EA Download Manager vs Steam

cyberman86

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Is EA Download manager like steam? Or do I just download it from EA and play off of steam? Are they logging on the same servers?

 

isamuelson

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It is like steam in that games you've purchased through EA can be downloaded when you need to install it.

As for downloading it and playing off of steam, I'm not sure what you mean? Did you purchase a game from Steam or from EA? If so, which game? If you purchased it through steam, you'd download it there and play it via Steam.

If you purchased the game through the EA Store, then you would use the EA Download Manager to download and install the game.
 

cyberman86

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I purchased the Key for the Game BattleField Bad Company 2, and I'm downloading it right now in EA Manager,
What i want to Know is that if
Steam and EA Manager log in on the Same Servers?
 

isamuelson

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No, they don't. In fact, I'm assuming you purchased the key via EA, which means you won't use Steam. If you purchased the game via Steam, you would download it via Steam.

Regardless of whether you purchased the game via Steam, via EA or from a retail store, when you connect to the game servers, that has nothing to do with Steam. It is independent of Steam or EA Manager.

For example, I purchased my copy at Best Buy because they had it on sale for $30. When I installed it, I didn't use EA Manager since I have the actual DVD medium. However, I did add the game to Steam so that I can launch it via Steam if I want to, but I don't have to use Steam to launch it. I can go straight to the game icon that was installed via the installer and launch it that way, never using Steam nor logging into Steam to launch the game.

If you purchased the game via Steam, Steam can be used to launch the game, but once you go online to play multiplayer, it's the same for you as it is for me. The Steam server is NOT hosting the game. That is a totally separate server away from EA and Steam.

 

Hawkhill_no

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I am now regretting buying from EA online. Now I dont have a desktop shortcut to the game I have to open the EA download manager. That is not cool. Worse is that I have my favourite games hooked up inside Steam from Valve - and my clan and buddies - so no I cant accsess them anymore. Not cool at all, in fact its a hassle. I feel chained and very unhappy. I cancelled my purchase and got a full refund.
 

isamuelson

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It should install an icon. If not on the desktop, at least in your Start menu somewhere. I've never had it NOT install an icon for launching the game. Once the game has been installed, I never had to go to the EA Manager to launch my games purchased through EA.
 

Hawkhill_no

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Nah, gotta open the EA dlm and click play. 1ly way. I have talked to them guess they would have told me if there was another way. Still as I wrote - worst part is being hogtied to EA and not being able to freely choose to hook up in steam - after all EA sell it there 2. so thats what I'll do. Buy it there instead or maybe a disc from a supplier. I am not advocating for Steam - theres a lot of issues there but its the not being able to freely choose I wont accept.
 

purplerat

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You can run and even install the EA DLM games without running or even having the DLM installed. In fact the only thing you need the DLM for is to initially download the game files. Once you do that you can save them and reinstall as you like as long as you also have the CD key written down somewhere.

Not being able to use the Steam community features with on non-Steam copy of the game is actually a limitation of Steam and not the copy you bought from EA. You may be able to activate the game through Steam with the key you got from EA and us those features (IIRC I did the same thing with Crysis). But the bottom line is that the EA DLM version is really just a retail copy delivered via digital download where as the Steam version is the one with actual restrictions.
 

Hawkhill_no

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Why dont EA just tell me then - and how? I you read my first post you'll see that I write "Unless I have misunderstood all of this...". Then I would not have cancelled my buy. So what ure sayin is that the customer service "not all there". :cry:
 

SpinachEater

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Yeah what purplerat said but I am not sure what he is talking about regarding the "restrictions."

To me, Steam brings much more to the table than EA store. It seems like you get access to a lot more deals, a lot wider range of games, and it is made by valve so it pretty much runs flawlessly. I have had some run ins with steam servers being full where it wouldn't connect or DL a game but after using both EADM and Steam, I am running happy with Steam.
 

purplerat

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All I meant by limitations was that Steam does use a lot of proprietary technology both in the games bought through their service and their community features. Therefore the inability of non-Steam games to work with Steam technology is a limitation on Steam (not being able to accept external games) and not a limitation of the game.


Yup, EAs customer service probably sucks (don't know for sure since I've never called them). My experience with using EA DLM and reading the documentation is that EA does try to make you use the DLM even though it's unnecessary so I wouldn't expect EA to be too forthcoming about how to avoid using their DLM. But Google should suffice in figuring these things out.
 

OllieUK

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Still not sure what you mean about Steam not being able to accept external games? You can register your non steam games with steam and then launch them through steam to gain access to all your standard in-game steam features - friends, chat, activity logs etc. Of course you won't get the stats through Steam like you do with a valve game but that isn't really a restriction as such? OK you can't use steam to download them and back them up etc. but again as you may have the CD probably not a big issue.
 

purplerat

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I thought that was the case, that you can register non-steam games through Steam, but wasn't 100% sure. All I was saying is that any limitation would be a limitation of Steam. Steam is proprietary software so essentially it's on them to make sure other products work with their software, not vice-versa.
 

isamuelson

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Yup. Steam integrates with games you purchase through Steam (keeps track of how long you've played the game, lets your friends know which of those games you are playing, etc).

When it comes to games not purchased and installed via Steam, you can still add them to your library to launch them from steam, but it won't keep track of the time you've played the game and friends will just see "Playing non-steam game" when you're playing them.