Origin Download Service

http://store.origin.com/store/ea/html/pbPage.eastore_home_2/ThemeID.718200

What do y'all think of this? Personally, I'm pretty wary of anything EA has to offer in terms of digital distrubution, after I had to deal with the extended download service with EADM (I think it was with this.)

IIRC, in order to download your product again after a set amount of time, you had to pay $5 extra. I remember buying Northern Strike for 2142, and having to redownload it again. Ended up getting locked out of the game that I paid for. Thankfully, the map pack was given out for free sometime later, but I thought it was complete BS.

Might start going back to getting retail copies again...there is something to be said about having the game there, where no one can mess with it...

It's not a gaming portal - it's just a store.

From: http://tos.ea.com/legalapp/termsofsale/US/en/PC/

Granted they will probably not enforce it and its not like Steam does not have similar things in their EULA, but it is still quite disheartening to see.

It still reminds us that apparently we can no longer OWN games anymore, just the rights to use them.

^ Hardly unique to EA, or even video games.

Not that I think it's a good idea, mind you, but at least on this particular issue it's not unique to EA.

Wait, Steam won't let you dl games 1 year after purchase?

^ As per this Steam FAQ, there's no expiration date for purchased games (save, of course, if Steam goes completely out of business ).

Ah cool.

E As gonna EA I guess.

A little competition is always good. I'm guessing Origin will be giving people some crazy deals to tempt them away from steam.

I'm pretty sure they are going to be horrifically and completely crushed under Valve's boot anyways though.

Nah, Steam EULA "merely" says that Valve can terminate your account whenever they want, for whatever reason they want, and for compensation, they choose.

You could actually construct the 1 year availability from Origins as a guarantee that no matter what happens you will own those game at least for a year, in which case they would actually offer better deal then Valve.

Or they could just enforce the 1 year limit as written, in which case they will manage to be even worse than Kottick. Again.

The problem is this isn't going to lead to competition, its going to lead to market fragmentation.

It sounds more like a way for them to remove support for a game with advance notice.

^Oh yeah, didn't the small print for Need For Speed: Shift say that they have the right to terminate multiplayer (or something online) after 3 months (or something like that)?

Anyways, I really doubt that EA can get me away from Steam.

edited 21st Jun '11 12:03:58 PM by RocketDude

http://www.thegamingvault.com/2011/06/ea-pulling-games-from-steam-confirms-origin-exclusive-titles/

The Old Republic confirmed for Origin Exclusive, as well as Battlefield 3's DLC

"You agree that EA may collect, use, store and transmit technical and related information that identifies your computer (including the Internet Protocol 37683v1 Address), operating system, Application usage (including but not limited to successful installation and/or removal), software, software usage and peripheral hardware, that may be gathered periodically to facilitate the provision of software updates, dynamically served content, product support and other services to you, including online services. EA may also use this information combined with personal information for marketing purposes and to improve our products and services. We may also share that data with our third party service providers in a form that does not personally identify you. If you do not want EA to collect, use, store, transmit, or display the data described in this section, please do not install or use the application."

So its spyware too?

edited 22nd Jun '11 10:55:43 AM by Thorn14

No, unless you're using a definition of "spyware" that's so overly broad as to be meaningless. Spyware gathers information about the user without their permission or knowledge, and identifies specific individuals not broad demographic groups.

While EA is hardly angelic (like a lot of other companies in the gaming industry), it would be nice if people would stick to things they actually do, instead of assigning them improprieties that don't actually exist.

edited 22nd Jun '11 11:18:45 AM by Nohbody

Apparently now I will have to keep two store-related applications doing exactly the same, instead of one.

Which contradicts inventing theory.

How delightful.

edited 22nd Jun '11 11:09:55 AM by Aminatep

@Thorn 14: Steam has been doing that since the beginning of its Service

To be honest I am somewhat amiable to Origin. Steam is as close to Digital Distribution monopoly as they can get without getting sued by the half of the world with Anti-Monopoly claims. Getting a little competition for once is a good thing.

Too bad its shit completion.

Still better than no competition.

Steam says on their To S they'll never give the information and its opt in.

Origin's To S does not say such a thing

Competition implies 2 people competing for prices with the same good or service. These are going to have completely separate things.

Its market fragmentation.

edited 22nd Jun '11 2:33:19 PM by Thorn14

Steam's monopoly is only because barely anyone else has what Steam has going on.

Right, its an earned monopoly, its used because its GOOD, and all the crazy sales you cant get at brick and mortar shops.

Both state in their To S that they will freely collect and use non-personal information for marketing, data-collecting or "whatever we wish actually" purpose, while both state that they will use personal information only with prior consent from the users (in things like newsletter registration, contest registration, etc...)

Their To S have slightly different formulation, with Steam being way more vague, but they have same effect in the end.

See

http://tos.ea.com/legalapp/WEBPRIVACY/US/en/PC/

http://www.valvesoftware.com/privacy.html

& : The fact that Steam achieved monopoly because it is just that good does not mean that some service can not offer a better deal, nor does it not mean that Steam itself couldn't get better as a reaction to rival service.

edited 22nd Jun '11 3:27:05 PM by Drakovicz

The fact EA Origin will (most likely) only have EA games on it means it will never compete with steam.

Its like opening a fast food restaurant that doesn't sell fries.

No, more like opening a fast food restaurant that only sells fries.