Why does origin exist

Well, when I heard about EA Desktop — their new app launcher — I was obviously just elated at the prospect. Elated with confusion , that is. But why make a new launcher rather than fix the old one? The main difference between the apps is their aesthetics.

Origin sports a harsh white with dark accents, while EA Desktop is sleeker, darkening the color scheme throughout the launcher. EA also boasts faster downloads and connectivity across platforms. These are all great features, and EA has stated that this new app has been built with feedback from the community in mind. It could be due to the stigma surrounding Origin.

Aside from being considered unnecessary by many, it also functioned about as well as a boiled potato. Almost about as well. The EA Desktop app is in closed beta at the moment, but you can sign up here.

I guess EA are just really active in terms of inviting players to take part. The only restriction I could point out at the moment is that some games are not available to the beta. I do appreciate how smooth and streamlined the new client is. Everything runs just that little bit quicker compared to Origin.

And while my downloads are still slow, they have actually been a bit faster in general. This shift to a new client is one of many moves done by EA as of late. They have a reputation for mistreating their customers with invasive anti-piracy policies and greedy pricing schemes that nickel and dime people into paying for content they should have received in the first place.

EA, aware that most customers would prefer to deal with Valve, decided to cease selling their new games on Steam. Rather than turning customers into fans, as Valve does, EA turns fans into customers.

EA takes a game that people are excited to play, and holds it hostage behind the closed gate that is Origin. People still buy EA products, but they do it grudgingly. Before Origin, they were paying a competitor to distribute their games. But as Origin prepares to open itself up to third-party developers, why would anyone elect to use Origin when they could buy the same game on Steam? This is why Valve, with around employees, has the most popular PC game marketplace, and why EA, with around 9, employees, is having trouble competing.

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