EA Launches Origin Online Game Distribution for Mac

[Les Kern]

For all your SIMS and Lego Star Wars needs!

I cannot contain my excitement.

[MagnusVonMagnum]

Originally Posted by VoR

The best thing about steam is that although they're a huge generic online shop company chocked full of AAA games, they've still got the indie spirit. Follow their development, they're really pushing for non-directx gaming. Considering how people often act on this forum, I'm surprised there's any negative comments

Yeah, I once heard good things about Google and how it was run. Sadly, corporations seem to evolve over time and rarely for the better. Steam is owned by Valve and they're still a corporation. Somehow I have a hard time calling large corporations "indie".

[roadbloc]

Originally Posted by MagnusVonMagnum

Yeah, I once heard good things about Google and how it was run. Sadly, corporations seem to evolve over time and rarely for the better. Steam is owned by Valve and they're still a corporation. Somehow I have a hard time calling large corporations "indie".

I think VoR was trying to say that despite being a large corporation, they are grateful for people's custom and treat their customers right with great new features, amazing sales and the push to deliver content to different OSs. In comparison to EA, who have been known to quite often make stupid decisions (mostly concerning DRM) that do nothing but annoy customers, Valve are totally fantastic.

Gabe seems to know what gamers want. And so far, he's done it well.

[Slow Programmer]

EA and VD are synonymous in my book. I really don't want either one. While they had many issues for a long time they lost me at Tiger Woods 12. In case you are not familiar with the Tiger Woods fiasco consider this. EA sold the game at full price, but it lacked about 25 percent of the content you needed to play the full game which they would sell you as downloadable content. You could play without the DLC, but it meant that you had to skip rounds as you played though the season. DLC would been OK for extra (not main game parts) content, but that is not how they did it.. Oh and the cost, $50.00 for the game and another $50.00 for the DLC to complete the game. I don't even look at EA stuff anymore and will not ever again

[adder7712]

Origin is subpar when compared to the likes of Steam.

Like most people, I only have it around for Battlefield 3.

[Komentra]

Originally Posted by bungiefan89

Hardcore gamers like me don't like the way they cram the Origin software down everyone's throats.

Well, I didn't like how Valve crammed Steam down my throat when I played CS 1.6 competitively but I dealt with it anyways.

I know people hate EA but I can't blame them for a second for wanting to handle their PC releases on their own service. Anyways, I installed it and much to my surprise it already noticed some of the Sims 3 games I had previously owned and no longer have the discs for so now I can play them again so that's a 1+ in my book.

EDIT: By the way when Steam first launched (before it evolved to what it is today) the reaction to it was HEAVILY negative.

[blinkin182]

Originally Posted by rockyroad55

Actually the retina MBP can run BF3 at medium-high settings. I'm doing it now.

But, then again, you are right, I only use Bootcamp for BF3. This EA thingy will never be installed on my mac side.

Same here on a top-spec'd iMac. It runs smooth as butter on nearly highest settings! And yes, origin store seems to be a nightmare, but BF3 is pretty awesome. Only reason I boot up in dreaded winblows!

[Miharu]

Every game from EA is a Cider port, right?

[edddeduck]

Originally Posted by VoR

It's a pretty vague EULA, that's everyones issue with it!

Their current EULA is pretty much legally identical to the one Steam has and everyone loves Steam. :-) Anthing EA can do with your data these days so can Valve.

Origin (on Mac at least) allows publishers to have their own DRM with no need for Origin to even be running to play the game. Steam requires Steam to run in the background. Origin also can sync your save games between Macs, even games which don't have origin built in!

All stores have their pluses and minuses but if you remove the Internet rumours and speculation and look at the Mac Origin store it has some real nice touches. Sure they have had some fairly public issues in the past but nobody is perfect.

Edwin

[VoR]

Originally Posted by edddeduck

Their current EULA is pretty much legally identical to the one Steam has and everyone loves Steam. :-) Anthing EA can do with your data these days so can Valve.

Quickly scanning through Steam's EULA (which hasn't been the subject of 1000 articles querying it) doesn't mention scanning your machine or uploading details to a 3rd Party(s). You can opt-in (prompted) to send anonymous hardware details if you want though.

Origin (on Mac at least) allows publishers to have their own DRM with no need for Origin to even be running to play the game. Steam requires Steam to run in the background. Origin also can sync your save games between Macs, even games which don't have origin built in!

Steam is required to install games (obviously), but there's plenty of DRM free games. DRM is a necessary evil apparently, and I suspect one of the reasons that "everyone loves Steam" is because it's done so well on their platform... As well as permanently binding games to accounts and syncing settings etc

All stores have their pluses and minuses but if you remove the Internet rumours and speculation and look at the Mac Origin store it has some real nice touches. Sure they have had some fairly public issues in the past but nobody is perfect.

Yes... lets ignore their past and their present, pretend it's all just a rumour (how could such a big, successful company do anything naughty?) and look simply at their application store front (which is poor compared to every alternative I can think of anyway!).

Yeah, the arguments work both ways But Valve doesn't have a horrendous history of buying up game producers etc. It's a not a huge office full of accountants, it's an aspirational, start-up-style place to work for where everyone works on what they want when they want. The store is 'just a store' (done well?), but Valve themselves are pushing for platform independent games and still support and port their own archive. They're still a business, they're most likely doing it so they can create their own gaming platform, but I honestly think that it is absolutely amazing work/news for anyone that plays games - Especially mac users! Little indie producers creating games that are native to Windows/Mac/Linux/etc is great, but to have someone like Valve doing the same thing could really change things (more than just gaming in the long term?).

I've just reread this and I hate you I really couldn't be more anti-brand loyalty/hatred, and the above couldn't sound more X vs Y fanboyism! Most of my passion regarding this is caused by a love of OSS, I've spouted enough though.

[Tom2893]

Can't wait for Simcity to come to Mac Origin.. Only problem is I reckon it's going to be a whopping £44.99 for the digital download..