EA's DeMartini claims Origin has 'never been about' competing with Steam

@copa
A couple of thoughts. Yes, it kinda sucks if we're going to have to have a separate login for each publisher; I'm not looking forward to that. However, about Origin, I will say this: EA isn't going anywhere, so I'm pretty sure they will not just abandon it and screw you out of the games you paid for. Secondly, there's less DRM in Origin than there is in Steam. You activate your game ONCE and never have to run the client again if you don't want, unlike Steam which has to be running constantly, even in offline mode.

@darksied
I'm not a PC gamer so I really don't belong here, but when are you, like ever, offline sans for an occasional ISP failure?

@darksied
While EA probably will be around forever, it's very easy for them to just drop a failed project with no care for their consumers.

If Origin does not work out (and likely it won't as for a fact I cannot use Origin and EA has told me they will not be adding support for users like me, namely people who travel a lot. They told me I would simply have to wait until I am physically back in the UK to purchase products on Origin. Until then I can't buy anything on Origin even if I wanted to!!!!!!)

So to think that Origin is here to stay is a bit silly, it is EA after all. Same like with all these large companies, they can do full turnaround on decisions and make the most stupid decisions ever.

Look at Ubisoft for example, they made the mistake of adding that game breaking DRM into Assassin's Creed 2, Silent Hunter and Splinter Cell Conviction.

Just before Brotherhood came out they updated all those games to remove the DRM, leaving just the great Uplay savegame syncing. They also launched Brotherhood without the DRM.

Now Might and Magic 5 or so is coming out and the beta for pre-order people has the very same DRM they removed and already many people are having the same issues with it that they had on the other games while they had that terrible DRM.

Ubisoft so far has clearly stated that Might and Magic 5 will launch with that DRM included!


So as far as we know within a year or less Origin could come and vanish and everyone who purchased on Origin will be very sorry.

I for one refuse to buy Battlefield 3 and SWTOR as long as it's not on Steam!

I only purchase retail games with Steamworks and all other games I purhchase on Steam!

I also have a PS3 and of course purchase all of those games retail, but I prefer playing most games on PC and don't always have my PS3 as it's only in one of the countries I travel to and am mostly not there.

@Prboi

Yet, I will never use Origin, and they lost sales for Crysis 2 from me because of it. Probably would have been, y'know, AFFORDABLE during this Steam event...

@Dance Mofo

It's plants on fire

@Prboi actually, it's plants for hire

@Prboi I grew up hearing "pants". To each his or her own. Game on brethren, see you on the battlefield. Together, we fight and capture these great deals.

@Prboi No... No its not...

@Vuvuzelas hahaha you guys are too funny, my bros and sises of the gaming world

@Dance Mofo

What are you guys smoking?

@Vuvuzelas Lol at Spongebob reference.

@Vuvuzelas

That's what I meant to say.

@Gibbeynator

You were thinking of Microsoft with their yet-again-rebranded and relaunched "Games for windows" brand.

You know, the same people who thought that Valve was crazy for creating Steam way back in 2002. You can also throw Yahoo into that mix of "crazy" people who obviously weren't interested in being a leader in digital distribution.

@Gibbeynator What makes you think it's not doing very well? I've heard good things: http://www.penny-arcade.com/2011/6/22/

@Tel Prydain

From what I'VE heard, it's mediocre at best for as long as it's been in development.

Not-sure-if-troll-or-just-stupid.JPG

@AFinalUltimatum Wow, excuse my first comment. I put that as a reply to the wrong comment. Deepest apologizes.

@Jennacide - He's currently lying out his ass. You can't buy BF3 on Steam (I've been trying). You can get it on D2D for like $54 right now, or on Origin for $60. I don't know of any other platforms it's on. For all I know, you may need to activate a D2D copy on Origin for it to work.

@nerdydesi1 With EA it's always about Ups and Downs, they say: look we are publishing the greatest military FPS for the PC!!! buy it!!, next day: BF3 wll be Origin Exclusive... next day: Shift Unleashed 2 DLC will be free for PC!!!.. then Dead Space 2 won't be arriving to PC :(... I just don't get it.

I love EA for the games they publish but i hate them fot the way they do. There seems to be always a catch.

I wont buy just about anything unless it's on Steam.

It's too damn convenient!!!

And adding another digital downloader like Steam is NOT my idea of being convenient.

I want to turn on my machine, open Steam and play. Not open Steam and Origin and tab between the 2 when I want to play a different game and manage 2 or 3 sets of friend lists......you get the idea.

I will never buy anything from Origin. I'll go retail and add that version to Steam before I buy from Origin.

Please die Origin.

Sincerely Slomo

@Dalrint The only game for PC I bought within the last 5 years or so that wasn't for steam is Minecraft.

@organiczero I also live in South America and buying a game from Origin it's a big pain, first of all i'm forced to buy the games on Euros, second i can't not use my credit card and The prices are usually higher also. With Steam i can buy my games with my PayPal account or my credit card with no probs.

@ORTHROK Steam more awful than your comment??? i don't think so little troll.

@ttank
Steam competitors: Impulse, Direct2Drive (not as nice as Impulse or Steam), Good Old Games - so, no, Steam is not a monopoly.

@ttank Like DarthCarto said, Steam is not a monopoly, it has several competitors (Direct2Drive for example is having a month long sale that has some games that beat steam's prices).

The key here is "products". Steam offers games from several publishers and developers. Origin only offers games from EA, and with a higher price than on other services.

Why would one trade a service that has more games, better prices and easiness to use to something that is just the contrary is beyond me.

IMO, if EA really wanted to maximize their profits, lowering their prices would make their games available to a bigger amount of buyers (including me). Also, they could work out their agreement with Steam for how much they get from each sale.

Either way, all we want is them to stop being so damn greedy.