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One of the earlier controversies surrounding Battlefield 3’s digital release involved the launching of EA’s Origin platform for digital distribution. When a small selection of popular EA titles disappeared from digital distribution juggernaut Steam, players cried foul and speculation began that EA would not be releasing Battlefield 3 on Valve’s platform. Those rumors paid off and, as of now, Steam is not one of the venues through which one can purchase Battlefield 3. Signs, however, point to that changing. In chief, there’s code in the installation files for the PunkBuster application included along with Battlefield 3 that includes a reference to a potential Steam directory, “C:Program Files (x86)SteamSteamAppscommonbattlefield 3.” 
Now, the installation code could simply be an artifact left over from before the game was definitively not launching on Steam, and the contest’s prize could just as easily be an error on the part of Sapphire. But we can always hope otherwise, no? By Shelby Reiches |