Impulse and Gamers Gate Also Refuse Modern Warfare 2
Citing the same "Steamworks integration" that Direct2Drive did yesterday (despite D2D already selling Steamworks enabled titles), VE3D learns today that both Gamers Gate and Impulse have decided to not sell Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.
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Impulse will not be selling Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 either. We share some of the same concerns as Direct2Drive over the bundling of the Steam client with the game. The most obvious issue is the forced inclusion of a competitor's store that blocks us from carrying the game.
Our issues with the game are solely with the Steamworks bundling. We enjoy a great relationship with Activision and would love to sell the title, but not with Steam.
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Gamersgate have confirmed that they're also refusing to sell Modern Warfare 2, for the exact same reasons.
On the surface it certainly looks like a bandwagon-hopping move, but I can see their point.
Personally I love the hell out of Steam (explanationless pre-order L4D2 demo delays aside), so they can infest whatever games they like, it's fine with me, but that doesn't invalidate D2D, Impulse, and Gamers Gate's concerns.
I'm a big Impulse fan, but this isn't any less of a stupid move on their part.
Again, none of these boycotters have feature parity, or anything close, with Steamworks. Steamworks isn't the Steam store, it is an entire server and API set for developers to work with so constant wheel-reinventing isn't necessary. Things like server browsers, in-game DLC support, cloud data storage, anti-cheating mechanisms.
Stardock (Impulse developer) is testing some of this internally, but they don't have something third-party developers can actually use yet. Direct2Drive and GamersGate have nothing comparable and no announced plans to.
I can understand people confusing Steam with Steamworks, but the fact is, Valve is providing a service their competitors don't offer. Obviously the fact that Steamworks requires Steam installed to function concerns them.
The solution? Nope, not inane boycotts. Form a partnership together and develop a platform agnostic system with feature parity to Steamworks.
Or kick and scream like children while forcing your customer base into the hands of your titan competitor.
Steamworks has been out and usable for 2 years now. It also has a more robust feature-set than Impulse Reactor, currently.
I can't imagine developers will be fond of supporting a half-dozen different distributors' methods of providing essentially the same services, either. It is a waste of development resources. These companies need to stop their petty bickering and develop a single coherent system. This is what Xbox Live provides and a little piece of why developing PC games is more of a headache.
Games for Windows Live (gag) and Steamworks are the closet the PC has to that, and they are clearly tied to a specific company's financial interests. In-order for the PC to provide the development freedom that makes it a unique and worthwhile platform, it needs a system providing this set of features that isn't tied to a specific online retailer.
Imagine if developers had to code a different version of a game to sell it at Kmart, Walmart, EBGames and GoGamer. It is utter nonsense.
I understand that. However, the issue is far from as cut and dry as these retailers wish it was. They do not provide a comparable service for developers. What is the alternative for Activision? Spend time developing and supporting their own system with the same features, and maintaining servers for them? Ridiculous.
Not to mention, how many people is this going to stop from buying Modern Warfare 2? Probably an insignificant number. It is a huge franchise. So, every single person who buys the game still will have to install Steam. This didn't stop the spread of the "trojan horse"*.
It just means the game library of these boycotting retailers is short one of the most sought releases this year, making their platform less desirable to potential customers and developers and publishers who wish to utilize Steamworks.
I wish all the online retailers would do this for games that require games for windows live to run. That junk needs to DIE!
I have come out of EvAv retirement temporarily, specifically to call you a moron. Why is it junk? What has it done to you? It is free. Have you even tried it?
These foolish companies should be making all their games Games for Windows - Live compatible, not Steamworks compatible. Then we would not only have automatic patching and authentication, but Achievements as well, and no Digital Download company would bat an eye. And they could still be available via Steam. This whole situation with MW2 would have been avoided!
Oh yeah, and its FREE now for anyone to make a gamertag, play online, and earn achievements on the PC. If you're a 360 gamer, even better! Same gamertag, same score being updated. The only people who don't like this are the anti-Microsoft loons, such as yourself.
I commend the few comanies that have adopted GFW - Live, with recent notable releases like Red Faction, Resident Evil 5, Fuel, Fallout 3, etc. Still, too few companies are using GFW- Live, even when they release their game on 360 simultaneously. Does not compute! If more companies did, I would start playing PC games again.
Let's take a prime example. Mass Effect. Why is this not a GFW - Live title?? Does not make any sense. All they've done is cost themselves sales, so now it gets to sell for $9 on Steam just to move copies. And Dragon Age? Why is this not a GFW - Live title? Don't tell me it's because it lacks MP, because so does Fallout 3, and that was GFW - Live. Bioware and EA need to wake up. So does Infinity Ward, it seems. This developer would be almost an unknown if it weren't for their success on 360. Yet they adopt Steamworks over GFW - Live?!
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Gamertag/PSN/Zune: ElektroDragon
PAX & Video Games Live attendee. ECA Founding Member
Why is it junk? What has it done to you? It is free. Have you even tried it? 
