Poll: Can someone explain the hate for the Origin program?

[Valdrrak Draconis]

Well lately i have been seeing a lot of complaining about The Origin program you have to install on your PC to play new EA games, some people have so much hate for it they simply do not buy any of the games that require Origin just so they do not have to install Origin.

Now I understand the dislike for EA to put it lightly and I too share that dislike for how they have butchered great games and I hope to heck they do not ruin the new Sims city game, but Does everyone not want this Origin Launcher because they Dislike EA so much or is there a main reason?

I have Origin on my PC (for Mass Effect 3) and to be honest I have not had any issue with downloading and installing and playing games, I have honestly had more problems with steam but in saying that steam does have much more features.

So yea why the hate for the origin program? (other then the fact that EA made it)

 

[Kopikatsu]

It's made by EA and people froth at the mouth whenever EA is involved.

 

[Valdrrak Draconis]

Thats what I thought, I have to agree they break everything but I wouldn't Not install origin and miss out playing games just because of that reason, Like has anyone noticed if Origin makes your pc run slower or games slower etc? (like steam) or as you say, just purely the fact that its EA?

 

[SilkySkyKitten]

It's made by EA and it's not Steam, therefore somehow that makes it the spawn of Satan or something according to the internet.

I honestly don't have a problem with it. It's basically Steam with a different skin and slightly different interface, and it functions perfectly fine for what it is. Plus, I can't play my copies of BF3 or ME3 on the PC without it, so... yeah, I don't mind it at all.

 

[Scars Unseen]

Because EA. I don't hate Origin; I hate EA's customer service department that supports Origin. Why can't I merge my two Origin accounts(that were created without my input because my EA account and Bioware account had different email addresses)? Why won't they let me transfer the DLC I accidentally bought for the wrong account? Why would they let me buy DLC for a game I didn't have on my account in the first place?

All companies make mistakes. Bad companies refuse to acknowledge the mistakes, much less fix them.

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

EA making dick moves at every turn, flipping the bird to Steam with one hand, whilst copying everything Steam does with the other.

I don't have any kind of vendetta against EA (I mean, I have no love lost for them either, but I'm not going to hate on everything they do just because it's EA), and the way Steam monopolizes digital distribution has always concerned me, so I was actually glad when someone stepped up to try and compete. I just wish it had been someone other than EA... and even if it did have to be EA, did they have to be so... 'EA' about it?

 

[crazyrabbits]

Does everyone not want this Origin Launcher because they Dislike EA so much or is there a main reason?

Because it's glorified spyware. It tracks changes to your programs (and, apparently, your system) using what can be described as a glorified rootkit.

In the past, people using Origin with an EA online message board account have been banned from single-player content because they were banned or suspended on a message board. EA publicly came out a few months back and had to make a public apology for the service, and asked people to help make their program better.

I have no problem with competing digital distribution services, but as a consumer, they've lost my confidence.

 

[FalloutJack]

Origin is somewhat a non-issue, qand many cases my deal with EA is largely that enough people and reviewers saying it is a horrible company is not only forming viable evidence, but is having a post-modernistic effect regardless of the full picture...which is that they're morons. There is evil, but mostly its idiocy. It's Path-E-Tech Industries, Dilbert Management if you will. Enough of it and even the dimmest bulb moves away from 'em so they don't catch their stupotosis...which means that their breath is dumb.

*Nod and a wink at 8-Bit Theater for that one*

Why don't I have Origin? I never needed it for anything. The amount of EA products I have ever gotten into...MAY be a number larger than on one hand, but not by much. For me, EA is sort of the guy who picks on other people that I want to just shut up. And given the crap that comes out of their mouths...can you blame me? I hope not.

 

[The Lunatic]

This image basically summarizes the majority of reasons why people don't like it.

 

[Something Witty]

This image basically summarizes the majority of reasons why people don't like it.

That picture is amazing. I don't like Origin because they forced me to buy Mass Effect 3 over it instead of just putting it on Steam like a sane person/hivemind. Of course I should have taken the hint and not bought ME3 at all...

 

[ResonanceSD]

1) EA

2) EA using origin-exclusivity as a way to get people using their service.

3) EA again,

4) Ragging on Steam whilst pushing your own platform, then wondering why the expected multitudes of people aren't signing up for your service.

5) Ridiculously heavy handed policies, bans from your library because moderators of an unrelated forum made a mistake

6) EA again.

7) Not nearly as comprehensive as Steam, yet EA see themselves as a serious competitor.

8) Rubbish customer service.

 

[Shadowsetzer]

This image basically summarizes the majority of reasons why people don't like it.

That picture is amazing. I don't like Origin because they forced me to buy Mass Effect 3 over it instead of just putting it on Steam like a sane person/hivemind. Of course I should have taken the hint and not bought ME3 at all...

I was kind of thinking of getting the ME Trilogy for PC whenever it comes out, but seeing that picture makes me want to pass it up even more. (Not including the currently released DLC for all of the games was the first nail in the coffin.)

 

[Tanis]

Because it's a broken PoS?

 

[ohnoitsabear]

I don't hate it, as I've never actually used it. That said, I'm not going to install it unless I have a good reason to, which doesn't look like it will happen in quite a while.

That said, from where I'm sitting, the hate for it does seem to be more justified than just "it's EA and not steam." However, I'm not going to go out of my way to find out if the complaints are justified or not.

 

[Windcaler]

Well lately i have been seeing a lot of complaining about The Origin program you have to install on your PC to play new EA games, some people have so much hate for it they simply do not buy any of the games that require Origin just so they do not have to install Origin.

Now I understand the dislike for EA to put it lightly and I too share that dislike for how they have butchered great games and I hope to heck they do not ruin the new Sims city game, but Does everyone not want this Origin Launcher because they Dislike EA so much or is there a main reason?

I have Origin on my PC (for Mass Effect 3) and to be honest I have not had any issue with downloading and installing and playing games, I have honestly had more problems with steam but in saying that steam does have much more features.

So yea why the hate for the origin program? (other then the fact that EA made it)

Im one of the people who are boycotting origin and its all because I refuse to have spyware on my PC. Im just not going to use it due to that fact. I dont care if the information wont be released to other companies (but on that note I dont believe they're telling the truth there) spyware is spyware.

If you feel that the information EA gains with or without your approval is alright then thats fine. Im not going to tell you you cant spend your money on something but I am making a concious choice to say "the things this program does is not ok with me". The end result is my personal boycott vs Origin and consequently (and unfortunately) any game that is released only for origin.

 

[NeverTheDeadMan]

Made my EA + competition to steam= RABID HATRED from escapists.

Jesus next you will be asking why escapists think 1+1=2

 

[Headdrivehardscrew]

Well, because of the mail address I used to register with EA years back, they insist on sending me their spam - and very crap, very special offers - localized in German. Since I'm not a big fan of censorship and localized versions, I just - currently still - feel more love for Steam.

The language terror is pretty much standard business practice these days, the first PSN account we ever registered on our 60GB PS3 insists on serving us crap German dubbed versions of any game we might crave for, and the second one wants to be fed with PSN cards from the other side of the planet. It's just all pretty annoying.

My main problem, I guess, lies in the fact that I don't like to run random stuff on any machine, as it's but a waste of energy, resources and CPU time to me. I even like to shut down the messy Apple services when I clearly don't use them, and I see absolutely no point in having a multitude of online marketplaces/spyware/ad platforms running. I just don't fancy that much. How come people don't complain about some sneaky Apple service trying to connect to Apple... every two seconds, for days, weeks or months?

EA-specific - they messed up so bad in the last, say, fifteen years that I believe it to be well beyond repair. That might change... currently I don't believe that will happen anytime soon, if ever.

 

[Headdrivehardscrew]

This image basically summarizes the majority of reasons why people don't like it.

...add to that the very friendly, but absolutely clueless and useless folks handling trouble tickets, customer complaints and issues you, the customer, might have.

With EA, I had the issue that I noticed that their pricing plan in several geo-fenced locations/countries is severely borked, as in pay $50, get $10 added to your account, kiss a random $40 goodbye, sucker! - all without any explanation. Getting this rather simple math into the heads of EA's Bombay customer relationship central took almost three days, and it was about as enjoyable as random interaction with scammers from the other side of the planet. It's just horrible. Once they finally understand your complaint, there is absolutely nothing they can do.

I still don't seem to have such issues with other providers of choice. I don't have them with Sony, even though I don't like being sold surprise stuff I never wanted (localized, dubbed, crippled, censored versions of games), I don't have them with Steam, even though reports about them having joined the dark side at least part time keep surfacing lately.

 

[Ed130 The Vanguard]

-snip-

A columnist on The Escapist summed it up

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/columns/experienced-points/9359-Dear-Origin-You-Stink

Here are some of the points he made:

You seem to be operating under the idea that, "If we build it, they will come". The problem is, someone did build it. Seven years ago. Building it is no longer enough. Now you must build it and bribe people to show up.

The first thing you need to fix is your complete lack of a catalog. Why does Steam have Jade Empire and Knights of the Old Republic, and you don't? Where are the indie games?

I went into Origin this week specifically looking for something to buy so I could try out your service for this article, and I didn't see a single thing I wanted. I either owned it already, or you were asking way too much.

Your front page features AAA titles at retail prices. Most people are not going to impulse buy a $60 game. There are very few humans left on earth who don't know that Battlefield 3 is out. If they wanted it, they got it. Save that splash screen for stuff that will surprise people and make them do something reckless with their money. For example: Everyone who wants Mirror's Edge for $20 has it already. Bump it down to $10. Then down to $5. Then move it back up to $10 so the people who missed it at $5 will learn to impulse-buy next time. People should always be looking at irresistible low prices and feeling compelled to grab the deal before the price goes back up. You've had seven years to study this. You should get this by now.

EA, you were late to the market, you're short on features, your prices are way too high, your privacy policy is offensive, and your only plan is to strong-arm fans into signing up instead of trying to lure them with deals and giveaways. You've been one of the big dogs for over a decade now. But with Origin, you are the little guy, and you are up against people who saw this future coming before John Riccitiello ever got near the CEO chair.

You need to start fighting like the underdog. Because you are.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/115085-Steam-Sales-Double-Again-in-2011