EA Bringing Digital Distribution to Additional Platforms

[Sarah LeBoeuf]

EA Bringing Digital Distribution to Additional Platforms

A forthcoming update for EA's Origin will allow support for free-to-play games.

During EA's Gamescom press conference in Germany today, the publisher announced that its digital distribution service, Origin, will be released on additional platforms. Currently only available on the PC, Origin is coming to Mac, Facebook, Android, and Smart TV in the near future.

Though some of these platforms seem like an odd fit, it makes more sense alongside the reveal that Origin will be getting new features as well. Support for free-to-play games, exclusive downloadable content, live videos, and a new dashboard will all be included in Origin's makeover. Though Facebook, Android, and Mac already have sizable game libraries, this should bring even more gaming options to those platforms. It will be especially interesting to see how Origin is utilized on internet-enabled televisions, and whether this leads to a rise in Smart TV gaming.

No specific date for the Origin update or its appearance on new platforms was revealed at the press conference. Earlier today, EA announced that SimCity will be coming to Mac [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/119054-SimCity-Wreaking-Havoc-on-Mac-in-Early-2013] in 2013 via Origin, so the service should be available on that platform at the least by next February.

Source: Polygon [http://www.theverge.com/gaming/2012/8/14/3241935/origin-coming-to-mac-android-facebook-and-smart-tv]

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[Fappy]

The community is going to have a field day with this one. I still don't get why Publishers feel they need a digital distribution service for their own games. Don't they get that we don't want 12 DRM clients bloating our PCs? Just let consumers pick a middleman they like (Steam, GOG, etc.) >.>

 

[Fappy]

The community is going to have a field day with this one. I still don't get why Publishers feel they need a digital distribution service for their own games. Don't they get that we don't want 12 DRM clients bloating our PCs? Just let consumers pick a middleman they like (Steam, GOG, etc.) >.>

But, Fappy, if they eliminate other middlemen, they can squeeze more money out of you and spend it on bigger beach houses and flashier cutscenes.

And birthday-cake hookers. Can't forget those.

 

[Sartan0]

The community is going to have a field day with this one. I still don't get why Publishers feel they need a digital distribution service for their own games. Don't they get that we don't want 12 DRM clients bloating our PCs? Just let consumers pick a middleman they like (Steam, GOG, etc.) >.>

But, Fappy, if they eliminate other middlemen, they can squeeze more money out of you and spend it on bigger beach houses and flashier cutscenes.

Hahah, yep. It is all about the money.

 

[Zipa]

Like anyone would willingly install origin on a android phone when they can just download the game without it lol.

 

[Waaghpowa]

The community is going to have a field day with this one. I still don't get why Publishers feel they need a digital distribution service for their own games. Don't they get that we don't want 12 DRM clients bloating our PCs? Just let consumers pick a middleman they like (Steam, GOG, etc.) >.>

But, Fappy, if they eliminate other middlemen, they can squeeze more money out of you and spend it on bigger beach houses and flashier cutscenes.

And birthday-cake hookers. Can't forget those.

Screw them, I'll make my own digital distribution service, with bigger beach houses, black jack, and birthday cake hookers. In fact, forget the beach houses, the black jack and the cake.

 

[Bindal]

Well, that is actually good news to me.

As much as I like steam - they lack too much worthy competition. GOG.com is currently a bit too small imo (even they are not bad), but Origin might be what Steam really needed. That is, if EA can get finally the damn thing to work properly. There are still too many inconvinient things going on than I could bother using it willingly.

 

[Waaghpowa]

What about hookers with cake? Sexy time makes me hungry.

Fine, we can have cake.....but that's it!

 

[getoffmycloud]

Well, that is actually good news to me.

As much as I like steam - they lack too much worthy competition. GOG.com is currently a bit too small imo (even they are not bad), but Origin might be what Steam really needed. That is, if EA can get finally the damn thing to work properly. There are still too many inconvinient things going on than I could bother using it willingly.

Its the pricing they need to sort out more than anything I have never had any problems with Origin it has always worked, it has faster downloads than steam it just too expensive if they just undercut steam and add some new bells and whistles then I would say it is better than Steam.

 

[cidbahamut]

Well, that is actually good news to me.

As much as I like steam - they lack too much worthy competition. GOG.com is currently a bit too small imo (even they are not bad), but Origin might be what Steam really needed. That is, if EA can get finally the damn thing to work properly. There are still too many inconvinient things going on than I could bother using it willingly.

While I understand the principle of competition leading to improvements, I worry that what we'll actually end up with is just the problem of console wars only instead of competing hardware we'll have competing distribution services complete with exclusive titles and such. I don't want to have to go through a multitude of different distributors to get to games that will all run on the same hardware. The convenience of housing everything in a single service(Steam) is really quite appealing.

 

[Emiscary]

EA's idea of innovation is selling you shit you already own in a worse format for more money.

"You may already have a perfectly functional digital distribution service, but wouldn't you also like to throw money at *our* digital distribution service? It's keen!"

I am honestly amazed that they aren't out of business yet- but then a good chunk of people who play games are idiots.

 

[Doom972]

Well, that is actually good news to me.

As much as I like steam - they lack too much worthy competition. GOG.com is currently a bit too small imo (even they are not bad), but Origin might be what Steam really needed. That is, if EA can get finally the damn thing to work properly. There are still too many inconvinient things going on than I could bother using it willingly.

Origin isn't a serious competitor. They have significantly fewer games, and almost none of Steam's community features. And the most important thing - They rarely do sales.

 

[FogHornG36]

maybe... now just maybe, i might like this idea, if they some how had it so that if i own the pc version of the game, i could get the android one free... but this is EA after all...

 

[Worgen]

I really hope origin fails, mostly because if its a success then I see pretty much every big publisher getting their own platform and not releasing their games on any other. I'm sure that activision is already planning something like origin and it would be annoying to see 2k come out with one also.

 

[King of Asgaard]

Currently only available on the PC, Origin is coming to Mac, Facebook, Android, and Smart TV in the near future.

Hang on... what?!
How in the balls is Facebook a platform?
What, is EA going to force us to load up Facebook through Origin?

 

[RatRace123]

But, Fappy, if they eliminate other middlemen, they can squeeze more money out of you and spend it on bigger beach houses and flashier cutscenes.

Flashier cutscenes? Putting some of that money back into the game itself? Please, why spend money on making the game better? No, quality isn't what sells a game; running an ad campaign based entirely around shocking people's mothers, now that's what sells a game.

The beach house thing is likely true however.

On the topic itself: meh, I don't have Origin, and putting it on a "smart TV" isn't going to convince me to get it.
I am surprised they're putting it on facebook. This requires them to utilize another company's service, meaning that some of the profits will actually be shared with facebook; I didn't realize EA was familiar with that concept.

 

[Evil Smurf]

Currently only available on the PC, Origin is coming to Mac, Facebook, Android, and Smart TV in the near future.

Hang on... what?!
How in the balls is Facebook a platform?
What, is EA going to force us to load up Facebook through Origin?

because.....you can play games on Mark Zuckerberg?

 

[malestrithe]

I predict another, "EA takes a position, therefore Evil," debate.

I swear it never fails on these forums.

 

[PinkiePyro]

all i can say at this point is

seriously if no one wants your dysfunctional product you make it better not offer/force it on more

 

[Metalrocks]

they dont give up, do they.
i already dislike origin just to play ME3 and BF3, even when i never had any problems with it actually. but this is just getting ridicules. they really try every evil way to get more money, and then they wonder why things are going down the hill.
i guess they got every little cent from zynga so they can afford more crap again for customers.