Notch regards EA’s Origin as a good thing

[James]

Notch regards EA’s Origin as a good thing

He also thinks EA has made mistakes with the platform

[MOnk]

Not sure how Steam was nearly a monopoly considering there are and have been plenty of alternatives. GoG, Impulse Driven, Gamers Gate, Green Man Gaming, Get Games Go, Beamdog, Ubistore, Blizzard Store, Humble Bundles and a few others that I've probably forgotten.

Just because something is popular doesn't make it a monopoly.

Also to call Origin a platform is quite laughable, it's still a download manager and I haven't seen anything to change that status.

[Graal]

Yeah, there were other digital distribution options out there, but Steam was by far dominating the market.

I also don't quite understand why you think Origin isn't a platform? It does pretty much everything Steam does. Launch your games through it. Install your games through it. Social platform. Store built into the client.

It's not as comprehensive as Steam, sure, but it still does just about everything Steam does, aside from achievements.

[Weasley]

real reason people love steam is the regular special around the world. until origin does better work and have there own specials I will not considerer it real competition to any1.

[Graal]

Yeah, Origin keeps sending me newsletters for their sales, but somehow whenever I check the store those games are still full-priced.

[MOnk]

I also don't quite understand why you think Origin isn't a platform? It does pretty much everything Steam does.

Go check out http://www.steampowered.com/steamworks/ and tell me Origin does pretty much everything Steam does.

It's not just about what you see it's about how things work together. Stuff like Origin friends not syncing with Battlelog, no game file checking or auto updating for anything besides BF3 and ME3 (not sure about Syndicate), limited profiles, very few social features, no built in match making and server browsing, no achievements, no wallet feature, dlc purchase is spotty outside of those 2(3) games.


It's a store, that's about it, otherwise I could also call gog.com a platform.

[MOnk]

Yeah, Origin keeps sending me newsletters for their sales, but somehow whenever I check the store those games are still full-priced.

That's because they don't touch local store pricing, it's set-it-and-forget-it.

[Graal]

For me though, something becomes a digital distribution platform the moment you have to have it running while playing your games.

Origin does feel like nothing more than a glorified EADM, but it still is a platform, even if only barely. :P

That's because they don't touch local store pricing, it's set-it-and-forget-it.

I just hope they do something about that soon. They've got quite a few games on their store that are no longer available for retail in physical shops (C&C3 as an example) that I want, but which is hopelessly overpriced. I'm not going to buy it for R350 when it sold for R50 two years back.

[MOnk]

For me though, something becomes a digital distribution platform the moment you have to have it running while playing your games.

Origin does feel like nothing more than a glorified EADM, but it still is a platform, even if only barely. :P

A platform is something you use to build on top of, usually for the enrichment of your product. By your definition Securom is a platform since it runs while you play games.

So I would only consider GFWL and Steam/Steamworks as proper PC platforms.

[Graal]

No SecuRom is a form of DRM. Both Origin and Steam include DRM, but neither are DRM, in the strict sense of the word.

Either way, let's just agree to disagree on this one.