EA Taking Games Off Steam : Othor Games

» Fri Jun 17, 2011 5:50 am

From the EA ToS:

Spoiler

3. Entitlements

"Entitlements" are licensed rights granted, awarded, provided and/or purchased by you to access and/or use online or off-line elements or features of EA Services and/or products. Entitlements include but are not limited to paid and free downloadable content, unlockable content, digital and/or virtual assets, rights of use tied to unlock keys or codes, serial codes and/or online authentication of any kind, in-game achievements and virtual or fictional currency not otherwise governed by a Digital Services Agreement.

[...]

5. Content and Entitlement Availability

Entitlements may only be held in Accounts belonging to legal residents of countries where access to and use of Content and Entitlements is permitted. Entitlements may be purchased or acquired only from EA or an authorized retailer. EA reserves the right to refuse your request(s) to acquire Entitlements, and EA reserves the right to limit or block any request to acquire Entitlements for any reason.

We do not guarantee that any Content or Entitlement will be available at all times or at any given time or that we will continue to offer particular Content or Entitlements for any particular length of time. We reserve the right to change and update Content and Entitlements without notice to you. If you have not used your Entitlements or Account for twenty four (24) months or more and your Account has associated Entitlements, your Entitlements will expire and your Account may be cancelled for non-use. Once you have redeemed your Entitlements, that content is not returnable, exchangeable, or refundable for other Entitlements or for cash, or other goods or services.

I think what they mean is that if you buy DLC and don't redeem the code for it after 24 months you can't redeem it anymore, same for creating an account (they use the word 'may' for accounts while they used 'will' for entitlements) but they make it rather vague under which conditions accounts will be canceled. I'd say they tried to keep the possibility for canceling 'empty' accounts, but the ToS certainly does leave enough room to go further than that.

Can't really comment on the steam ToS yet, but thanks for directing me to this clause (I'm currently writing a paper on DRM and probably will include a paragraph on these 'services' and their effects on consumers).

So would this mean if you bought an EA game, say ono of thier sports games, or Mass Effect 3 for example they can stop giving your "rights to entitlement" to the previous games say Mass Effect 1 or 2 so you can only have "rights" to ME 3 then? So would this mean that previous versions of NFL Football or NHL or what ever 2011, you can't play because 2012 is out? That is what it looks like to me.

Yeah I can really see piracy big time now. Tsk Tsk. Talk about putting more restrictions on the people who keep you in bussiness. My god reading these Eulas and agreements, you swear you are reading a Goverment Document.

*edit*

Another reason why I play on consoles. I have my disk, I can play it when I want. Mind you it's only good for Single player since alot of multiplayer games you can't play no more eg Halo or Halo 2.

Thing is, will the new consoles go the same way as Steam? I mean you have the PSN store and Live Market place, will they place the same restrictions now to there games as well now?

This is why I always want a game that has a physical disk and no online checks or what not. Just for the "Just In Case" it ever happens.

» Fri Jun 17, 2011 3:28 am

So would this mean if you bought an EA game, say ono of thier sports games, or Mass Effect 3 for example they can stop giving your "rights to entitlement" to the previous games say Mass Effect 1 or 2 so you can only have "rights" to ME 3 then? So would this mean that previous versions of NFL Football or NHL or what ever 2011, you can't play because 2012 is out? That is what it looks like to me.

Yeah I can really see piracy big time now. Tsk Tsk. Talk about putting more restrictions on the people who keep you in bussiness. My god reading these Eulas and agreements, you swear you are reading a Goverment Document.

No that's not what it means. It's basically a possible expiration if you don't use your account at all.
But if this is scary you should stay away from any digital distribution since the ToS of services like Steam and WoW/Battle.net have clauses that they can terminate your account at any time for any reason, with no reimbursemant.

» Fri Jun 17, 2011 7:59 am

Well like it or not, someone needs to disrupt the current status quo, be it EA or someone else. Because if someone other than Valve and Blizzard and friggin Popcap starts making big business on the PC people will pay attention.

Of course you can also watch the monopoly that is Steam just keep growing fat and see where that gets us.

Believe me, I don't like monopoly any more than the next gamer (except for the boardgame, that is, but only if I get to be the shoe) and I admit that Steam has started to creak a little disturbingly under the weight of its own ambition... Do Valve really plan on providing every game on the planet for everybody? Probably not, but don't think of me as a mindless drone when I suggest that there could be worse alternatives for PC gaming than a future spearheaded by Valve. Of all the publishers I've observed over the years, Valve are among the few who don't fleece their customers with sub-par games flying million-dollar adverts, and they have a good reputation for actively giving back to the gaming community that supports them. If EA can rise to this level, then I agreee: so much the better. But forgive me for being cynical when I say my faith in their overall intentions is underwhelming.

» Fri Jun 17, 2011 4:00 pm

No that's not what it means. It's basically a possible expiration if you don't use your account at all.
But if this is scary you should stay away from any digital distribution since the ToS of services like Steam and WoW/Battle.net have clauses that they can terminate your account at any time for any reason, with no reimbursemant.

I do stay away from them. I try to support my local store first, and only use Digital Distribution only if the stores don't carry it no more and can't get it for me. Last resort for DD and I do use them frequently because the stores shot themselves in the foot buy not supporting PC gaming.

Hmmm.... hey wait, I just realised the brick and morter stores did this to them selves. I guess I will take some things I said back. But still I don't like possible expiration. I want to own my games, not rent them. Or own my licenses not rent them.

» Fri Jun 17, 2011 4:26 pm

Believe me, I don't like monopoly any more than the next gamer (except for the boardgame, that is, but only if I get to be the shoe) and I admit that Steam has started to creak a little disturbingly under the weight of its own ambition... Do Valve really plan on providing every game on the planet for everybody? Probably not, but don't think of me as a mindless drone when I suggest that there could be worse alternatives for PC gaming than a future spearheaded by Valve. Of all the publishers I've observed over the years, Valve are among the few who don't fleece their customers with sub-par games flying million-dollar adverts, and they have a good reputation for actively giving back to the gaming community that supports them. If EA can rise to this level, then I agreee: so much the better. But forgive me for being cynical when I say my faith in their overall intentions is underwhelming.

Well I'm not talking about any saviour here, I'm talking about a market disruption that changes things around. I mean I love Valve as much as the next person, but fact it they are pretty complacent where they are right now, since their monopoly just grows with little action needed anymore from their side..
And right now if a publisher wants to release a game on PC, where they tend to sell a lot less on consoles, and of that small pie another chunk goes to Valve, it's easy enough to see why people don't want to put much effort into it.

But if someone big actually starts pushing the PC as a major plattform for them, personally my reaction atleast will be "ok you have my attention, now show me what you got", rather than preemptively shooting down any kind of change that could disrupt my comfort zone.

» Fri Jun 17, 2011 5:02 am

But if someone big actually starts pushing the PC as a major plattform for them, personally my reaction atleast will be "ok you have my attention, now show me what you got", rather than preemptively shooting down any kind of change that could disrupt my comfort zone.

Maybe, but if the PC is seeing a form of neo-goldrush at last, they're only doing so after Valve showed how profitable it can be...

I'm curious, though: what exactly about Steam is in need of a shake-up? Where have Valve become complacent?

» Fri Jun 17, 2011 6:44 am

I do stay away from them. I try to support my local store first, and only use Digital Distribution only if the stores don't carry it no more and can't get it for me. Last resort for DD and I do use them frequently because the stores shot themselves in the foot buy not supporting PC gaming.

Hmmm.... hey wait, I just realised the brick and morter stores did this to them selves. I guess I will take some things I said back. But still I don't like possible expiration. I want to own my games, not rent them. Or own my licenses not rent them.

I'm not this is an issue of brick & mortar stores shooting themselves in the foot. All stores need to rotate out their stock, newer fresher more expensive items take the limited shelf space from their aged counterparts. This means that when sales drop off for a title then a new title takes its place. This is where digital distribution shines in that there is no overhead costs associated with the upkeep of stock. And while it's true that there is usually only 25%-30% of the video game section dedicated to the PC, the console section is usually split among 5+ console types. In most cases the PC sections offer a bigger selection than any of the console sections individually.

The PC has, is and always will be the superior hardware for gaming. Unlike consoles a PC can be upgraded piecemeal overtime, and in most cases still be fully backwards compatible. Console technology remains frozen in place between hardware releases. I'm fully with Kai Hohiro on the point that having a publisher focus on the PC as a platform is good for the good of games.

» Fri Jun 17, 2011 5:09 am

It's about €1 = $1.40 at the moment.

If only Valve actually priced games with that in mind, instead of €1 = $1...

» Fri Jun 17, 2011 8:09 am

And while it's true that there is usually only 25%-30% of the video game section dedicated to the PC, the console section is usually split among 5+ console types. In most cases the PC sections offer a bigger selection than any of the console sections individually.

Not in any of the places around here. The PC section tends to be dwarfed by all of the available consoles, and I've been to a couple stores where the PC section was actually removed entirely to make more room for the console games.

» Fri Jun 17, 2011 12:21 pm

and I've been to a couple stores where the PC section was actually removed entirely to make more room for the console games.

Walmart and Gamestop are the only places within a ~1hr drive from where I live that even sell games, and neither of them have a section for PC games. Walmart used to, but it's been removed. A few years ago it was quite large, but it kept shrinking and shrinking and shrinking, until one day it poofed.

The gamestop was only built about a year or so ago, and it didn't even start with a PC section.

» Fri Jun 17, 2011 3:10 pm

If only Valve actually priced games with that in mind, instead of €1 = $1...

It's still the publishers and not Valve who dictate the prices.

I don't think Origin is in any kind of competition with Steam at all. They will only have EA games at EA prices. 55 bucks for Crysis 2? Haha, yeah, right.

» Fri Jun 17, 2011 8:50 am

So would this mean if you bought an EA game, say ono of thier sports games, or Mass Effect 3 for example they can stop giving your "rights to entitlement" to the previous games say Mass Effect 1 or 2 so you can only have "rights" to ME 3 then? So would this mean that previous versions of NFL Football or NHL or what ever 2011, you can't play because 2012 is out? That is what it looks like to me.

Yeah I can really see piracy big time now. Tsk Tsk. Talk about putting more restrictions on the people who keep you in bussiness. My god reading these Eulas and agreements, you swear you are reading a Goverment Document.

*edit*

Another reason why I play on consoles. I have my disk, I can play it when I want. Mind you it's only good for Single player since alot of multiplayer games you can't play no more eg Halo or Halo 2.

Thing is, will the new consoles go the same way as Steam? I mean you have the PSN store and Live Market place, will they place the same restrictions now to there games as well now?

This is why I always want a game that has a physical disk and no online checks or what not. Just for the "Just In Case" it ever happens.

That's pretty much why I like not having DRM's for PC games. They don't do anything other then hurting the consumer. Even though PC is the superior gaming product why should I waste my time with ridiculous DRM's when I can just play it on the console whenever I want and not be at risk from the publisher.

» Fri Jun 17, 2011 6:13 am

That's pretty much why I like not having DRM's for PC games. They don't do anything other then hurting the consumer. Even though PC is the superior gaming product why should I waste my time with ridiculous DRM's when I can just play it on the console whenever I want and not be at risk from the publisher.

No DRM would be great. I think it's even possible to get there someday. That said, although there have been a few games I didn't buy because I didn't like how the DRM worked, I've been gaming on PCs for over 22 years and I'm yet to encounter behavior from a publisher that kept me from playing my games. Not only that, but I can play games from 15 years ago on the same system I play newer games on. Don't even get me started on the number of AAA titles I've gotten during Steam sales for $5-$20. Right now the only types of DRM that I find really offensive are the ones that require a constant internet connection (Assassin's Creed 2) and things that subvert your OS (much of Sony's PC DRM products). I don't find Steam to be bad at all, especially at the prices I'm getting the games for.

» Fri Jun 17, 2011 11:12 am

I only buy retail games because I want to have my games on physical substances so I don't really care about that.
But regarding Steam,I have to say that I hate the way it works as DRM.
Securom and Games for Windows are much more preferable because they are less problematic and hassle free.

» Fri Jun 17, 2011 2:12 pm

Just when I thought EA were learning some lessons.

Ah well, it doesn't affect me much, I'll be buying Mirror's Edge 2 and Battlefield 3 on 360, and those are the only EA games I can think of I'll be buying.

» Fri Jun 17, 2011 8:11 am

If only Valve actually priced games with that in mind, instead of €1 = $1...

Yeah. That's what I love about GamersGate and GoodOldGames, they let me pay in dollars so I can be fairly sure I'm getting the same prices as other people.