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EA, Spore Coming to Steam?

by Chris Faylor, Dec 16, 2008 12:22pm PST

Related Topics – Spore, Rumor, Steam, PC

It looks like publisher Electronic Arts may finally be jumping on the Steam bandwagon, as the EULA for EA Maxis' Spore has mysteriously appeared on the Steam site.

EA has long refused to offer titles on the Valve-maintained digital distribution platform, and has instead opted to pursue digital distribution through its own online store.

Though the EA-published Crysis and Crysis Warhead debuted on Steam earlier this year, the availability of the two games was negotiated by developer Crytek and Valve. Both were originally released under EA Partners label, much like Valve's own The Orange Box and Left 4 Dead.

Should Spore make it onto Steam, it will represent the first internally-developed EA game on the platform. Other PC games from internal EA studios include Mass Effect, The Sims, Warhammer Online, the Command & Conquer series, and Dead Space.

Shacknews has contacted Valve for comment on the matter.

Thanks to reader Chris Evans for the tip.

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22 Threads | 83 Comments

#21

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By: Smurfy12 x Show Full Post

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They'll no doubt keep the DRM though :'(

Dec 16, 2008 1:31pm PST

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They'll no doubt keep the DRM though :'( : Smurfy12
Thread Truncated. Click to see all 5 replies.
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  Steam IS DRM. : OverloadUT
  - You know what I mean. : Smurfy12
  - toggle
    which is why it is doubly-silly to have even more ridiculous install-limited DRM on top of steam... which... : radio_babylon
    - If it works great. EA never worked. Steam works AND I have a way to find Shackers who play the same ga... : Lightzout

#34

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By: qsylvr x Show Full Post

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it's poor taste to wish that people are out of a job, and i don't wish that, but i hope that the last round of EA project cancellations took a good hard look at the EA Downloader service and all the cost that goes into supporting their (inferior to every other) home-grown digital sales / download / DRM solution.

that project never got off on the right foot, and the customer experience sucked. i'm not condemning the programming talent, just the design and leadership.

Dec 16, 2008 2:05pm PST

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it's poor taste to wish that people are out of a job, and i don't wish that, but i hope that the last rou... : qsylvr
Thread Truncated. Click to see all 2 replies.
- I don't even think the EA support is that bad really. There are just game bugs in BF2142 that create hav... : Lightzout

#35

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By: node x Show Full Post

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It won't happen, but if EA let Steam import your EA Downloader titles I would be even happier. I still have a few games on that, sadly. What a steaming pile. :(

Dec 16, 2008 2:05pm PST

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It won't happen, but if EA let Steam import your EA Downloader titles I would be even happier. I still ha... : node
Thread Truncated. Click to see all 2 replies.
- Oh god I would hope so. I mean you would have to re-download them but I dont have of my EA store/downloa... : Lightzout

#80

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By: Lightzout x Show Full Post

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Hallejfreakinluuulaah! Please EA, do this and don't think about it.

Dec 18, 2008 7:54am PST

Hallejfreakinluuulaah! Please EA, do this and don't think about it. : Lightzout

#36

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By: hurda7 x Show Full Post

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System Shock 2 on Steam PLEASE!

I can't find a copy of it to buy anywhere within a 10,000km-range!

Dec 16, 2008 2:22pm PST

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System Shock 2 on Steam PLEASE! I can't find a copy of it to buy anywhere within a 10,000km-range! : hurda7
Thread Truncated. Click to see all 7 replies.

#10

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By: i poop from there x Show Full Post

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as long as the DRM restrictions are gone....Crysis and Crysis WH still have DRM with the Steam bought version. the reason why i still havent bought both titles.

Dec 16, 2008 1:00pm PST

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as long as the DRM restrictions are gone....Crysis and Crysis WH still have DRM with the Steam bought ver... : i poop from there
Thread Truncated. Click to see all 16 replies.

#45

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By: CyCo_PL x Show Full Post

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RIP Direct2Drive

Dec 16, 2008 3:08pm PST

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RIP Direct2Drive : CyCo_PL
Thread Truncated. Click to see all 7 replies.
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  Out of curiosity, how many shackers used this? Was it any good? : Sgt_Boomstick
  - Direct2Drive eats puppies : drchocapic
  - use it all the time, no problems so far : deviantpaul
  - Ive used it for about 6-7 games, it's actually a high quality service : painangel
  - Its great. Unlike Steam, theres no service that you need to run in order to play your games, just downloa... : Gore87
- I never used Direct2Drive but the name makes it sound like a DRM program... : bigexplosions

#54

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By: kpxkrnjc x Show Full Post

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I can't say it's much of a surprise after their recent dealings with L4D.

Dec 16, 2008 5:47pm PST

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I can't say it's much of a surprise after their recent dealings with L4D. : kpxkrnjc
Thread Truncated. Click to see all 6 replies.
- EA had a similar deal with The Orange Box. I'd say it more has to do with their inability to get a compet... : Sturm08
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  What recent dealings with L4D? What does L4D...have to do with any of this? : Sgt_Boomstick
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    They publish and distribute the retail version of L4D. : Wisp!
    - toggle
      No, they only distribute and help advertise. : TomEdwards
      
      bingo : Sgt_Boomstick

#74

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By: majinpsyduck x Show Full Post

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Umm, Direct2Drive is great. I dunno what you're saying. Spore on Steam is cool, but hardly the end of D2D.

Dec 17, 2008 6:18am PST

Umm, Direct2Drive is great. I dunno what you're saying. Spore on Steam is cool, but hardly the end of D... : majinpsyduck

#67

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By: Garfferen x Show Full Post

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STEAM started as an update service for popular Counter-Strike and Half-Life, both had and still have a huge fan base that could use this. When valve over time changed it to become a store they already had a whole lot of registered users, to a shop, pretty nice idea!
This surely must be the aim of any publisher, to maximize gain from their titles and secure easier future sale, and as added benefit provide better support for their titles.

Dec 16, 2008 10:11pm PST

STEAM started as an update service for popular Counter-Strike and Half-Life, both had and still have a hu... : Garfferen

#11

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By: Johnnsen x Show Full Post

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I really enjoy seing it falling, with all give joy and an insane grin hushs over my face.

Dec 16, 2008 1:05pm PST

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I really enjoy seing it falling, with all give joy and an insane grin hushs over my face. : Johnnsen
Thread Truncated. Click to see all 6 replies.
- Hmm. Can we get this as one of those pullout quotes on the front page? : crummynz
- What in tarnation are you talking about : DewFuel
- ...wow... and people yell at me about filters... : Gwyndion
- engrish.. do you speak it? : rmjackson
- This really needs to be a front page quote. : Sgt_Boomstick

#51

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By: Wisp! x Show Full Post

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So will now receive...

Spore
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning
Mass Effect
Dragon Age: Origins
The Sims, Sim Cities: Societies
Dead Space
Mercenaries 2: World in Flames
Medal of Honor: Airborne
Command and Conquer 3, Red Alert 3
Mirror's Edge
Battleforge
Battlefield 2, 2142
Need for Speed

I'm in love.

Dec 16, 2008 4:01pm PST

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So will now receive... Spore Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Mass Effect Dragon Age: Origins Th... : Wisp!
Thread Truncated. Click to see all 4 replies.

#50

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By: guatdefoc x Show Full Post

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EA should drop the piece of crap download service and use steam (and their DRM) instead. I bought c&c 3 from ea download, played the thing like once and never looked at it again just because it a hassle to download it and have to open that slow ass dl thing of theirs.

Steam is the best and they should get more love from big companies like EA, it would be awesome to have the battlefield series available over steam (although I already own them :P).

Dec 16, 2008 3:54pm PST

EA should drop the piece of crap download service and use steam (and their DRM) instead. I bought c&c 3 f... : guatdefoc

#3

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By: Wadmaasi x Show Full Post

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Mass Effect 2 PC on Steam? Yes please.

Dec 16, 2008 12:35pm PST

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Mass Effect 2 PC on Steam? Yes please. : Wadmaasi
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  I might actually buy Red Alert!! YES EA, GO TO STEAM : kainen1
  - let's not get outta hand here... : brainchild420
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  I'd rather play it on the 360 since I played the original on that and I want to resume my character with ... : cool_canuckian
  - Play original on PC, etc, etc, etc. : coolbreezr

#28

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By: alexmax2742 x Show Full Post

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My first thought was "MotherFUCKER what am I going to do about the games that are still on that godawful direct download service?" I have 20 or so gigs worth of games taking up space on my hard drive that I can't delete without potentially disabling my ability to repurchase the game.

Here's hoping EA finally got some sense and is deciding to axe the EA Store in favor of Steam as a cost cutting measure. Granted, Valve will be seeing a slice of their profits instead of EA keeping it for themselves but I guarantee that they will sell way more PC titles than they do now. I'm especially looking forward to Mirrors Edge PC.

Dec 16, 2008 1:45pm PST

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My first thought was "MotherFUCKER what am I going to do about the games that are still on that godawful ... : alexmax2742
Thread Truncated. Click to see all 2 replies.
- I don't know that they will sell more PC titles than they do now just because they are on Steam, but I'm ... : schnitz76

#5

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By: massdev x Show Full Post

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This is a pretty massive capitualation. I expect EA's numbers are in the toilet and it's outlook bleak based on relatively poor sales of Spore, Mirror's Edge and Warhammer. However great time to shed workforce and look bad however considering the market. Bailout? :p

Dec 16, 2008 12:44pm PST

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This is a pretty massive capitualation. I expect EA's numbers are in the toilet and it's outlook bleak ba... : massdev
Thread Truncated. Click to see all 4 replies.
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  i thought spore sold like... a gazillion or something? or am i remembering incorrectly? : radio_babylon
  - it sold a gazillion, but it didn't sell five gazillion : xsoulbrothax
  - No matter what Spore sold it still under performed. They expected it to sell a gazillion or something x ... : schnitz76

#1

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By: Mystery0000 x Show Full Post

Reply

I think a pig just flew past my window.

Dec 16, 2008 12:29pm PST

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I think a pig just flew past my window. : Mystery0000
Thread Truncated. Click to see all 6 replies.
- EA on steam? Thought they had their own digital distribution, I guess it's the fact that it sucks. ... : Kentt0
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  this is truly a sign of the apocalypse... : radio_babylon
  - toggle
    Or Pink Floyd is making a comeback? : Gwyndion
    - toggle
      i thought that was also a sign of the apocalypse? kind of like keanu staring in the 47 ronin? : radio_babylon
      
      my bad... you're right :) : Gwyndion

#9

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By: tidic x Show Full Post

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Great news, that leaves very few big names left off of the Steamwagon. *Looks in the direction of Blizzard HQ* Any other big names spring to mind?

Or..... just maybe they are putting EA games just in preparation for the big announcement from Valve:

"Steam is now renamed EA Downloader 2.0 as part of our ongoing and growing...partnership with EA."

Heheh, thats the scariest thought you'll have today.

Dec 16, 2008 12:59pm PST

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Great news, that leaves very few big names left off of the Steamwagon. *Looks in the direction of Blizzar... : tidic
Thread Truncated. Click to see all 3 replies.
- they all need to hop on board. I'd actually buy their games.....the steam network is just too cool of an... : kainen1
- Yeah, maybe this will convince other companies to join too. : Smurfy12

#18

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By: psamathos x Show Full Post

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ABOUT DAMN TIME.

Dec 16, 2008 1:21pm PST

ABOUT DAMN TIME. : psamathos

#12

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By: feek x Show Full Post

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whoa. this could be huge

Dec 16, 2008 1:06pm PST

whoa. this could be huge : feek

#8

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By: crummynz x Show Full Post

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Oh please be true :( My New Years resolution will be to only buy steam games, and this would make things easier.

Dec 16, 2008 12:57pm PST

Oh please be true :( My New Years resolution will be to only buy steam games, and this would make things ... : crummynz

#2

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By: Durajim x Show Full Post

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Holy shit. EA on steam, big news.

Surprised it hasn't happened sooner though

Dec 16, 2008 12:29pm PST

Holy shit. EA on steam, big news. Surprised it hasn't happened sooner though : Durajim

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