EA Want YOU to Help Improve Origin

[IIIMystIII]

I don't understand the sense of entitlement which sections of the community have in regards to digital delivery - it's not like you have the 'right' to receive all ur digital delivery through the one service. They're separate businesses competing in the same market. Get over it.

Except it really isn't competing. It's more EA are forcing all their new titles on Origin and every other publisher worth their salt goes to Steam because it actually works. It isn't like Origin's existence is making game prices go down.

You still have the same monopoly you have before. The only difference is if you want to use an EA game you have to use a much inferior system. You are still stuck to the same one network you had before only as pointed by Fireslide, you actually lose out if it happens to be an Origin game.

I'd be all for some serious competition in the digital distribution market but you are fooling yourself if you think Origin is anything to do with that. If anything, Origin's purpose is to create less competition for EA titles and ensure they get a bigger slice of the pie.

[Marius]

If anything, Origin's purpose is to create less competition for EA titles and ensure they get a bigger slice of the pie.

No it's to ensure EA own their distribution platform rather than have to pay a cut to Valve and sign Valve's distribution agreements. They're perfectly entitled to do this.

[PalZer0]

They may be entitled to do it but that still doesn't make it right.

They'd still make a hell of a lot more money by releasing their titles on Steam even with the cut Valve takes.

Of course, they'd just sabotage a Steam release by adding SecuROM, Solidshield or whatever the DRM scheme of the day is.

[IIIMystIII]

If anything, Origin's purpose is to create less competition for EA titles and ensure they get a bigger slice of the pie.

No it's to ensure EA own their distribution platform rather than have to pay a cut to Valve and sign Valve's distribution agreements. They're perfectly entitled to do this.

So yeah...Ensuring they get a bigger slice of the pie. Pretty much exactly what I said only a bit more sugar-coated.

I also never said they are not entitled to do this. However when their offering is so goddamn broken I cannot even play what I purchase (which right now happens to be Mass Effect 3. Completely unplayable due to some Origin issue with Online Passes suddenly cropping up) I would like to think I am entitled to go tell them where to shove it. This is not the first time this has happened either and come to think of it, I have had Origin issues with all three titles I've bought from it and this would be the third I've had with the same game. Compare that to Steam which in the entire eight years I have used it I have had all of one problem with a game directly related with Steam (a gift purchase) and I had it resolved in under two hours.

If EA want to make their own network that is fine but how about making it actually work. Is that really too much to ask?

[spawneh]

EA owning their own distribution helps provide better support (as it is direct to them and not confused with issues that come from steam). Get content out faster without having to jump through whatever hoops they would need to release things through steam.

And I have had no issues with origin but I constantly struggle to download things from steam. Went through that whole period of where steam refused to start and I would have to delete a file each time. Then wait for a 500kb download that would take 1 hour just so I could play my games.

This argument is now in balance. Next.

[Marius]

They may be entitled to do it but that still doesn't make it right.

They'd still make a hell of a lot more money by releasing their titles on Steam even with the cut Valve takes.

Eh I'd probably get more visitors to my business website by hosting my content on Facebook, but that'd be stupid... because it'd give power over my distribution to another business.

Same basic principle is at play with Origin, just on a much larger scale.

I'm a firm believe that every business should own its own distribution.

[IIIMystIII]

EA owning their own distribution helps provide better support (as it is direct to them and not confused with issues that come from steam).

I almost wish you had to deal with Origin Support one day to see how "better" it really is but that would be a bit too cruel to wish on anyone.

[Bluefire]

Every company is entitled to their own distribution network..
Fine... its called a dvdrom or a webpage and file hosting server.. doesnt require additional software to be running that adds nothing to the game.
Is every company entitled to install monitoring equipment and advertising delivery system in your house also ?

[Marius]

I've not actually got any ads from Origin.

[IvanTSR]

Except it really isn't competing. It's more EA are forcing all their new titles on Origin and every other publisher worth their salt goes to Steam because it actually works. It isn't like Origin's existence is making game prices go down.

You still have the same monopoly you have before. The only difference is if you want to use an EA game you have to use a much inferior system. You are still stuck to the same one network you had before only as pointed by Fireslide, you actually lose out if it happens to be an Origin game.

I'd be all for some serious competition in the digital distribution market but you are fooling yourself if you think Origin is anything to do with that. If anything, Origin's purpose is to create less competition for EA titles and ensure they get a bigger slice of the pie.

They competing in the sense that they're trying to make money in the same market rah rah rah. Anyway - that was a textbook example of the entitlement I'm talking about, "EA aren't actually doing x, therefore Origin is bad and everyone should use Steam because it's easier for me."

EA owning their own distribution helps provide better support (as it is direct to them and not confused with issues that come from steam).

I almost wish you had to deal with Origin Support one day to see how "better" it really is but that would be a bit too cruel to wish on anyone.

Never had to as it seems to work.

[spawneh]

EA owning their own distribution helps provide better support (as it is direct to them and not confused with issues that come from steam).

I almost wish you had to deal with Origin Support one day to see how "better" it really is but that would be a bit too cruel to wish on anyone.

I have used them, worked perfectly fine. Got some more activations added to me red alert 3 (I know it shouldn't be like that anyway!) within a couple of hours. Also had a missing dlc key fixed within a couple of hours. Being able to talk to someone in real time to solve my second issue.

Where as if I had a dlc problem in steam, whose fault is it? Who do I contact for help?

[TRB]

People often forget that Steam was not well received when it was first released and had many problems but over time it improved to what it is today. Personally I've had very few issues with Origin and I've got a number I've games I've purchased via it. I still get the occasional "Please check your game is installed correctly" but this doesn't stop me from playing the game. People need to take a step back, have a breather and lighten up. It’s not the end of the world if it’s not on Steam people.

Agree with your post 100%.

95% of my games are on Steam, with a mere 6 games being owned through Origin, but I have no problems with Origin, and the arguments being made that "it's not Steam, put it on Steam" are just plain ignorant and pathetic.

You can't make the 'starting fresh' argument everytime a company makes a product of their own.
You couldn't make a model T ford copy and expect it to get treated as equal to a nissan GTR just because you'd never made a new car before.

'oh but this is my first car, first cars always have wooden spoked wheels...'

Its an unacceptable excuse for a product that is in retail use.
they might still call it beta but its no longer beta when you're using it as the only option for your retail business.

[Aphyosis]

Just make EA games available on Steam again...

Of course, i don't expect it to be a one way street...

Make Valve games available on Origin as well.

Actually, this would be an interesting proposition. Then people could *really* make an unbiased (from a content point of view) choice between the two.
I expect they'd wait until they've improved the service somewhat so people would actually consider using it before they did that, of course...

I know, that's why I'd like it. Personally, if EA had attempted something similar from the beginning, i would have immensely more respect for them and Origin. If Valve were to take the lead and actually offer the idea to EA, I'd probably consider sending boxes on boxes of numerous liquors to the Valve office for being generally fantastic.

It's such a pity that they're willing to be petty over distributing "Their" games with "Their" Platform to "Their" fans. I know there's real money involved, but man it would be brilliant in so many ways.

[PalZer0]

I'm a firm believe that every business should own its own distribution.

So you want every game company to have their own DD system so that we have to have over 9000 different clients to launch our games?

EDIT: Might I also add that EA's making us use a BETA client for their games. At least Steam had a release client out before it was required for HL2 (even though it was pretty buggy in places from what I can gather).

[tacitus42]

Hmm, I can't say I've ever had a positive experience with EA support.
They presented themselves to me as inconsistent, and weren't sure about anything they were doing. I got jumped around quite a bit and couldn't help but feel there was a considerable language barrier as if the other person was google-translating everything I was typing.
I hope it improves. EA really need to fix their image. Sucking up to an influential figure doesn't work. It would be nice if they were as happy to please regular people as they were to please this guy.