Valve Wants EA's Games Back on Steam
Gabe Newell is trying to get EA to see that Steam is a good thing.
Gabe Newell and the gang over at Valve Software want Electronic Arts to return to Steam. This shouldn't be a surprise given that EA holds the rights to a good number of money-making IPs including Battlefield, Mass Effect, Need for Speed, The Sims and Crysis.
In recent months, digital EA titles began disappearing from Steam. There has been speculation that EA wanted to sell DLC directly to gamers which isn't allowed on Valve's platform. Typically DLC is hosted on Steam and Valve receives a revenue cut.
But by EA removing its PC games, DLC, and shifting over to its own competing distribution platform, Origin, Valve will miss out on a whole lot of money. And while a good number of EA games still reside on Valve's Steam distribution platform, hot upcoming digital releases including Battlefield 3 and Star Wars: The Old Republic will be Origin exclusives. Naturally, Gabe Newell wants to do what he can to keep EA's business and steady cash flow.
During an interview with Develop, Newell admitted that Valve's relationship with EA, although complicated, is reconcilable.
"I don’t think Valve can pick just one thing and think the issue would go away if we fixed that," he said in an upcoming issue. "We have to show EA it’s a smart decision to have EA games on Steam, and we’re going to try to show them that."
When asked if customers should expect more games to be removed from Steam, Newell said that companies have to earn the right to install content on their customers' PCs on a regular basis.
"The same thing is true of Steam," he said. "We have to prove we are creating value on an ongoing basis, whether it’s to EA or Ubisoft or whoever. We really want to show there’s a lot of value having EA titles on Steam. We want EA’s games on Steam and we have to show them that’s a smart thing to do."
But if EA is intent on publishing DLC for its PC games outside Steam, then there's a good chance we'll see even fewer new releases on Valve's platform in the coming months. Still, Newell seems optimistic.
"I think at the end of the day we’re going to prove to Electronic Arts they have happier customers, a higher quality service, and will make more money if they have their titles on Steam," he said. "It’s our duty to demonstrate that to them. We don’t have a natural right to publish their games."
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Steam overall is well known in the PC community. Love it or hate it, its the best out there. I feel as if steam should have every known PC game ever made on there. Well that's what i want in the future, every PC game ever released on it. I can dream right =D
Hopefully EA can work out something with Steam to make it work and maybe something they finally come to agreement will hopefully decrease the cuts Steam take from DLC. Which means more money for the developers that make them. ;p
I won't buy anymore of EA's games if they don't come back to Steam.
I wonder how large large of a fee it is to have games on steam. I'm guessing they probably just charge an upfront fee then a servicing fee for everything after than.
I won't buy anymore of EA's games if they don't come back to Steam.
I wish I could say this too, but I really want to play Battlefield 3.
I won't buy anymore of EA's games if they don't come back to Steam.
Yeah tbh i'm too lazy to sign up and install another client, especially from EA
If a game isn't on Steam then I don't know about it... and the company will not get my money for it
Except for SW: TOR of course!
I'd like to see EA games return to Steam, as I absolutely refuse to use EA's Origin service - when it was first released, it wouldn't allow me to install the client on my storage drive. Fastest way to guarantee that I won't use your product: try to force me to install it (and all of its associated programs) on my SSD. If that's been fixed, I'll consider it, but until then, all they get from me is a middle finger.
I won't buy anymore of EA's games if they don't come back to Steam.
I highly doubt that. Unless all you play is Call of Duty and Assassin's Creed, too many good games come out of EA for you to just abandon them over this.
ME3, BF3, Madden, and more come out of that studio.
At least for me I could never go without ME3, ever. Good thing I'm buying it for Xbox though, he he.
SC2 (Blizzard) wasn't on Steam. Maybe there should be an "open standard" developed as a collective among these companies that addresses the issue of original title, patches, DLC, release date, encryption, portability to another PC, protection, etc. The Steam Client excels in all of these areas, so I see Valve owning the bearshare of this.
I love steam. I won't be purchasing BF3 unless it's on steam.
Look on the bright side... at least with all the new EA games on their own distribution platform, they'll be extremely easy to avoid!
I think all the PC players are done with Need for Speed series after the Shift2 fiasco. Need for Speed will for now on only be a console game where it will have to compete with the in-house groups producing Gran Tourismo (PS3) and Forza (MSFT).
host the games on Steam or I won't buy them. Host them on Steam and I might buy them several times for myself and friends.
GOT THAT, EA?!?!?! Does that create VALUE for you?
Yeah tbh i'm too lazy to sign up and install another client, especially from EA
I see no improvements from the first Download Manager.. it's the same strategy Microsoft employed by creating internet explorer, killing netscape, and forcing us all to 'use' it because it came on our windows machine. Companies like us to be loyal to them, and they'll force it on us if they can – after all, the need our cash.
Listen up EA we too want your games back on Steam, we dont want Origin or D2D we like Steam we dont want a bunch of game clients on our PCs! Stop being so greedy give us BF3 on Steam please!
I used to be a huge Steam advocate... until they repeatedly screwed me with their atrocious customer service. I've contact both companies a few times for support. Valve has NEVER helped me in 5 separate tickets. EA, on the other hand, has gone great lengths to help me and even gave me $20 towards a game as compensation.
Frankly, if Steam support continues to be this horrible, I wouldn't mind buying games on Origin for peace of mind alone.
the reason most gamers don't have it is because of their broadband . most gamers in the world don't even have 1 mbps downstrean
how could they possibly whine about dlc profits..............look at the total cost for a game like dragon age plus dlc.
I have just been writing off this pulling games from steam thing as EA just being EA, and not caring about their user base; DLC is a cash grab, and once upon a time was free.
Has anyone ever purchased a DLC and felt it was worth every penny?
I've pre-ordered BF3 (DVD) because I think its gonna be a awesome game. But I'm not gonna use ea's origin software. I think EA is making a big mistake not putting there games on Steam. There has been sporadic times times that I wanted to buy a EA game but didn't just because they didn't have it on Steam. And I'm not going to the store or buy it off Origin.
I Refuse to buy anymore EA Games I don't like Origin and it makes things more difficult and frustrating you have a million different game accounts and a million different passwords and Origin is lacking in a lot of area's I like Steam it is "Great" user friendly no worries everything is taken care of automatic updates and fixes all my friends are there Great values and Deals none of my friends are on Origin and don't want to join and I love Ea titles but if they don't return to Steam I will just sack buying or playing any of their titles.EA has been in my Black book anyway by not making NHL titles available for PC anymore like what the @#$$ is up with that way to go EA Thanks.
Since when did people start caring more about how to get a game then the games themselves? I personally couldn't care less of where the game comes from as long as it's good. There is also an option to buy a hard copy usually as well. lol.
On DLC...If a game wants to release DLC it should be done in the form of an expansion. Then it would have to be something that adds alot of value to the game for exsisting users, and at the same time draw in new customers to prolong the games life. The $10 for barely anything is just BS, because now companies are trying to charge money for stupid stuff like skins, a few maps, or 10-15 mins of extra campaign. You all know damn well that alot of this stuff is allready sitting on a flash drive somewhere when the game gets released so they can milk money off it a month later. OR a game gets released not completely finished and buggy, and completed/fixed with DLC later on. Stupid stuff indeed.
I've pre-ordered BF3 (DVD) because I think its gonna be a awesome game. But I'm not gonna use ea's origin software. I think EA is making a big mistake not putting there games on Steam. There has been sporadic times times that I wanted to buy a EA game but didn't just because they didn't have it on Steam. And I'm not going to the store or buy it off Origin.
Dude its likely they will force you to use Origin to activate the game!
I've pre-ordered BF3 (DVD) because I think its gonna be a awesome game. But I'm not gonna use ea's origin software. I think EA is making a big mistake not putting there games on Steam. There has been sporadic times times that I wanted to buy a EA game but didn't just because they didn't have it on Steam. And I'm not going to the store or buy it off Origin.
bad luck dude, EAs shoving origin down your throat too. Even the retail requires origin to be played along with something like battlelog/autolog dont remember. 2 cpu and bandwidth eating apps need to be used to be able to play BF3, that how much EA hates us.
Im not really interested in BF3, after playing TF2 for the last year, I dont find military FPS games fun at all, but that might be just me. The only EA gameId like to buy in the future is mass effect 3, and probably wont buy it if it isnt on steam.
Wow. What a bunch of whiney babies. EA did not pull off of steam because they wanted to create a competing service. They pulled off of steam becase STEAM screwed up. Not EA. Steam was trying to force them to do things their way, and their way only. EA was willing to do things their way, but not have their way the only way. They wanted to give their customers OPTIONS instead of having to get everything through a single content provider.
You people that keep saying that you're not buying it if it isn't on steam need to get a grip. Steam caused it to not be on steam. Not EA. And you can't compare a service that has been available less than a year, to one that has been around for over 10. Of course origin is not on the same level as steam. It takes time to mature.
There are PC games outside of Steam ?
News to me
...and my wallet.
Wow. What a bunch of whiney babies. EA did not pull off of steam because they wanted to create a competing service. They pulled off of steam becase STEAM screwed up. Not EA. Steam was trying to force them to do things their way, and their way only. EA was willing to do things their way, but not have their way the only way. They wanted to give their customers OPTIONS instead of having to get everything through a single content provider.You people that keep saying that you're not buying it if it isn't on steam need to get a grip. Steam caused it to not be on steam. Not EA. And you can't compare a service that has been available less than a year, to one that has been around for over 10. Of course origin is not on the same level as steam. It takes time to mature.
steam doesnt allow such things and EA knew that, and it is EA that wanted to do things their way on steam. EA cried because they didnt want to give steam any more money for whats sold on steam(they tried to get freebies in a way).
There are PC games outside of Steam ? News to me...and my wallet.
I still buy the discs
I personally hate steam, "steam connect failed"... "connection to steam servers lost"... smd, i paid altogether around 200 dollars for all of the games that i have purchased through steam, and that is not including DLC. and for what? for them to decide that they want to make a few adjustments to their servers as soon as i decide to sit down and play a game (every single time i swear). i hope that EA Origin is awesome and takes over and buys out steam, or maybe they can come together and create something amazing and finally convince the world that the pc is the only way to game. bottom line is steam only survived as long as it did because there was nothing of the like to give it any competition now that its happening maybe they will step their game up
I think it goes back to shareholders....EAs "real" customers are the shareholders and not the people buying the finished product. This shows in the decisions they make. EA has to do whatever it can to get penetration for it's distribution platform. The more people that have Origin installed, the better EA's graphs look in the shareholder meeting. The graphs are what the shareholders worship. Those sheets of paper don't care how (or why) the software was installed on everyone's computers, just that it's there. By extension, EA does not care what you think of their software. They are obligated by their graphs to force it down our throats by whatever means necessary.....even if it means that they loose revenue by taking games away from steam....even if it means pissing off their "fake" customers by forcing these customers to install things they don't want.
In the end, the graph that EAs "real" customers see shows a line going straight up.
Isn't Valve a competing developer to EA and all the other developers? Don't they(developers) have a right to make money from their own products, instead of lining a competitors pockets? When was the last time you saw Ford paying Chev to sell new cars on their lots? Same thing isn't it?