Mass Effect 3 PC will require Orgin

[Zaik]

That's just fine, I know where to find some scurvy lads that handle these sorts of problems on a regular basis.

They managed to tear the GFWL out of Fallout 3, and beat Assassin Creed 2's always online DRM in under 24 hours, I don't see how this is that much different.

 

[illas]

Not purchasing ME3 now.

Objectionable portion of Origin EULA:

In addition to information that you give EA directly, EA collects non-
personally identifiable (or anonymous) information for purposes of improving our
products and services, providing services to you, facilitating the provision of
software updates, dynamically served content and product support as well as
communicating with you. The non-personally identifiable information that EA
collects includes technical and related information that identifies your computer
(including the Internet Protocol Address) and operating system, as well as
information about your Application usage (including but not limited to successful
installation and/or removal), software, software usage and peripheral hardware.

Egregious unnecessary spying clause highlighted.

Translation: "We get to peek at what else you have installed on your system and how often you use it, as well as peek at whatever hardware you have, and we get to do it all without letting you opt out. Nice tax returns by the way, hey, we see you use TaxCut, did you know TurboTax is better? Yeah, might wanna try it. Oh, if you don't consent to all this, you don't get to play Mass Effect 3. Have a nice day."

EA doesn't need to gather this information silently, behind users' backs and essentially without their consent. Sure some of it could be useful during troubleshooting, such as which antivirus or firewall you might be running, but they could ask for that if and when necessary. They could even have a button to click to generate a problem report containing the relevant info. Instead, this gives them carte blanche to look at everything, silently, with no way to stop it.

It's disgusting.

It's spyware.

Wow, I was morally against Origin before I read this post.

Seriously, that's astounding.

 

[Twilight_guy]

I actually kind of sort of wonder how big the overlap of people who just don't like EA and people who dislike Origin specifically is. Is there a market that thinks EA is okay but Origin is too far? Is one a prerequisite hate for the other? Could make an interesting if pointless study.

I don't know how this will effect me. I'll probably buy the game long after its release so I'll see how things pan out before its an issue for me.

 

[NiPah]

I already hate Origin, but I never was going to buy Mass Effect 3 unless it was on some super Steam sale or Gamestop sale... Looks like now I'll wait for the 15$ gamestop sale to get it pre-owned on Xbox or PS3.

 

[Karathos]

Not surprised, and won't change my opinion of the game. Definately going to buy and play ME3. Origin is already running Bad Company 2, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Battlefield 3 and Old Republic. So far not a single negative effect on my gaming or PC use.

How many percent of the people complaining about Origin being "spyware" you wanna bet use Steam, Facebook, Twitter and the likes? Because those guys sure don't ever look at your personal information, amirite?

Get off your damn soapboxes you sad scaremongering hypocritical knee-jerks. "I'M NOW GOING TO GO ON FACEBOOK AND COMPLAIN ABOUT HOW ORIGIN IS SPYWARE - WHILE THE FOLKS BEHIND FACEBOOK STARE AT MY NAME, PHOTO, PHONE NUMBER, ADRESS, EMAIL ADRESS, FRIENDS, FAMILY, WORKPLACE, HOBBIES, PETS, INTERESTS ETC ETC.

Yeeeaah...

Stay classy, internet!

 

[Coldster]

Well then, buy it for Xbox I will! Haha! Try and get me now EA! I will avoid you for as long as possible!

EDIT: Fixed.

 

[Battleaxx90]

I'm going to sound like an idiot here, but what's Origin?

 

[SUPA FRANKY]

Eh, its another service, so I don't really see the big deal. Though I'd really prefer to have all my games on one service ( I'm OCD like that)

 

[Conza]

I hadn't seen this here so far, and I know it concerns a number of Escapist users. Mass Effect 3 on PC [http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/323/index/8975536] is going to require Origin. Even though I'm not a PC gamer, am a massive fan of the Mass Effect games, and am anticipating ME3 unlike any game since ME2, this disappoints me.

My preorder stands firm (360 version), but I know I've seen a lot of you say you'd think of cancelling if this came to be. I don't pretend to understand the issue fully, but back gamers' right to vote with their wallets on issues that concern them.

I think it'd be foolish and pointless to cancel my pre-order for ME3 on PC, just because of Origin, I've never used Origin so I don't know how bad it is, but it can't be bad enough not to finish this trilogy story.

 

[LetalisK]

Meh, I dunno. I don't really have a problem with Origin, but I've been doing more console gaming lately and I might just rent it for the console instead of buying it for PC.

 

[NerfedFalcon]

Steam is restrictive, but making us use Origin isn't? Fuck you. EA is shooting itself in the foot by not releasing it via Steamworks. They're actively pissing off their customers. Why wouldn't they want to expand their user base with Steam release? It's so obvious that they see Steam as a competitor, which they shouldn't. And they know Origin sucks. If they had any faith in their Origin, they wouldn't make it mandatory to play their games, and they wouldn't exclude Steam. Fuckin' imbeciles. Instead of not releasing their games on Steam they should draw people towards Origin by offering exclusive bonuses for Origin version. Dumb fuckin' idiots. How did they stay in this business for so long?

Assuming that their troubles with Steam and DLC weren't just a pretext to fling poop, they could even make the DLC Origin-exclusive: the die-hard fans will switch to get it and they'll still make money from everyone who buys the game through Steam, even if they keep it vanilla.

 

[Duffeknol]

I have three playthroughs with part 1, six with part 2. All on the PC. I made three goddamn backups of all my save games so that I can continue on with all my characters in part three. They could literally add Steam, Origin, SecuROM, Games for Windows Live and some actual computer viruses to the copy of the game and I would still buy it. I have invested too much time into what I consider the greatest video game story ever told.

In short: I really don't give a fuck and people are overreacting to Origin's 'spyware' WAY too much.

 

[Awexsome]

Grass grows, birds fly, sun shines and brotha'? People overreact to Origin.

They seem to want to paint Steam in a negative light though but isn't that a given with their competitors? First MW3 when BF3 was their thing now Steam when Origin is.

ME3 being not available on Steam is them giving their new platform incentive to be used. Like console exclusives only far less inconvenient than buying an entire new system to play it. The only non-hate founded criticism for it that carries weight WAS the spyware thing and that was remedied months ago to be even with Steam's level.

Won't stop people from willfully ignoring that though.

 

[Alma Mare]

Easy solution.

1) Buy Mass Effect 3 boxed version.
2) Store game still in its celophane in the shelve next to the others.
3) Download a cracked copy with no DRM, Origin, registrations or similar bullshit.
4) ?????
5) Profit.

 

[Aisaku]

Unless they change it to be a proper client/DRM, I'm not worried about Origin. I used it to download and play DAO December 2012 and it isn't anything more than a glorified download manager.

You can download your game, and launch it without Origin.

 

[dessertmonkeyjk]

Looking at the Origin store, I see alot of EA published games. I see what's going on here.

EA, I like you but I do enjoy freedom as well you know. If I can root Origin out of ME3 then I will do so unless you give me a good reason why I can't get a hard copy.

 

[Android2137]

*cries* Why do you do this, EA? I understand digital (don't like it, but I understand it), but why for the PHYSICAL copy?! Why do you require Origin for the PHYSICAL COPY ONE CAN PHYSICALLY HOLD IN ONE'S PHYSICAL HANDS?! WHY DO YOU NOT DO THIS FOR 360 OR PS3?! WHAT HAVE YOU GOT AGAINST COMPUTERS?! *sob sob sob*

You realize steam has done this for almost a decade, yeah?
The pathetic hypocrisy in this thread is sad.

What? You absolutely need Steam to play your physical copy of Half-Life? Seriously?

 

[Grey Day for Elcia]

I dislike having to have another program open--as I already run Steam more or less 24/7--but Origin doesn't bother me all that much in and of itself. It's well designed and looks nice, at least.

I won't be purchasing Mass Effect 3, however, because of the way they took the franchise after the first in the series. I won't go into it because we've all heard the arguments before and we're all sick of them.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

This shouldn't be surprising. All EA games have it now. If you were expecting it not to you were a fool.

Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe The Old Republic is available without Origin.

And you know what that means? It means they are fully aware that people hate Origin, so they couldn't risk losing buyers for a game that took them a lot of money to make. They know that Origin sucks, yet they are forcing it on us. So the question now is, why would I use a service so bad that even their creators know how bad it is?

 

[Jmurray21]

I don't like origin but there is no way I'm boycotting this.
I like Mass Effect too much and I've put a lot of time into my character and the story to miss out on this.