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EA Games to release DRM-free titles on Steam

hellforge.gameriot.com — EA has signed on with Valve's highly popular digital distribution program Steam to distribute their games including recent releases, and with some added good news. Titles such as Spore and Mass Effect that have come under heavy fire for DRM usage, will no longer have any SecuROM protection. All games will use Steam's DRM.

Who dugg this? Made popular Dec 23, 2008

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  • BorsKaegel, on 12/22/2008, -2/+261I much prefer Steam. However, too little too late for Spore, methinks.
  • BaldMonkey, on 12/23/2008, -5/+170Well that is a misleading headline if I ever saw one.
  • MrBogard, on 12/23/2008, -14/+167DRM free games on Steam is an oxymoron.

    Oh it's the "good" DRM, my bad! :/
  • Snoosy, on 12/22/2008, -21/+168Steam = god.
  • michaelrsa, on 12/23/2008, -4/+100Well, it's a bit misleading seeing as Steam has it's own DRM, but they have the right to protect their product, and if they're going to use a very noninvasive one then you will hear no complaints from me. DRM's don't bother me, only the intrusive ones.
  • Teej, on 12/22/2008, -2/+98Good riddance to SecuROM. Here's hoping this turns into a trend and that publishers get that ***** off retail discs too.
  • sturmgiest, on 12/23/2008, -4/+96well, bitch all you want but theres no cd keys to bother with, you can download and delete as much as you like from any computer, no cd to keep up with either, and you dont even have to leave the house to buy something. It doesnt get better than that.
  • mockidol, on 12/23/2008, -0/+84I just reformatted my computer and reinstalled 12 games by typing a username and password then simply clicking reinstall 12 times.

    God I love Steam.
  • SolInvictus, on 12/22/2008, -3/+80Looking forward to getting Dead Space on Steam, but yeah, it's definitely too little too late for Spore. They should've done this ages ago.
  • SgtQuackers, on 12/22/2008, -4/+63Steam may have DRM but its the good kind that just protects the game from pirates. It is not the kind that punishes people who actually pay for the game. I would gladly deal with DRM if it was like Steams DRM.
  • zdiggler, on 12/23/2008, -0/+57that game sucked anyway.
  • sockpuppets, on 12/23/2008, -3/+53Need a dispenser here! Need a dispenser here! Need a dispenser here! Need a dispenser here! Need a dispenser here! Need a dispenser here! Need a dispenser here! Need a dispenser here!
  • TrellSaracen, on 12/23/2008, -6/+55From one form of DRM to another. Whether or not you actually like or approve of Steam, this is NOT "DRM-Free."
  • inactive, on 12/23/2008, -2/+37Which is all fine and great, except that they still 100% control your games via steam.
    Like the op stated: Steam in of itself = DRM. It's just a very pretty DRM.
  • crossmr, on 12/23/2008, -3/+36I'd continue to hold off until they release the real game.
  • mohsenxp, on 12/23/2008, -3/+36No he'll be happy if he doesn't have to install Steam and run it everytime he wants to play his games.

    He is 100% right. Steam is a sugarcoated DRM mechanism.

    However on that same note, it's a DRM system that I don't have a problem with. The only problem I can see is that some could argue they don't want their resources being taken up by Steam.exe
    Anyway your PC probably can't play the games you've purchased if Steam is causing it to slow down!
  • grimstar, on 12/23/2008, -4/+36I remember how much people hated steam when it first came out...I'm glad to see the song has changed for many.
  • theonlywizdum, on 12/23/2008, -4/+35more like moving from solitary confinement to house arrest. Steam DRM actually has benefits for the user (no cds needed, play your games on your friends computers, large community with friends system, etc) while still preventing people from stealing the games (still not perfect, but better than most.).
  • coldkill3r, on 12/23/2008, -5/+34Gordon Freeman is my lord.
  • Chainheart2, on 12/23/2008, -8/+37Steam is the Google of game distributors
  • zdiggler, on 12/23/2008, -4/+32not DRM free.. it have steam DRM.
  • JerzyBricklayr, on 12/23/2008, -2/+27I love steam!!!! I want to put all the games I own on steam. You can play your games from any pc. Download steam, install, sign in, double click your game. Steam will install it and let you play.
  • Sashwan, on 12/23/2008, -5/+30Well I actually held off purchasing Spore because of SecuROM but since they are now going to remove that and release it on Steam I might now decide to purchase it.
  • jasonh1234, on 12/23/2008, -2/+27Calling Far Cry 2 a game is a bit of a stretch.
  • ohplease, on 12/23/2008, -4/+28

    EA is right on time for last year's train.


  • TehProphet, on 12/23/2008, -1/+24Steam is the right way to handle DRM.
  • Mizzark, on 12/23/2008, -8/+31I read DRM free and I... jizzed in my pants. Then I read the words around it.
  • StreetPreacher, on 12/23/2008, -0/+23And not only reinstalled, but *patched* to the latest version as well. Finding, downloading, and installing the latest patches can be even worse than the initial installs.
  • Zuwxiv, on 12/23/2008, -5/+27DRM will never die, truly. I would love to see it leave, but until then Steam is as good as it gets, and should be a model for realistic DRM use. The reason why it is so effective is because it doesn't get in the way of playing the game - I've never had a problem playing a game on Steam.

    And unlike SecuROM (which can damage your system) or install limits (which could make you unable to use the product), Steam DRM isn't in the way at all. You don't notice it, ever.

    And if I don't notice the DRM, then it is fine by me. Valve also makes incredible products, so I'm glad to support them.
  • diggduggDOOM, on 12/23/2008, -7/+27more like iTunes, but yeah...
  • sulf, on 12/22/2008, -6/+261. Submitter claims that EA will release "DRM-free" games.
    2. Andy.D points out that it is inaccurate because Steam has its own DRM.
    3. A bunch of diggers digg him down and say Steam DRM is "good DRM".
    4. ???
    5. Buried as inaccurate (no profit).
  • Teej, on 12/23/2008, -0/+19Actually, this raises a point. EA might turn around and say "see, we released it without SecuROM, and didn't sell that many more copies!", but it was really just because it's not the game we were hoping for.
  • Sk8SkaNJ, on 12/22/2008, -5/+24but its the good unobtrusive kind.
  • ChileanGoD, on 12/23/2008, -2/+21Steam DRM is pretty fair.
  • Shogi, on 12/23/2008, -2/+21You'll might be able to register the CD key through Steam still.
  • Step1Mark, on 12/22/2008, -4/+22What about people who bought games like Red Alert 3 that are afraid of a reformat due to the 3 installs cap... Can we bring our games over now and have it fully managed by steam?
  • Infidelcastr0, on 12/23/2008, -1/+19***** RIGHT Steam just gets better and better.
    Looks like I'll be trying RA3 and Dead Space after all.
    EA has done the right thing for once, this sort of behavior should be encouraged.
  • BaldMonkey, on 12/23/2008, -1/+18Eeh?
  • jsdratm, on 12/22/2008, -6/+23I just bought Mass Effect on steam, drm-free! :D I was hoping they would do this, but never expected it would happen. Maybe EA's losses forced them to wake up and smell the coffee.
  • smmakira, on 12/23/2008, -1/+18This message brought to you courtesy of Tarzan.
  • inactive, on 12/22/2008, -7/+23Steams DRM is GOOD DRM.

    You sir. FAIL.
  • michaelrsa, on 12/23/2008, -7/+23Franky, as long as piracy exists, companies have to do something to protect their product, Steam just found a way that people are fine with.
    You want to whine about DRM? Fine, but don't forget that piracy is what spawned it.
  • Shogi, on 12/23/2008, -2/+17***** games, ***** ports, ***** support for the few awesome games they do produce, and buying up good devs and ***** on their games by making them produce sequel after sequel and then killing the studio when they're done raping it and taking the credit.

    Shall I go on?
  • Matri, on 12/23/2008, -0/+15It sucks balls. Wait until it hits bargain bin. Me, being the fool I am, paid full price for it. :(
  • Lunarbunny, on 12/23/2008, -0/+15So DRM-free would be a misnomer, but at least Steam has the idea generally right...add value instead of removing it. Install and play anywhere as many times as you like as long as you're only logged on in one place, unlimited download/installs, etc. I remember hearing stories about the EA Downloader... especially the having to pay a fee to download again something like 6 months after purchase or later.
  • diggduggDOOM, on 12/23/2008, -0/+15They still need to tighten up the graphics on level 3.
  • Nn010385, on 12/22/2008, -3/+18Nope. You didn't buy it through Steam, so why should Valve pay for the bandwidth?
  • mrsteveman1, on 12/23/2008, -0/+14They like to pretend that they are only trying to stop casual copying among friends, but if you take a look at the technological measures they keep trying to use, that claim is *****. They are trying to stop all piracy, and have failed miserably at every attempt, they are simply stupid and wasting everyones time at this point. If i buy a game it is my money being wasted on this ***** crap.
  • Wangarang, on 12/23/2008, -1/+15Spore sucked IMO. Get Fallout 3 instead!
  • Gizza, on 12/23/2008, -1/+15"it would be nice if valve guaranteed that should they ever discontinue the service all content will be de-drm'ed first."

    They already have. They have stated several times that every time Steam has a major update they create and test a patch that will basically put Steam into a permanent offline mode.
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