E3: "Steam sales cheapen intellectual property"

Electronic Arts will not copy the discounting and sale approach which typifies Origin's main rival, Steam, the company has said at E3 2012.

Instead, Origin boss David DeMartini told GI.biz that the publisher has a very different approach in mind which won't damage the intellectual properties of indies.

"Obviously [Steam] thinks it's the right thing to do after a certain amount of time," said DeMartini. "I just think it cheapens your intellectual property."

"I know both sides of it, I understand it. If you want to sell a whole bunch of units, that is certainly a way to do that, to sell a whole bunch of stuff at a low price. The game makers work incredibly hard to make this intellectual propert...we're trying to give you a fair price point, and occasionally there will be things that are on sale you could look for a discount, just don't look for 75 per cent off going-out-of-business sales."

With over 11 million users, Origin is now considered to be Steam's biggest rival thanks to the success of games such as Mass Effect 3 and Battlefield 3 on PC.

"What Steam does might be teaching the customer, 'I might not want it in the first month, but if I look at it in four or five months, I'll get one of those weekend sales and I'll buy it at that time at 75 per cent off'" warned DeMartini.

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