EA to go 100% Digital, Calls NPD 'Irrelevant'

[mauriek]

But you're forgetting the people that don't have the luxury of going 100% digital.

People that don't have broadband available where they live.
People that don't have high speed broadband where they live.
People that have very low monthly download limits.
People that don't have a credit card or a bank account to link to PayPal to purchase digital copies.

That is right, million of gamers around the world have that limitation.

I live in a country which decent internet speed cost a fortune, We have small gamer community and downloading full game is a difficult option since ISP charge some of us up to 1/3 of our normal monthly salary.

I recently bought BF3 and many of the times i cannot play it cause of crap internet speed, not to mention huge update size and i can afford better internet speed more than some of my gamer friend here. with time pass it's getting cheaper but the rate of price decline and speed rise is too slow when compare to other country. few years ago it is impossible to play game that consume big bandwidth but now its playable even that will be high cost gaming.

Pirating is common practice in my country, I have been promoting to buy original game but when game company decide to go full digital and left us behind, it will become harder to stop using pirate game.

 

[1Kurgan1]

Overall Origin is fine, my opinion of it hasn't really changed since it came out. The interface of almost everything needs some work. They got some deals sometimes. The only reason I got it though is because games I bought required it. It's just easier for me to use Steam and keep track of my friends list there than it is to start spreading my list and duplicating and having people who don't have the same names on both platforms (I already axe people on steam like that who I have no idea who they are because they don't have the same name as here, just too many people to remember if names don't match up). Steam got me first simply for the deals (which they have in a greater supply), and kept me with the friends (since tons of people use it), hooked me a bit more with screenshot adding too.

I'll continue to use Origin, but I still fire up most of my games through Steam and exclusively use Steam chat since I'm not going to bother with multiple different hotkeys for different overlays.

 

[H82LUZ73]

Battlefield 2 is not free its 19.99$

http://store.origin.com/store/ea/en_US/DisplayProductDetailsPage/productID.78869400

Battlefield 2 Patch v1.5

Description:
Battlefield 2 Patch v1.5 Notes FEATURES: - Additional support for Windows Vista. - Added Highway Tampa as a required map. - Added a new map called Operation Blue Pearl. - Added Euro Force and Armored Fury as free to play content for all B
This is the long-awaited version 1.50 patch for Battlefield 2. In addition to making all content from both expansions free-to-play, it includes a number of bug fixes and gameplay tweaks.
Hide
Share226

File Name:
BF2_Patch_1.50.exe
File Size:
1.93 GB
Date Added:
09-01-2009
Download This Week:
1210
Downloads All Time:
641221
Popularity:
100%
http://www.gamefront.com/files/14444947/Battlefield_2_Patch_v1_5

Just use your cd key you have for BF2 Install cd then patch then your done..........I was saying the Highlighted above from the Complete version is free.

If you need a one cd all install link just email me

Originally Posted by Jurassic1024 View Post
But you're forgetting the people that don't have the luxury of going 100% digital.

People that don't have broadband available where they live.
People that don't have high speed broadband where they live.
People that have very low monthly download limits.
People that don't have a credit card or a bank account to link to PayPal to purchase digital copies.

So see if you can get a VISA Debit Card linked to your bank account,It is more common then you think.I have one and it has worked for Steam and Origin.

 

[Lionheart]

whats wrong with Origin steam fanboy? THey are the same damn thing with a different interface.

And thanks to your ignorant comment the flaming begins

 

[DannibusX]

I don't dislike Origin as a service, I'd just prefer to keep all of my games on one, which is Steam. Honestly, with Battlelog, you really shouldn't need Origin. EA's got to inflate their user count somehow though.

Oh yeah. EA and Origin brought some very questionable tactics when it comes to community management and stuff. Weren't they the first to include an anti-class action clause in their EULA? Didn't they also ban any Origin account when they troll in their forums? And I don't mean ban from the forums, but completely lock people out of their Origin accounts and make it so they couldn't even play their single-player games offline?

 

[KissSh0t]

I haven't bought any games digitally, All my games on Steam *right back to Half Life 2" were purchased in a shop, and the 1 game I am forced to use Origin for was purchased in a shop as well..

If they don't sell their games at a shop all that means is they are going to lose customers who don't buy digital, or who cannot download games due to slow internet or not having a large download quota.

EA going purely Digital means to me nothing more than I will not buy their games.

 

[Bjorn_Of_Iceland]

Wont buy anything from origin. Bought my bf3, da, da2, etc physically. Ccard / financial details + EA = bad combination.

 

[THE_EGG]

Wont buy anything from origin. Bought my bf3, da, da2, etc physically. Ccard / financial details + EA = bad combination.

Just get a debit card with like $60 on it. That way they can only use what's on the card, and it's separate from your other cards.

 

[Frick]

Ccard / financial details + EA = bad combination.

Why? Have they screwed up something?

 

[rpsgc]

Wont buy anything from origin. Bought my bf3, da, da2, etc physically. Ccard / financial details + EA = bad combination.

You mean like when EA was hacked? Oh wait, that was Steam.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/danieln...0/steam-hacked-newell-watch-your-credit-card/

 

[TheOne]

And origin has only been out for like 1 year and it took Steam multiple years to get it where its at.

It does have overlay if you pay attention itll flash a thing at you tell you how to turn it on when you start a game, there are good deals if you look at the right time. Overlay for steam messes up some games pretty bad.

For those comparing steam and origin. We must remember that steam has been out for a long time now so they have had time to polish their product to be very good. Sure Origin is no where near as good as steam, not even in the same league. But it hasn't been out for a very long time.

Origin is just the latest version of EA's client, they have been playing at this since 2005, this is just their more Steam like version.

Origin also won't be doing sales like Steam, the head of Origin said at E3 this year that it damages intellectual properties.

 

[rpsgc]

Origin is just the latest version of EA's client, they have been playing at this since 2005, this is just their more Steam like version.

EADM was just that. A download manager. In no way did it ever compete with Steam. Especially since Steam was DRM from day one and EADM never was. Most people, like me, simply used it for the convenience of keeping a digital copy of our EA games.

 

[TheOne]

EADM was just that. A download manager. In no way did it ever compete with Steam. Especially since Steam was DRM from day one and EADM never was. Most people, like me, simply used it for the convenience of keeping a digital copy of our EA games.

Origin is a combination of EA Download Manager (EADM) and EA Store, and the point was that EA has been doing Digital Downloads since 2005 starting with EA Downloader then going to EA Links and then to EADM and EA Store and now to Origin, the client is where it is because EA never took it seriously.

 

[Therion_I]

Can someone asnwer me this one question because it has always been a mystery to me:

Why do games cost MORE when they are digital downloads and not boxed copies?

Logically there is no way a high street store can sell a boxed copy of a brand new game cheaper than EA themselves from their online store. Think about transport, handling, building overheads, shop employee wages... how on earth did BF3 for PC end up as £40 on Origin but only £29.97 at Game? Surely it should be CHEAPER as EA don't have to worry about all these other costs associated with physical content? I know there is backend server work and the like but if it's coming out more expensive then they are doing it WRONG!

And who are these people paying £40 for a digital edition when they can get it for 3/4 the price? Are they mugs?

 

[Frick]

Why do games cost MORE when they are digital downloads and not boxed copies?

Logically there is no way a high street store can sell a boxed copy of a brand new game cheaper than EA themselves from their online store. Think about transport, handling, building overheads, shop employee wages... how on earth did BF3 for PC end up as £40 on Origin but only £29.97 at Game? Surely it should be CHEAPER as EA don't have to worry about all these other costs associated with physical content? I know there is backend server work and the like but if it's coming out more expensive then they are doing it WRONG!

And who are these people paying £40 for a digital edition when they can get it for 3/4 the price? Are they mugs?

I've been thinking about that as well. Another good example is Deus Ex: HR. It was over €40 on Steam on release, retail price €29. Now it's €29.99 on Steam, retail price €9. It's not true for all games but for most of them the difference is LARGE (€15 and up) and in my opinion totally illogical.

EDIT: About internet connectivity: This is an issue they can't really ignore (hopefully). So to me it would make most sense to simply not release physical copies in "developed" (internet-wise) nations, but release them in "developing" nations (such as Australia ).

 

[cmberry20]

I'm buying some popcorn..... who wants in??

 

[erixx]

LOL, is TPU now a totally USA centered site where we have to eat acronyms all day? What the heck is NDP?

 

[THE_EGG]

I've been thinking about that as well. Another good example is Deus Ex: HR. It was over €40 on Steam on release, retail price €29. Now it's €29.99 on Steam, retail price €9. It's not true for all games but for most of them the difference is LARGE (€15 and up) and in my opinion totally illogical.

EDIT: About internet connectivity: This is an issue they can't really ignore (hopefully). So to me it would make most sense to simply not release physical copies in "developed" (internet-wise) nations, but release them in "developing" nations (such as Australia ).

I see how it is I blame the politicians! lol

 

[TheOne]

LOL, is TPU now a totally USA centered site where we have to eat acronyms all day? What the heck is NDP?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NPD_Group

 

[Kreij]

LOL, is TPU now a totally USA centered site where we have to eat acronyms all day? What the heck is NDP?

If you are refering to the original post, NPD (not NDP) is a market reasearch firm that issues information on sales and such.

 

[Therion_I]

Another good example is Deus Ex: HR. It was over €40 on Steam on release, retail price €29. Now it's €29.99 on Steam, retail price €9. It's not true for all games but for most of them the difference is LARGE (€15 and up) and in my opinion totally illogical.

Indeed, I didn't mean to single out Origin. Just the whole damn thing about digital downloads costing MORE stinks to high hell of market rigging.

If EA go full digital then we have to pay them whatever THEY want. This is terrible news for the consumer! Of course the logical recourse would be to not buy EA, but as I said before there seem to be absolute MUGS who are happy to spend 25% more money for no concievable reason.

 

[XNine]

I don't hate Origin, or EA for that matter. EA has had their troubles in the past, but so have many other companies. How many here remember the Microsoft Antitrust trials of the 90's?

As for Origin, it's not a bad client. If you compare to where it is now, to where Steam was during the same period of time, Origin is years ahead of it. Origin will mature as time progresses and I have no doubt it will be a major competitor for Steam.

Don't get me wrong, I love Steam too. But I'm not willing to put all of my eggs in one basket. It's bad for competition and bad for consumers to do such a thing. Competition makes everything better for the customer in the end.

 

[Woodhull]

I'm tired of the argument repeated at least 3-4x above that Origin should be given slack because it hasn't been out as long as Steam. The opposite should be true: Origin should be better because EA should have learned from what Steam did right (and wrong). People similarly argued to give SWTOR slack because it hasn't been out as long as WoW. Bad excuse to me.

 

[=TWP=WOLF]

I'm tired of the argument repeated at least 3-4x above that Origin should be given slack because it hasn't been out as long as Steam. The opposite should be true: Origin should be better because EA should have learned from what Steam did right (and wrong). People similarly argued to give SWTOR slack because it hasn't been out as long as WoW. Bad excuse to me.

I give NO slack to any company that makes things more complicated for their customer than needed. This is specially directed to the Electronic Arts Game Activation Limitation Insanity!

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...7.100001172713309&type=3&l=1a78d5e3b7&theater

 

[brandonwh64]

Wall of text....

I know that the DLC's are free BUT!!! They will not take my BF2 key cause it was released before the date of EA/Origin downloader and it does not recognize the key. I would have to pay 19.99$ for the game again which is not happening. They should allow older keys to be used with EA/Origin.