Electronic Arts has followed its claim that Steam "expelled" the EA-published Crysis 2 with an explanation that some EA games will not be available over Steam, the leading PC download service, because of a dispute over how they are patched and updated. This comes, of course, a month after EA opened Origin, its own digital download service.

"We always want to be sure we provide this content and service at the highest possible level of quality. To ensure this, any retailer can sell our games, but we take direct responsibility for providing patches, updates, additional content and other services to our players," wrote David DeMartini, Electronic Arts' senior vice president of global E-commerce. "Unfortunately, if we're not allowed to manage this experience directly and establish a relationship with you, it disrupts our ability to provide the support you expect and deserve."

DeMartini said that this arrangement was suitable in EA's partnerships with GameStop, Amazon "and other online retailers," but implied that it was unworkable "under extremely special circumstances," implying such circumstances were conditions set by Steam.

DeMartini added that, except under those circumstances "We offer our games to every major download service, including Amazon, Gamestop, and Steam."

In mid-June, Crysis 2 went missing from Steam, though it was available on other download services, including Origin. EA insisted that Steam's "business terms" forced Crysis 2's removal, adding that "Crytek has an agreement with another download service which violates the new rules from Steam and resulted in its expulsion of Crysis II from Steam." While unspecified at the time, taken with DeMartini's comments it sounds like a conflict over post-release support and its approval.

David DeMartini: At EA We Respect Consumer Choice ... Your Choice [Electronic Arts]

Crytek are the developers behind the original Far Cry, Crysis, Crysis 2 and the Cryengine. They could also, but for the grace of God, have been bought out by Microsoft.

IN an interview with Official Xbox Magazine, Microsoft's corporate vice-president Phil Spencer says "The first time we met with [Crytek CEO Cevat Yerli] and the team was around seven or eight years ago, and we started talking about what it'd mean for them to become first party."

"And it was a process of what do you guys want to do, what's unique for us, and they were just going to do Crysis, and they'd just come out of Far Cry, and we said we've probably got enough military future shooters, so go do that."

I think Microsoft do a good job on the console side of things, but since they don't do a good job on the PC gaming side of things, the world is a better place with that purchase not having taken place.

Crytek has "fallen in love with Kinect" - Microsoft Games Studio boss [OXM]

Today, the South Korea GRB (Game Rating Board) apparently approved Crysis for the Xbox 360. Crysis has not been released on the Xbox 360. It's a Windows-only title.

According to the Korea GRB, the game will be published by EA Korea. The rating page, which also went live today, specifically states the game is Crysis. Crysis 2 was already released in South Korea earlier this year. Does this all mean the Xbox 360 is getting a Crysis port?

Kotaku contacted EA and will update this post should the company comment.

Update: South Korean game site Inven apparently contacted EA Korea, who supposedly confirmed the Xbox 360 version of Crysis, adding that the release date was TBA.

MyCrysis • View topic - Rumor - Crysis for X360?! [MyCrysis, Thanks catmario1121!]

The first Crysis was tailored directly towards the glorious PC master race. So the fact the sequel pared back the hardware demands in favour of something that would run on a console did not go down well.

The game's reception reflects this, and has perhaps led to a reassessment of the decision, Crytek boss Cevat Yerli telling Gamasutra "Crysis 1's intention was, if I were to play it three years later, it looks great. And it does, actually, it fulfilled that. But it made it difficult for entry-level players. So with Crysis 2, we took a different direction, and it backfired a little bit."

Next week's DX11 upgrade, for instance, is being viewed by Crytek as an olive branch of sorts, Yerli adding "This is much more like a gift to the high-end community. And I think gamers will appreciate that. It lifts up Crysis 2 and gives a sneak peak of how PC gaming will evolve in the future, if you support a high-end preference."

It'll be interesting to see if in the future people are saying "but will it run Crysis 2?" like they said "but will it run Crysis?" Because I've got a feeling they might be saying "but will it run Battlefield 3?" instead.

Crytek's Expensive 'Gift' To Its High-End Players [Gamasutra]

If you can handle it, that is.

When first released earlier this year, Crysis 2 disappointed many hardcore PC gamers, who had hoped the game would, like the first Crysis, be something that could really make an expensive rig sing.

Instead, it shipped so pared back there were Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, and the PC edition didn't even support DirectX 10, let alone the more contemporary DirectX 11.

All that changes next week, when developers Crytek release a big patch for the game that brings full DirectX 11 support, along with new shadow effects, motion blur effects, improved water effects and a new high resolution texture pack.

If your PC can handle all that, the patch will go live next Monday, June 27.

Crysis 2 Patch 1.9 Notes [Crysis]