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EA Launches New Digital Retail Service, Makes It the Sole Way to Purchase Star Wars: The Old Republic Online

New Origin online service to offer exclusive versions of games like Battlefield 3 and Alice.

In the realm of online download services, Steam has few legitimate competitors. It's ubiquitous with the concept of digital distribution on the PC, to the point where anyone directly challenging Valve's online retail behemoth would need to come with some serious firepower to even make a dent in the thing's usage numbers.

Evidently, EA is betting that it has the firepower necessary to be successful with its own entry into the digital distribution space. EA today announced Origin, a new online download service that, on the surface, looks more or less like a re-branding of the publisher's original online store. However, EA is banking on turning Origin into the go-to place to purchase EA products online. Over 150 titles, including PC and console titles (which, yes, you will still have to have shipped to you) are now available on the newly-launched website.

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More interestingly, EA plans to offer "exclusive special editions" of games like Battlefield 3, Alice: Madness Returns, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, and FIFA 12. And then there is the small matter of Star Wars: The Old Republic, which EA states will only be available online via the Origin service. Yes, those married to the antiquated notions of "stores" and "physical copies of games" can still go buy a boxed copy in a retail store, but for those looking to pre-order and download online, Origin will be your sole option in the matter.

Origin does have some other practical uses, especially in the mobile space. Origin will have its own mobile application, and will be integrated directly into EA's mobile games. There are also social networking features, including friends lists and the ability to see what EA games your friends are playing, though those are things most any gaming service includes nowadays.

This whole thing becomes extremely interesting when you consider that EA has traditionally been Valve's distribution partner for its various console games. EA most recently acted as distributor for Valve's acclaimed puzzle/adventure sequel, Portal 2. One might think that this would leave the relationship between the two companies perhaps... a bit strained. Though if EA just plans to stick to selling its own games, maybe Valve will simply treat this like the buzzing of flies around its all-powerful head, and simply go on about its business as usual, paying no mind to this new player in the game.

Regardless, it's an intriguing shift in priority for EA, who clearly see online distribution as something they want a bigger piece of in terms of marketshare. As a streetwise stick-up man once said: "You come at the king, you best not miss."

So is Origin going to be Avon Barksdale, making lots of noise but ultimately unable to bring down the king? Or will it be Kenard, the deadly threat you just don't see coming?

Alex Navarro on Google+

163 Comments

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gunharp

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Edited By gunharp

@SithLibrarian: , @SeriouslyNow:

I'm surprised no one else has really mentioned that the store being called "Origin" is a reference to Origin Systems. It's what I thought of when I read this piece of news.

@Brendan said:

Like I said in a thread about this earlier, if I have one physical shelf for games regardless of publisher, I want one virtual shelf for all my digital games. I do not want several publishers trying to divide up my collection into different accounts with different passwords diluting the potential permanence of my collection.

I totally get why you want one virtual shelf. I gave up on that and just went to wherever the games were. Outside of Steam I have purchased digitally from Blizzard, Good Old Games, and directly from quite a few smaller developers.

EA titles on Steam don't have things like cloud saves, join session, or steam achievements. So because of that I've got no problem buying via Origin. I won't be missing out on anything in my preferred virtual store.

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rmanthorp

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Edited By rmanthorp  Moderator

This makes me made, just use Steam... If Mass Effect 3 is exclusive to this I'mma be mad!

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AhmadMetallic

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Edited By AhmadMetallic

Oh EA.... >_>

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sk0ney

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Edited By sk0ney

i dont mind ea.. but jesus christ. they are investing 100's of millions of dollars into SWTOR and now they pull this shit on their audience? why make things harder for us.. just put it on steam, its what we know and PREFER.

If i have a choice between EA's Origin or a brick and mortar store... i'll choose a different game

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SeriouslyNow

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Edited By SeriouslyNow

@MrKlorox said:

@137 said:

@MrKlorox : Hopefully your computer came equipped with google so you could research and probably post proof I'm full of shit before making cool statements like "INTERNET LEGEND"....

hey look at this, proof you're a moron "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EA_Store

I'm not the fucktard who paid for something for 24 months of use. You're the one making full of shit statements, fool.

Uh dude, I think he's worried that EA could change its policies again because he was burned before. Nothing he said was 'fucktard' worthy.

Download limitations

Users were given one year from the time of purchase to download a game, but this limitation does not exist anymore. There currently is no time limitation for redownloading games through the platform. However according to EA terms of service account may be canceled after 24 month of non-use.

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Mortified_Cow

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Edited By Mortified_Cow

This is stupid. I can see it already. Ill use Origin to get Old Republic, and it will suck, I'll never use it again after that but it will just annoy me by existing on my PC. If I can, Ill install it to download the game and delete it right after. I won't buy Battlefield 3 through the program since no matter what exclusives they offer, valve will offer a better one. It's called "steam", that little program where i have all my friends and pretty much every other game i own on the PC in one nice neat place. EA is hurting themselves by limiting the number of retailers selling their game. No Walmart, Gamestop or Amazon, the three biggest video game retailers in the U.S. is just dumb. Plus, I prefer hard copies for my MMO's since I don't like having to download 20 gigs, Id rather install 15 then download 5.

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Mabui

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Edited By Mabui

There was an earlier article about EA's CO talking about learning from mistakes.  Well, this is going to be the most expensive education you're going to receive EA.

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Gregomasta

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Edited By Gregomasta
@sixpin said:
The Old Republic isn't going to be on Steam then? Good job EA. Why don't you just not sale retail copies at Wal-Mart while you are at it?
 
Edit:
@TadThuggish: Looks like we had the same thought.
Yeah, I think I may actually buy this from a big budget store.
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smellylettuce

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Edited By smellylettuce

Question is, what sort download limitations are they going to put in place? One of the main reasons I've avoided EA's download service is because in the past, they only sell you a licence to play said game and after 2 years it expires leaving you with bupkis after. At least that was the rule back when I bought the original Mass Effect from them. I don't see myself trusting their sense of entitlement at all for the foreseeable future, at any rate.

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Forum_User

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Edited By Forum_User

Some of the comments here reminded me of this: 
 

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ponyslayer

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Edited By ponyslayer

the game still the same just got more fierce  
 
                      - Slim Charles

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xaveri

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Edited By xaveri

Once again these companies fail to understand the PC consumer. They think that by limiting stuff they add value to their product which is idiotic. Valve uses the simple principle of "what is bet for our customers". Granted Valve is not perfect but they certainly have a track record of openness and try to listen to the community. I wish EA good luck. The more systems like Steam out there, the better the competition. In the end I get to vote with my space bucks.

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forkboy

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Edited By forkboy

@Alex: Nice Wire reference.