By Steve Peterson
Electronic Arts’ Origin digital distribution system has a new boss, Andrew Wilson, who has added management of Origin to his task of running EA Sports. The [a]list Daily will be sitting down with Wilson at E3 to discover what’s in store for Origin. However, it looks like some changes are already beginning.
Last year in an interview with GamesIndustry International, then-head of Origin David DeMartini declared that Origin would not copy Steam’s deep discounting of games, saying that “I just think it cheapens your intellectual property.” Fast-forward to today, when Origin’s site is now featuring a survey about a sale on games. The survey lives on the “Right Rail,” which is directly to the right of the main window and says “Gamers’ Choice: Vote for a $5 game,” asking gamers to choose which game they’d like to see for $5: Mass Effect 3, Battlefield 3, or The Sims 3. The implication being that at some point, we’ll get the chance to buy one of those games at that price.
Electronic Arts has put tremendous effort into Origin’s technology and back end in order to build out a distribution system capable of handling games on multiple platforms. The emphasis has been on getting the site scaled up and working properly. Is it time for Electronic Arts to put more effort into the community and social features It certainly seems like that’s the natural next step to take. Origin says this about its mission: “Unify your gaming life with Origin. Take your friends and the games you love with you wherever you go, and connect with them across multiple devices. With great games from some of the world’s best video game publishers, and exclusive content and deals you can’t get anywhere else, Origin is your ultimate gaming service.”
Origin lets you log in from anywhere to your account to access your games, and uses your Origin ID to link you with other gamers. The client also includes a variety of community features, but there’s always room for improvement. More engagement with customers as the survey hints at, would be welcomed. Moreover, regular sales of titles (perhaps not the way Steam does it) may well be worthwhile. After all, unlike with retail there’s no cost of goods to worry about; the transaction costs are minor. In the end, it’s about how much money you put in the bank, not the profit per unit.
While Origin currently boasts over 500 games from over 70 different partners, we may see that expand as the service attempts to wrest market share away from the juggernaut that is Steam. Wilson has overseen the tremendous growth of FIFA into a vibrant community with multiple platforms connecting together. If he can translate that success into a broad range of games centered around Origin, the service could be in for substantial growth.
It’s not going to be an easy task though. Steam continues to add features, and other game communities and digital distribution services are also competing for market share. Everyone sees the tremendous benefit in owning the relationship with gamers, and competition can be expected to continue unabated. Origin will need to keep stepping up its game to advance to the next level.
