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Warner Bros to launch its own digital distribution platform

It's no secret that several big publishers have attempted to break away from Steam, EA switched to its own Origin service, Ubisoft released uPlay and now it looks like Warner Bros might be getting in on the action with its own digital distribution platform.

Warner Bros is behind several big games including the Batman Arkham series, Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor, Injustice: Gods Among Us and Mortal Kombat. Last month, the publisher filed a series of trade marks for something called WB Play, covering things like “online retail store services” and “downloadable virtual goods”. Additionally, WB is looking to include “audio and video broadcasting services”.

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Warner Bros has previously relied on the likes of Steam and Origin to sell its games, something that we may see change soon. There are currently two ways this new service could go: It could end up like uPlay and serve mostly as an additional layer of DRM as most users will continue to buy games on Steam. Or, it could end up like Origin, meaning that we would see WB only sell its PC titles on its own store in the future.

The service is rumored to launch alongside Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor on the 30th of September. This title is already up for sale on Steam, so it may end up working the same way uPlay does now, that said, there's no way of truly knowing until an announcement has been made.

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KitGuru Says: Well guys, it looks like us PC gamers may have to download yet another program that we don't really want or need. Is this the way of the future? Are more and more publishers going to break away from Steam?

Source: The Escapist

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5 comments

  1. They really need to stop this crap.
    A uPlay style system will be the lesser of two evils but PC gaming flourished because we had one centralised place to live.
    Xbox had Xbox Live
    PS had PSN
    PC had Steam
    Most the PC gaming community likes Steam and wants to keep using it.
    With things like SteamOS, Linux Support and In House Streaming, Steam is the best out on the market. Origin proved to be deeply unpopular and forced, most people only install it to play EA games like BF and SimCity, then EA say it’s a triumph neglecting the fact that people didn’t have a choice in the matter.
    No doupt Warner Bro’s will do the same.

    Though, if i’m honest, if they use it as a distribution platform for films and TV series, but then link it into steam for games, i would genuinly go for that.
    They need to ask the gamers ‘We want to do this, we want to do this platform, how can we make this work for you so you will use it?’

  2. Agreed ! They should know how much people hate Two Client DRM ! i still thinks they will have it like steam with Uplay. But the point is Uplay A.K.A. is bringing all its game to steam, so WB Game may do that also. But i am looking for Shadow of Mordor, will hate to drop the plan, But what has to be done will be done !

  3. Uplay is acceptable but only just. It’s still a pain in the ass to start a game..

    Start Steam
    Click play game
    Wait for Uplay to start
    Wait for Uplay to update
    Click play game in Uplay
    Play game

  4. I know ! But who will tell these companies , always seeking ways to divide people by clients & later doing something to cover it up.

  5. When you make it difficult for customers, they stop being customers. And
    then publishers cry about pirates when the cracked versions offers an easier
    to use product at an already unbelievable price… pain-in-the-ass DRM always
    pushes away people who want to pay for their games.

    I haven’t bought an EA or Ubisoft game since they started this bs. I don’t need more spy-ware like Origin: http://wccftech.com/ea-spying-file-snooping-origin-client-investigation/