Peter Moore on EA's Origin: "I would ask give us 18 months to two years"

By Robert Purchese Published 16 February, 2012

"It got off to a rocky start for all the wrong reasons."

Don't stand Origin directly next to Steam yet, EA's Peter Moore has asked - "give us 18 months to two years".

"We need to continue to add social layers so there is value to the consumer, so it doesn't feel like, in their words, 'something that is mandatory that I don't want'," murmered Moore to Kotaku.

"And it got off to a rocky start for all the wrong reasons which were mostly inaccurate: accusations of spyware. The EULA...

"We were clearly focused on by some folks who said, 'We don't like this. How can we start picking things apart?'"

But Origin's over the worst of it, according to Moore.

"It's quieted down. I don't think you see the initial level of vitriol. And I've been in gaming long enough [to know that] if you try to add something that's different, and particularly if you add the layer that it's EA and everything that goes with it..."

bennett

Like Bennett, gamers let off Steam.

Origin didn't come out of nowhere: it was the EA Store prior to being relaunched as Origin last summer, and before that it was EA Link and EA Downloader. But its relaunch as Origin was a clear, aggressive move to one day compete with Steam.

"We were clearly focused on by some folks who said, 'We don't like this. How can we start picking things apart?'"

Peter Moore, chief operating officer, EA

Origin now has 9.3 million users, and more than 1 million are active every day. Steam's witnessed 5 million people online at once, and has 35 million active users.

But Moore remembered Steam having similar problems to Origin at launch.

"If you go back and dust off the transcripts of when Steam first came out, it had the same reaction," Moore said. "People didn't like it. You were obligated."

"They provided, over the years - to Gabe [Newell's] and the team's credit - value to the gamer. Those first 12 months were very rocky."

Valve used its games to launch Steam, and so EA has with Origin, through Star Wars: The Old Republic and PC versions of Battlefield 3 and, soon, Mass Effect 3.

More to the point, no internally developed EA games - post-Origin's launch - are available on Steam. These games aren't Origin exclusive - places like GameFly (formerly Direct2Drive) and GamersGate stock them - but promotions and pricing make Origin an overwhelmingly compelling destination to buy them from in Steam's absence.

Steam today offers a catalogue of 1800 games. Origin doesn't, although hands are slowly being shaken by EA. But Moore wants more, and even Valve's games on Origin.

"It's an open platform. There is nothing I would love more than to have Valve's - everybody's games. We're talking to every publisher, as you can imagine.

"It's one of those things where I would ask give us 18 months to two years," Moore concluded. "And if we sit here two years from now, start looking at it then.

"The ability to have your own direct platform with the consumer is going to be very important in the digital world going forward."

You can download the Mass Effect 3 demo through Origin now.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds. @Clert on Twitter.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (92) Latest comment 3 months ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • streetmagix #1 3 months ago

    Nice to have a proper competitor to Steam. To those complaining (because people always will) imagine the console market with only the XBox 360.

  • Subdominator #2 3 months ago

    No Steam, no sale.

  • Spekingur #3 3 months ago

    Oi, if you want Valve games on Origin maybe you should allow the recent EA games on Steam? Give people the choice and stop being assholes.

  • cianchristopher #4 3 months ago

    "I don't need the girl, John. I DON'T NEED NO GIRL"

  • Whizzo #5 3 months ago

    Some of us remember nonsense like this Peter, the second to last paragraph is rather funny in retrospect.

  • ZuluHero #6 3 months ago

    Well he is right, when Steam first launched I did feel like it was being forced on me. Now it's a permanent addition to my taskbar.

    The problem is my PC is filling up with proprietary software and game launchers as everyone wants a bit of the pie and personally i don't like being forced to use even more. As the end consumer, I would much prefer being able to decide what software launcher/gaming portal/whatever I want to use.

    If being available from multiple places stops a monopoly and adds a bit of competition to pricing, then even better.
    Edited by ZuluHero at 16/02/12 @ 14:36

  • StooMonster #7 3 months ago

    Moore says "There is nothing I would love more than to have Valve's - everybody's games."

    Yet Steam cannot have EA's games.

    Guess the winners are GameStop's Impulse who now carry Valve and EA games.

    EA Titles Now Available For GameStop PC Downloads Customers in The United Kingdom!

  • DrStrangelove #8 3 months ago

    "We need to continue to add social layers so there is value to the consumer, so it doesn't feel like, in their words, 'something that is mandatory that I don't want',"
    Social layers are certainly going to change my mind about that...

  • cianchristopher #9 3 months ago

    Does it still have the whole "if you don't log in for 2 years, you forfeit your account" thing going on?

    That's how you inspire consumer confidence, by threatening your customers.

  • Skirlasvoud #10 3 months ago

    "I would ask give us 18 months to two years"

    You ask us this and expect gamers to respond like reasonable folk?

  • Whizzo #11 3 months ago

    What is now called Origin was launched originally in 2005, it's not like they've not had quite a bit of time already.

  • barnett666 #12 3 months ago

    was gonna download the PC version of the ME3 demo on Tuesday to compare it with the 360 SKU. Then I realised that it was only available on Origin. Looks like I'll be staying ignorant to the higher resolutions and frame rates due to it not being on Steam :(

  • molekiller #13 3 months ago

    Bennet's pic is epic, kudos!

  • niroe #14 3 months ago

    Got no issues with Origin. Can't understand why people want Steam to have the monopoly! It'll only hurt us the paying customer. No competition will just result in higher prices!

  • Lunatic4ever #15 3 months ago

    Yeah I got, but I don't want to.

    I'm happy with steam and I don't want my games on seperate platforms. I am ONLY on origin because BF3 and if I had a chance to play it without origin, I'd happily do so. My inital experiences with the client were terrible and customer support was a huge letdown, not to mention the various connectivity issues.

    EA should forego some profit and strike a good deal with valve instead of trying to build up an own empire. Nobody really likes EA but we somehow like their games.
    Consequently as a customer I want the game minus EA. That is my perception of superiour value. Steam is like Facebook for gamers. it has become our hub for gaming and origin is like google plus, trying desperately to get in and grab some without actually offering anything innovative or new (please let's not mention the OH SO revolutionary circles in google plus :S).

    What happens is, I simply become more annoyed by EA because I feel how they are forcing themselves into the market. It's so penetrant and obvious that it sucks.
    So cut, give me Shepard on Steam and cut the crap.
    Edited by Lunatic4ever at 16/02/12 @ 14:58

  • jetsetwillie #16 3 months ago

    don't worry pete, all the internet hater weirdo's will be back to hating activision then for some petty and trivial reason by then.
    Edited by jetsetwillie at 16/02/12 @ 15:09

  • dingo75 #17 3 months ago

    Peter Moore on EA's Origin: "I would ask give us 18 months to two years"
    You mean until it's dead?
    Sure thing. I will wait.

  • Toothball #18 3 months ago

    I'd imagine most of the rocky start was a result of them trying to forcibly move gamers away from Steam with the reasoning that they were doing it because it was in their best interests. Differences aside, people rarely react well to being forced into anything. When it comes down to it, running Origin isn't any extra effort beyond a few minutes worth of installing, but it requires people to change their habits. That tends to be when they get on the defensive and say mean things.

    I think EA's main problem now is that there isn't really a compelling reason to buy games through Origin. Prices there seem to stick to full price, and while they have sales they don't tend to be strong enough to get people noticing them. Valve on the other hand manage to get people spending money on games they had no intention of buying. That's going to be a difficult hurdle for EA.

  • pcgamerx #19 3 months ago

    Post deleted at 17:39:03 16-02-2012

  • Subquest #20 3 months ago

    You can add shortcuts to your Origin games in Steam, so all your games can still be listed in one place.

    I've not problem whatsoever with Origin as a UI, it's streamlined and to the point, and doesn't seem to hog system resources. But they surely can't expect Valve to allow their games to be bought on Origin when EA removed their catalogue from Steam, even games which were already on there like Crysis 2.

  • Moz #21 3 months ago

    My big issue is I only want ONE such service on my PC and I already have a library of games on Steam so I don't want Origin and I don't like being forced into using it so I simply don't play new EA games on my PC. So that's one sale they've lost as a result of their choices and I'm betting i'm not the only one.

  • rtk79 #22 3 months ago

    While I have no qualms with Origin as DRM / launchpad, this statement, "promotions and pricing make Origin an overwhelmingly compelling destination to buy them from in Steam's absence" is, quite simply, completely untrue : Origin is severely outpriced by each of its competitors, whether retail or digital (Gamersgate, as mentionned, comes to mind). Not only that, regional discrepancies are extremely unfair (US customers get Battlefield 3 with a purchase of Mass Effect 3, EU customers get to pay 50 euros).

  • Darren #23 3 months ago

    What astounds me about Origin is that it was released, what last June? But it is still in beta. Yet EA force people to use it for their new games when it is clearly unfinished in my experience as I've had issues with every game I've had to use it with. The last one was Kingdoms of Amalur which I had to install twice because the first time the game installed beyond the stated size, i.e. it reached 9.4 GB of 7.7 GB before I cancelled it!!!

    Add to that the annoying way it announces that it is still running via a notification bubble when I've just booted into Windows, the way patches seldom seem to install properly for me (nor do EA offer a standalone solution), a View setting that simply does not work (uninstalled games show under Ready to Play, Favourites show games that aren't, etc., etc.), old removed demos still show in My Games list (I guess I'm going to be seeing Mass Effect 3 demo from now on?), aborted downloads that don't resume and you might understand why I dislike it so much. That it still hasn't left beta is very telling IMO.

    Steam was a mess when it started too but it was a pioneer that led to the digital downloads we take for granted today on the PC. The problem with Origin as I see it is that EA are simply not doing enough to improve/fix it as updates are very rare, much less frequent than they are for Steam and that has far fewer issues on my own system (lack of custom installs and no verification option for backups are my only complaints with the software). EA should take a long hard look at how Valve support Steam; Origin would be a much better and less frustrating piece of software if they did.
    Edited by Darren at 16/02/12 @ 15:25

  • Lancezh #24 3 months ago

    I dont want origin with its current EULA and i'll continue to boycott anything that comes out on it until it changes. If i die without any more origin games, so be it.

  • Subdominator #25 3 months ago

    @Lancezh Pretty much this. Anyone who agrees to their EULA is a moron. The either haven't read it at all or they don't understand it, cause noone in their right state of mind would sign what they want you to sign.

  • rtk79 #26 3 months ago

    @Darren As mentionned in the article, Origin did not launch in June, "it was the EA Store prior to being relaunched as Origin last summer, and before that it was EA Link and EA Downloader".

  • juliankennedy23 #27 3 months ago

    If it worked well people really wouldn't complain... The complaint is being forced to use an inferior product.

  • cianchristopher #28 3 months ago

    What do they ask you to sign, subdominator?

    WHAT DO THEY ASK YOU TO SIGN?

  • butler` #29 3 months ago

    I've never even seen Origin. Nor do I ever particularly want to.

    Valve, as ever, are a million miles ahead of EA, and deserve the success that their first to market platform has garnered them, even if it was just used to 'capture' the huge community surrounding Counter-Strike at the time, which wasn't even one of their games.

  • Darren #30 3 months ago

    @rtk79 - Wikipedia shows the initial Origin release as 3rd June 2011. ;)

    Yes, I'm aware it existed before then as EA Downloader but until last year no PC games required it in order to run which was the point I was making. I never installed EA Downloader previously because I didn't want to but with Origin I no longer have any choice.

    I actually resent being forced to use a beta. Until Origin reaches a stable release and loses the beta tag, IMO, it should be optional for those of us, like me, who still buy their games on disc. Alice: Madness Returns for example doesn't require either Origin or the disc to run and that's how I'd prefer my EA games in all honesty as I have fewer issues that way.

  • FatalHybrid #31 3 months ago

    It's taken me so long to warm to Origin and I'm still not there yet.. I'm getting closer but old habits die hard. I've been using Steam for so long that when EA refuses to stock games on it, it does frustrate me and it does as stupid as it may sound makes me less inclined to use Origin as my choice is eliminated. Mass Effect 3 will probably be my first Origin purchase but it'll take a lot before my games list on Origin is even close to my Steam library.

  • jetsetwillie #32 3 months ago

    @butler` how would you know if you've never even seen origin. or are you just parroting shit you've been fed online

  • FireMonkey #33 3 months ago

    @butler` - "I've never even seen Origin. Nor do I ever particularly want to.
    Valve, as ever, are a million miles ahead of EA"

    How do you know if you have never even seen Origin?

    Edit: Damn your quick fingers JetSet!
    Edited by FireMonkey at 16/02/12 @ 15:53

  • eimhin85 #34 3 months ago

    @Spekingur Exactly, i already bought mass effect 1 and 2 on steam, i dont want to be forced into changing service.

  • TheApologist #35 3 months ago

    Steam may have the largest market share by a distance, but they don't have a monopoly.

    There are other download services out there, in fact there is plenty of competition. However, Origin is the only one with a reputation for arbitrarily banning people from their game purchases, and is the only one that gives you not choice about whether or not to send EA information about your PC.

  • Kami #36 3 months ago

    If EA want Valve games on Origin, then they're going to have to let EA games on Steam, otherwise this is just a load of simpering hot air from someone who wants us to feel bad for them, for their own amazingly daft decisions. Maybe a compromise? Some Valve games for some EA games?

    It might work... or am I thinking too reasonably here?

  • marblepuke #37 3 months ago

    And why is Origin still in "beta" phase? I mean, that word "Origin beta" in the main browser window alone makes their whole system sound like they could care less..

    Edit: Dang, seems Darren beat me to it way earlier :-P
    Edited by marblepuke at 16/02/12 @ 16:04

  • FireMonkey #38 3 months ago

    @Subquest - "You can add shortcuts to your Origin games in Steam, so all your games can still be listed in one place."

    Agreed. I understand the EULA issue for people, but everything else seems like silly fanboyism to me.

    Surely having 2 places to buy games is better than one as competition is good for the consumer.

    Also, if EA doesn't want to sell the game on Steam that is fair enough. Do people bitch and moan about Tesco being the only place you can buy a Tesco product? No, they deal with it and if they want the product they go to Tesco! At least with these online stores you don't actually have to get off you fat arses you just click a few buttons.

  • bad09 #39 3 months ago

    Said it before, not touching it until you publicly address the stealing of games for forum posts Pete. Come stop ignoring those questions from RPS we need more than you saying "we're reviewing our terms" then hoping it will go away.

  • cianchristopher #40 3 months ago

    9 million Origin accounts sounds like pure bullshit, btw. Only SW: TOR and BF3 have the kind of serious pulling power that gets people on Origin in the first place - and with TOR having 2-3m of those and Battlefield maybe getting another 2 million I really can't see where the shortfall is being made up.

    Unless of course they were "creatively" including all the old EA accounts from years ago. But Ea wouldn't do a thing like that, would they?

  • arcam #41 3 months ago

    I'm no fan of EA, not by a long shot, but everything he says here is spot on and surprisingly honest.

    I wouldn't use it given the choice, and that won't change in 18 months, but if EA keep releasing games like BF3 I will learn to get used to it.

  • zegerman1942 #42 3 months ago

    I quite like Origin so far. As for Valve games on Origin, i would imagine if that happens some kind of deal is struck and EA games would be on Steam as well.

    Overall it does not really matter who is behind these online distribution services, they all have advantages and disadvantages - what matters to me is consumer choice.

  • ryanmohammed #43 3 months ago

    @FireMonkey
    >Surely having 2 places to buy games is better than one as competition is good for the consumer.

    It would be if half of those games weren't exclusive to one client. EA needs to release BF3 and ME3 on Steam before this competition argument will be true.

  • bad09 #44 3 months ago

    @cianchristopher

    It's probably true. All EA accounts are effectively Origin accounts and work on there so anyone who set one up to play online or used the old EADM (which has been around a few years as stated in the article) will now have an origin account. Sneaky way to get a huge "user base" but accurate.

  • manic_mouse #45 3 months ago

    To all you guys saying Origin is good because it's competition, it isn't.

    It would only be competition if EA games were available on both platforms at the same price. Then we could decide which platform we preferred. At the moment, instead, you are FORCED to use Origin if you want to play EA games. If you have no choice how can anyone claim that it's competition?

    It's not competition, it's fragmentation. All because EA want more profit.

    Steam does everything Origin does, but better. The SOLE reason for Origin's existence is so that EA can cut Valve out of the equation and make more money - at the expense of the customer by making playing games on PC more complicated and fragmented. Anyone claiming otherwise is talking BS.

    Also, anyone arguing that a steam having a "monopoly" will mean high prices also clearly knows very little about steam. Because it's always been one of the cheapest ways of getting games. It doesn't have a monopoly either since there are plenty of other places to get downloadable games (Good old games, direct to drive etc).

    Origins is garbage. It is EA putting profits above their consumers. Given the choice nobody would want Origin over Steam, EA simply take that choice away if you want to play their games. Basically using their good products to force a crappy inferior one on consumers for profit. Yes, they have the right to do so. But it's really, REALLY scum-baggy. And I shall not be supporting it.

    The analogy of only having the 360 in the console market is also completely flawed btw. Because Valve do not make hardware. It would be like saying "imagine having only game shops that sold all games". Yeah, that's the way it was supposed to work. How would you feel if EA pulled their games from all retailers and made you use some crappy EA store (which was inferior) to buy games. Not best pleased. But it's a much more accurate analogy.

    If EA still had games on Steam then they would maybe have a point. Instead they pulled them all to force consumers to use Origins - which renders all arguments of "competition" completely redundant. Nobody is using Origins because it's competitive with Steam, and EA didn't make Origins because they think it's better than Steam (they themselves admit it isn't). The only reason Origins exists is so EA can make more profit off their games. By shoving an inferior product down consumers throats.
    Edited by manic_mouse at 16/02/12 @ 16:38

  • StooMonster #46 3 months ago

    @niroe Can't understand why people want Steam to have the monopoly!

    I don't want any monopoly, I like choice and I would like to be able to choose Steam, Origin, Impulse or whatever platform based on their quality of service and pricing ... not because one of them prevents their titles being available on the competition.

  • FireMonkey #47 3 months ago

    @ryanmohammed - Read the rest of my post about exclusives.

    Anyway, what about Portal 2 (and maybe the HalfLife games) though. Isn't that exclusive to Steam?

    So, isn't that worse than EA making things like BF3 available on multiple services except for Steam?

    Edit: Looks like it isn't exclusive, but still BF3 and ME3 are NOT exclusive to Origin they just are not on Steam in the same was as HL2 and Portal are not on Origin.
    Edited by FireMonkey at 16/02/12 @ 16:41

  • FireMonkey #48 3 months ago

    @manic_mouse - "It would only be competition if EA games were available on both platforms at the same price."

    Lol, do you understand what competition means in business? It does NOT mean everyone releasing at the same price and see who people like more, it means seeing who can get the better service, the better products and the better price.

  • manic_mouse #49 3 months ago

    @FireMonkey Or even available.

    So if EA pulled their retail games from brick-and- mortar stores and made you buy them from an EA store that would be good?

    EDIT: Origins is a crappier product than Steam (currently), and isn't going to lower prices (since Steam sales are already insane). So in what way does Origins benefit consumers?
    Edited by manic_mouse at 16/02/12 @ 16:41

  • bad09 #50 3 months ago

    "Given the choice nobody would want Origin over Steam"

    Once a few glaring T&C issues are sorted as a DRM (which is all Steam is to me apart from a place to buy cheaply) it's a lot less restrictive than Steam so I'm happy (well as happy as you can be about DRM anyway) to use Origin for EA discs certainly happier than using steamworks....once those terms are a bit more consumer friendly and gamers are protected though, not before.

  • FireMonkey #51 3 months ago

    @manic_mouse - They ARE on multiple platforms though. The competition is not just between Steam and Origin you have the other players too.

    If EA still allow me to buy from the other services too (as they do now) then I wouldn't be too bothered about the bricks and mortar as there would be competition between the digital services to get the better price and more buyers.

    Edit: "and isn't going to lower prices (since Steam sales are already insane)"

    Wow! You can see the future. Origin have already had a sale and the prices were pretty damn good tbh.

    The great thing about competition is that now Origin will try beating Steams sales and if they manage it Steam will do even better sales. Competition is a WIN for us.
    Edited by FireMonkey at 16/02/12 @ 16:45

  • 00.00.01 #52 3 months ago

    @cianchristopher
    It is likely that a bulk of those accounts have originated ;) from their sports series. FIFA and the likes all used the old EA-store...

  • rtk79 #53 3 months ago

    @Darren Well I started using the EA Downloader some months before it was rebranded, as it allowed for something my retail discs did not : choice of langage. Something I'm very grateful for.
    It changed only in name, as all Origin's "social functions" were already in place then.
    As for the beta thing, I've had no issues with it. It even works offline.

  • rtk79 #54 3 months ago

    Post deleted at 16:49:58 16-02-2012

  • butler` #55 3 months ago

    @FireMonkey how do i know that valve are a million miles ahead of EA?

    erm...

    try 8 years and 5mil concurrent users.

  • rtk79 #56 3 months ago

    @manic_mouse "Steam does everything Origin does, but better." The day your internet connection fails, you'll change your tune !

  • FireMonkey #57 3 months ago

    @manic_mouse - Referring to your big post again.

    You could say EXACTLY the same as you are saying about Origin about Steam.

    "At the moment, instead, you are FORCED to use Origin if you want to play EA games. If you have no choice how can anyone claim that it's competition?"

    You are also forced to use Steam if you want to play a Valve game.

    "It's not competition, it's fragmentation. All because EA want more profit."

    There were other digital download services before Steam, so they started fragmenting the market all because Valve wanted more profit.

    "Steam does everything Origin does, but better."

    IMHO, Origin is better than Steam when Steam first released

    "The SOLE reason for Origin's existence is so that EA can cut Valve out of the equation and make more money"

    and the SOLE reason for Steam's existence is so that Valve could cut the other download services of the time and the shops out of the equation and make more money.

    "at the expense of the customer by making playing games on PC more complicated and fragmented. Anyone claiming otherwise is talking BS."

    How much simpler do you want it to be? To play BF3, I double click on the BF3 icon on the desktop and of it goes. I'm pretty certain it's not any easier than that with Steam.

    Don't get me wrong, I love Steam but it's starting to get worse fanboys than Apple.

  • manic_mouse #58 3 months ago

    @FireMonkey Unless you want to play EA games... I don't particularly want to fragment my game collection, friends, community etc between multiple services. And this sets a dangerous precedent. What if every big publisher decides to do this, and we end up with many different services and launchers?

    Origin had a sale to compete with Steam, not the other way around btw. If steam didn't exist I doubt Origin would be having any sales.

    EDIT: And to address your points:

    "IMHO, Origin is better than Steam when Steam first released"

    Had Valve launched Steam in a setting where there was already an existing well established and standard "steam-like" client, then I would be saying the same thing about them. It's completely irrelevant to say that Origin is better than Steam was circa 2004. It isn't competing with Steam circa 2004 and the environment is completely different.

    Maybe I'm alone in wanting one game collection, one friends list, achievements, forums, groups etc. I really doubt Origins will make Steam any cheaper. It doesn't offer better service than Steam. I just, personally, completely fail to see any benefit to me as a consumer from it. Sure it benefits EA's bottom dollar, but to me it simply means the games I want aren't available on the service I want. And I suspect that would be the majority of people's feelings on the subject.
    Edited by manic_mouse at 16/02/12 @ 17:18

  • Waffleaber #59 3 months ago

    If Origin had the same "Free Battlefield 3 when you buy Mass Effect 3" offer that's on in the states that would go a long way to increasing your goodwill round these parts.

  • FireMonkey #60 3 months ago

    @butler` - "how do i know that valve are a million miles ahead of EA?

    erm...

    try 8 years and 5mil concurrent users."

    Still don't see how exactly do you 'know' it is better? After all you said you have never even seen Origin. Just because it has been around longer and has more users doesn't mean it's better.

    Christ, my Nan has been around longer and had more users than my partner, but I doubt she is better.
    Edited by FireMonkey at 16/02/12 @ 17:01

  • manic_mouse #61 3 months ago

    @rtk79 I've never had any problem playing Steam games in offline mode - happens all the time...

  • Gastrian #62 3 months ago

    Post deleted at 17:56:43 13-04-2012

  • v.profane #63 3 months ago

    The "Steam was rubbish when it started" excuse doesn't wash; apart from anything EA have had various versions of Origin since 2005! Secondly if EA had decided to release a console this year and it was roughly on par with the PS1 nobody would care it was as good as Sony's first attempt, it's still far behind the modern standard.

  • jetsetwillie #64 3 months ago

    @v.profane but origin isn't rubbish. it works just fine. just as well as steam in my experience

  • Lamb #65 3 months ago

    Well you know something that might be awesome and might lead me to buy Mass Effect 3 on Origin is if they can show me how to take my completed saves from the previous two Mass Effects which I got on XBox and transfer them to the Mass Effect 3 PC version.

  • arcam #66 3 months ago

    @Gastrian When the whole thing is all legalese that none of understand, what most people end up going on is trust, and it seems even Peter Moore is aware of that.

    The fact is Valve have earned people's trust and goodwill, they did that even before Steam. EA on the other hand have earned the opposite, and PC gamers in particular are rather distrusting of them, with lots of people half-expecting to have the rug pulled from under them or for EA to sell them out in some way.

    Whether that's fair or not (IMO it's perfectly fair), EA/Valve's respective relationships are probably more important to the accepting of Origin than the tightly worded EULA, which nobody reads and is incompatible with lots of laws anyway.

    While I don't doubt EA can build a big userbase for Origin who grudgingly accept its existence, EA have a long way to go if they want people to recommend it and be enthusiastic about it in the same way they are about Steam.

  • manic_mouse #67 3 months ago

    @jetsetwillie Achievements? Tradable items? Friends lists/groups/community? Cloud saves? In-game web-browser and overlay? Game selection? Mac support? iOS/Android client?

    It doesn't look to be anywhere near as good as Steam to me...
    Edited by manic_mouse at 16/02/12 @ 17:35

  • pcgamerx #68 3 months ago

    we need EA sport games on PC like NHL , NFL ,,,,, etc

  • Gastrian #69 3 months ago

    Post deleted at 17:56:43 13-04-2012

  • blod74 #70 3 months ago

    Make the damn thing work properly for a start, I'm still having intermitent problems with BF3 which makes me re-install every couple of weeks!

  • arcam #71 3 months ago

    @Gastrian I agree, a lot of it is unwarranted. EA haven't removed their games out of spite, they've removed them because they recognise the earning power of DLC and micro-transactions and selling their games on Steam would severely affect that. Valve would do the same thing.

    But like I say it's their own fault that people expect the worst of them. People don't trust what they say because EA have bullshitted so many times in the past, and they only ever show respect for money, not respect for PC gaming like Valve have.

    So it's a shame there is so much FUD spread about, but they only have themselves to blame. Maybe they can change that, but I doubt it - they have an awful lot of work to do to win back that trust.

    edit: open and honest comments like in this interview are a good start.
    Edited by arcam at 16/02/12 @ 18:22

  • Gastrian #72 3 months ago

    Post deleted at 17:56:43 13-04-2012

  • Glück #73 3 months ago

    I prefer give my money to a develover like Valve than a corporation like EA. It's simple as that. I can wait to buy Mass Effect 3 next year in Steam and for less money.

  • craziii #74 3 months ago

    who the hell in their right mind would willingly install a super spyware on their comp?

    who?

    besides the 9 mil dumbfucks that installs everything before reading the eula.

  • 32768Colours #75 3 months ago

    "We need to continue to add social layers so there is value to the consumer, so it doesn't feel like, in their words, 'something that is mandatory that I don't want',"
    ... or in other words, to obscure the fact that its something mandatory that people don't want?
    "And it got off to a rocky start for all the wrong reasons,"
    As opposed to getting off to a rocky start for all the right reasons? :confused:

    What a very strange man.

  • Buran #76 3 months ago

    Origin is fine -can be a lot better but I can stand it- but Battle.log is the worst client ever. I WILL NOT BUY BATTLEFIELD 2143 OR BAD COMPANY 3 IF USES BATTLELOG.

    Battlelog is one of the 3 main reasons due I did stop to play BF3. Keep improving Origin, fire the Battlelog creators and maybe we will have bussiness again in the future, EA.

  • lmfsilva #77 3 months ago

    I only have origin to activate retail FIFA / FIFA Manager in case I have a craving for either, with the added convenience of not having to bother with discs. I now notice they also automatically activated Need for Speed Hot Pursuit on Origin, with the same key I got from Steam. Errr, thanks?

    The only reasons I don't see myself using it as often as steam are the few non-EA titles, and the high price of the games, although it's getting better - just a few months ago, they were asking €20/€30 for titles that could be bought on retail budget editions for €10. Right now, they have NFL Head Coach on sale for 9€, and while. I know it is supposed to be rubbish, might buy it out of curiosity.

    If EA wants to succeed, they need a lot more games, from €5 indies to €50 AAA titles and also regular promotions - I can't remember many games I've bough full price on steam, but even at discount, I've wasted a pretty good amount of money there. Also also make, for instance, a reasonably priced "NHL Legacy" (or FIFA/NBA/Madden) pack, with all games between 1988 and 2008, properly supported to run in modern systems. Using it only to peddle Sims, Mass Effect and Battlefield when the company has about 30 years of back catalog seems a poor move. Of course, not all of it has any commercial value, but putting it up a few dozens of titles for free would be a good PR move. And boy, do they need one.
    Edited by lmfsilva at 16/02/12 @ 19:40

  • Ahskay #78 3 months ago

    9 million people is the total number of idiots that like spyware.
    Edited by Ahskay at 16/02/12 @ 20:17

  • HeNiCiDe1988 #79 3 months ago

    @streetmagix lmao shut up, Steam doesnt alter it services. You get a different experience on a ps3 or 360/PC all steam is a program that allows you to (obviously community aspects) play games so your point is just typically american competition is good bull, steam doesnt alter what it does. Nor is it bad at what it does, thus Origins can get lost because its just a publisher trying to improve their position-unless they start showing support to indie developers for example or doing it for all games rather then just their own games then it would even be considered!
    Edited by HeNiCiDe1988 at 16/02/12 @ 21:15

  • HeNiCiDe1988 #80 3 months ago

    really hope Origins gets slapped some more, if they hadnt I dont know maybe NOT forced us to use origins by removing games from Steam to play which they only have done for extra money and just let us have the choice between the two then they would be seen in better light , thats the thing people are missing they forcing us to use origins for their games whilst yes steam you have to use to play some games (bit annoying you cant play a sp without it) but they dont just do it FOR THEIR GAMES THEY DO IT FOR EVERYONE'S GAMES especially for Indie developers thus it will always win.-also if they stopped spying on you and origins being crap.
    Edited by HeNiCiDe1988 at 16/02/12 @ 21:14

  • pcgamerx #81 3 months ago

    Why no EA sport games on PC ?

  • v.profane #82 3 months ago

    @jetsetwillie Peter Moore seems to think it's "18 months to 2 years" behind.

  • xenon_md #83 3 months ago

    @HeNiCiDe1988
    You need to take a breath, your brain appears to be oxygen depraved.

  • FireMonkey #84 3 months ago

    @HeNiCiDe1988 - Steam changed their policies so the games had to be removed. If Steam had kept to it's original policies the games would still be on their.

    That is Valves doing and NOT EA's. Yes it may play into EA's hands, but it was all down to Valve trying to control where people bought their DLC and so make them even more money.

    Surely EA had removed them to control the market more then they would have removed them from all download services. They have not.

    EA have explained this a few times and yet their has been no comment from Valve to deny it. If you are upset that the games are not on Steam then blame Valve.

    VG247 and RPS have coved this too and RPS requested feedback from Valve, but they have remained silent on the subject. If the situation is not of their cause then staying silent as they have is a very strange thing to do.

    http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/07/27/the-fade-dragon-age-ii-gone-from-steam/
    http://www.vg247.com/2011/07/12/why-valve-needs-to-come-clean-on-steams-ea-aversion/

    Valve are a business the same as EA. They both want as much of your money as possible and will both do whatever them think they can get away with to get it.
    Edited by FireMonkey at 16/02/12 @ 23:22

  • ScepticMatt #85 3 months ago

    Unless they fix their horrendous EULA, no buy
    I mean, you forfeit your account after 2 inactive years?

  • FireMonkey #86 3 months ago

    @ScepticMatt - "you forfeit your account after 2 inactive years"

    You are referring to this bit I guess:
    “If you have not used your Entitlements or Account for twenty four (24) months or more and your Account has associated Entitlements, your Entitlements will expire and your Account may be cancelled for non-use.”

    This is actually stating that your account is safe for at least 24 months of in-activity.

    Another way of reading it is that they will not cancel your account unless it is has not been used for 24 months or more and even then it is still a 'may' and not a 'will'.

    Note the absence of this in other EULA's actually means that other companies 'may' remove you account whenever they want.

    This part of the EULA is actually protecting you as a customer.

    The only bit of the EULA I do not like is the bit about data gathering, but tbh I have a feeling that has been badly written too and sounds worse then it is. Still it's crappy and needs re-addressing by EA
    Edited by FireMonkey at 16/02/12 @ 23:46

  • arcam #87 3 months ago

    Valve have commented, and it's not like the reasoning is a mystery.

    Steam says if you want to sell your game on Steam, you have to offer the DLC there too. EA (and Mojang, and Nadeo etc.) want to sell the DLC exclusively themselves, so their games are incompatible with the service. Whether Valve pushed or EA jumped makes no difference.

  • FireMonkey #88 3 months ago

    @arcam - Sorry, I had seen that but Gabe saying it's actually "a whole complicated set of issues" is as good as saying nothing.

    I agree that the reason the games were removed should make no real difference, but people are blaming EA for fragmenting the market and removing their choice of where to buy games which is not necessarily EA's fault and so I think it is important.

    EA had it's own policies in place that worked fine with Steam before, so why should EA change them (and potentially have to patch some games that have in game stores) to meet Valves changed policies. Valve and EA should really have talked before hand and tried to come to some arrangement but BOTH companies are being too stubborn and greedy and forgetting about us the customers.
    Edited by FireMonkey at 17/02/12 @ 00:01

  • arcam #89 3 months ago

    @FireMonkey It's not just EA that Valve needs to talk to, the DLC issue affects everyone.

    However I'm not as bothered by some games not appearing on Steam as lots of other people seem to be. Minecraft isn't on Steam and that didn't seem to do it any harm. PC gaming has never been about one company running the whole show, that's one of its strengths.

    I do agree that it'd be nice if they could sit down and work it out though. I'd have bought BF3 on Steam if I could, but I guess EA knows that so they have little incentive to make it work anyway.

  • RodHull #90 3 months ago

    If you love Origin so much Mr Moore, where's the tattoo?

  • actionfitz #91 3 months ago

    ""And it got off to a rocky start for all the wrong reasons which were mostly inaccurate"

    So it's 'Inaccurate' that you pulled SWTOR off all the other Digital download services and made it Origin exclusive so you could charge £45 for it?
    Mkay...

  • jonfon #92 3 months ago

    I've tried Origin a few times now. Usually it takes me a few attempts to even log on, and deal with whatever weird errors it's decided to send me (invalid cache folder, even though I'm using the default).

    Then I get on and see The Old Republic on there for 75 euros and remember why I shouldn't bother. 75 Euros!!

    Meanwhile Steam won't allow me to download anything after about 7 o'clock, unless I opt for a server in Singapore and get a terrible DL rate.

    And Impulse / Gamestop keeps throwing Certificate Errors at me.

    So at the moment they're all annoying me, for different reasons.