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Tool for accessing EA game releases on your PC, it is extremely easy to use

Tool for accessing EA game releases on your PC, it is extremely easy to use

Vote: (718 votes)

Program license: Free

Developer: Electronic Arts

Version: 12.158.0.5415

Works under: Windows

Vote:

Program license

(718 votes)

Free

Developer

Version

Electronic Arts

12.158.0.5415

Works under:

Windows

Pros

  • Lightweight app.
  • Easy EA game updating and management.
  • Free games and discounts shown in the app.

Cons

  • Mostly EA-specific.
  • Takes up screen space if you only use it for one game.
  • Privacy concerns, as it asks for your real name as a part of its social media system.

What is EA Origin?

EA Origin is the Electronic Arts game sales and management platform. With Origin, you can buy, install, and manage games with a one-stop shop solution.

Origin is integrated with Sony's PlayStation Network, Microsoft's Xbox Live, the Nintendo Network, and Facebook.

While the service competes with vendor-neutral services such as Steam or Epic Games, it also offers a few crossover titles--titles that they own, but are available on popular competitor platforms as well.

Does EA Origin Include Non-EA Games?

In 2018, Origin Access was added. Origin Access is a service that delivered a few non-EA titles to the EA platform.

The first games to hit EA Access came from the Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment catalog, including these titles:

  • Batman: Arkham Asylum
  • Batman: Arkham City
  • Batman: Arkham Origins
  • Lego Batman 1-3

In addition to those titles, many indie development companies and publishers with no apps joined the Origin collection. For developers and publishers, the current climate has improved; there are fewer exclusive contracts requirements.

In a way, game developers are becoming broader and resemble customers more closely. This odd mix of business-to-business and consumer market relationships come from how much easier it is for people to not only learn how to code, but work on projects and ship out their own products.

With the help of Origin, developers and publishers gain access to a specific market without locking themselves out of other markets. Origin specifically has a large niche of customers who arrive via their flagship titles, such as The Sims, Battlefield, and Mass Effect.

While there are competitors such as Steam and Epic Games, it's important to realize how customers arrive at certain platforms. Loyalty isn't always the answer.

Some people install Origin and have no idea that they're using a side app for their games. Or, Origin is part of their normal computer experience; before opening Battlefield or The Sims, they're hit with a familiar screen that showcases other games.

Exposure to new titles, announcements of new releases, and news about gaming happens in all game sales platforms. These platforms are also required for easy game updates and maintenance, so for most people, Origin is a requirement.

Are There Discounts or Sales?

What about players who hate this kind of software, and prefer a game without an attached app? Some of them might be a lost cause, but Origin offers many coupons and sales for EA and non-EA games.

For platforms like Origin, major sales line up with major holidays. Globally, you can expect a summer sale and a winter sale based on North America's seasonal calendar, between June and July.

That means yes, the summer sales happen during Australia and the Dominican Republic's winter. Sales for all four seasons exist, but Summer and Christmas tend to be the largest.

If you see a sale on another platform such as Steam or Epic Games, odds are Origin is running a sale at the same time or will be soon. This means you can plan around catching a few EA Origin exclusives if you're not sure when EA runs its sales, or get games on multiple platforms if you want to gift someone a copy.

Free games also exist on Origin, but mainly as part of a subscription service called EA Play. This service is $4.99 and includes a library of 156 games (as of January 2023).

This list is subject to change, as third-party companies may change vendors at the end of their agreement, or EA may decide to move the game to another collection, or make the game an exclusive.

System Requirements

For Microsoft Windows, EA Origin works on Windows 8 or Windows 10.

With Apple, you need macOS X Mavericks 10.9 or higher.

Users must meet at least the minimum requirements for their operating system. Keep in mind that these requirements are just to run Origin.

Specific games have their own system requirements. While these can be found on the Origin product page for each game, it's smart to check the specific game vendor's site for system requirements.

There are many games with high graphics demands, or games that utilize a lot of memory. Unfortunately, there is no standard minimum amount to reliably run every major game in the world.

You can certainly spend lots of money on a powerful computer that can run every game today, but avoid big promises such as being ready for games for 2, 4, or any number of years. While it's a safe bet that a computer with parts of today's generation will last for at least half a decade, there's no guarantee that some new industry standard won't pop up suddenly.

For that reason, unless you personally are into building computers as a hobby, simply look at the recommended system requirements. Emphasis on recommended, not simply the minimum amount.

Minimum system requirements simply allow the game to run. You may have issues if you open a web browser or any other program, as your system will have the bare minimum resources needed to run efficiently.

Recommended system requirements leave enough resources to do other tasks while the game runs. Extra resources in case of unexpected demand are called overhead.

There is such a thing as overkill. Some people are into being excessive, but keep in mind that nothing lasts for ever. For example, while it's possible for average consumers to have a computer with 128GB (gigabytes) of RAM (memory), unless consumers specifically have plans to use that much outside of an "I'll show you" challenge, it's a waste of money.

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Lightweight app.
  • Easy EA game updating and management.
  • Free games and discounts shown in the app.

Cons

  • Mostly EA-specific.
  • Takes up screen space if you only use it for one game.
  • Privacy concerns, as it asks for your real name as a part of its social media system.

Pros

  • Download the digital copies of the game, which is more environmentally friendly.
  • Many of the most popular EA titles available.
  • More convenient than having to go the store to buy a game.

Cons

  • No classic EA titles available.

Origin, EA's Download Manager and their new name for this application, lets you download and play the games from Electronic Arts. Perhaps you prefer to buy the digital copies of games because then you don't have the physical copy taking up space in your home. Also, it's more convenient because you don't have to visit the shop for Electronic Arts games. This application will manage your premium downloads, and it will also initiate the decryption of games and run the installer and launch it.

What if a Game Requires DRM?

DRM is also called Digital Rights Management, and if it requires one of these licenses, EA Origin will also acquire this. Along with downloading video games, another one of the advantages of this system is how you stay up to date on the latest updates and patches for the games so that you deal with fewer exploits. It should be noted how you can't run a downloaded game without having Origin installed, however, which some gamers might see as a bit of a negative because what happens if Origin goes down? You basically lose access to all the games you bought with your hard earned money. The future might see more of this because of how EA wants their customers to shop for their games through Origin. In fact, the 2011 release of Battlefield 3 was made exclusively available through Origin for the PC.

Origin: Capable but Limited

When we look at EA Origin, what we see is a capable but limited download manager. While it obviously is limited to only the EA games, you don't have to pay for the membership to use it. You simply download it and start looking for EA games that you want to play. It likely won't be able to compete with Steam, however, because this system limits itself to EA games while Steam sells everything from indie games to famous game franchises and everything in between. EA will obviously be more limited when they only sell EA games.

Matchmaking Service and Benefits Design and Technology

EA Origin runs itself as a computer game store, and it uses some of the best design and technology to do this. However, it suffers from the same problem that almost every publisher-specific store suffers: poor selection. If you want Activision, Ubisoft, Valve or others, you will have to look elsewhere to get your fix.

What are some of the popular titles that you can expect to find at the EA Origin store? You can expect Dragon Age 2, Star Wars: The Old Republic and EA's entire library of new titles. Another problem with EA Origin is how they don't offer much for some of their more classic EA titles.

Pros

  • Download the digital copies of the game, which is more environmentally friendly.
  • Many of the most popular EA titles available.
  • More convenient than having to go the store to buy a game.

Cons

  • No classic EA titles available.