Is EA preparing to pull away from Steam as a means of digitally distributing its titles? It could very well be the case given the news that the Wall Street Journal revealed in yet another embargo breaking news release.
Tomorrow, EA is slated to unveil "Origin", a digital distribution platform similar to Steam but for EA's own titles such as Battlefield, Need for Speed, and more.
It will also feature a Steam like community interface where players can socially interact with others.
The truly interesting bit about this is the fact that if you want the upcoming BioWare MMORPG, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Origin will be your only way to purchase the game digitally. That's right folks, Steam will not get SWTOR, nor will any other digital distribution system. Retail releases are still planned but as for online, it's Origin or nothing.
BioWare tried to clear the air a bit in a posting on their forums.
He goes on to state that the team has some "super-cool" news regarding SWTOR coming just before E3 and during the event. As for what that might be, it's merely speculation at the moment.
Does this also mean that upcoming blockbusters like Battlefield 3 will also be exclusive to Origin? Possibly, but don't start worrying too much about that just yet. The fact that Battlefield 3 is already available for preorder through Direct2Drive, another digital distribution system, might keep your fears in check. Then again, things can always change and there is still no guarantee yet that Battlefield 3 will appear on Steam.
As you may recall, EA already has a downloader system that has been in use for quite some time. Origin looks to expand upon the simple downloader to create a more engaging experience for the end user.
With all of this in mind, what do you, the consumer, think about this? Will you use Origin or would you rather stick with established systems such as Steam, GOG, and even D2D? How do you feel about The Old Republic being an Origin exclusive? And how worried are you that titles such as Battlefield 3 may also be exclusive to EA's Origin?
Tomorrow, EA is slated to unveil "Origin", a digital distribution platform similar to Steam but for EA's own titles such as Battlefield, Need for Speed, and more.
It will include an application, akin to Apple Inc.'s iTunes, that is designed to let consumers purchase, download and keep track of games for PCs, such as the company's "Battlefield" combat and "Need for Speed" racing games.
It will also feature a Steam like community interface where players can socially interact with others.
The truly interesting bit about this is the fact that if you want the upcoming BioWare MMORPG, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Origin will be your only way to purchase the game digitally. That's right folks, Steam will not get SWTOR, nor will any other digital distribution system. Retail releases are still planned but as for online, it's Origin or nothing.
BioWare tried to clear the air a bit in a posting on their forums.
Hey everyone – well, apparently once again the online world trumps newsprint, as a story that was supposed to pop tomorrow popped up tonight! Let me give you a couple of notes on Origin.
First off: Origin is a fantastic new digital initiative from EA, and we're pleased to confirm that Star Wars: The Old Republic will be available exclusively for digital download from Origin.
However, even though you'll only be able to buy and download The Old Republic digitally via Origin, you will still be able to buy a retail, boxed copy of the game from your favorite retailer (and that includes online retailers who’ll ship the box to you). BioWare and EA know the value many gamers place on a cool boxed product... and we’re producing a cool boxed product. (Or maybe I should say 'boxed products'. )
First off: Origin is a fantastic new digital initiative from EA, and we're pleased to confirm that Star Wars: The Old Republic will be available exclusively for digital download from Origin.
However, even though you'll only be able to buy and download The Old Republic digitally via Origin, you will still be able to buy a retail, boxed copy of the game from your favorite retailer (and that includes online retailers who’ll ship the box to you). BioWare and EA know the value many gamers place on a cool boxed product... and we’re producing a cool boxed product. (Or maybe I should say 'boxed products'. )
He goes on to state that the team has some "super-cool" news regarding SWTOR coming just before E3 and during the event. As for what that might be, it's merely speculation at the moment.
Does this also mean that upcoming blockbusters like Battlefield 3 will also be exclusive to Origin? Possibly, but don't start worrying too much about that just yet. The fact that Battlefield 3 is already available for preorder through Direct2Drive, another digital distribution system, might keep your fears in check. Then again, things can always change and there is still no guarantee yet that Battlefield 3 will appear on Steam.
As you may recall, EA already has a downloader system that has been in use for quite some time. Origin looks to expand upon the simple downloader to create a more engaging experience for the end user.
With all of this in mind, what do you, the consumer, think about this? Will you use Origin or would you rather stick with established systems such as Steam, GOG, and even D2D? How do you feel about The Old Republic being an Origin exclusive? And how worried are you that titles such as Battlefield 3 may also be exclusive to EA's Origin?
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