Ubisoft and EA pair up, offer each other's games online

[Rick]

Electronic Arts and Ubisoft are teaming up, each company planning to offer the other's library of games across their respective Origin and UPlay services. The move could be interpreted as a shot fired across Valve's bow -- the mind behind Steam and arguably, the king of digital game distribution -- but probably doesn't have the company on red alert just yet.

In addition to sharing each other's gaming properties across their respective digital distribution stores, Ubisoft will also be opening up UPlay to third-party developers. Upcoming UPlay partners include Telltale Games, Warner Bros and many others. EA, on the other hand, has been doing this for some time now. However, unlike EA, Ubisoft continues to offer some of its biggest titles on Steam. Incidentally, when Origin launched, EA fled Steam like a guilty murderer and began launching its biggest money-makers as Origin exclusives.

UPlay director Stephanie Perotti sees the move as part of an effort to improve its relationship with PC gamers. The love-hate relationship between PC gamers and Ubisoft is propped up by numerous, A-list gaming franchises, but remains ostensibly marred by a sketchy past filled with invasive DRM schemes and "console port" criticisms.

For the past year, it seems Ubisoft has been trying to win over the PC gaming community. They removed From Dust's obtrusive DRM and promised to "scale back" DRM on future titles, eventually scrapping always-on DRM in favor of one-time activation. 

To celebrate its new friendship, Ubisoft is offering a free game for anyone who purchases one game for $19.90 or more. The selection of freebies include: World in Conflict: Complete Edition, Driver San Francisco, From Dust, Might & Magic: Heroes VI, Rayman Origins and Settlers 7 (Deluxe Gold Edition).

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/51731-ubisoft-and-ea-pair-up-offer-each-others-games-online.html

 

[LNCPapa]

They can both go to a very warm, low place in my opinion.

 

[Littleczr]

I like the move. It means I will have two places to buy games. Steam or Origin.

 

[LukeDJ]

Maan, can't these guys just pull the stick out of their arse's and put all of their stuff on Steam. Nobody can do a whole lot to knock Valve off its perch anytime in the foreseeable future. EA should be putting more resources into focusing on their customer service, rather than chasing goals they cannot reach.

 

[Tekkaraiden]

UPlay director and PR spinster Stephanie Perotti sees the move...

Not sure that word is being used correctly, spinmaster or spindoctor would have been more suitable.

 

[Renrew]

They deserve each other.

 

[TekGun]

The saying "two wrongs don't make a right" spring to mind. To me it just makes both services twice as repulsive.

 

[Cota]

Kill it before it lays eggs!!

 

[Guest]

I am not against competition in general, but sometimes it's more a feudal fractioning than an improvement for consumers. Imagine that instead of one currency in a country you would have 5 or 10, in the name of competition. I know that having several stores is not a bad thing, but Steam is not just a store, it's a digital distribution platform - it has your downloadable games library, a cloud with saved games, community stuff, friends... Being registered also in another system like this would be a headache already, and third or fourth one... Any competition should take place within a certain environment, which defines global terms, laws, currency, etc. Otherwise it's a chaos. I'd really prefer these companies would compete with their products, not with their delivery systems. It is obvious they build these systems only to promote their own games.

 

[misor]

UPlay director and PR spinster Stephanie Perotti sees the move...

Not sure that word is being used correctly, spinmaster or spindoctor would have been more suitable.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinster
A spinster, or old maid, is an older, childless woman who has never been married. For a woman to be identified as a spinster, age is critical.

on topic:
this is a serious move by these game companies.
they cut the middle man so there's more profit margin.
I hope they also improve their customer service or lower their game selling price

 

[Lurker101]

EA should be putting more resources into focusing on their customer service

Thanks for saying that. I almost choked to death with laughter.

 

[Aveon]

How abt crysis 3 free with Farcry 3 .

 

[gobbybobby]

I prefer to have just the 1 digital platform installed

I loved battlefield 3 beta, I hated that I needed origin and uninstalled it after beta finished.

I didn't buy it as it wasn't on steam. I would have bought it if it was on Steam. Lost sale right here.

EA are not doing themselves any favours. They should release there games on Steam, Impulse, Origin, all of them. mazimise sales


Valve are a very good 3rd party vender, Stop treating steam as a threat and look at them as any other game store

its essentialy saying 6 years ago when Physical sales where more importent "I am going to open EA shop, it only sells EA games, and I am also going to stop selling EA games at HMV, Game, blockbuster and all the other game shops on the high street"

you must come to EA shop to get EA games. Stupid!

 

[Sniped_Ash]

"UPlay director Stephanie Perotti sees the move as part of an effort to improve its relationship with PC gamers."

Yeah well not saying stupid **** like 9 out of 10 PC gamers are pirates is a pretty good start.