EA to launch new digital distribution platform

Written by Joe Martin

June 3, 2011 | 11:48

Tags: #announcement #digital-distribution #origin

Companies: #electronic-arts

Electronic Arts has announced it will soon launch a new digital distribution platform intended to rival the likes of Steam and GamersGate, dubbed Origin.

No release date for Origin has been revealed, but the Wall Street Journal reports that 'a full reveal' of the serivce will arrive later today.

EA has confirmed, however, that Origin will focus on selling PC games and will include 150 games at launch, including Star Wars: The Old Republic as a digital exclusive. It's not been clarified whether Origin will only sell EA games or will include titles from other publishers.

The publisher has also revealed that Origin will run through its own application, rather than a browser, drawing further comparisons to Steam and iTunes.

Origin will include social media integration too, with messaging and friends lists drawn from Facebook.

'Increasingly, we see ourselves as a software platform every bit as much as we see ourselves as a content maker for other companies' platforms,' said EA CEO John Riccitiello back in May.

It's not yet clear how Origin will overlap with existing EA services, such as EA Store and EA Download Manager.

Check out the trailer for EA's upcoming MMO, Star Wars: The Old Republic below, then let us know your thoughts in the forums.


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