With EA’s most recent releases for the PC, there’s been quite the controversy over the titles primarily being available on Origin. The industry favorite for PC downloads has typically been Steam, something that EA has seemed to shy away from. If you were hoping that Mass Effect 3 would be different, then you should not be getting your hopes up.
In a recent frequently asked questions segment on the official BioWare forums, Chris Priestly addressed the question of Mass Effect appearing on Steam. Priestly simply stated that, “Origin is required for all PC editions of Mass Effect 3, physical or digital”. Only planning on playing the singleplayer in Mass Effect 3, but curious about authentication? Priestly addressed that as well by stating that the singleplayer will, “require a one time, single authorization for the single player game. There is no limit to the number of installs. Playing Mass Effect 3 Multiplayer will require a constant connection.”
If you’re wondering whether or not Mass Effect 3 might ever come to Steam, it doesn’t appear to be very likely. Priestly went on to mention that, “During initial release Mass Effect 3 will be available on Origin and a number of other 3rd party digital retailers, but not on Steam at this time. Steam has adopted a set of restrictive terms of service which limit how developers interact with customers to deliver patches and other downloadable content. We are intent on providing Mass Effect to players with the best possible experience no matter where they purchase or play their game, and are happy to partner with any download service that does not restrict our ability to connect directly with our consumers”.
What do you think about Mass Effect 3 being available on Origin and not Steam? Are you still planning on getting the title when it launches on March 6th? Be sure to let us know what you think by leaving us a comment below, or discuss Mass Effect 3 in our forums!
Thanks GamingExaminer!