Joined: Jul 26, 2007
Posts: 9893
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
The latest casualty of the EA/Origin-Steam war is Battlefield 3, a title of no small consequence to the PC gaming community. Electronic Arts has confirmed the heavily anticipated combat shooter will not be sold through PC gaming's dominant digital distribution service, apparently for the same reasons that have seen other top EA PC titles removed from its catalog.
"Battlefield 3 will not be available on Steam as the service restricts our ability to directly support players," an EA spokesperson told Kotaku. "The service limits our ability to deliver patches and downloadable content directly to players. No other download service has adopted these practices. At EA, supporting our players is a top priority, and we are happy to partner with any download service that does not restrict our ability to connect directly with our own consumers."
Read more here:
http://kotaku.com/5828309/you-cant-buy-battlefield-3-on-steam
GOA.Luke*BK*
Joined: Apr 03, 2010
Posts: 2971
Location: Loveland, Colorado
Joined: Apr 25, 2010
Posts: 230
Location: Detroit, MI (USA)
Joined: Jan 15, 2009
Posts: 1169
Location: Connecticut, USA
First, I am and always have been a steam fan (I actually beta-tested it way back before it launched).
But, here are my reasons for disliking this turn of events (in a relatively unbiased manner, I hope):
- this will now be the third EA download and patching client (that I am aware of), and I have had all three. The accounts do not link from one to another (even thought I am using my same EA login) and when the next one comes along, I lose the ability to play or access the games that I had purchased. I lost a copy of command and conquer 3, and a couple of the need for speed games in this manner, and EA's response to my emails and phone calls was "here is a link to repurchase the games, at a 15% reduced price" even when I had proved that I had ALREADY BOUGHT THEM.
- in the previous iterations of the EA clients, the patches have been paralytically slow to download and install, even when I am on a very high end connection. Sometimes, a patch wouldn't show up till a week after its launch.
- games would be temporarily unavailable, due to server outtages and drm issues, even when it was a single player game that I already had installed.
I hope that origin is better (even though its already proving to have issues for me, anyone else notice how much of a power hog it is?). I hope that they support it properly, and give it the server space and resources it needs to keep the players serviced. But I have a very real fear that battlefield 3, an otherwise (from what I've seen) brilliant game, could be irrevocably ruined by a badly run/designed Origin and EA's idiotic management team.
SSG.Braxis*BK*
Joined: Aug 25, 2009
Posts: 709
Location: GEORIGA, USA
No big loss here only have used STREAM 3 times. Most of my games are from AMAZON, with same day delivery by fedx on pre-orders....use 5-8 days FREE shipping the rest of the time. Never had any problem with patches..........I do a scearch for a patch lots of sites offer them as a FREE download.
Joined: May 31, 2011
Posts: 2631
Location: Fort McMurray, AB
I just hope Origin isn't required to play MP if one has a retail disc.
-- Of all the soles I've ever tasted, his had the most ....cumin. --
Joined: Jun 21, 2009
Posts: 343
Location: Warshington (state)
I hope Origin has better customer service than Steam does. Currently I can't log in to Steam because my email address has changed and I do not have access to that old account.
Any company who requires the use of there online services to use a paid for product should be required to have at minimum daily support via telephone. Not just web support manned weekdays 8-5.
Joined: Aug 11, 2009
Posts: 2530
