Steam Launches Hit PC Games from EA

[alexp999]

Valve today announced Spore, Spore Creepy & Cute Parts Pack, Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, Mass Effect, Need for Speed Undercover and EA SPORTS FIFA Manager 2009 are available now to gamers in the United States and Canada via Steam, a leading platform for PC games and digital content with over 15 million accounts around the world.
In the coming weeks, Mirror's Edge, Command & Conquer Red Alert 3, and Dead Space, will be added to the catalog of EA's titles available via Steam.
"EA is one of the industry's largest publishers," said Gabe Newell, co-founder and president of Valve. "The EA titles coming to Steam this holiday include some this year's top PC titles."
"We are pleased to extend our holiday titles to gamers worldwide via Steam -- a revolutionary technology that is one of the game industry's most successful digital distribution services," said John Pleasants, President, Global Publishing & Chief Operating Officer.
For more information, please visit steamgames.com

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[Triprift]

Very nice even though atm Steam isnt really any cheaper than buying at the shops for us Aussies hopefully that will change soon.

Hmmm and North America only sure it will change but ive heard that before.

 

[wiak]

Valve today announced Spore, Spore Creepy & Cute Parts Pack, Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, Mass Effect, Need for Speed Undercover and EA SPORTS FIFA Manager 2009 are available now to gamers in the United States and Canada via Steam, a leading platform for PC games and digital content with over 15 million accounts around the world.
In the coming weeks, Mirror's Edge, Command & Conquer Red Alert 3, and Dead Space, will be added to the catalog of EA's titles available via Steam.
"EA is one of the industry's largest publishers," said Gabe Newell, co-founder and president of Valve. "The EA titles coming to Steam this holiday include some this year's top PC titles."
"We are pleased to extend our holiday titles to gamers worldwide via Steam -- a revolutionary technology that is one of the game industry's most successful digital distribution services," said John Pleasants, President, Global Publishing & Chief Operating Officer.
For more information, please visit steamgames.com

check highlights

 

[Triprift]

I wonder how many of them accounts are for non North American's nice one Steam if you wernt already unpopular with Europeans with ya 1 euro for 1 us dollar thing now this amazing.

 

[alexp999]

I would imagine it wont be long before these games go world wide, I dont see why all games arent always released at the same time worldwide, what difference does it make? I have to pay in USD on steam anyway, lol.

 

[Triprift]

Looked on Steam earlier nice of em to have a news report telling us all how lucky American and Canadians are. =/

 

[Grings]

I wonder how many of them accounts are for non North American's nice one Steam if you wernt already unpopular with Europeans with ya 1 euro for 1 us dollar thing now this amazing.

Funnily enough they've just started charging in £ in the uk, i *think* the rest of europe are being charged in euro's too

Just as well too really, as with the quid's recent drop against the dollar the $49.99 games had started costing over £30, where the majority of them are now £26.99

 

[ShinyG]

Yup, they started charging Europeans at a 1E=1$ rate recently. So games are 30% more expensive in Europe if you get them from Steam as opposed to hard-copies...
Selling EA cra... I mean, games won't make Steam more popular in Europe right now so I guess it doesn't make that much of a difference if they don't sell EA games here at all!
Good luck to them in their future endeavors, to both EA and Steam!

 

[Salsoolo]

what about DRM ?

 

[Steevo]

Steam is the DRM, but also the updater, and the keeper of your games. Move to another PC, it will reinstall it minus your achievements.

 

[insider]

Steam is much better than the standard DRM implemented in todays games, at least you can reinstall all the games at any time, and can even play the games (like CS:S) on any computer once you log into your steam account.

 

[kysg]

most of the reason why they come at different times and dates is due to region lockout.

# Allows items to be released at different dates in different regions. This is most advantageous in the case of movies, where the costs of localizing and promoting a film make it prohibitively expensive to release in more than one part of the world at a time. Regional lockout theoretically prevents consumers from obtaining the item "ahead of time" by buying the item from a foreign exporter. (For example, buying the DVD of the latest foreign hit movie before the movie has even reached local cinema screens.)
# Allows price differentiation between markets (localisation), thus increasing the potential revenue from worldwide sales and/or making products affordable in markets not tolerating the prices of other regions.

 

[Rebo&Zooty]

knowing EA they will still want securom included on top of steams built in DRM.......and yes it can be done, i have seen DRM on DEMO's for god sake.

 

[Haytch]

Cant beat a hard copy.

Downloading the game from Steam seems stupid to me. Why not simply download a pirate version instead since your downloading the entire game anyways ?
Please dont say its because of some crappy protection protocol, because ive been gaming for several years now and every single game ive ever bought or downloaded via Steam or its likes, has had its fair share of pirate users. There always seems to be a way around everything. So to me, this is just a stupid mediator that acts as a negative aspect to gaming more then a positive.

What happens to those that have limited bandwith limits or speeds. Why should we have to download the games everytime i format or change pc, or go somewhere . . . As for my achievments, the game company that joint with Steam can shove them where the sun dont shine.

One day, someone, somewhere (not me) will think of something more appropriate, secure and efficient.

 

[Rebo&Zooty]

in reality you dont have to, you can just backup your steam folder, install steam, and copy back the folder, bam no need to redownload.

One nice thing about buying stuff from stardock if you dont know is that if u buy a hard copy u can still download the game any time if you need to

If you buy it online, same deal, no draconian install limmits or "must keep disk in drive to play" bullshit, "it just works"

 

[Exavier]

to be fair steam hasn't had me as its' number #1 fan since ever.
EA games mean nothing to me also - DRM and steam's "offline-but-really-online-without-telling" mode mean that if anything I'd rather have a hard copy or a solid torrent.

 

[Bundy]

Cant beat a hard copy.

Downloading the game from Steam seems stupid to me. Why not simply download a pirate version instead since your downloading the entire game anyways ?
Please dont say its because of some crappy protection protocol, because ive been gaming for several years now and every single game ive ever bought or downloaded via Steam or its likes, has had its fair share of pirate users. There always seems to be a way around everything. So to me, this is just a stupid mediator that acts as a negative aspect to gaming more then a positive.

What happens to those that have limited bandwith limits or speeds. Why should we have to download the games everytime i format or change pc, or go somewhere . . . As for my achievments, the game company that joint with Steam can shove them where the sun dont shine.

One day, someone, somewhere (not me) will think of something more appropriate, secure and efficient.

I used to be of the same opinion but I'm much happier these days since I switched to Steam. No more disks auto updates chat room running while gaming

 

[iStink]

so the crappy DRM's are replaced by steam? If I can get spore and mass effect without the stupid securom bs, I'll buy them in a heartbeat.