Origin Cheapens IP With Deep-Cutting Sales

[John Funk]

Origin Cheapens IP With Deep-Cutting Sales

EA must not think the Mass Effect IP is worth much.

About two weeks ago, EA Vice President David DeMartini promotional sale [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/117725-Origin-Boss-Says-Steam-Sales-Cheapen-Intellectual-Property].

The North American Origin marketplace is currently celebrating Origin's anniversary [http://store.origin.com/store/ea/html/pbPage.holiday-deals-2011?easid=Origin_OriginAnniversaryWeek2_Web_TopBanner_BuyNow] with discounts to special edition releases of titles. TERA's collectors' edition is now $41.99 - down from its original price of $59.99; Mass Effect 3's Digital Deluxe edition is $47.99 (formerly $79.99); and the special editions of Battlefield: Bad Company 2 and Battlefield 2142 can be had for $29.99 and $8.99 respectively (instead of $49.99 and $14.99).

Our friends across the pond have an even better sale going on, with a whole mess of popular titles available for just £5 across the board. For the formerly £40 Dragon Age: Origins, that's an IP devaluation of 87.5%. Other titles, like Mirror's Edge, Batman: Arkham Asylum, and Darksiders aren't quite as devalued from their Origin prices - but let's not forget, said Origin prices are cheaper than their original launch prices.

That sure is a whole lot of intellectual property being devalued, right there. Yes, I think it's okay to laugh.

It's all the more surprising that this sale came so soon after DeMartini's comments. Was this a case of the left hand simply not talking to the right hand? Did the outcry over DeMartini's comments lead to a swift reversal of position for EA?

It'll be very interesting to see if EA acknowledges its about-face, or if it tries to sweep DeMartini's comments under the rug and pretend that this was its plan all along. Origin has always been at war with Eastasia, and all that.

Source: RPS [http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/06/18/origin-offering-deep-discounts-on-many-games-er/]

Permalink

 

[vxicepickxv]

I'm thinking it's more of the bad news about down game sales because we didn't put out any games in May that's driving this. I don't think it has anything to do with outcry or one hand not talking to the other. I think it's simply EA going, oh, we didn't get any money last month.

 

[rembrandtqeinstein]

I don't care if they come out with a game that was photorealistic sensoround holodeck solid gold blowjob generator there is no game that is worth installing the crapulance that is Origin.

 

[Kinguendo]

Hmm, whats that taste? Its so familiar, just on the tip of my tongue. Oh, thats right... Hypocrisy!

Not a suprise really, probably quite a few people who commented in the original thread saying precisely this would happen.

 

[Ne1butme]

Since when has EA EVER cared about the value of Intellectual Property?

They have always cared about the value. The Dollar value.

 

[MrBrightside919]

After going on about how STEAM sales cheapen Intellectual Properties, they pull a complete 180 and do the same thing...?

Am I the only one who saw that coming?

 

[Ympulse]

I don't care if they come out with a game that was photorealistic sensoround holodeck solid gold blowjob generator there is no game that is worth installing the crapulance that is Origin.

I'd put up with Origin for a solid gold Holodeck Generating Blowjob Machine. Just saying.

OT: Foot in mouth syndrome, looks like. I had a good long laugh when I read the title.

 

[Lizardon]

I just had a look at the site, doesn't seem like Australia is getting this sale. What a surprise.

Although there is a E3 special, where if you preorder a title, you can purchase another game for $2. These include Mass Effect, Mirrors Edge, Cyrsis and Dragon Age Origins: Awakening.

That's an amazing amount of IP being devalued right there.

 

[Morti]

does anyone remember this:
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/117725-Origin-Boss-Says-Steam-Sales-Cheapen-Intellectual-Property

After going on about how STEAM sales cheapen Intellectual Properties, they pull a complete 180 and do the same thing...?

Am I the only one who saw that coming?

oh shit ninja'd

Never mind him; you got ninja'd by the article. Go read the first line of the first paragraph again

 

[WanderingFool]

It's all the more surprising that this sale came so soon after DeMartini's comments. Was this a case of the left hand simply not talking to the right hand? Did the outcry over DeMartini's comments lead to a swift reversal of position for EA?

Its alot simpler than that.

Its not that EA thinks its wrong to do, its that its wrong to do, for everyone else but EA.This is basically what I think. [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ProtagonistCenteredMorality]

 

[Zipa]

As if we needed more proof that EA are a bunch of fucktards.

 

[antipunt]

hah..hah..hah HAHAHAHHA

((^seems adequate))

~_^

 

[Cheeseman Muncher]

Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.

Fucking hypocrites.

Seriously, is it just me or is EA coming across even more moronic than usual?

75% off Steam sales cheapen IP while 87% off Origin sales apparently don't, Dead Space 3 needs to broaden it's appeal by becoming a Gears clone, Battlefield 3 needs a COD elite style service, when not on sale every Origin game should be even more expensive than the boxed copies and so on and so forth.

They really need to have a good long look at themselves before they open their mouths again.

EDIT: The "we want to be Indie" thing comes to mind as well.

 

[MrBrightside919]

does anyone remember this:
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/117725-Origin-Boss-Says-Steam-Sales-Cheapen-Intellectual-Property

After going on about how STEAM sales cheapen Intellectual Properties, they pull a complete 180 and do the same thing...?

Am I the only one who saw that coming?

oh shit ninja'd

Never mind him; you got ninja'd by the article. Go read the first line of the first paragraph again

Celebrating one year of mediocrity I assume...

 

[Callate]

In fairness, those aren't the kind of 75-80% sales one sometimes sees on Steam that contribute to the sense that unlike Origin it's worth a damn that DeMartini may have had in mind.

Still, yeah, that's got to be pretty galling. Ah, schadenfreude.

 

[Fappy]

I knew exactly what this news post would be about the moment I read the title and said, "You have got to be kidding." Leave it to EA to make hilarious blunders like this. They must have the biggest PR department in the industry's history and yet they're still terrible at it... well, to anyone paying any kind of attention anyway.