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EA sales suffering, Origin titles going F2P, the justification? : "The main reason is convenience f
Karteli
Member CommonPosts: 2,646
EA's Origin (ironically named after a company that did really good RPG games) had a tough time last year. They introduced an EULA that would legally allow Origin to snoop your computer and report back about your browsing history, websites visited (realtime), your hardware configuration, the applications you have installed, and those which you currently use, including games (EA's AND their competitors games).
There was a major uproar. The EULA was revised, sort of. Things settled down, but still EA's Origin is intrusive to me. I don't want their software to load everytime I boot my computer and have it still running in the background, quietly watching what I'm doing. I personally don't like it, but some don't care.
Recently EA has announced that it's portfolio of games will go "F2P". In quotes because it's really a perversion of actually F2P games, but lets set that aside.
EA Rebrands Play4Free as Origin Free To Play
December 13 2012
http://www.ibtimes.com/ea-rebrands-play4free-origin-free-play-936517
In its continued effort to offset the struggling traditional or "physical" video game market with a growing inventory of free-to-play games, game industry publisher Electronic Arts (Nasdaq: EA) has collapsed its Play4Free portfolio within its larger digital distribution and networking platform Origin.
[Sean Decker, EA’s vice president of Play4Free] “The main reason is convenience for players -- Origin now becomes your single destination for paid downloadable PC games and free-to-play games alike.”
“You already know Origin as your destination for the latest and greatest in gaming content from some of the world’s best video game publishers, including EA,” [Sean] Decker said.
I could understand if EA wants to just be a competitor, but they are nasty. They attacked Steam a few months ago:
Steam sales "cheapen intellectual property" says EA Origin boss
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2012-06-06-david-demartini-origin-wants-to-be-the-hub
Q: One of the things that Steam does is this random deep-discounting of software, and it works well for them. Do you see that as something you want to do?
David DeMartini: We won't be doing that. Obviously they think it's the right thing to do after a certain amount of time. I just think it cheapens your intellectual property. I know both sides of it, I understand it. If you want to sell a whole bunch of units, that is certainly a way to do that, to sell a whole bunch of stuff at a low price. The gamemakers work incredibly hard to make this intellectual property, and we're not trying to be Target. We're trying to be Nordstrom. When I say that, I mean good value - we're trying to give you a fair price point, and occasionally there will be things that are on sale you could look for a discount, just don't look for 75 percent off going-out-of-business sales.
Since when was EA considered Nordstrom ?? (besides the 80's when it was a Dev company making good games) ?
EA seems to be following SOE's lead. The industry is leading towards F2P games, and I'm not sure if thats really good for MMORPG gamers or not. I'm leaning towards not, though, especially if companies keep trying to inject spyware (Origin) into computers to offset F2P losses by selling "legally" obtained information to 3rd parties.
Thoughts?
Want a nice understanding of life? Try Spirit Science: "The Human History"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8NNHmV3QPw&feature=plcp
Recognize the voice? Yep sounds like Penny Arcade's Extra Credits.
Comments
I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been -Wayne Gretzky
EA Origin realises they are not making money, so they copy SOE's model.
Yeah a bit late.
They do realise that it is the games NOT the store that is the problem rite?
Seems to me EA always go to great lengths to go around the problem instead of tackling the problem.
Aye, I see that too. For example, EA spent a ton of effort to keep denying a graphics engine problem existed in SWTOR when more than ~ 16 players were in drawable range. They even did interviews denying the problem. Which led to more interviews because even the interviewers had fps issues (even DarthHater), lol. The response quotes from EA reps are amusing.
If EA just fixed the graphics problems then nobody would complain .. but people still complain even on the official forums to this day. EA should have tackled the problem head on instead of mounting a PR defense of denial.
Want a nice understanding of life? Try Spirit Science: "The Human History"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8NNHmV3QPw&feature=plcp
Recognize the voice? Yep sounds like Penny Arcade's Extra Credits.
I'll continue boycotting EA.
EA has too much invested to ever admit that they made a bad game of any sort publically. Somewhere inside the offices some one knows that there is a kernel of truth to the notion but they want to be seen as the go to game company and sweep issues under the rug. Public perception is a huge thing in sales and there is a reason some of our favorite forum goers are paid to post and troll. I do wonder if they sell user data collected from Origin regardless of what they say.
As one poster already mentioned, there are ways to block it from starting up automatically. Many free security suites (such as Avast) have a feature to forcibly alter the startup menu as well.
But aside from that, I take your point that EA has gone about it's marketing in a very intrusive and devious way. And knowing that they themselves are secretly collecting user's personal information on the one hand and then on the other hand for them to accuse thier rivals of 'cheapening intellectual property' is a real laugher to me. So EA is screwing it's customers, and their only response is to say that their competitors are screwing the gaming markets. Good one.
And ya, we all know the disclosures are there in tha tos written in perfect "legalese" language that nobody reads but it's still a rip job imo. However, I'd say that EA is in good company in this pursuit of privacy invasion (hello Google and Facebook).
Companies that choose to offer discounts are not cheapening the product, in my opinion; rather, they are just exercising good capitalistic strategies.
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why would EA try to make something just like steam, when there's already steam?
it's not like people dont like steam. every games i know, myself included, love steam and have purchased many awesome indy games thanks to its convenience.
RIP Ribbitribbitt you are missed, kid.
Currently Playing EVE, ESO
Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed.
Dwight D Eisenhower
My optimism wears heavy boots and is loud.
Henry Rollins
It's business. Steam is a successful business and EA wants to tap into that market, even if they have to crap-up Steam in the process. Long story short :-)
Want a nice understanding of life? Try Spirit Science: "The Human History"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8NNHmV3QPw&feature=plcp
Recognize the voice? Yep sounds like Penny Arcade's Extra Credits.
I use steam, probably won't use Origin.
However, f2p is not the real issues. Lots of F2P games (incluidng MMOs) are on STEAM. I do like to have one system that is easy to install & play games, and steam fits that bill.
EA is right ... i do like convenience when it comes to installing & playing games.
Back when I first installed Origin on my computer, I would have agreed with the "Origin haters". It did not work correctly. Was hard to find support for. And just did not seem to be very convenient. I still am not a big fan of Origin. Of course, I have never been a big fan of Steam either. My complaints against Steam are nearly the same as those that I have seen listed against Origin here. However, I have come to life with BOTH. I have both installed on my PC and both currently run just fine. I start Steam on startup of my PC but NOT Origin. I often turn off Steam. Thing is, it is not that big a deal anymore.
And by the way, it really isn't EA making something like Steam. Steam made something more akin to Itunes or a number of other music distributors. So Steam actually copied someone else's model. EA is only copying someone else's model. No difference. If Steam can do it, they EA should also be able to do it .... without being critical of the attempt. Judge the quality of the service for sure but not the fact that they are doing it.
Let's party like it is 1863!
Competition is always good, although I wouldn't call what Origin does 'competing'. They are pretty much just cutting off their own nose to spite their face.
I use both Origins and Steam.
Origins has the games I want to play BF3, ME3 etc so w/e.
Gdemami -
Informing people about your thoughts and impressions is not a review, it's a blog.
Someone make a system that bubbles both of those systems into one. Then we'll be laughing.
Difference is, Steam copied off something completely different (Music =/= Games fully.) EA is trying to copy off of steam and badmouth them. They both have rights to, but I can say for sure that Valve is a tad bit more well-liked.
EA hasn't really been my favorite anymore. After Mythic, Bioware, FIFA 12/13 comparison, the microtransaction discusson, and various other reasons I've turned a blind eye on them. The only game I've looked at from them was FIFA 13, and only because my high school was hosting a tournament then (Then I decided to opt out of the tournament thinking it wasn't worth it and explained to my friends why I don't enjoy EA as I did in the past.)
I think they drooling more over the idea that they can release cheaper developed games in the future and just offer items through their cash shop. They could probably build 20 to 30 different games based on cash shop items for the price that they paid for SWTOR, and their odds of having one of those to be a " hit " is probably higher.
If EA is cash shopping FIFA series, lol that'll be hilarious imo :P