EA Games Probably Won't Be Origin Exclusive, Says EA Exec

[Logan Westbrook]

EA Games Probably Won't Be Origin Exclusive, Says EA Exec

Choice and competition are too important to EA to give them up for Origin, says the publisher's European boss.

Jens Uwe Intat, the head of EA in Europe, says that he "can't see" the publisher making its games Origin exclusive in the near future. He said that EA only wants what is best for consumers, which includes having its games on a variety of digital distribution platforms.

Despite high profile games like Battlefield 3 being Origin only, Uwe Intat said that EA valued competition and consumer choice too highly to start yanking its games from services like Impulse or Direct2Drive. He even said that the schism between it and Steam, which saw a number of EA games disappearing from the service, wasn't irreparable. "You should never say never," he said.

He also said that EA's aspirations for Origin extended beyond its own games, and people might be able to use the service to buy games from other publishers in the future. "We are discussing with other publishers to distribute their games," he said. "[Other publishers' games] May very well be [sold on Origin]. But the key is really to develop an impressive consumer experience where people are happy to play and buy games."

It's worth pointing out that Uwe Intat didn't categorically say that EA won't make its games Origin exclusive, and if it did, it wouldn't be that different to what Valve did with Half-Life 2 back when Steam was first getting started. Of course, there's a lot more to Steam's success other than it being the only place to pick up Half-Life 2 on the PC, but it's a mistake to completely discount it, too.

Source: Eurogamer [http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-08-30-ea-our-games-wont-be-origin-exclusive]


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[AmrasCalmacil]

Seems pretty civil and sensible of them of them.
I'm still expecting a torrent of people ready to say that EA is worse than Hitler because BF3 won't be on Steam though.

 

[Weaver]

Is there a difference between "Origin Exclusive" and "Origin Required"? For instance Steam Games aren't technically "steam exclusive" when they require steam, as they're sold boxed, you can get them on D2D, etc. What I'm saying is Steam isn't the only retailer for Steam Games.

What it really comes down to is "Do we need to install origin to play this game?" To consumers, this is all that really matters.

 

[Xanthious]

Here's the thing. Just like "Games for Windows Live", or any other god awful front end that is forced down PC consumers' throats, if EA makes games Origin exclusive it's only going to encourage people to wait for the cracked version that will not have Origins and I can tell you how much money EA will be getting from people playing those cracked versions . . .

 

[Bobic]

EA is worse than Hitler because BF3 won't be on Steam!

 

[Worgen]

considering that initially the ula for origin stated that it was pretty much spyware, they had better hope that their games arnt origin exclusive since Im not putting it on my computer

 

[Giest4life]

I don't think I'm prepared to download yet another DRM system on my computer just to play some decent, exclusive games. Part of the reason I won't be getting BF3.

 

[Shamanic Rhythm]

EA 'values competition'. Sure, right. I'd go as far as to say their recent sentiment suggests they 'value' competition with Steam and Activision in the same way that Fox 'values' any show that's been on its network longer than one season.

 

[Ironic]

I just wish they'd make origin OPTIONAL. I don't want it, I don't care that BF3 isn't on steam, but needing origin to play it after the privacy issues makes me not want to buy it. I'll probably only buy Skyrim this november :/

 

[FogHornG36]

Yes... good luck geting other publishers to put their games on origin, maybe some indie guys who already put it on steam and every were else, but really...

were do you want to put your game? on an untested, brand new file distribution service? or steam? with all its years and violently loyal fan base?

 

[fix-the-spade]

EA is worse than Hitler because BF3 won't be on Steam

You've already said it for me!

No, they're positively Orwellian with Origin's monitoring software. It's one thing for Steam to report back what my hardware is (after asking permission to do so no less) and how long I play what game for.

It's quite another for Origin to report back every piece of information written onto my hard drive.
No doubt all that personal information, all those passwords and all that nasty porn will be in safe hands with EA, oh wait, no it won't, I'm not getting Origin or BF3 until they get rid of it (so possibly never).

 

[The_Emperor]

EA : "DURRRR I WAN MAKE MONEY I MAKE GAME LESS ATTRACTIVE DURRR"

like really how do they think this is good? I mean how can people who do this shit for a living be so out of touch with their fanbase?

 

[TitsMcGee1804]

bleh...EA seem to be missing the point, gamers love convenience...having 2 DDI's is not convenient

Does anyone else absolutely hate having thousands of programs on their install lists? It makes me feel like my PC is messy

 

[coolman9899]

considering that initially the ula for origin stated that it was pretty much spyware, they had better hope that their games arnt origin exclusive since Im not putting it on my computer

C-R-A-C-K-E-D... I know I will be getting the games cracked to the point of EA getting zip from me playing that game, that is of course if it comes down to it.

 

[DTWolfwood]

He said that EA only wants what is best for consumers

Must be a European thing. Hmmm

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

Is there a difference between "Origin Exclusive" and "Origin Required"? For instance Steam Games aren't technically "steam exclusive" when they require steam, as they're sold boxed, you can get them on D2D, etc. What I'm saying is Steam isn't the only retailer for Steam Games.

What it really comes down to is "Do we need to install origin to play this game?" To consumers, this is all that really matters.

Yeah, this is what I want to know as well. I don't really care that I don't have to buy it from Origin when I would still have to install Origin to verify the files and play the game.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

It's worth pointing out that Uwe Intat didn't categorically say that EA won't make its games Origin exclusive,

It's just that you have to accept Origin's EULA to keep Battlefield on your computer. Which means there's no real difference.

 

[ActionDan]

I don't really care what they do or do not plan to do with future releases, I know I won't be getting BF3 if I have to use Origin, and that therefore includes any other game that EA exclusively release on Origin. The invasion of privacy malarky has completely turned off whatever want I had for BF3.

Now my main game that I want is Arkham City.

 

[Zhukov]

What it really comes down to is "Do we need to install origin to play this game?" To consumers, this is all that really matters.

You, my dear sir, just completely nailed it.

...

I don't particularly mind if I can't buy certain games off Steam. A bit annoying, sure, but not a big deal, nothing that will affect my buying decisions.

But having to sign up for another bloody unnecessary DRM "service" that offers me absolutely nothing I don't already have? A service which comes with added spyware to boot? Yeah, that's going to affect my buying decisions, and not in a nice way.

As it is, for Battlefield 3 they've taken me from a, "Yeah, probably gonna buy it" down to a, "Umm, I think I can do without."