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  EA adds 10 new partners to Origin

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    cyanidegold

    "Origin is focused on providing you with choices"... except for the choice to play your favorite EA games on your [...]

    "Origin is focused on providing you with choices"... except for the choice to play your favorite EA games on your favorite platform (Steam).
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    Triscuitable

    I don't care what people say. I enjoy using Origin. Unlike Steam's cluttered interface for the library, I see the [...]

    I don't care what people say. I enjoy using Origin. Unlike Steam's cluttered interface for the library, I see the covers of my games, just click them, and it's up. Sure, it lacks the deals (or subtlety) of Steam, but remember, we all hated Steam in it's infancy as well. Origin will grow, but it's not ready yet.
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    TheVoid

    For starters, you can adjust Steam's library so that it also shows just the covers, even allowing you to scale [...]

    For starters, you can adjust Steam's library so that it also shows just the covers, even allowing you to scale the size to cram more or fewer titles onto the screen based on your preference. So there! Although I'd be lying if I said that Steam was perfect. It's interface could use an overhaul and their removed support platform could stand to tie in more easily to the main app itself. And I would further agree that the thought of having to be connected to the internet to fire up my new store-bought copy of Half Life 2 absolutely INFURIATED me at the time. But that was SEVEN years ago, and at the time Steam was the only real game in town (in terms of a PC-specific gaming distribution platform) so they had a lot more freedom and flexibility with the growing pains all sides endured. But since then Steam has become strongly embraced by most PC gamers, and in some ways it arguably saved PC gaming during a time when most retailers and publishers could care less. And since Steam answers to gamers rather than stockholders, interface issues aside it has done just about everything right to make it's users extremely happy. Which is why I get downright pissed when I look at Origin and it's "let's just ape Steam in every way possible except for the bits that have made Steam an enormous success" mentality. EA had PLENTY of time to study Steam and determine a) what has made it so damn successful and b) how a competitive platform could improve upon the existing formula. But they didn't. As far as I can tell Origin has not once shown that that they understand that they have a long road ahead of them if they intend to lure Steam's users towards their platform, and EA's "take our ball and go home" opening volley has absolutely done more harm than good in that regard. And this is EA we are talking about, a company with an IMMENSE catalog of PC games stretching DECADES. I mean seriously, talk about missed opportunities! Origin could have launched and offered adopters a handful of free games from their all-but-forgotten back catalog as a simple gesture of goodwill, even if it were the likes of relatively ancient games like BF1942, Sims1, C&C1, the original Medal of Honor, etc. How much are they making from those games these days anyway? As a "new Origin user bundle, compliments of EA", that alone would have probably turned some heads and worked as an effective (and goodwill-ladden) lure, but no dice. Instead Origin clings desperately to same-as-retail pricing with a "free games" section populated with nothing but demos. Wow, EA, thanks! The issue at hand is that Origin could have hit the scene with all guns blazing while actively positioning themselves as a serious contendor to Steam's current (and well-earned) dominance. But they didn't, which is really too bad and indicitive of EA's greedy corporate mentality vs. Steam's dedication to it's user base. As I've said before, despite drawing lots and lots of dollars from me, I've never felt that Steam was only ever interested in taking my money. I simply cannot say the same for Origin, and several months post-launch they continue to do nothing to change that attitude.
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