Origin (digital distribution software)

9.3.1 Mac (August 15, 2013)

Origin (English for descent) ( formerly EA Store and EA Download Manager) is an Internet sales platform for digital distribution of computer games, which is used by the game manufacturer Electronic Arts (EA ) developed and operated. Origin allows customers to buy computer games online and then download a client software and play.

The system allows for both online distribution, maintenance ( patching ) and usage control (DRM ) of the Games as well as the communication between the players. Since the introduction of Origin to install the Origin client is a prerequisite for almost all newly released PC games from Electronic Arts. Besides their own games EA has Origin application but also titles from other manufacturers.

Stand July 31, 2012 Origin has claims to have 21 million user accounts, including nine million mobile users.

  • 2.1 brand
  • 3.1 Privacy

Components

Origin Store

The Origin Store allows users to purchase games from Electronic Arts and download. Instead of a box with CD and serial number to get the game is directly linked to the user account with Origin. The game can now be loaded with this user account and the Origin client as often. EA ensures that the game is 12 months is available for download.

Origin client

The Origin client is the program download purchased games and their extensions. It shows which games are playable and has already been made available download. The structure of the program is similar to Steam. Origin must be installed for most published since then EA titles to start and play they can. Multiplayer games set necessarily require a connection to the origin server. For the single player mode they can be but also offline, use without connection to the origin server.

History

The EA Downloader was launched in late 2005 and was replaced by EA Link in November 2006. With EA Link, it was possible to also upload video, demos and extra content for games. In September 2007, a new version with integrated EA Store and EA Download Manager, which replaced EA Link. Users were able to buy games on the EA Store and then download with the download manager. All games used with EA Link could still be used with the Download Manager. On 3 June 2011, the name was changed in Origin.

As the first publication of the expansion for the game Modern Combat Battlefield 2 was: Special Forces and subsequently offered the most current EA games. Up until the release of Battlefield 3 presented Spore Creature Creator the biggest product launch dar. On October 27, 2011, Electronic Arts announced that it will provide in the future games from other publishers to Origin.

At gamescom 2012, Electronic Arts announced plans to support Android, and to offer a version for smart TVs and Facebook.

As of version 9.1.6 Origin is also available for the operating system Mac OS X.

Brand

EA received the Origin brand while buying the company Origin Systems in 1992. Origin Systems was one of the leading game developers in the 1980s and 1990s, known for the game Ultima, Wing Commander, and Crusader.

Criticism

For anger among fans of the Battlefield series made ​​sure that the features of Origin exclusively published on this platform game Battlefield 3 slowed down or let fall. In version 8.6 then the CPU usage was limited. Further but used Origin relatively large amounts of memory, even if it is not needed.

How to read comments and reviews outside of Electronic Arts sphere of influence, but also evident in their own forums, many players are upset about the many technical errors and design flaws, some of which were not corrected until today. So, for example, was as a system requirement for the Battlefield 3 Limited Edition (which only an Expansion Pack ) 20 GB of HDD space used to purchase it because of the forced use of Origin but now occupies much more space - with data for expansion pack to the use of owners of the Limited Edition but then not have the right.

In contrast to older parts of the Battlefield series games improvements can no longer be downloaded separately from new game content such as maps, the distribution of game content over faster file transfer methods (eg Torrent) is expressly prohibited, thus opposite for experienced players with the introduction of Origin only disadvantages the download process of the previous games in the series remain.

Privacy Policy

With the acceptance of the original license agreement for the installation of Origin Electronic Arts were given extensive rights in relation to the data on the used computer.

According to the license agreement it was EA permitted after installation of Origin, among other things:

  • To automatically check license rights for some or all EA products without notice on each computer
  • EA may use via software information on hardware, media, software and the " use of the applications on your computer" to "examine and license rights to update the application "
  • EA and partners are allowed to collect technical and related information about the computer and the user, store, transfer and use. This is not clear to whom it concerns with the partners, nor what data is actually used.

Legally, these related to multiple breaches of consumer protection and privacy rights. The license agreement was modified a few weeks after the release of Battlefield 3 and there have been some critical passages removed.

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