@Lediath I actually added an S to the end of Origin by accident. Richard Garriot created the Ultima RPG series and Origin was his company. Wing Commander was pretty cool as well, but Ultima was the main focus. EA shot, stabbed, burned, and then drowned the company before exiling Lord British. Bioware ain't dead yet I guess, but they ain't the same either. Removing the single player component of their upcoming C&C release is just another sign of bad things to come. I would love to be proven wrong on this count.
@Treyolen haha point taken. I have little to no knowledge about Origin but I think BioWare is still chugging along. Let's not derail this thread anymore
#backontopic
My final thought on whether BGEE it should be release on steam. Short answer YES. Long answer, yes because I think it will generate more sales for Beamdog, BUT it is their right to have their product be exclusive on their service for a long as they deem appropriate.
The question is always, will it generate enough sales to make it worthwhile considering that Overhaul will see a much smaller percentage of that revenue than if you purchase it from them directly.
I don't think anyone's doubting that more people will buy it if it's on Steam; it's just a matter of whether or not the difference will be significant enough (from people who wouldn't know about the game otherwise, or from people who know about it but won't buy it without Steam) to make it worthwhile.
@Doom972 First things first, EA still has rights over Baldur's Gate since it was a BioWare product and they own BioWare. Hasbro/Atari/Wizards gave BioWare a license to use the D&D assets but the Baldur's Gate content was original. Please see this interview with Philip Daigle, producer for Overhaul and Beamdog games...
"We were able to work on Baldur’s Gate largely through our tenacious attitude. It took over a year of contract negotiations to get the rights and data needed before we could work on the project. Hasbro, Atari, and EA were all involved in making this project a reality. Bioware was gracious enough to let us go spelunking for a few days in the server room for the old Baldur’s Gate source code, and we appreciate that."
@Doom972 First things first, EA still has rights over Baldur's Gate since it was a BioWare product and they own BioWare. Hasbro/Atari/Wizards gave BioWare a license to use the D&D assets but the Baldur's Gate content was original. Please see this interview with Philip Daigle, producer for Overhaul and Beamdog games...
"We were able to work on Baldur’s Gate largely through our tenacious attitude. It took over a year of contract negotiations to get the rights and data needed before we could work on the project. Hasbro, Atari, and EA were all involved in making this project a reality. Bioware was gracious enough to let us go spelunking for a few days in the server room for the old Baldur’s Gate source code, and we appreciate that."
"Bioware was gracious enough to let us go spelunking for a few days in the server room for the old Baldur’s Gate source code, and we appreciate that." - That was probably their involvement, as Bioware is now a part of EA. They don't have anything to do with the game otherwise.
The important is that for whatever reason, Bioware which was bought by EA, allowed Trent to overhaul BG. I could try to guess why, but the important is that they managed it! and I'am betting it wasnt easy!
EA/Bioware cannot produce a new Baldur's Gate game because Atari has the license to publish D&D based computer games, this license in turn is granted to them by Hasbro.
EA/Bioware however still retains copyrights on the original art (graphics, sound, text) of Baldur's Gate as well as the Infinity Engine which is used to run it. And as BG:EE makes use of those very things, EA/Bioware had to be involved. It is likely they got money for it, and it is further likely that they did not get enough money, and this is why Beamdog is limited in what they can change in BG:EE. They are not allowed to change any original art assets (aside from minor edits and bug-fixes) for example.
@Doom972 Okay, this is called denial, besides that article Trent Oster also mentioned on his Twitter feed that EA were part of the negotiations. I'm not sure what your point actually is except an inability to admit you didn't know something. That's okay though, just keep believing what you want. Bottom line, EA was involved and Steam isn't getting the game (at least for now) and most gamers really don't care about either.
"Pretty early in the deal, when we put it together, we weren't really thinking much about Steam, and we kind of structured in such a way that we have [exclusive] rights on Beamdog platform. It's one of those things that the business deal you cut a couple years in advance [is] not really being flexible as you go forward.
And as well, there's also a financial motivation behind it. On our platform, we get better revenue."
[[ Oster went on to mention that he had still considered Steam when thinking about download options, speaking from public response and personal experience. ]]
"We kind of listened to the fans talk a lot about it - they were against having another download client on their machine."
"I looked at what was the best PC gaming experience I had from a download perspective, and it was Starcraft 2. I bought it from Blizzard. I got the downloader from Blizzard. It ran, installed it on my machine, and I set myself up on Battlenet and I'm good. To me, that's kind of the experience we're aiming for, you know - you don't have the bull**** of downloading some client that sits there running in the background on your machine. You run what you want, you get it, it comes down, its done, the launcher shuts down."
@Doom972 Okay, this is called denial, besides that article Trent Oster also mentioned on his Twitter feed that EA were part of the negotiations. I'm not sure what your point actually is except an inability to admit you didn't know something. That's okay though, just keep believing what you want. Bottom line, EA was involved and Steam isn't getting the game (at least for now) and most gamers really don't care about either.
I'm in denial? Show me any official evidence that they have anything to do with it other than what was mentioned in my previous post. They don't even appear anywhere on the game's official site.
It's OK, you can admit to being wrong once in a while.
I don't like Steam. I don't like being spyed on by paranoid distributing companies who bought the rights to make obscene cash off games they didn't even help to make.
They want you to be online for just about everything.
I'm with you. People are way too willing to just bend over and accept whatever Valve deigns to give them. I hate Steam. I use it only because I must with some games. Even the disc copies use Steam (FEAR 2, New Vegas, for example). Perhaps I'm still annoyed from when I was still on dialup (rural internet, state passed a law basically forcing the TeleComs to provide 100% broadband coverage since then).
DRM is never good. It doesn't work, and it just irritates honest customers, and DRM is all Steam is.
That said, not releasing on Steam seems to hurt no one but Overhaul. I realize Beamdog owns Overhaul, and Steam is their competition (or rather, the other way around), but Steam, for better or worse, IS the king of the digital distribution providers. Not releasing on Steam is only cheating yourselves out of millions of potential customers - either people who refuse to use anything but Steam, or people who simply don't know BG:EE is comming until they see it on a Steam sale.
"I looked at what was the best PC gaming experience I had from a download perspective, and it was Starcraft 2. I bought it from Blizzard. I got the downloader from Blizzard. It ran, installed it on my machine, and I set myself up on Battlenet and I'm good. To me, that's kind of the experience we're aiming for, you know - you don't have the bull**** of downloading some client that sits there running in the background on your machine. You run what you want, you get it, it comes down, its done, the launcher shuts down."
I agree with this. I'd rather just download the game and run it without some third party program running in the background.
I hate Steam. Given the choice of buying the cd copy from a store without Steam to buying the game on Steam? I'll always buy the CD from the store. I don't care if it costs more, I don't want some BS third party client running in the background.
Taking the fact that steam is an online game store and Beamdog is also an online game store, both with their respective client board and control system, i really doubt that this game gonna be released through steam, that would be the same as Pepsi start to sell coca-cola, i believe.
Ps: the client of Beamdog is only for download while steam is your 2° mother, control your use of the game.
Anyway i read the agreement terms of steam and i have to say i didn't like the way they imput that stick contract on the customers, beyond the fact that many forum on internet are speaking that steam is doing the same that EA do with the origin system (origin system force an spyware on your PC that they try to turn into a legal invasion of privacity, by forcing it inside one of the clauses of their stick contract of use).
Of course EA says that they only use the info to control the piracy and to protect their customers... but if you believe that i have a bridge in Eltabbar i wish to sell you... (if i remember edwin joke with tolgerias correct)
@Doom972 Okay, this is called denial, besides that article Trent Oster also mentioned on his Twitter feed that EA were part of the negotiations. I'm not sure what your point actually is except an inability to admit you didn't know something. That's okay though, just keep believing what you want. Bottom line, EA was involved and Steam isn't getting the game (at least for now) and most gamers really don't care about either.
I'm in denial? Show me any official evidence that they have anything to do with it other than what was mentioned in my previous post. They don't even appear anywhere on the game's official site.
It's OK, you can admit to being wrong once in a while.
LOL pure speculation on your part, you literally made up a scenario to fit your argument. Nice theory, but no facts, sorry.
@Doom972 Okay, this is called denial, besides that article Trent Oster also mentioned on his Twitter feed that EA were part of the negotiations. I'm not sure what your point actually is except an inability to admit you didn't know something. That's okay though, just keep believing what you want. Bottom line, EA was involved and Steam isn't getting the game (at least for now) and most gamers really don't care about either.
I'm in denial? Show me any official evidence that they have anything to do with it other than what was mentioned in my previous post. They don't even appear anywhere on the game's official site.
It's OK, you can admit to being wrong once in a while.
LOL pure speculation on your part, you literally made up a scenario to fit your argument. Nice theory, but no facts, sorry.
If I buy it now and later it goes live on steam, will I be able to activate my beamdog copy in steam????
What you're asking doesn't make a whole lot of sense, you're not entitled to a copy of the game on a different platform if you bought it on one, that would be crazy.
Anyway, all they said was that it was TEMPORARILY exclusive to Beamdog, so that could mean that it's coming to other platforms later on in time.
No, it makes perfect sense. There's no supply to be shared, and the customer would have already purchased the game.
I don't see why you're so antithetical to the concept. Plenty of other publishers have allowed gamers to do this. Most notable CD Projekt Red, who allows gamers who purchase their games on Steam to also register with their own DD service, GOG, and vice versa.
Yeah, I would think it would be more beneficial to BeamDog to allow users to "sync" their purchased game with Steam. (They would get the full revenue from selling directly to the consumer, and then the consumer still gets to use their favored game library system.)
Another result of this, incidentally, would be that mac and PC users could use the same game on their Mac and their PC without having to purchase it twice (through Beamdog and through the Apple store).
I believe the Humble bundles allow this when available as well. This makes perfect sense to me and I hate Steam. But no reason to make a paying customer buy the same thing twice.
Does Beamdog want the game to be sold to PC and MAC as one product? In my view is outrageous to sell 2x BG for a mac and a windows user, but lemme just leave this as it is, my opinion.
Anyone more loyal to a digital distirbution platform than an actual game should not call themselves a gamer.
What about someone who declares blind loyalty and praises a developer who sells him a game he probably already has through a questionable distribution platform, before he even played the "new" game?
@Doom972 The only thing questionable about this distribution platform is the DRM included. And Steam has more DRM than this by a wide margin. The platform allows you to download the game and play it. What more is needed? You've been complaining about the management platform offered. This does not offer that function. But many of us don't want a management platform anyway so this is not an issue to us. It is an issue to you, so keep banging that drum. But it marginalizes your argument when you question the distribution portion of the product.
@Doom972 The only thing questionable about this distribution platform is the DRM included. And Steam has more DRM than this by a wide margin. The platform allows you to download the game and play it. What more is needed? You've been complaining about the management platform offered. This does not offer that function. But many of us don't want a management platform anyway so this is not an issue to us. It is an issue to you, so keep banging that drum. But it marginalizes your argument when you question the distribution portion of the product.
For me, the DRM in both platforms isn't a problem. The problem is having to use a new distribution platform in the first place. I like having a program that manages my games, but I can understand that it's not for everybody. We can both get what we want if it gets to both Steam and Beamdog, so I don't see what do you have to lose if it comes out on Steam. Unless you just hate it.
I wouldn't have questioned the platform, perhaps, if it was something new and original that I really wanted to play, but this is a game that I (and probably most of the people here) already have.
Anyone more loyal to a digital distirbution platform than an actual game should not call themselves a gamer.
What about someone who declares blind loyalty and praises a developer who sells him a game he probably already has through a questionable distribution platform, before he even played the "new" game?
I'm not sure who you are talking about, I haven't declared loyalty to anyone, just not blind loyalty to Steam? I'm more interested in a modern refresh of BG:EE than leet gamer politics. All of your arguments are based on assumptions, makes for good trolling but not for good disucssion. Maybe you should stop trying so hard to read between the lines and stick with what is on the page.
@Doom972 Fair enough, and I do understand your desire for this game to be available on your platform of choice. I just think questioning the distribution side is a false argument. I also agree that the game should eventually be released on Steam to serve your market, which is sizable. But there is no reason to release it right away. This would share the revenue too soon.
Steam will take a sizable cut for no reason yet. Beamdog has already done some promotion for this game and wants to cash in on that work. After they've sold as many copies as they can based on that promotional work they will be ready to release on Steam and use that marketing power. But doing so now would waste the previous effort. If this was a brand new game it would be a different story. New games need to hit as many platforms as possible as soon as possible to gain momentum. This is an OLD game and people who haven't heard of it yet will still be there when the Steam release occurs.
Most of this is probably moot anyway since the iPad will be the most likely source of the lion's share of revenue...
Anyone more loyal to a digital distirbution platform than an actual game should not call themselves a gamer.
What about someone who declares blind loyalty and praises a developer who sells him a game he probably already has through a questionable distribution platform, before he even played the "new" game?
I'm not sure who you are talking about, I haven't declared loyalty to anyone, just not blind loyalty to Steam? I'm more interested in a modern refresh of BG:EE than leet gamer politics. All of your arguments are based on assumptions, makes for good trolling but not for good disucssion. Maybe you should stop trying so hard to read between the lines and stick with what is on the page.
Look at your original post "Anyone more loyal to a digital distirbution platform than an actual game", by saying 'more', you are saying that one should be loyal to a developer, which is understandable when it's not blind loyalty. So what has this developer made that got you so loyal to it? Reskinning MDK2? Overhaul might be an excellent developer studio, but until I see a product that confirms it, I remain indifferent. Trying to get people to use a new distribution service doesn't make them look very good in my opinion.
By the way, the insult was uncalled for. If you can't discuss the matter in a civilized way, I suggest that you don't at all.
Comments
#backontopic
My final thought on whether BGEE it should be release on steam. Short answer YES. Long answer, yes because I think it will generate more sales for Beamdog, BUT it is their right to have their product be exclusive on their service for a long as they deem appropriate.
I don't think anyone's doubting that more people will buy it if it's on Steam; it's just a matter of whether or not the difference will be significant enough (from people who wouldn't know about the game otherwise, or from people who know about it but won't buy it without Steam) to make it worthwhile.
http://truepcgaming.com/2012/08/21/baldurs-gate-enhanced-edition-interview/
"We were able to work on Baldur’s Gate largely through our tenacious attitude. It took over a year of contract negotiations to get the rights and data needed before we could work on the project. Hasbro, Atari, and EA were all involved in making this project a reality. Bioware was gracious enough to let us go spelunking for a few days in the server room for the old Baldur’s Gate source code, and we appreciate that."
I could try to guess why, but the important is that they managed it! and I'am betting it wasnt easy! Steam isnt getting the game but it's not because of EA, it's Beamdogs choice. Also you are just assuming you can speak for "most gamers"
EA/Bioware however still retains copyrights on the original art (graphics, sound, text) of Baldur's Gate as well as the Infinity Engine which is used to run it. And as BG:EE makes use of those very things, EA/Bioware had to be involved. It is likely they got money for it, and it is further likely that they did not get enough money, and this is why Beamdog is limited in what they can change in BG:EE. They are not allowed to change any original art assets (aside from minor edits and bug-fixes) for example.
Source for contractual limitations: http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/1588/bgee-please-read-list-of-things-that-cant-be-done/p1
Here is a podcast with Trent Oster on Steam platform for BGEE.
http://www.twitch.tv/ten6gaming/b/329366566
tune in to 13:05
"Pretty early in the deal, when we put it together, we weren't really thinking much about Steam, and we kind of structured in such a way that we have [exclusive] rights on Beamdog platform. It's one of those things that the business deal you cut a couple years in advance [is] not really being flexible as you go forward.
And as well, there's also a financial motivation behind it. On our platform, we get better revenue."
[[ Oster went on to mention that he had still considered Steam when thinking about download options, speaking from public response and personal experience. ]]
"We kind of listened to the fans talk a lot about it - they were against having another download client on their machine."
"I looked at what was the best PC gaming experience I had from a download perspective, and it was Starcraft 2. I bought it from Blizzard. I got the downloader from Blizzard. It ran, installed it on my machine, and I set myself up on Battlenet and I'm good. To me, that's kind of the experience we're aiming for, you know - you don't have the bull**** of downloading some client that sits there running in the background on your machine. You run what you want, you get it, it comes down, its done, the launcher shuts down."
It's OK, you can admit to being wrong once in a while.
DRM is never good. It doesn't work, and it just irritates honest customers, and DRM is all Steam is.
That said, not releasing on Steam seems to hurt no one but Overhaul. I realize Beamdog owns Overhaul, and Steam is their competition (or rather, the other way around), but Steam, for better or worse, IS the king of the digital distribution providers. Not releasing on Steam is only cheating yourselves out of millions of potential customers - either people who refuse to use anything but Steam, or people who simply don't know BG:EE is comming until they see it on a Steam sale.
I hate Steam. Given the choice of buying the cd copy from a store without Steam to buying the game on Steam? I'll always buy the CD from the store. I don't care if it costs more, I don't want some BS third party client running in the background.
Ps: the client of Beamdog is only for download while steam is your 2° mother, control your use of the game.
Anyway i read the agreement terms of steam and i have to say i didn't like the way they imput that stick contract on the customers, beyond the fact that many forum on internet are speaking that steam is doing the same that EA do with the origin system (origin system force an spyware on your PC that they try to turn into a legal invasion of privacity, by forcing it inside one of the clauses of their stick contract of use).
Of course EA says that they only use the info to control the piracy and to protect their customers... but if you believe that i have a bridge in Eltabbar i wish to sell you... (if i remember edwin joke with tolgerias correct)
I don't see why you're so antithetical to the concept. Plenty of other publishers have allowed gamers to do this. Most notable CD Projekt Red, who allows gamers who purchase their games on Steam to also register with their own DD service, GOG, and vice versa.
Another result of this, incidentally, would be that mac and PC users could use the same game on their Mac and their PC without having to purchase it twice (through Beamdog and through the Apple store).
Well.. I will probably buy it anyway at some point, even though I own both BGs & expansions already. It's Baldur's Gate after all!
I wouldn't have questioned the platform, perhaps, if it was something new and original that I really wanted to play, but this is a game that I (and probably most of the people here) already have.
Steam will take a sizable cut for no reason yet. Beamdog has already done some promotion for this game and wants to cash in on that work. After they've sold as many copies as they can based on that promotional work they will be ready to release on Steam and use that marketing power. But doing so now would waste the previous effort. If this was a brand new game it would be a different story. New games need to hit as many platforms as possible as soon as possible to gain momentum. This is an OLD game and people who haven't heard of it yet will still be there when the Steam release occurs.
Most of this is probably moot anyway since the iPad will be the most likely source of the lion's share of revenue...
By the way, the insult was uncalled for. If you can't discuss the matter in a civilized way, I suggest that you don't at all.