Origin vs steam (and question about activating games in both)

Nvidiaguy07

Platinum Member
Feb 22, 2008
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I try to keep all my games in one place (steam), but ive been using origin as well, since i need it for BF3. For the most part, i dont think origin is terrible but i hear people bashing it all the time. Probably has a lot to do with it being owned by EA, but besides that, is it really all that bad? (am i missing something?) Having to use multiple clients sucks, but besides that i dont see whats so bad about it.

I just bought the EA racing pack for 15 bucks, all all games activated in origin. I also see mirrors edge and alice are on sale for 5 bucks each, and i might pick them up since they'll activate in origin as well. I think as long as theres a place where ill always be able to download my games, and there all grouped in one place im fine with it.

Also, just to add whatever games to my origin library that i can, i got my CD key from my steam version of dead space 2, and a few others and activated in origin- so now there in 2 places. Does this violate any agreement? And if you buy an EA game through steam, could you in theory have someone else activate it in origin? (obviously this violates the agreement, but just wondering how it works) I was worried about the game being removed from steam when i added it to origin.
 
Feb 6, 2007
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I don't think you're violating the user agreement by having the games activated in both Origin and Steam since they're just launchers and DRM tools; the games still only exist on one machine, which is what your license is for. If you were running the same licensed version on two machines simultaneously, then you'd be violating the user agreement.

As far as Origin goes, I only use it for Battlefield 3, and I don't like how it spams me with ads every time I open it or that I have to start my game from a web browser (but that might be specific to BF3 and not an Origin issue). It just feels less polished than Steam and there's no reason for it to exist apart from EA wanting more market share wherever they can get it. I don't dislike it, but with the existence of Steam, I don't see a compelling reason to use it unless you have exclusive games that require it (BF3).
 

PrincessFrosty

Platinum Member
Feb 13, 2008
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www.frostyhacks.blogspot.com
I see digital distribution clients a lot like a mobile phones.

Why would I carry 2 mobile phones? If someone I know joins a new mobile network and that network is exclusive to specific handsets only, and to call my friend I needed to carry 2 handsets with me, then I'd tell them to kindly get lost...

In that same way, I shouldn't have to install a 2nd digital distribution platform, just to play 1 game when I have 250+ games on steam. There is only 1 single reason for me to install origin and that's because EA have made their games exclusive in order to FORCE me onto their platform so they can later try and force more games on to me.

These platforms are here to serve my needs and if the way they want to do business is to force my hand then NO SALE, if I buy into origin now I'll only be more tempted to put up with their rubbish further down the line and before I know it I'll have 200 bits of software on my PC all fighting for control, for focus, for my attention, conflicting with each other when they hook into games etc...

No thanks, I only need 1 digital distribution platform, I happen to have picked steam, primarily because it was there first, and now I'm heavily invested in that platform and I'm happy to use it, i wont be switching or sharing my time between others, if EA want to sell me their games then serve them over steam.

NOTHING AGAINST ORIGIN, if origin was there first and steam was last and the tables were reversed i'd be exclusive to origin. If EA want money from me they should focus on their own innovations to make my life better, rather than trying to strong arm me into using their products.
 

Nvidiaguy07

Platinum Member
Feb 22, 2008
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I don't think you're violating the user agreement by having the games activated in both Origin and Steam since they're just launchers and DRM tools; the games still only exist on one machine, which is what your license is for. If you were running the same licensed version on two machines simultaneously, then you'd be violating the user agreement.

Thats the thing, i use my steam account on more than one computer, so it would be technically possible to be on my 2nd PC playing the game on steam, and on the first playing it in origin.

As far as Origin goes, I only use it for Battlefield 3, and I don't like how it spams me with ads every time I open it or that I have to start my game from a web browser (but that might be specific to BF3 and not an Origin issue). It just feels less polished than Steam and there's no reason for it to exist apart from EA wanting more market share wherever they can get it. I don't dislike it, but with the existence of Steam, I don't see a compelling reason to use it unless you have exclusive games that require it (BF3).

Steam is almost as bad with ads popping up.

I see digital distribution clients a lot like a mobile phones.

Why would I carry 2 mobile phones? If someone I know joins a new mobile network and that network is exclusive to specific handsets only, and to call my friend I needed to carry 2 handsets with me, then I'd tell them to kindly get lost...

In that same way, I shouldn't have to install a 2nd digital distribution platform, just to play 1 game when I have 250+ games on steam. There is only 1 single reason for me to install origin and that's because EA have made their games exclusive in order to FORCE me onto their platform so they can later try and force more games on to me.

These platforms are here to serve my needs and if the way they want to do business is to force my hand then NO SALE, if I buy into origin now I'll only be more tempted to put up with their rubbish further down the line and before I know it I'll have 200 bits of software on my PC all fighting for control, for focus, for my attention, conflicting with each other when they hook into games etc...

No thanks, I only need 1 digital distribution platform, I happen to have picked steam, primarily because it was there first, and now I'm heavily invested in that platform and I'm happy to use it, i wont be switching or sharing my time between others, if EA want to sell me their games then serve them over steam.

NOTHING AGAINST ORIGIN, if origin was there first and steam was last and the tables were reversed i'd be exclusive to origin. If EA want money from me they should focus on their own innovations to make my life better, rather than trying to strong arm me into using their products.

Yea i think im gonna agree with you. My steam library is up to 100+ games, but now i have quite a few games in origin as well (deals that at the time were too good to pass up - like the EA racing pack)

Now im kinda torn, because i do want mirrors edge, but id obviously prefer to have it in steam. For five bucks - should i just bite the bullet? Taking into account that having it in origin is better than having it nowhere, and im already somewhat bought into it.
 
Aug 11, 2008
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Thats the thing, i use my steam account on more than one computer, so it would be technically possible to be on my 2nd PC playing the game on steam, and on the first playing it in origin.



Steam is almost as bad with ads popping up.



Yea i think im gonna agree with you. My steam library is up to 100+ games, but now i have quite a few games in origin as well (deals that at the time were too good to pass up - like the EA racing pack)

Now im kinda torn, because i do want mirrors edge, but id obviously prefer to have it in steam. For five bucks - should i just bite the bullet? Taking into account that having it in origin i
s better than having it nowhere, and im already somewhat bought into it.

If you have steam on two computers, you don't even need the game on origin. Just play in Steam offline mode. If there is no offline mode, you cannot play on steam and origin at the same time anyway unliss you buy a separate copy of the game for each platform.
 

Nvidiaguy07

Platinum Member
Feb 22, 2008
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If you have steam on two computers, you don't even need the game on origin. Just play in Steam offline mode. If there is no offline mode, you cannot play on steam and origin at the same time anyway unliss you buy a separate copy of the game for each platform.

well i was referring to playing it on separate accounts simultaneously. For example - dead space 2 bought by me in steam, and then the same game activated in origin. I havent played it yet, but i know some games drm (gfwl) make you sign in, so in that case it wouldnt work.
 

BrightCandle

Diamond Member
Mar 15, 2007
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They are both a pretty draconian DRM scheme that remove rights you had with games 10 years ago. But as far as shackles go they are about equal.
 

Barfo

Lifer
Jan 4, 2005
27,554
212
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Now im kinda torn, because i do want mirrors edge, but id obviously prefer to have it in steam. For five bucks - should i just bite the bullet? Taking into account that having it in origin is better than having it nowhere, and im already somewhat bought into it.

Just wait until it's $5 on Steam, it has been a couple times already, maybe for the summer sale.
 

PowerYoga

Diamond Member
Nov 6, 2001
4,603
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try it out and let us know. But I think we're moving towards where all EA titles will only be available on origin and nowhere else.
 

clok1966

Golden Member
Jul 6, 2004
1,395
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There is a simple reason to not like Origin.. EA felt Digital was fad, not worth doing right. then Valve did it right and EA saw $$$$$ and said "ME TOO!" but nobody came... so they said "its my football, if i dont get to be quarterbakc, fook you all"...

Tell me one good thing EA has done ... and let me refine that, that benafits the paying customer before it benfits EA's bottom line? EA hasnt had a singel thought in its collective head that isnt Bottom line first. Nothing wrong with that, they are in this to make money. Now Valve releases free content all the time, free updates that EA would charge $19 for at least..

pretty easy for me.. Steam was the first succesfull one, they took the leap of faith, they give me stuff for supporting them.. EA... they.. um... well.. copied steam.. and.. they give me.. err.. what have they gave me?

As for using both, no issues with that, I wont, dont need to ... BF3 is just BF2 and BF, or COD, or well, you know the 20or 30 modern War Shooters.. all fun yes.. i played it.. SWOnline (which i did buy.. in a store) is dying the slow death all non F2P games that are NOT WOW do.. (that is in no way an endorsment for WoW).

So im voting with my wallet.. not supporting it.. and from sales figures.. nobody is.. but the BF3 players that where forced to , to play the game. may it slowly slip away like MS attempt...
 
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sandorski

No Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
70,085
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Origin seems to work fine, but Steam is just far more refined and feature filled. I would prefer to just use Steam.
 

ShreddedWheat

Senior member
Apr 3, 2006
386
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Origin's installer sucks. MassEffect 2 took forever with hacks to get it to install properly. STEAM it just works (for the most part) :) Origin keeping some games exclusive to themselves will prevent me from buying that game just because the installer sucks!
 

PhatoseAlpha

Platinum Member
Apr 10, 2005
2,131
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For me, the best thing I can say about Origin is that it's mostly transparent. It's certainly not replacing Steam for me any time soon, but I don't howl at the though of using it.

Really, only 2 things pop to mind about it: 1, on a failed login (due to a downed internet connection) it forgets your password even if you told it to save it, which is annoying. 2, unlike Steam, it lets you decide where to put games on an individual basis without going through the virtual directory rigamarole that Steam does - nice if you want a single game on an SSD, but not most of them.
 

greenhawk

Platinum Member
Feb 23, 2011
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Steam is almost as bad with ads popping up.

probalbly in some ways, but the popups are once per item, not every time you start origin. Secondly, you can setup steam to start on your games list and not the store so seeing even less / getting faster start times.

From what I recall from origin (only have bf3 and one other ea game (bought a cd key, but it would not register with steam, did with origin) every update has it defaulting back to their store and the same popup for days and days.

As to a above poster talking about choosing your game location, it is a nice feature, but it has sooo many limitations that it is not worth calling a plus. With steam you can move the files around as you want, even copy onto a new hdd with just telling steam the location has changed. Individual folders can be moved under NTFS partitions using a feature that has been part of the NTFS for longer than I care to remember. Advantage is that if I stop playing a game, I can move the files back to my normal drive and all is well without out steam caring.

Doing the same with Origin requires a reinstall of the game to change's it's location and copying a game folder to a new drive does not work. No way is possible to just tell it "the files are here now". To make matters more interesting is that to re install, the install files need to be used (which by default are deleted on install). If you do not have them, you have to re-down the game each time you move it. Keeping the game install files is possible, but they have even less flexability in their location as it is part of the origin folder IIRC. So assuming you need / want to keep the install files for future use, you end up with the game installed twice (once as the install files, once as the actual game). Then for a game that has been around for a bit like BF3, the re-install is made worse in that the intall files do not have any patches, so you get hit with another download. No idea how EA deals with their servers, but for a lot of ISPs, they are allowed to host steam content servers so the data is fast and free. not so with EA. I have not seen a local ISP (down under) offer EA data free. A slight issue when all plans here have data limits measured in the 10's of GB (or if using telstra, just GB's).

EA might work in the US with it's high speed / 100's GB data limits, but for the rest of the world and slow connection people, EA's is a very far second place (assuming punkbuster which is on top of Origin's DRM allows you to play).

Steam at least improved as it grew, the biggest step for Origin was when BF3 came out but then the client was still being called beta for a few years with no regular updates.

To me, EA's whole approach to Origin is a "me too" attitude with a "it works for the developers, bug hunting is not worth doing" apporach.
 

Mem

Lifer
Apr 23, 2000
21,476
13
81
I use both,some of you guys have short memories remember the early days with Steam it was so full of bugs it was a joke,however nowadays I have no issues with using Steam and Origin.

One guy said stick with Steam, but problem is some games are Origin only so why would I rule out games I want to play that I can't get on Steam but only on Origin, so why restrict your choices as a gamer?...don't make sense to me,as a gamer I use both and HAVE NO ISSUES nowadays.


I intend to use both for present and future for whatever game I want to buy and play.
Btw I never buy games via digital download ,prefer retail box copy but some install via Steam or Origin,so I go with whatever.
 
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Nvidiaguy07

Platinum Member
Feb 22, 2008
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From a purely ethical standpoint then, if you were one of the people who would just wait for that EA game to come to steam - your still supporting EA by buying that game right?

Im thinking about it now - i havent bought one game that i have activated in origin from the origin store. Most games i got from amazon, and some from gamefly. So would buying an EA game support them more? or would using their service be worse? Im not too sure which is worse.

Obviously id prefer steam, but with what i paid for some of these games, i might be able to deal with origin.
i got BF3 for either 25-30 from amazon
both mass effect 1 and 2 for 9-10 bucks
BFBC2 $5
BF2 $5
Crysis 1 and 2 for like 12 i think
dragon age for 5 from ATOT
dead space for 5 bucks from steam (yes its activated in both places)
medal of honor for 5 bucks
warp and shank for cheap from Steam
and then the ea racing pack for 15 bucks (4 games)
 

PrincessFrosty

Platinum Member
Feb 13, 2008
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www.frostyhacks.blogspot.com
Steam is almost as bad with ads popping up.

Steams adverts, really more of a notification of additions to their store, since they happen 1 time once a new product is added, can be disabled from the settings menu. You can also set your library to be the default start tab so the only time you need visit the store is when you specifically choose to.

Steam doesn't really need forced adverts in that way, it would be dumb, kind of like advertising bread inside of a supermarket where they sell that bread...the store is built right in to the client so there doesn't need to be any advertising, just the occasional reminder of what new titles have become available.