I think EA’s trying to convince me to stop being a PC gamer.

Thankfully I started playing Mass Effect on the Xbox because I didn’t want to hope or wait for a PC release. Usually if a game is available for PC and console, I’ll get the PC version. Since Mass Effect 2 built on the previous game’s save file, I’ve been locked into the console version of the series, so this news really doesn’t affect me too much. Still, this as a glimpse into the future and it doesn’t look good.

I don’t need another online store to buy games from. I don’t want another username to keep track of (even if Keepass makes it easy). There’s already Amazon, Direct 2 Drive, Good Old Games, Impulse, and Steam just to name the one’s I’ve used recently. I have no interest in buying games from EA’s store or Activision’s store or Ubisoft’s store. Especially not given how poorly they seem to handle data security. Having my name and email address is one thing. Having my credit card number? No.

I certainly don’t need or want a social network tied into it either. I’m already in one too many and it especially doesn’t make sense to participate in one tied to a publisher.

Here’s a tip for EA and the other publishers. I rarely identify games with publishers unless it because of awful DRM or some other screwup. I identify games with the developers. When I heard there was a Batman sequel coming, my only interest was would Rocksteady be developing it. Without resorting to Google, I can’t tell you who the publisher is. Honestly, half the time I get EA and Activision confused. Ubisoft is the one publisher I can keep straight, but that’s because of their colossally stupid always online DRM. That’s not good company to be in.

Origin is a bad idea. Having games with Origin exclusive versions is a worse idea. If you really want to shoot off a toe, I recommend going all in and making all of your games Origin exclusive. I might miss out on some fun gameplay, but you’ll save me a lot of money.

No Thanks EA

10 thoughts on “No Thanks EA

  • July 8, 2011 at 5:21 pm
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    It is bad that every company tries to establish its own download service and social network and all that.

    I forgot the name, Brad Wardell (?) from Stardock had ideas about digital distribution that were all against tying the customer to the digital distribution service they bought the game from. Basically, if Steam goes belly up people could still download updates for their games from other networks.

    Right now it is all about Steam. This must be challenged. But I don’t think Origin or other company-owned networks do this, they are just there to maximize profit and not about the interests of gamers.

    • July 8, 2011 at 9:24 pm
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      Yeah, Wardell’s company ran Impulse before selling it to Gamestop. Their DRM was tied to your account but only for installation and updates. You could run a game bought from Impulse without having Impulse running or being online.

      I do agree that Steam needs more viable competition, but not publishers. What we need is another one or two (at most) retailers with deep and wide catalogs of games. Not half a dozen publishers each with just their own games and a half dozen different DRM methods.

  • July 8, 2011 at 6:49 pm
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    Hear, hear! And the fact that they’ve drug the Origin name down into this gutter is salt in the wound.

  • July 8, 2011 at 9:01 pm
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    And for the second dose of stupid, the only digital distribution of SWTOR will ALSO be an Origin Exclusive.

    Yep. Shooting your self in the foot and hoping the force can deflect the bullet. Good times.

    • July 8, 2011 at 9:25 pm
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      I saw that and decided I’d be buying a boxed copy from Amazon. I would really rather buy a digital copy if I could but not if that’s my only option.

  • July 9, 2011 at 1:23 pm
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    I completely disagree. EA has had their own store and downloader for years, but because now they are trying to sell some exclusive content it’s suddenly a bad thing? What is sounds like to me is that people have a problem with Origin because it’s EA and are using the excuse if not wanting another user name a password to remember to justify themselves.

    How is buying the game from Origin going to make the game any different from making the purchase on Steam or Amazon or even retail? I like Steam and what they have done for PC gaming, but this blind devotion and this ‘there can only be one’ mentality is silly. In the end TOR and Mass Effect 3 are going to be the same game no matter where yopurchasese a copy from.

    I am going to go out on a limb and say that having TOR an Origin exclusive is not going to be a problem.

    • July 10, 2011 at 11:08 pm
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      Of course I have a problem with Origin because it’s EA. I would have a problem with it if it were Activision, Ubisoft, or Take Two. I don’t have a problem with Steam because it’s not a Valve only store, but Origin is.

      Steam definitely needs some more sizable competition than they currently have, but that’s not single publishers stores. Now if EA opens Origin up down the line to other publishers, then that’s one thing, but their current strategy seems to be to use exclusives to pull people in. What they need to do is make their store more attractive either with pricing or features, although I’m not sure how they could make their service any easier to use than Steam already us.

      I do agree with you that TOR being exclusive digitally won’t hurt the game, but unless they have some very attractive exclusives I can’t see anyone signing up there just to buy it.

      • July 15, 2011 at 11:46 am
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        Fair enough but so you know I am not against buying a physical copy, I may just do the same thing.

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