14 DAY TRIAL // Electronic Arts has talked about its Origin digital distribution service, saying that, despite its rocky release last year, it’s trying to improve upon it and will deliver a great experience that’s going to delight gamers on the PC platforms.
Valve’s Steam service reigns supreme in the digital distribution market, but this doesn’t mean that rivals, like GamersGate, Good Old Games or others aren’t trying to compete with it.
EA also decided a change was needed and launched its own Origin service last year, through which games like Battlefield 3, Need for Speed: The Run or Star Wars: The Old Republic are sold. As you can imagine, this move didn’t really go so well, as Steam loyalists complained about the harsh terms of the service, the dubious Origin program, and more.
EA’s Chief Operating Officer, Peter Moore, says that these problems were also encountered by Steam back when it was released. In order to solve them, however, Moore promises that lots of improvements will be made to the service.
"We need to continue to add social layers so there is value to the consumer," Moore told Kotaku, "so it doesn't feel like, in their words, 'something that is mandatory that I don't want.'”
In terms of hate, the EA executive says that things are better now, admitting that “it’s quieted down.”
"I don't think you see the initial level of vitriol. And I've been in gaming long enough [that I know that] if you try to add something that's different and particularly if you add the layer that it's EA and everything that goes with it."
In the end, Moore asks Origin haters to give the service some time to truly grow and evolve, and then decide if it’s worth using it alongside other digital distribution outlets like Steam.
"It's one of those things where I would ask: give us 18 months to two years. And if we sit here two years from now, start looking at it then," he said. "I think the ability to have your own direct platform with the consumer is going to be very important in the digital world going forward."
Are you still against Origin or have you started to tolerate EA’s service? Feel free to leave a comment below.