely EA. They seem to have a something against Steam...you can pre-order Dead Space 2 and Mass Effect 3 (!) from Direct 2 Drive, yet neither of those games are even mentioned on Steam at the moment. "I've observed this as well. Most EA titles on Steam also do not carry over achievements from the 360 or windows live counterparts. I'm not much of an achievement buff myself, but its one other aspect I've seen EA cut corners on, most recently with Hot Pursuit. "
You are correct , though- I reascend the accusation. To call that "cutting corners" in PC distribution is very unfair.
I agree that kind of sucks if you are really into buying games off Steam.
However if you like something enough you go to where you can find it. Like me for instance, I went down to the local EB and pre-ordered there.
No biggie.
Incorrect. Only a very limited number of CD keys purchased elsewhere can be registered on Steam. See https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=7480-WUSF-3601." If you pre-ordered on direct2drive you can just register the cd-key on steam and it works the same as if you had bought the game from steam. I do this whenever direct2drive has a better deal on a game. "
" Don't blame Bioware for this. This is all EA. "This is just like the Blizzard / Activision debates. Bioware IS EA. It is completely and wholely owned by EA. They are both part of a single company. This is not some publisher forcing decions on some independent developer. This is a company making business decisions based on a product it produced with its own internal talent. Blame lies with the entire company in the same way you can't blame your left hand for punching someone and say the right hand is innocent; its all one body.
" I agree that kind of sucks if you are really into buying games off Steam. However if you like something enough you go to where you can find it. Like me for instance, I went down to the local EB and pre-ordered there. No biggie. "Yup yup.
This whole steam thing is fine. If the signature edition stuff is all that important to you, you'll have to shill out $20 for the signature edition content after the game is released. The additional character will probably only cost like $10 or so and probably another $10 for the extra equipment. They aren't exclusive to the Signature Edition, just free with the signature edition.
But seriously, if the extra content was all that important to you, you could have just pre-ordered the Signature Edition from a brick and mortar store or Amazon or EB Games/Gamestop's online store. Hell, I pre-ordered a sig edition and I'll probably pre-order a steam edition. I'll give the disk version to my wife - I just want the extra equipment.
it's very funny. after deal was ended (1/11), today Steam store just added 'Dragon Age 2' standard version with two bonus. in the mean time, I went to EA store to check it out. two bonus offer is the same. but again, what's up with deadline? 'you should buy this until March 28th'? then what if I won't? two bonus items will be gone again just like signature edition? I guess that I will buy all DLC, bonus after March 28th. crap. well, don't bother. I won't buy dragon age 2. it's not my interesting game. I didn't even buy dragon age original neither. good luck.
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