Will there ever be Blizzard games purchaseable via the Steam Store ?

[Gillmundo]

Hello there,

As a big pc fan, I've always enjoyed the games that Blizzard has produced; from Warcraft to Starcraft and then all the way with Diablo, I really think it's a missing part into the great Steam-environment.

My eyes are spotting bigger collaborations with big-game giants like EA and Ubisoft (wich also support their own platforms) and thus it only seems logic to me that Blizzard has been/would be approached to add to the Catalogue ?

Pleasant holidays to everyone !

[rettshift]

Actually, it would be the opposite. Steam does not ask people to put their game on Steam, developers/publishers go to Steam to get their games on Steam. So the decision would be completely up to them.

But I seriously don't see this happening.

[Gillmundo]

But you can perfectly buy origin-access and U-play (Ubisofts-platform) games via steam now, like Mass-effect, Assasin's Creed, Anno 2070, Command & Conquer-franchise and many more; no matter what platform they use.

I didn't know it was the developers that had to take the first step, just really see this as a missing link for alot of pc-players overall.

[Wolf Echo]

Publicado originalmente por Blaston:

True. But I think Blizzard is a much larger company than EA and Ubisoft and they don't need the "help" of Steam. It must be the rivalry between the two.

I don;t think it's about needing "help" per-say, but more about DRM. Lets face it, Steam is a kind of massive DRM, verifying that we own the games we play. Steam also uses its own online co-op/multiplayer system.

Blizzard does all the same things through Battle.Net. And they've put a **LOT** of money into Battle.Net ove the years, so putting their games on Steam may seem to some players as if Blizard was abandoning Battle.Net.

[Wolf Echo]

Publicado originalmente por Blaston:

You're right. Puting their games on Steam would mean that they trash the whole Battle.Net thing, and meaning that the millions of dollars they've put in it, was for nothing. But untill they confirm what's behind all of this we won't know it for sure.

There's also the issue of eSports. Think of just how massive the professional and semi-pro leauges are for games like StarCraft and it's sequal(s). Now, since Blizzard controls the online access these leauges need to function, Blizzard effectivly controls ever pro or semi-pro leauge for these games, which means the need to liscense the Blizzard/Battle.Net logos if such a touornament is gonna be broadcast with on the web or TV. All of which mean more cash in Blizards pocket.

Switching to Steam effectivly cuts that profit in half, because now the leauges need to liscense the Valve/Steam logos for broadcast as well.