14 DAY TRIAL // Electronic Arts has adopted a new strategy concerning its Origin digital distribution service, confirming that it wants to really focus on the end consumer and add new features that will make buying, installing, and playing games much easier.
Origin was released back in 2011 and, since then, the digital service from EA hasn't received that much love, even if the company has bragged about its ever increasing number of users worldwide.
In order to really drive the point home about the advantages of Origin and how many extra features it offers besides easy access to games, EA's Andrew Wilson has taken charge of the project and has talked with GI about it.
According to Wilson, a bigger emphasis was put originally on Origin's role in the process of buying PC games online, instead of its various other features, thereby alienating lots of customers.
"I think when I look at the journey that service has taken, I think the transaction component of that service has taken a disproportionate amount of the communication and mindshare of what we really try and provide, and the barrier that that puts in between you and the game that you want to play."
Wilson highlighted that Origin's role was to simplify the access to digital games, instead of asking customers to juggle between downloaders, installers, and other such programs.
"In the old EA, there were multiple downloaders and multiple installers," Wilson said. "Before you bought every game, you had to get a new downloader and a new installer. That was a barrier. Origin is one downloader, one installer. That solves a problem for the gamers who buy more than one game. Again, we're not perfect, but we're getting better."
To those who are still reticent about Origin or who had negative experiences with the program, Wilson wants to get them to take a second look and see the progress registered by the service.
"What we would say is, 'We get it. We understand it. We have heard, we have made some changes already in terms of how we do things, and we're looking at more changes that we'll talk about over the coming months that really are gamer-focused.' That I think will prove as a litmus test and a change and a filter by which people see Origin. It will help them understand this is not just hot air. We actually want to build a service to gamers."
Origin, however, will have a hard time competing with the likes of Steam, which dominates the hearts and minds of many PC gamers.