Bioware

Bioware doesn't actually exist, it's a subsidary of EA, so they'd need to sign a deal with EA, which is probably about as likely as hell freezing over.   EA will have to get the shit kicked out of them before they'll stoop to something intelligent like an online distribution system that doesn't violate your backside.

No doubt. It was a dark day in hell when EA accquired BW. The angels are still lamenting and weeping.

Yeah, EA has their own system and their own ideas about DRM, so I wouldn't expect to see them on board (here or on Steam, etc) any time soon.

Speaking of EA and its "best practices" focus, the following is a story hot of the press about how it tries to avoid paying license fees - figures... If interested you can read it here.

Aren't there some EA titles on Steam?

The Crysis games are, not sure about others. But AFAIK, it still uses EA's DRM rather than basic Steam's, so it still has the activation limit.

That's insane, I didn't know they still put thier insane DRM on the Steam variants.

So much for buying Warhead.

Well, don't necessarily take my word for it, I may or may not be right I heard they kept the activation limit for Warhead, but I can't say with 100% certainty (hence the 'as far as I know' ;))

Eh, I was on the fence and EA still sucks.  I just have more time for GalCiv2 now.

Just from independent companies publishing through the EA Partner program (as Crytek does). Titles actually owned and developed by EA are only available on EA Link.

I'm not sure why Crysis is actually labelled as an EA game on Steam, since I believe Valve themselves use EA Partner for retail and they don't. Probably just some new contractual oddity or an oversight.

Either way, I wouldn't expect to see "real" EA games such as Spore or C&C appearing on Steam; Crysis and any others from EA Partners are done at the developer's option, not EA's.

I didn't realize EA gave their developers any options after the horror stories I've heard about the work environment they force upon people working for/under them.

On a semi related note: I noticed a few titles on Impulse had a note saying they required internet activation. Does that mean those games still have their own DRM aside from Impulse itself?

Bioware's support and loyalty amongst their customers is still pretty high, but more and more are jumping off the bandwagon for as long as they abide by EA's will in terms of DRM.

Personally I did not buy Mass Effect and will not buy Dragon Age or any other product from Bio for as long as it is published by EA.

I'd rather play another module for NWN.

EA bought BioWare, so they don't have much choice in the matter Which I agree sucks considerably, but BioWare has always been my favorite so I'll have to live with EA being their publisher.

I know. Though WHY they let EA buy them is beyond me.

"I'll have to live with EA being their publisher"

And with their invasive DRM?!

Well, it's YOUR rig, afterall...

It depends on their soul selling papers.. I mean contract.

It doesn't bother me that much. Compared with how invasive everything else in the real world is, this is nothing

That part was also out of their hands, since technically EA bought the company that owned BioWare, so they bought BioWare indirectly. Though from the comments of BioWare CEO in the news bit linked below, they might've gone with it if it was a direct buy also. Who knows..

http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20071011006083&newsLang=en

Yeah, I bet Greg n Ray were veeery thrilled...

Well, anyways thanks for the link.

I loved the times when Dave and Fergus were good for a little discussion every now and then... the good ole times...

Yeah, but what can you do My philosophy is that while I don't particularly care about supporting EA, I do care about supporting BioWare. If I refuse to buy their games, I hurt BioWare much more than I do EA (and have less fun in the process :(). BioWare published by EA is still better than no BioWare at all

Count me in as one of the disenfranchised, disempowered and alienated people as well. I also passed on ME but still supported it with the whole "sexbox" thing by being an organizer for the Amazon protest.

Anyway, I was so very stoked for DA:O but now my interest has diminished considerably because I noticed a change in BW attitude especially when several threads were lock and deleted about DRM on the BW forums. If memory serves the reasons were "not the place or time for such discussions and they are never productive so dont bother having them - etc.." If not on official forums and long before the release of a title then when and where? It blows my mind...

You didn't miss anything. It's a console gamer's RPG, nothing more.

If this is not just talking out of his arse, it looks like Ray finally sees the light.

Look here (copied n pasted from the Bioware Board):

http://news.softpedia.com/news/BioWare-Has-the-Solution-to-Combat-PC-Piracy-89742.shtml

http://www.digitalbattle.com/2008/07/09/bioware-dlc-customer-loyalty-to-combat-piracy/

It's no use though if he gets overruled by EA...

Still the fact that Stardock gets mentioned in those articles as rolemodel for good customer service and such could be a nudge of more people's opinions into the right direction.

Forget it. Just realized it's old stuff...

@Star Adder - those quotes are old and obviously not effective since ME has Suckrom built-in on release. I do like the fact that SD is mentioned in both articles however.

For all their evil empire antics, EA has supported some pretty good and innovative games in amongst all the <<Sponsoring Athlete or Sport>> <<Year>> crud.  Not that I will ever forgive them for crushing Bullfrog under their corporate flab, but they do appear to have some executives with a genuine interest in games.