EA: Origin now number 2 direct to consumer game service
Second only to Steam.
Origin is now the number two direct to consumer game service, EA has claimed.
It has more than 11 million registered users, EA boss John Riccitiello said during an investor call last night.
Origin is now second only to Valve's Steam platform, which has some 35 million users.
In a Q&A with investors, EA executive Peter Moore clarified that the 11 million figure relates to installs of the Origin client that are active on desktops.
EA's Origin update came a day before its planned Q&A with users as a way to generate feedback on the service.
Origin launched in June last year to much debate among gamers. Aggressive exclusivity on some EA games, such as Star Wars: The Old Republic, and the removal of EA games from Steam led to a rivalry between the two digital big hitters.
Origin generated $150 million in revenue during EA's 2012 financial year, fuelled by the launch of Mass Effect 3, Battlefield 3 and Star Wars: The Old Republic and third-party games. Indeed full game downloads were up 76 per cent year on year. Riccitiello predicted "strong on-going growth" for Origin in the future.
Moore added that the majority of revenue generated by Origin is from EA games, but "we are anticipating very strong third-party growth. You can watch it every week as the number of third-party titles come onto the Origin client".