EA waves Origin distribution fees for Kickstarter games

According to a press release sent out today by EA, the publisher will be waiving its distribution fees for indie companies who have funded their games on crowdsourced platforms likeKickstarterand Indiegogo.

That said, they're not opening the service to just any interested developers. Not only does the game need to be crowdfunded, but it also needs to be complete and ready to publish. EA isn't interested in flooding the service with a bunch of half-finished or terrible games.

"Crowd-funded projects are like the 'people's choice awards' -- a way for gaming fans to express what they want to buy and play," said Jane Jensen of Pinkerton Road in a press release. "It's great to see a big publisher like EA acknowledging that and opening up distribution opportunities for these games."

The combination seems like a match made in heaven. Indie developers get free access to Origin's 12 million customers, EA bolsters its indie cred (plus a tip of the hat from hardcore gaming fans), and gamers get easier access to some great games.

Andrew Groen

Andrew is a freelance video game journalist, writing for sites like Wired and GamesRadar. Andrew has also written a book called EMPIRES OF EVE: A History of the Great Wars of EVE Online.