EA Origin = Spyware?

[Keitanz]

Steam takes longer to load for me than Origin too.. Origin is dead fast when loaded, same with Steam!

I prefer Origin's UI to Steam's too, much more fresh.

 

[Krazeh]

You really are a lolcock. Not only does Wikipedia back up what I said,

Well link it so the rest of us can see.

the actual download page for Origin says it's 50MB -v- Steam being 1.5MB.

Please tell me you're not seriously trying to use the size of the installer as an argument for Steam being smaller than Origin? You do realise that Steam's installer is only 1.5MB because it downloads stuff during the install and your first launch? This is why a fresh install of Steam has just given me a folder taking up 133MB. In the meantime my Origin install folder is only 114MB. Now perhaps my maths is off but that doesn't seem to me like Origin is twice the size...

 

[throdgrain]

It is indeed 50mb, my son just downloaded it.

 

[DaGaffer]

a lot less annoying for me tho once they released tools to let you change your Origin ID and I was able to swap the nick I wanted to use from an old account to my current account.

You can do that? How?

 

[Krazeh]

You can do that? How?

I originally did it via EA's free scrabble game for Android but since then they've added a webpage that lets you do it at http://www.origin.com/uk/change-id

 

[throdgrain]

I caved in and bought it It was playing BC2 today that convinced me

Thankfully it remembered my old EA account, so throdgrain rides again!

 

[throdgrain]

I wish they'd just use Steam though

 

[Deebs]

I wish they'd just use Steam though

As much as I would like that too they won't due to Steams terms and conditions on downloadable content.

 

[Nate]

What is it they don't agree with specifically?

 

[MYstIC G]

EA don't agree with giving Valve a cut. It's fairly similar to the whole people not wanting to sell directly through iTunes thing you hear every once in a while.

 

[Nate]

Thanks Meg, that's an interesting similarity.

Would you say Steam is the iTunes of PC Gaming?

I suppose it's unlikely a market would be created that doesn't take a cut. Is that the same reason Minecraft isn't on steam?

 

[Deebs]

Thanks Meg, that's an interesting similarity.

Would you say Steam is the iTunes of PC Gaming?

I suppose it's unlikely a market would be created that doesn't take a cut. Is that the same reason Minecraft isn't on steam?

They all want their cut, that is the problem. Regardless of the platform publishers do not like paying other publishers to distribute their content.

 

[MYstIC G]

Thanks Meg, that's an interesting similarity.

Would you say Steam is the iTunes of PC Gaming?

I suppose it's unlikely a market would be created that doesn't take a cut. Is that the same reason Minecraft isn't on steam?

I really wouldn't. I'd suggest that iTunes is iTunes because there is nothing that comes close, it was a killer idea that exploded.

Steam has been built up over time and tbh if you think that it was built by what was at the time just a single games company, I think it's been pretty widely accepted as the norm by both developers and gamers alike. That's why Origin is such a shit stain idea, it's just another attempt to disrupt the harmony.

I'd liken Origin to Apple not using the USB standard on their devices. Totally not necessary but given who they are it'll probably work for them after they spend enough time shoving it down peoples throats.

 

[throdgrain]

I've attatched BF3 to Steam, so people can see what I'm playing. It still starts via Origin of course, but it makes me feel better

 

[Krazeh]

Steam has been built up over time and tbh if you think that it was built by what was at the time just a single games company, I think it's been pretty widely accepted as the norm by both developers and gamers alike. That's why Origin is such a shit stain idea, it's just another attempt to disrupt the harmony.

What exactly is the harmony? Just one company providing an online distribution platform?

 

[MYstIC G]

*substitute Toht for Krazeh*

 

[Krazeh]

*substitute Toht for Krazeh*

I'm sorry. It was rude of me to point out that your earlier claims were wrong and to wonder exactly what harmony it is you think Origin is disrupting. I should have known better about actually discussing anything on a discussion forum...

 

[DaGaffer]

I really wouldn't. I'd suggest that iTunes is iTunes because there is nothing that comes close, it was a killer idea that exploded.

Steam has been built up over time and tbh if you think that it was built by what was at the time just a single games company, I think it's been pretty widely accepted as the norm by both developers and gamers alike. That's why Origin is such a shit stain idea, it's just another attempt to disrupt the harmony.

I'd liken Origin to Apple not using the USB standard on their devices. Totally not necessary but given who they are it'll probably work for them after they spend enough time shoving it down peoples throats.

Sorry Meg, but that's a load of rubbish. Steam is exactly like iTunes from a publisher perspective; an 800lb Gorilla that dictates the market. EA have never been particularly happy about vertically integrated platform owners dictating access to channels (think of all their set-to's with MS over XBox Live!) and understandably so. Steam isn't good for the long-term health of PC games as its a de facto monopoly (at least for the sophisticated end of the PC games market) although maybe OnLive etc will give them a run for their money if on-demand becomes the model. Origin isn't a great alternative from a customer perspective (although if EA were smart they'd spin it off as an independent business and try to attract other publishers to it), but I completely understand why they did it.

 

[Krazeh]

(although if EA were smart they'd spin it off as an independent business and try to attract other publishers to it)

I'm pretty certain that EA have already agreed deals with several publishers to sell their games through Origin.

 

[MYstIC G]

Sorry Meg, but that's a load of rubbish. Steam is exactly like iTunes from a publisher perspective; an 800lb Gorilla that dictates the market. EA have never been particularly happy about vertically integrated platform owners dictating access to channels (think of all their set-to's with MS over XBox Live!) and understandably so. Steam isn't good for the long-term health of PC games as its a de facto monopoly (at least for the sophisticated end of the PC games market) although maybe OnLive etc will give them a run for their money if on-demand becomes the model. Origin isn't a great alternative from a customer perspective (although if EA were smart they'd spin it off as an independent business and try to attract other publishers to it), but I completely understand why they did it.

Whatever mate, EA are vultures. They didn't develop the technology. They didn't put the time and effort into it and now Valve has proved it can be viable they want to come along and carve out a chunk for themselves. As for "gorilla" all I have to say is "Minecraft". This is a "I'm going home and I'm taking my ball with me" situation, simple as.

 

[DaGaffer]

Whatever mate, EA are vultures. They didn't develop the technology. They didn't put the time and effort into it and now Valve has proved it can be viable they want to come along and carve out a chunk for themselves. As for "gorilla" all I have to say is "Minecraft". This is a "I'm going home and I'm taking my ball with me" situation, simple as.

EA actually came up with a DL service about 8 years ago, but as a publisher they had far more political issues to deal with than Valve did as a developer, which is why it never got off the ground (I nearly went to work on it). I'm not saying it would have been as technically accomplished as Steam, but I think its ridiculous to say Valve=good, EA=bad. Valve are no more your friend than EA are.

 

[MYstIC G]

EA actually came up with a DL service about 8 years ago, but as a publisher they had far more political issues to deal with than Valve did as a developer, which is why it never got off the ground (I nearly went to work on it). I'm not saying it would have been as technically accomplished as Steam, but I think its ridiculous to say Valve=good, EA=bad. Valve are no more your friend than EA are.

I'm not saying that they are, however when they're simply disrupting my experience as an end user, what possible reason have I got to like EA?

 

[Krazeh]

I'm not saying that they are, however when they're simply disrupting my experience as an end user, what possible reason have I got to like EA?

Surely Valve are just as guilty for disrupting your experience? It's their terms about the selling of DLC which have meant that certain EA games (and Minecraft) aren't available on Steam. I'm intrigued as to why you seem so supportive of Valve and dismissive of EA when Valve helped create the situation you seem bothered about, i.e. the disruption of your experience.

 

[DaGaffer]

I'm not saying that they are, however when they're simply disrupting my experience as an end user, what possible reason have I got to like EA?

So what you're basically saying is any potential rival to Steam should just give up now because it will annoy you? That's hardly progressive thinking is it?

 

[opticle]

I think Origin is a shit idea.

I realise that's because I'm a user and it makes my life more inconvenient. I want a single program to deliver my online gaming experience, I don't want to have to juggle and run different sets of software (which incidentally often use more processing power and bandwidth than they're told and than they should).

I understand other companies wanting cuts of the cake - that's business. However, more companies getting involved is always going to make things worse in terms of the user experience. It's going to make everything just like it used to be - rather than being able to see what all your mates were playing, you'll have to load up the individual game/package and take a look.

What we really need is an independent to somehow circumvent all that shit and deliver something that unites them all - like Gamespy and those others I forget from back in the good ol' days.

However, these days folk seem pretty good at locking their content to Steam/Origin/Windows Live software, both through the software and grubby T&C - which prevents that from happening. Which means imo things are going to get worse and stay worse, because businesses are greedy and they won't contemplate compromising with one another.

Steam was only a good idea so long as it was the only one doing it. Now it isn't, and I miss that Gamespy-alternative whose name I forget, because I have to run multiple programs to find out what my mates are playing again.

At the end of the day, I think EA are cnuts. Therefore, I agree with Meg.

 

[MYstIC G]

So what you're basically saying is any potential rival to Steam should just give up now because it will annoy you? That's hardly progressive thinking is it?

No, I'm saying EA should suck it up. If they want to run Origin and people want to use Origin then so be it but they should sit round a table with Valve and sort shit out, even if that sorting of shit out means that Valve need to give up their cut on DLC or similar. The games should be on all the platforms.

At the end of the day though, EA were the ones who originally had "inactive account = delete your shit" in their terms and conditions, EA were the ones who had "scan your shit or else" in their terms and conditions, EA are the company pushing for dedicated server control, EA are the ones who regularly drop games servers off the edge of the planet because it's good business practice but we can't run our own.

So, basically, fuck EA.

 

[Calaen]

I just think the whole thing is a bit crap, I click on my battlefield icon and it opens up origin, which in turn then opens up a web browser, which then once I've found my server loads up th actual game!!

Aside from that though, I am chuffed to bits with BF3 it's got the epic size feeling that BF2 had and I can't wait for the old maps to get released. I just wish it was easier to find severs that were not Hardcore but had Friendly fire on. As I detest playing HC due to snipers and the prone position. But I love having to be careful of bullets and nade from my own team!!!!!

 

[Bahumat]

I installed origin and battlefield 3. Who cares if they know my IP or CPU. We have good pc's so who gives a fuck if an install is 200mb more? It's small even on a solid state. Everyone it's arguing over how brown ea's poo is i.e. it does not matter!

Chill the fuck out everyone!

 

[DaGaffer]

No, I'm saying EA should suck it up. If they want to run Origin and people want to use Origin then so be it but they should sit round a table with Valve and sort shit out, even if that sorting of shit out means that Valve need to give up their cut on DLC or similar. The games should be on all the platforms.

Or, as a company answerable to shareholders, they use their biggest ever AAA title to get people to install Origin, giving it a critical mass as a Steam-alternative. To be honest I don't particularly want Valve and EA running around cutting deals and would much rather some credible alternate marketplaces to Steam, just like I'd like credible alternatives to iTunes for music and Kindle store for ebooks. What I'd really like is for Steam to be decoupled from sales; if there were multiple shop fronts that competed with each other, but all allowed users to match on a common back end, that would be the ideal solution, but so long as Steam is vertically integrated, you can't expect the likes of EA to do anything else.

 

[throdgrain]

I agree with Meg, I'd rather it was on Steam, Origin is horrible.