JA: Back in Action - Using Steamworks

Jagged Alliance: Back in Action will use Steamworks. Here's the pertinent part of the press release, courtesy of Bluesnews:

Ridgewood, NJ, December 21, 2011 - Kalypso Media and bitComposer Games are pleased to announce the integration of Valve’s Steamworks functionality in the upcoming tactical-RPG, Jagged Alliance: Back in Action. Kalypso will release Jagged Alliance: Back in Action, the latest title in the much-loved Jagged Alliance series of strategy games, in North America in February of 2012 for Windows PC.
As part of the Steamworks integration, when players buy Jagged Alliance: Back in Action on DVD, they can use the code supplied with the packaging to activate the game online via Steam, which unlocks the ability to play the game without having the DVD loaded on the PC at all times. The Steamworks integration will also provide for automatic game updating/patching, voice chat and Steam achievements.

More information.

The inclustion of STEAMworks automatically unlocks the ability to make SB waiting for the game to hit the bargain bin and using a fixed exe. The STEAMworks integration will also provide jack shit, because it will never be installed on SB's machine.

The game looks like a failure in coming but I do like steam. It wont rescue the game though.

I'm not surprised, I must say. More and more companies just don't put any money anymore into licensing DRM from Securom et. al. but instead use the implicite DRM that is called a "Steam".

If Steam becomes so much popular - does this mean it saves more money than they would have to pay for licenses towards Securom etc. ?

That's the first good choice they made so far.
Given their standards I would have expected GFWL.

Originally Posted by Alrik Fassbauer
If Steam becomes so much popular - does this mean it saves more money than they would have to pay for licenses towards Securom etc. ?

Once you get your game on Steam, I don't think you worry too much about what you paid/saved regarding DRM. Using conventional DRM is like paying someone to cut off your own healthy leg. Using Steam is like being invited to mint your own currency.

Great! Even better when Steam has it on sale for 5 bucks.

Steam is an excellent choice - the only DRM that helps your sales, and it actually benefits the customer. I love me some Steam. Just picked up Avadon for $2.50. I got Dungeons of Dredmor for like $1.87 with the expansion yesterday.

They're some clever folks at Valve. I hate to imagine what state PC gaming might be in today without Steam.

This game is nothing but a blight on the good name of the JA franchise.

How can you call a game Jagged Alliance, a game series know for perhaps the greatest turn based, tactical combat system ever devised and completely trash it in favour of some pesudo real time rubbish (Plan and Go… give me a break).

Originally Posted by AlaCarcuss
This game is nothing but a blight on the good name of the JA franchise.

How can you call a game Jagged Alliance, a game series know for perhaps the greatest turn based, tactical combat system ever devised and completely trash it in favour of some pesudo real time rubbish (Plan and Go… give me a break).

Amen to that.