Battlefield 3 May Still Have Steam Release...... And On Time Too!!

[squirrel]

So EA realizes that the downside risk is great for them to gamble on the success of the new Origin release system. From some Chinese sources that I read, the reason EA cut its support to Steam is not entirely, and may not be even mostly for forcing gamers to diversify their support to Origin. From the reports I read (which may or may not be true), Valve used to offer the Steam platform free for DLC release. By free I mean really free, Valve collected not a dime from offering server resources. Some time in the summer Valve decided to change this policy. It demanded that either Steam version of the games' DLC be entirely offered on Steam and Valve gets a cut on the sale (i.e. non-Steam version DLC will not work on Steam version of the game), or the games themselves be withdrawal from Steam entirely. Crysis 2 was the first casualty. Obviously both EA and Valve didnt want to break off the relationship that abruptly.

BTW, from my Chinese sources Americans may also get their Battlefield 3 Steam release on 25th October.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...in-negotiation

Battlefield 3 Steam release in negotiation?

5/10/2011 @ 19:25

EA and Valve are currently in "late-stage talks" to secure a Steam release for the PC version of Battlefield 3, according to an alleged insider.

BF3blog's source claimed the two parties are close to reaching an agreement which would see the game arrive on Valve's Steam store in time for the game's 28th October launch.

As detailed back in August, EA decided not to sell the game through Steam because of Valve's "restrictive terms of service" regarding patching and DLC.

We've asked the relevant parties for comment and will update if we get a response.

[Battlehenkie]

Thanks for posting this, it would be very interesting if true. Not to mention I'll be much more interested in getting BF3, but it will shift a lot of opinions on EA and Valve in the gaming community.

[TixyLixx]

This is what I'm waiting for, I do not buy games that aren't on Steam any more because that platform offers the best service. I hate having to use shit like GFWL or Origin so I will never buy unless it uses Steam.

[grasskit]

there was update on this with EA response along the lines of "we have nothing to announce". cant remember which site it was on

[Estel]

This is what I'm waiting for, I do not buy games that aren't on Steam any more because that platform offers the best service. I hate having to use shit like GFWL or Origin so I will never buy unless it uses Steam.

Of course, a Steam release doesn't preclude BF3 still requiring Origin.

(I have no problem with this, personally.)

[Kadayi]

Just turn off all notifications in Origin and disable launch at windows start up, add it like a game through Steam and run it from there, that way you can use the Steam overlay in BF3 (works seamlessly tbh). Once you launch Battlefield from Origin it essentially goes to your Battlelog page in your webrowser anyhows.

All this 'Steam or no sale' talk is frankly hilarious tbh.

[DigitalSignalX]

Is there a monthly fee for server connections or is it Starcraft / TF2 style?

[acidtestportfolio]

hey look at that, the train is coming in on time

maybe ea realizes that maybe they want all those steam dollars without having to make people switch to another service

maybe ea isn't full of colossal morons

or maybe they're realizing that they can have their cake and eat it too

or maybe, just maybe, they don't want to miss out on all of those valuable steam dollars

[duff]

hey look at that, the train is coming in on time

maybe ea realizes that maybe they want all those steam dollars without having to make people switch to another service

maybe ea isn't full of colossal morons

or maybe they're realizing that they can have their cake and eat it too

or maybe, just maybe, they don't want to miss out on all of those valuable steam dollars

The question is: will the revenue from extra sales on Steam (and BF3 will sell more if its on Steam) be more valuable to EA than building up a larger userbase on Origin. If only a fraction of BF3 players begin to use Origin reguarly, EA will more than make up for lost BF3 sales by being able to sell a large amount of games without retail expenses.

They aren't collosal morons, they just see how lucrative Steam is and want a cut.

[acidtestportfolio]

They aren't collosal morons, they just see how lucrative Steam is and want a cut.

that's been their whole motivation from the beginning

unfortunately they don't have the inspiration, knowledge, or motivation to look at steam and think about how they could make a better product

also they have a long history of dicking PC gamers

that's what i am concerned about

[grasskit]

Just turn off all notifications in Origin and disable launch at windows start up, add it like a game through Steam and run it from there, that way you can use the Steam overlay in BF3 (works seamlessly tbh). Once you launch Battlefield from Origin it essentially goes to your Battlelog page in your webrowser anyhows.

All this 'Steam or no sale' talk is frankly hilarious tbh.

after you close bf3 that still leaves origin running though. a piece of software that otherwise you have absolutely no need for.
what you're talking here is just steam overlay and i dont think thats what people care for when they talk having games on steam. its more about consolidating your games in one place, one service with same account password and whatnot. but i agree "steam or no sale" is a bit overdoing it and probably disingenuous. i bet a lot of those boycotters are gonna buy bf3 either way. i know i will.

[Hirmetrium]

I really have to ask, because I'm intrigued - why on earth do you NEED Steam to buy BF3? I understand the Origin Hate (which certainly won't change, Steam will just install it alongside BF3) and I understand the EA hate, but why on earth does BF3 being on Steam even factor into your sales decision? Locking your game onto a system which could, some day, be unavailable, or the service may significantly change if taken over.

It's the one thing I just don't understand - a game being on Steam doesn't make that game necessarily better. see DOW2:Retribution, where most match making is now a bit more rubbish than GFWL because its slower. I love how people are willing to embrace a client which gives them no benefits over a cheaper retail or other online store or downloadable copy.

I just want to know the rational thinking behind it.

[deano2099]

Probably something to do with being easily able re-download whenever you want and easily transfer all games to a new machine (just copy the Steam folder).

[Lobotomist]

I would buy it from Steam if it means you dont need Origin

But i have feeling that Steam version would just launch Steam, than Origin, and than Battlelog.

What a mess

[Kadayi]

after you close bf3 that still leaves origin running though. a piece of software that otherwise you have absolutely no need for.

Half the stuff running by default on your PC you probably don't need running either. Closing an app is hardly a tyranny.

[grasskit]

Half the stuff running by default on your PC you probably don't need running either. Closing an app is hardly a tyranny.

no not really. i have my pc configured exactly the way i want.
yea its not a tyranny which is why i said im gonna buy bf3 regardless in my previous post. still doesnt make it exactly ok putting up with software that i otherwise have absolutely no need for and that gives me no benefits. and lets not forget the Origin eula with its data mining clauses

[Shane]

The hate for Origin befuddles me given the fact that the service has just launched and will require some time to iron out the kinks. Steam was little more than a buggy turd when it launched.

[Lobotomist]

Lets qoute above message for answer

lets not forget the Origin eula with its data mining clauses

The hate for Origin befuddles me given the fact that the service has just launched and will require some time to iron out the kinks. Steam was little more than a buggy turd when it launched.

[rangst]

Just thought I'd post this here instead of starting a new thread (sorry about linking to kotaku again)

http://www.kotaku.com.au/2011/10/bat...cation-delays/

Does anyone else dislike this guy's attitude? He's constantly complaning about people complaing about bugs in the beta. He acts like it's a privilege to tell them what's wrong with their game, which based on the state of the beta, would have been released in a shocking state.

[soldant]

Lets qoute above message for answer

The "data mining clauses" were blown out of proportion:

We may also share that data with our third party service providers in a form that does not personally identify you.

I could pick through the Steam EULA and pull out a scary clause:

Valve may terminate your Account or a particular Subscription for any conduct or activity that Valve believes is illegal, constitutes a Cheat, or which otherwise negatively affects the enjoyment of Steam by other Subscribers. You acknowledge that Valve is not required to provide you notice before terminating your Subscriptions(s) and/or Account, but it may choose to do so.

Oh no! Valve can terminate your account if you're accused of cheating, without warning! Oh wait, that doesn't actually happen.

The EULA for Origin wasn't particularly unusual at all, and remarkably absurd given that EA already have your personal information if you purchase a game using the service (the same as Steam), and being a game-delivery platform of course they're going to advertise games to you (Steam does the same, just in a carpet-bomb non-personal way). The EULA was never about selling personal information to 3rd parties. Not to mention that you can opt-out of this anyway, so this doesn't even really matter anymore.

Ultimately the information about application usage habits outside of Origin is probably useless to EA, I mean what do they learn from seeing that you start up Microsoft Word a few times a day? For the record I don't really agree with how it was worded, but there's a lot of irrational fear of Origin, combined with an irrational love of Steam. They're both two sides of the same coin, it's just that Steam has been around longer and has the Valve fanboys to defend it, because Half Life 2/TF2 = Steam.

Might I point out that having BF3 tied to Origin might as well result in the same argument that TF2 shouldn't be bought because it's tied to Steam. But it's a ridiculous argument, so why make it?