http://www.megagames.com/news/ea-origin-service-allowed-act-spyware

As explicit as you would have never imagined, EA’s Origin license agreement states that the program is free to act exactly as spyware and that the only way to opt out of that is not to install or use it at all.

According to the service’s EULA, by installing the client program the user gives EA permission to identify his computer, operating system, installed/uninstalled software/hardware, and use that information for marketing purposes while merrily sharing it with third party companies.

Origin is required mandatorily to play Battlefield 3 on the PC.

http://forums.electronicarts.co.uk/battlefield-3/1415461-origin-will-required-play-battlefield-3-a.html#post19651700

http://i.imgur.com/TqT2o.jpg

Hooray.

30% CPU usage? What a joke.

So now we have the true picture.

EA don't want to compete. They want exclusivity. They want infrastructre duplication.

They are not for consumer choice they are against it.

I am sure like many others, they will be banking on Origin becoming the next Steam.

Sorry EA, but I forsee a sereis of people who install your crap service for one single specific game, and never touch it again.

All the while Steam continues to improve.

And let me guess how I'm likely to have to play Battlefield 3:
Install Origin.
Install BF3.
Install Battlelog.
Log into Origin
Wait for it to patch
Log into BF3
Log into Battlelog
Log into my soldier.
Load up the server browser.

What happened to the days where you just double clicked an icon?

I was hoping to avoid this crap software by buying retail at least.

http://games.on.net/article/13360/Users_Beware_EAs_Origin_Store_Allows_for_Inactive_Account_Deletion

Users Beware: EA's Origin Store Allows for Inactive Account Deletion
By Matt Williams - Thu Aug 4, 2011 12:49pm - Via Internode Game Forum

As EA gears up to go head to head against Steam in the digital distribution arena with the Origin online store, gamers are cautious as to whether the platform will be superior or even as good as Valve's dominant online service. Although competition is great for keeping prices down, eagle-eyed gamers have read through the Terms of Service agreement for EA's Origin service and come across a term that could leave some users with a bad taste.

Condition 5 of the Terms of Service agreement states that:

"We do not guarantee that any Content or Entitlement will be available at all times or at any given time or that we will continue to offer particular Content or Entitlements for any particular length of time. We reserve the right to change and update Content and Entitlements without notice to you. If you have not used your Entitlements or Account for twenty four (24) months or more and your Account has associated Entitlements, your Entitlements will expire and your Account may be cancelled for non-use. Once you have redeemed your Entitlements, that content is not returnable, exchangeable, or refundable for other Entitlements or for cash, or other goods or services.

Entitlements refer to any games or related content. What that all means is that if you don't use account for 2 years, your account and any content associated with it may be wiped clean for good at EA's discretion. Needless to say 24 months is a whole lot of inactivity, but it is likely bound to cause concern amongst gamers hoping to try the service.

I went to login to my hotmail inbox the other day to make sure no important emails had been sent to the email of my youth only to find my inbox wiped clean due to inactivity. Despite the fact I hadn't logged in for so long, I still do use the sign in for my Messenger log-in and I can't help but feel cut by the decision to wipe my inbox clean. When it's something you've actually paid for I can imagine it'd be even worse.
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I personally will be sending a message to my own countries Fair Trading and Consumer Competition Commisions, to ask if this is in any way legal.

I suggest that all of you should do the same in your own jurisidiction.

I have been informed that a majority of the US states side against the "license, not ownership" model that these EULA's try to dictate to you.

2 years is no time at all for a gamer. I recently played a Half Life 2 single player mod when I'd not played the game itself for at a random guess at least 4 years.

Do you trust EA to not delete your property. Because that is what this is about.

Your property. You are not giving EA money for a "license". You are not giving them money for "access to their services", you are giving them money, and they are giving you a game.

Think of a music label coming into your house if you don't listen to a CD for 2 years.

This is the exact same thing. They are literally stealing your property and your cash.

EA: Delete Everything.

They claimed that it was "CryTek" who were responsible for the pulling of Crysis 2.

They said it was "Valve" who removed the games.

In my opinion it's a con. A lie. A blatant attempt at misdirection. Obscuring the truth. Talking about the effect but not the cause. A non-direct lie. A lie of omission.

CryTek only had a 'partnership' with EA.

In big white letters, underneath the "BIOWARE" Logo on their website is "A Division Of EA".

EA is Bioware. Bioware is EA.

And today, EA pulled Dragon Age 2 from Steam. It happens to coincide with the launch of the latest "stuff that would have been in the game from the start but we are going to pull it to nickel and dime you all post-launch." AKA DLC. The latest insidious attempt at screwing the consumer out of the original game they played for.

EA can claim all they like that Valve is the reason behind the removal of these games.

But Steam can only respond to what EA does. EA appears to be creating their DLC and sales methods in a way that forces Valve to remove them from the service.

This is not "competition". This is infrastructure duplication. Any company who pull their titles from a platform for any reason is not being 'competitive'. It is being monopolistic. There is nothing new, nothing innovative, nothing so good about Origin that it deserves to hold any kind of monopoly on any game, even EA games.

When EA pull their games from Steam they are not promoting competition.

Think of competition as a pie. The contents of the pie are all the games available on each service The pie is split between Steam and Origin based on their market value to the consumer. That is competition.

EA if they were a reputable company would be attempting to take Valve's market share (the pie) by legitmate means. By offering a better price to ALL developers/publishers, and not just EA owned companies, and then allowing those price savings to be passed onto the consumer.

Or by offering a better service. Not removing games after 2 years. Not forcing you to create a dozen 'personas' and have a seperate login for every damn game you play. Not pushing Day 1 DLC in your face. Offering a better backup solution. Offering download scheduling. Offering the ability to continue playing single-player games whilst other's download. With better sales than Steam. With better support. With ongoing events. With constant improvement.

Valve is not perfect. Make no mistake about that. This is not a Valve 'fanboy' talking. This is someone who has appreciated the services and facilities that Valve offers in it's Steam service.

I want better services for the CONSUMER. Not for EA.

With EA pulling their games from Steam, that means EA have the entire pie to themselves. No competition. Monopoly. Value to consumers = 0. Incentive for EA to improve it's service is far less than if they were being truly competitive.

Do not believe the suits. Do not believe the marketing spin. Do not believe the legalese and ass-covering and the blame game.

EA is forcing Origin down your throat at your expense.

This is not competition in any sense of the word.

Boycott Origin.

If you live in the entire southern hemisphere for example, Asia, and even some parts of Europe, you have been IP blocked from playing this game. You will not be allowed access.

Is EA and it's Origin fail-service worthy of your support?

You wait for months, and years for information. You follow the game, track it's progress. Eagerly await new information.

Then it finally comes to launch.

Sorry. You are being boycotted from purchasing their game.

How about you boycott them as well.

Source:
http://games.on.net/article/13235/Confusion_and_Concern_Over_Australian_Launch_Delay_for_SWTOR