What makes Origin so terrible?

[Saviordd1]

Recently in my ever continuing immigration to PC land from Xboxville I decided I wanted my Mass Effect games on the PC (Mostly so I could download a mod that makes the ending acceptable and so the people playing multiplayer weren't 12 year olds)

Now of course to get Mass Effect 3 I needed to use Origin, now I've had Origin for a while; I played the ME3 demo on it a while back and I tried out Battlefield 2142 on it, besides that I ignored it.

Using it now I have to ask, why is it so horrible exactly?

I mean sure its not the BEST game distribution downloader thing, and I doubt it's sales are nearly as good as Steams but overall its not offensive or horrible. Hell I managed to pick up the ME3 digital blah blah edition for about 40 bucks which isn't all that bad.

Did I miss the memo where Origin raped someones dog or what?

TL;DR
Why is Origin so hated?

 

[ShinyCharizard]

Well a lot of people like to jump on the EA hate bandwagon. Origin is fine to use it just isn't a good competitor to steam when to comes to sales. Therefore no-one really ever bothers to use it as there is no incentive.

 

[thatonedude11]

For a brief period of time, the Origin EULA said that EA could scan your computer for hardware specs, installed programs, ect. without notifying you. Once this was discovered, EA pretty quickly removed it, but there are still some people who believe that "EA's scannin mah PC!!!" That, and people hate EA and refuse to try the damn thing, yet still complain about it.

In my experience though, Origin isn't that bad. It launches fairly quickly, and while it is lacking in many features that would make it a viable competitor to Steam, it overall is inoffensive.

 

[dmv]

I imagine Origin came to be by the same thought process as this.
[video][video]
Just without all the fun of hookers and blackjack.

 

[Comocat]

For me it's annoying to have a product that I buy dictate to me how I use it. Imagine if for my morning coffee I would need to have a separate machine for every brand of coffee I enjoy. I don't mind have separate coffee makers if one made me bagels and coffee and the other walked the dog, but Origin hasn't demonstrated why it is necessary, other than to take up space on my computer.

 

[Antari]

Recently in my ever continuing immigration to PC land from Xboxville I decided I wanted my Mass Effect games on the PC (Mostly so I could download a mod that makes the ending acceptable and so the people playing multiplayer weren't 12 year olds)

Now of course to get Mass Effect 3 I needed to use Origin, now I've had Origin for a while; I played the ME3 demo on it a while back and I tried out Battlefield 2142 on it, besides that I ignored it.

Using it now I have to ask, why is it so horrible exactly?

I mean sure its not the BEST game distribution downloader thing, and I doubt it's sales are nearly as good as Steams but overall its not offensive or horrible. Hell I managed to pick up the ME3 digital blah blah edition for about 40 bucks which isn't all that bad.

Did I miss the memo where Origin raped someones dog or what?

TL;DR
Why is Origin so hated?

Because Origin Systems is a company that EA completely destroyed years ago. This bastardized online service with its name is a joke.

 

[thesilentman]

People just jumped on the EA hate train. I don't think that there's anything wrong with it save for the EULA, which had the sketchy "scan PC" deal going on. No other problem that I can see.

 

[Windcaler]

The fact that it is essentially legalized spyware. Thats why I wont have it on my machine under any circumstances. I wont let EA get ahold of my years of writing, my photos, or any other personal information that they think they have a right to.

 

[Aris Khandr]

Because it isn't Steam. That's basically it. There's a lot of general hate for EA that I never really got, and more than a little entitlement. But mostly, just because it isn't Steam.

 

[dyre]

I use both Steam and Origin, and Origin has definitely given me more trouble. I had issues accessing the DLC I bought (I kept getting a pop up screen saying they weren't activated or w/e, even sometimes after I activated them), and apparently they ban you for modding your single player games, so I had to take some precautions when I did some minor modding to Mass Effect 3. Also, their "sales" are pretty uninspiring, unlike Steam, which occasionally dumps tons of games on my lap for very little cost. Oh, and there's the annoying feature where you have to buy points to buy DLC, instead of just buying the damn DLC. No idea why they have it that way.

Then again, Steam was a pain in the ass to run offline for a long time. Overall, they're pretty similar services, but in my experience Steam has a noticeable edge in making life easier for me.

 

[Abomination]

Because it is an extra complication that has been added in an attempt to be "competition" without actually being competitive.

Their version of competition is to only release EA games on their console. It's not competition, it's brand segregation.

I don't like needing about 5 different types of third party online retail outlet programs on my computer to access my personal game library. It's like the console wars have come to PCs.

 

[Ed130 The Vanguard]

Lots of reasons.

Shamus did a column on it early last year.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/columns/experienced-points/9359-Dear-Origin-You-Stink

And his main points (pricing, lack of indie/older titles have yet to be addressed)

For example: Dragon Age Origins.

http://store.origin.com/store/eaapac/en_NZ/DisplayProductDetailsPage/productID.138994900 (Vanilla game, $40.00 USD)

http://store.origin.com/store/eaapac/en_NZ/DisplayProductDetailsPage/productID.169789300 (Awakening expansion only, $60.00 USD)

Apart from the fact that the frigging expansion is the same price as a new release (a store release, Warfighter costs $90.00 USD) and costs more than the Vanilla game, Steam's pricing is as follows.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/17450/ (Vanilla game, $20.00 USD)

http://store.steampowered.com/app/47730/?snr=1_5_9__300 (Awakening expansion only, $15.00 USD)

It's not just EA games that are overpriced, the LEGO Lord of the Rings game by Telltale are:

http://store.origin.com/store/eaapac/en_NZ/DisplayProductDetailsPage/productID.258679700 ($60.00 USD)

VS

http://store.steampowered.com/app/214510/?snr=1_7_suggest__13 ($50.00 USD)

And lets not get started on Steam Sales.

Origin is also lacking in terms of non EA titles and indie games and if the webstore front is anything like the actual Origin program then I'm not surprised why. Just typing 'indie' in Steam will bring up a massive list, Origin brings up zilch, and the main storefront is nothing but overpriced AAA games.

Between the pricing, lack of features and general lack of content, Origin is a poor second to Steam.

(Note, prices were pulled form the webstore versions of both programs using a New Zealand IP)

(Also Note, that Origin's base software/game overlay/memory useage may be superior to Steam, however I do not have both programs to be able to compare them)

 

[Mcupobob]

I have nothing against Origin personally, its just unnecessary for me. Steam has larger list of titles, has great sales. Also I don't use Origin, because I like having all my games in one place.

 

[ThriKreen]

I like the integrated Twitch.TV support for streaming.

And that I can convert my retail EA games into digital versions. Can't migrate them to Steam (since the Steam serial key database differs).

 

[loc978]

In essence, it's yet another proprietary piece of garbage to maintain an account with. Didn't like Steam when it started up for just that reason, but since it's the only one I need, I no longer mind using it. I absolutely refuse to install more than one of these goddamn things on my machine, though. One game distribution client is more than enough.

Honestly, I'd like to go back to not needing them at all... but I'll be damned if I install and maintain one for every goddamn game publisher out there, which is what EA's little experiment points toward if we let it succeed.

 

[Callate]

Because EA has reserved for themselves the right to lock you out of software you've legally purchased for violation of terms of service that are vague and threatening, and shown a willingness to use that right.

Because it perpetuates the practice of making users sign a contract saying they won't bring lawsuits against the company in the wake of behavior that caused people to want to bring lawsuits against the company.

Because they can change their terms any time, and if you don't appreciate that, your only recourse is, once again, to lose access to the software you thought you purchased.

And not just because it's "not Steam", but because it was put on the market quite explicitly to compete with Steam and yet from the outset ignored how Valve has worked to make Steam give users more control of their products, while Origin works to keep the maximum control over both products and users within their own hands.

"People just don't like EA?" No, people don't like EA with plenty of good reasons, many of whom used to love EA. Really getting tired of that misguided, misinformed, dismissive bullshit that keeps getting repeated over and over. If you think I like Valve better than EA, you're right. If you think I trust Valve more than EA, you're also correct.

If you think I haven't been given reasons for those feelings, get a second opinion before you hire that ex-convict living in the gutter to babysit; you're wrong.

 

[Somebloke]

Origin brings much of the same inconveniances and conveniances as Steam and I have had relatively few problems with it, that I know of, BUT; I am mindful that it is operated by a publisher (and one with a particulary bad reputation, at that), whereas Steam is owned by a developer (...with a possibly quite exaggerated reputation).
I do expect record companies and (non-recordcompany-constructed...) artists to approach market with a slightly different mindset -- maybe I am just prejudiced... EA is free to overcome my prejudice, by patiently (EDIT: ...and unwaveringly..) "doing the right thing".

Of course; It doesn't help that the naming of the service feels like somebody is trying to befriend you, whilst prancing around victoriously, parading the severed head of your real best friend on a pike.

 

[Smooth Operator]

Because EA, in case you haven't realized these digital download services hinge entirely upon the good will of their owner to let you play games because they managed to pay for the "you don't own your shit" law, and EA is the worst money hustler in the gaming business... that is not a good combo.

Also something people do not know Origin already has in it's EULA they only need to keep your games up for a year, so if shit just starts disappearing it is completely in their right.

That is just not a system I will do business with.

 

[ShinyCharizard]

Because EA has reserved for themselves the right to lock you out of software you've legally purchased for violation of terms of service that are vague and threatening, and shown a willingness to use that right.

Because it perpetuates the practice of making users sign a contract saying they won't bring lawsuits against the company in the wake of behavior that caused people to want to bring lawsuits against the company.

Because they can change their terms any time, and if you don't appreciate that, your only recourse is, once again, to lose access to the software you thought you purchased.

Steam does all these things as well.