Why Are UK Gamers The Only Ones Who Can't Get 'The Crew' On Steam?

The Crew is set to launch on 2nd December for Xbox One, PS4 and PC. Pre-order sales are already taking off through the Steam Store worldwide except in the UK. Publisher Ubisoft has decided not to make digital sales of the game available to UK gamers through Steam, but will still allow purchases through other third party sites like GreenManGaming.

No matter which site you use to purchase the digital download, you still need a Uplay account to agree to licensing and digital rights. So why should it matter that you can’t purchase on Steam? Some gamers are partial to Steam’s game management and want the ability to track their achievements and communicate with other players in one place. We will still be using the CT Steam Group for those of you who want to form crews with fellow CT gamers.

We wanted to know why Ubisoft won’t make the deal with Valve worldwide. Tim Edwards from PCGamesN seems to think it’s all about the money. He says The Crew’s pricing ‘would make it considerably more expensive to buy than any other games on Steam. Generally, the cost of single games on Steam rarely reaches over £40.’ This could have a negative impact on sales, but we think there may be other factors in Steam’s decision.

The Valve Corporation doesn’t necessarily put a price cap on games, but does suggest they stay within a reasonable range. With a high price tag and a season pass, The Crew would not fit in with the other offerings. The Steam Store is also well-known for having seasonal sales on some of its most popular games. Combining a discount with Steam’s commission per download would prevent Ubisoft from getting the maximum potential profit from each sale. Surely a little thing like greed wouldn’t be the reason, right?

The Crew isn’t the only Ubisoft game missing from Steam. Its other big games of the season, Far Cry 4 and Assassin’s Creed Unity are also gone. While we have confirmed that The Crew is still available through Steam in North America, we have heard from gamers in Australia and parts of South America that it is disappearing from the store.

Now that the stores for EA Games and Ubisoft are carrying one another’s games, could this be part of its diabolical plot to shun Steam for good? Let us know if The Crew is still available on Steam in your part of the world. Will this move ultimately be good or bad for Ubisoft?