Origin Cheapens IP With Deep-Cutting Sales

[llamastorm.games]

I would argue that what EA has done here is in no way IP cheapening, as the price that the games have been lowered to for this sale is probably only really a 25% off sale considering how much they should be on sale for normally when compared to steam and even retail sales, and that the only reason the percentage cut is so great is simply because of the inflated price to begin with.


I also agree that those 75%+ steam sales do cheapen IP's, because they do. Although maybe not as much as EA were making out. Nothing wrong with a good steam sale on an old title, but steam sales too early can hurt a franchise. However i don't think it's the price cut which cheapens the IP i think it's the regularity within which everything is on sale, within a year everything is on sale a couple of times once it's been out for a year or so and then again at Christmas.
It's been evident on these very forums a few times when Microsoft has lots of stuff between 33-50% off and everyone is critical because it isn't as much as Steam. I believe that people expecting something to be 75% off at some point has cheapened IP's because everyone holds off until then. For the same reason iPhone's have cheapened handheld gaming.


Also it'd be nice if we could get back to more unbiased articles. EA is stupid, no question, but it is the role of the reader to surmise that for themselves not to be told so in the article.

 

[llamastorm.games]

Uh. What? That... that makes no sense at all. Why does putting something on sale on occasion "cheapen" it? I mean, yes, it literally cheapens it in the sense that it is cheaper, but why would it metaphorically cheapen it? I mean, Valve puts the entire Half-Life series on sale on Steam for like twenty bucks every once in a while. (and regular price is still just $40!) Yet people still think it's a really good series.

Maybe I'm misinterpreting his use of the word "cheapen", but it seems to me that price has precious little to do with what people think of a game. If a brand-new AAA title came out for ten bucks, I might be a little surprised and maybe even concerned, but if it's a special sale, I wouldn't go "ugh, horrible game", I'd go "cool, is cheap this weekend! I'd better snap it up!"

The more I think about it, the more I think I'm really, really missing something here. Can somebody else explain this to me? Do you get what they're trying to say, because the only thing I can see is "we want more money and are trying to pretend we're good people for wanting all of your money."

I mean, sheesh. At least be honest about wanting all of our money...

EA came out and said they wouldn't have any of their games on steep discounts on Origin akin to Steam because such a large discount "cheapens" an IP, in that it's cheapens the customers perceived value/view of that product. They said that a 25%/33%/50% sale is fine but the typical Steam sale of 75% was too much, and basically they have done what they said they wouldn't.

 

[RoBi3.0]

Not that I have any love to EA cause I don't, I would however like to point out that David DeMartin never said that there would never be any sales ever.

What he said was "occasionally there will be things that are on sale you could look for a discount, just don't look for 75 percent off going-out-of-business sales"

I suppose that you could argue that the DA:O sale constitutes more then a 75% of sale but lets face it that game is 300 gaming years old and wasn't that great to begin with.


I guess what I am saying is that this isn't any where near EA doing a 180, and don't expect Origins to be shitting deals anytime soon.

 

[Evil Smurf]

still won't buy it. I have not bought an EA game since tetris on the app store

 

[Necabo]

I don't really see why everyone is complaining about this.

One, the sales weren't for the same amount that Steam annually does.

Two, How is having a good sale a BAD thing?

It is hardly about having a good sale, which is a good thing that might work to attract people to origin.

But it is their hypocrisy; Saying that steam sales are a bad thing and then putting big games on sale yourself. And apparently having an only twelve hour long sale from what I can read here, which made it so that even IF I wanted to buy anything I could not from where I live (Singapore).

 

[Aeonknight]

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At no point did I say to ignore the hypocrisy. yes it's pretty blatant in this case. You and every other person in the thread has pointed it out. What you fail to point out is that in this case this is a good thing for the consumer. But of course, continue overlooking that fact so as to not weaken your arguement, which may I remind you consists of a half assed "GOTCHA!" that a 4 year old could spot.

If EA being a hyprocrite results in lower prices for buying games, I'm all for it. Bring on the hypocrisy.

 

[SnootyEnglishman]

Hypocrisy they name is Electronic Arts.

 

[bafrali]

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At no point did I say to ignore the hypocrisy. yes it's pretty blatant in this case. You and every other person in the thread has pointed it out. What you fail to point out is that in this case this is a good thing for the consumer. But of course, continue overlooking that fact so as to not weaken your arguement, which may I remind you consists of a half assed "GOTCHA!" that a 4 year old could spot.

If EA being a hyprocrite results in lower prices for buying games, I'm all for it. Bring on the hypocrisy.

Well good for you. I for one like a more straight-forward approach. If you are an ass, don't smile to sugarcoat it as it is waste of everybody's time. If marketing has the morale of a pedophile Stalin or memory of common fish, they deserve to be called out on that, even by 4 years old. If you can stomach blatant lying... well more power to you. Just don't expect other people to do so.

 

[Neocavo]

to anyone who said australia isnt getting this...we had it E3 week and everything was 50-75% off lol

 

[Aeonknight]

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At no point did I say to ignore the hypocrisy. yes it's pretty blatant in this case. You and every other person in the thread has pointed it out. What you fail to point out is that in this case this is a good thing for the consumer. But of course, continue overlooking that fact so as to not weaken your arguement, which may I remind you consists of a half assed "GOTCHA!" that a 4 year old could spot.

If EA being a hyprocrite results in lower prices for buying games, I'm all for it. Bring on the hypocrisy.

Well good for you. I for one like a more straight-forward approach. If you are an ass, don't smile to sugarcoat it as it is waste of everybody's time. If marketing has the morale of a pedophile Stalin or memory of common fish, they deserve to be called out on that, even by 4 years old. If you can stomach blatant lying... well more power to you. Just don't expect other people to do so.

Coming from the guy with a Mega Man avatar. Do I even need to bring up Legends 3 and Capcom in this case? Or are you overlooking that as well?

Or maybe you're doing... exactly what I'm doing, and taking the bad with the good. I'm not saying there's anything right/wrong with it, every company has some shady shit they've done in their time (even Valve.) Doesn't make a game any less fun to play. just my two cents of course.

 

[bafrali]

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Maybe i am missig something. Can't i hate Capcom for their atrocious lies just because i am a megaman fan?

Thanks for opening old wounds BTW!!

 

[Aeonknight]

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Maybe i am missig something. Can't i hate Capcom for their atrocious lies just because i am a megaman fan and thanks for opening old wounds

So you hate capcom for what they did about legends 3, yet you insist of your own free will to be a walking billboard for one of their franchises? nice. That's pretty much akin to people raging at EA about anything/everything, but turning around and buying ME3. Your principles mean nothing when you're willing to make exceptions to them. But of course, that is our history as "gamers" now isn't it? We're a fickle bunch.

 

[bafrali]

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Umm Wow nobody had ever used my avatar against my argument before. That is a new low. So you are saying i am a part of the problem for using a tiny looking fan art of a franchise which hasn't been relevant for years because as my avatar.Wow you must be desperate.Anyway i am out. I don't want to deal with that mindset

 

[Aeonknight]

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Umm Wow nobody had ever used my avatar against my argument before. That is a new low. So you are saying i am a part of the problem for using a tiny looking fan art of a franchise which hasn't been relevant for years because as my avatar.Wow you must be desperate.Anyway i am out. I don't want to deal with that mindset

That smells like a cop out to me. Not so much fun when someone points out your own hypocrisy now isn't it? But I'm willing to let it go. And not dwell on it. And not bring it up at every possible occasion just because I can.

I do agree, there are far better things I could be doing by now. I've made my point, and I already know you and everyone else that will likely post in this thread don't care. But at least someone said something.

 

[dagens24]

Sounds like John Funk is QQing because EA said mean things about Valve. Comparing a 40% off sale to upwards of 90% off sale (Alpha Protocol for $2? Sure, why not.) as though they are comparable is wrong. I'm no EA supporter, I'd take Steam over Origin any day of the week, but John just comes off as butt hurt with this one.

 

[lapan]

That didn't take long. EA's PR departement at it's finest.

 

[Kaymish]

finally Origin sales must be doing poorly and that would not be surprising when i some of those games at retail for less than the origin sale price sorry EA gotta be able to beat brick and mortar stores before the sale can begin entice me

 

[KiKiweaky]

Clearly EA dont have a clue what they are talking about, I think somone would have to be out of their mind to pay 59.99 or whatever a games full price was when it came out.

For a game thats more than a year old thats complete crazy talk.

 

[Sunrider]

The sad part is that if they didn't go out of their way to condemn Steam-sales earlier, this would probably be welcomed with open arms.

and Battlefield: Bad Company 2 and Battlefield 2142 can be had for $29.99 and $8.99 respectively (instead of $49.99 and $14.99).

I had to do a double-take there, considering I bought B:BC2 for less on Steam. Just checked the store page on Steam and yep: $19.99, not on sale. One reason why you always shop around.
Here's the webpage link: http://store.steampowered.com/app/24960/

Origin: cheapening their IP by still overpricing their IP, even by doing a sale.

Also this.

 

[MrGalactus]

Aww, c'mon guys, be fair. I adore Origin. It keeps all the "broad-appeal" gray sludge that is EA games from cluttering up my Steam browsing experience.