EA Launches Origin Online Game Distribution for Mac

[MacMan988]

I hate having those apps installed to play games. All I wish is a game that runs by itself and when I quit it, it should completely goes off from the memory and stop taking CPU cycles.

[Pman17]

meh, not enough games

They need Battlefield 3 for Mac.

[Renzatic]

Originally Posted by Eriden

EA is the soulless corporate juggernaut of the gaming industry.

I'd say that's more Activision these days. EA tends to flip flop between being absolute bastards and pretty alright at times.

[Fatalbert]

Originally Posted by MacMan988

I hate having those apps installed to play games. All I wish is a game that runs by itself and when I quit it, it should completely goes off from the memory and stop taking CPU cycles.

Me too! This is why I hate Steam. You want a game? Get this thing, and make an account to play it. Yeah sorry, but Ima pirate this one.

[Ausn]

How can you release a plattform like Origin without publishing FIFA 13 on it?
Still have to use Bootcamp for FIFA?! :< outch

[Eriden]

Originally Posted by Renzatic

I'd say that's more Activision these days. EA tends to flip flop between being absolute bastards and pretty alright at times.

Activision is terrible as well. Decent developers were becoming few and far between until the recent rash of 90s gaming Kickstarters. The big names that I used to love; Bioware, Square, Valve... Have all lost the magic. AAA guaranteed ROI titles are all they care about, and they don't care whether the games are any good.

[Canaan]

This would maybe be good news if EA didn't suck and would stop using Cider ports and actually port the games to run natively.

(I am still mad at EA for butchering Command and Conquer)

[ArtOfWarfare]

Originally Posted by Vertigo50

This will never be installed on my machine.

You had me at "EA".

Agreed. I'll be thrilled if this becomes EA's sole distribution method, as that'll mean I'll never have to be subjected to their games again (or have to check the logos on a game before buying it... Although, now that I think about it, I buy by company anyways... id, Nintendo, Rare, Blizzard, Valve, and Ubisoff are all good... I can't think of many other companies with good track records.)

[Renzatic]

Originally Posted by Eriden

Activision is terrible as well. Decent developers were becoming few and far between until the recent rash of 90s gaming Kickstarters. The big names that I used to love; Bioware, Square, Valve... Have all lost the magic. AAA guaranteed ROI titles are all they care about, and they don't care whether the games are any good.

Eh, I'd still consider Valve one of the good ones. About the only complaint I have about them is that it takes forever for them to release anything. But hey, I'd rather them spend an inordinate amount of time getting something right then just rushing everything out the door to make a quick buck.

Square? I haven't been too stoked about anything they've done since the PS1. Bioware? I've always thought of them as being pretty okay, and I'd say they're still...yeah...pretty okay. Beyond the Baldur's Gate games, I've never been all that excited about them.

There's always been tons of developers out there making great games, and the once greats drifting by the wayside when the old talent moves on to new things. It really isn't any worse now than it has been for the last 30 years of game history. The greats come, the greats go, and new greats come in to take their place. It's the way of the world.

[joemod]

Originally Posted by Fatalbert

Just wondering, what has EA done that makes everyone hate it so much? I honestly don't know because I haven't experienced much EA on a PC besides the Harry Potter games and a horrible avatar system for PGA. When I think of EA, I think of SSX3, NASCAR '07, Need for Speed Underground, Harry Potter, and Harry Potter 2, which are good games.

Because EA has been constantly buying studios which created very good games with great content and turned them into studios which created questionable products. At least that's the perception. Bioware is one of them.
If I am allowed to make a wild analogy EA is the Microsoft of gaming industry. It's a colossus and (almost) everybody loves to hate it.

[upthetoffees]

Zero EA policy over here, I play games but won't go near EA stuff, nice to see most are in same boat, they deserve all they get.

[iPusch]

I don't see the point of the hate base...
I have already downloaded Origin due to the near release of SimCity later next month^^
And guess what, I do not feel any bad :P
Should I?

[capoeirista]

This won't go anywhere near my mac partition. I might have to install it on my boot camp partition, however, because I kind of want to play Mass Effect 3 and Dead Space 3. I'll probably buy them from amazon, rather than from Origin. EA don't strike me as a company known for their discounts...

[mrxak]

Originally Posted by boto

I will NEVER install this spyware game client on my Mac. NEVER. Windows is a different story since I don't store any important information on my Bootcamp partition, only games.

I keep hearing this, but have never heard any specifics. What exactly makes Origin spyware?

[watchthisspace]

Originally Posted by mrxak

I keep hearing this, but have never heard any specifics. What exactly makes Origin spyware?

In the Terms and Conditions for installing Origin, EA pretty is very vague on that data Origin collects from a user and users computer.

Here's a good read about it: http://www.cinemablend.com/games/EA-...-PC-36690.html

[AlbertEinstein]

WHAT? A bvig company collecting users data?! Well, so does Apple, Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Twitter...(and so on).

I installed it and it works like a charm. Great selection of games (altough quite pricey).

[VoR]

Originally Posted by AlbertEinstein

WHAT? A bvig company collecting users data?! Well, so does Apple, Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Twitter...(and so on).

I installed it and it works like a charm. Great selection of games (altough quite pricey).

Apple, Google and Microsoft all have a range of software, from full operating systems to tiny text editors - they all manage to resist the urge to scan your entire machine and upload its contents, unlike EA

[locust76]

Originally Posted by Fatalbert

"Origin is quite similar to Valve's Steam." What's the point then?

EA does not sell their games through Steam.

Originally Posted by Fatalbert

Unless this turns out to be a more stable and less annoying version of Steam (which I don't use because it's CRAP), then it's dumb.

Steam is widely regarded as the next best thing since sliced bread. It's awesome.

Originally Posted by Fatalbert

I've also used just one EA thing on a PC before, and it was a horrible experience. But all their software for game consoles is good.

All their PC software is software for game consoles, so by extention...

But no, really, EA sucks as a company.

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Originally Posted by capoeirista

This won't go anywhere near my mac partition. I might have to install it on my boot camp partition, however, because I kind of want to play Mass Effect 3 and Dead Space 3. I'll probably buy them from amazon, rather than from Origin. EA don't strike me as a company known for their discounts...

Install Origin, buy from Amazon, input the key into Origin and have an always-up-to-date downloadable version of the game available to you whenever you want it. Throw DVD away or pack it away in the basement.

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Originally Posted by upthetoffees

Zero EA policy over here, I play games but won't go near EA stuff, nice to see most are in same boat, they deserve all they get.

Sorry to break it to you, but most are not in your boat.

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Originally Posted by MacMan988

I hate having those apps installed to play games. All I wish is a game that runs by itself and when I quit it, it should completely goes off from the memory and stop taking CPU cycles.

Believe me, your computer has so much more running in the background on a constant basis that you have no control over. You seriously need to upgrade your machine if it can't handle something so inconsequential as Origin.

Origin is currently idle on my machine, uses 0% CPU and 37 MB of memory. That might have been problematic if we were in the mid-90's.

[dazza611]

Why don't they put this in the Mac App Store? Only want it for the new SimCity!! I would rather buy the game from the App Store!

[haravikk]

As much as I dislike EA it's good to see that at least Steam will have some competition. While Steam's prices have been generally great, competition ought to keep that trend up even as Steam continues to gain popularity.

[SimonTheSoundMa]

Originally Posted by dazza611

Why don't they put this in the Mac App Store? Only want it for the new SimCity!! I would rather buy the game from the App Store!

It wouldn't pass the smell test. Origin would not pass Apple's privacy guidelines.

It scans your whole computer and send information to EA and unknown third parties. Data such as which app are installed and when they are used, your bookmarks and browser history, collect data with who you are contacting for example e-mail addresses.

It also slows your computer down significantly because it always scans what you are doing.

[VoR]

Originally Posted by haravikk

As much as I dislike EA it's good to see that at least Steam will have some competition. While Steam's prices have been generally great, competition ought to keep that trend up even as Steam continues to gain popularity.

It's competition I guess, but they're hardly pushing Valve. EA have just released their shop/personal machine scanning tool, they are still 'just' EA - A load of accountants

Valve are a fantastic company, they still have the indie spirit and the work their doing on steambox (or whatever its called) is and will continue to be fantastic news for all gamers on all platforms.
The OpenGL stack is such a mess on OSX and anything graphics related is very fast moving on linux, but watching the work their doing and seeing more and more native ports is very exciting! Real vision...and balls

[ikir]

Originally Posted by Fatalbert

Me too! This is why I hate Steam. You want a game? Get this thing, and make an account to play it. Yeah sorry, but Ima pirate this one.

Pirating isn't a solution, you're just being dishonest and blame others. Steam is grat, it lets you easily finds friends, join server, updates games, chat and many many other things. Origin is just a clone.

[Tech198]

Everyone's turning to the Cloud now-a-days.

Its happening.. Who will be next ?

Looks like i'll get that MBA after all ..

[rmwebs]

Stuck between a rock and a hard place now.

I want Sim City 5, but wont touch Origin or any other EA 'software management' crap.

Sadly the only option is to take the game, and manually rip it appart and put it in a cider wrapper.

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Originally Posted by Fatalbert

Me too! This is why I hate Steam. You want a game? Get this thing, and make an account to play it. Yeah sorry, but Ima pirate this one.

Whats wrong with Steam? It's generally WAY better than the crap EA pushes. They are also very lenient with purchases (e.g if you owned a Windows version, you get the Mac version for free) and dont shove their stuff down your throat every time you go to play a game.

Plus the sales are amazing. I picked up Civ5 + all expansions last year for £2.99 - reduced from something like £40. EA would never do that!