Note that EA / Origin is not getting money from this, their share of the money is given to charities (see the text box right under the game list on the page).
This is absolutely incorrect. Valve puts up with Uplay because they aren't a competing marketplace, but when EA wanted to make their new games sold on Steam require Origin installation as well, Valve told them to go fly a kite. That's why games like Battlefield 3 are not available on Steam at all.
They all offer DLC; depending on the game, some, all, or none of that DLC is included:
- Burnout Paradise: offered version contains all DLC
- Crysis 2: offered version contains all DLC
- Dead Space: tons of weapons DLC, not included. They're effectively cosmetic or so overpowered it's like buying cheat codes.
- Dead Space 3: tons of weapons DLC, not included. Like above, they're either cosmetic or shootable cheat codes.
- Medal of Honor: missing the DLC map packs
- Mirror's Edge: missing time trials DLC; DLC is incompatible with the Steam version
- Sims 3: contains a small fraction of the available packaged DLC; game is centered around micro-transactions for things your home (i.e., there are countless items not included).
- Battlefield 3: missing the DLC map packs
EA, of course, profits from DLC purchases not included in the games on offer: they're not sold through the Humble Bundle.
BF3 has several DLC and I Origin would get 100% of those purchases. In fact BF3 was recently a free PS+ game; I'm guessing with the idea to drive people to buy the mulitple $14.99 DLC packs
Comments
Note that EA / Origin is not getting money from this, their share of the money is given to charities (see the text box right under the game list on the page).
Also note that the EFF isn't one of the available charities.
Any insight as to why this is the case? This was the first thing I noticed.
EFF and EA aren't exactly best buds.
They do, although indirectly. I mean, through mandatory advertisement and data collection using Origin.
These are available on Steam, so you don't even run Origin:
AFAIK, the steam versions also run trough Origin. I no this for a fact with Uplay, I think it's the same here.
This is absolutely incorrect. Valve puts up with Uplay because they aren't a competing marketplace, but when EA wanted to make their new games sold on Steam require Origin installation as well, Valve told them to go fly a kite. That's why games like Battlefield 3 are not available on Steam at all.
I think it's more that EA don't want platform-selling titles like BF3 on Steam, not that Steam told them to get lost.
Judging from Steam forums it seems that they are mostly Origin-free and do not chain DRM schemes like it was the case with U-play.
Some may require "EA activation" which pops up at the first run of the game, but they don't require origin if they have a Steam key.
Anyone knows which games do this, and which don't?
Do any of these games offer DLC? Who profits from that?
They all offer DLC; depending on the game, some, all, or none of that DLC is included:
- Burnout Paradise: offered version contains all DLC
- Crysis 2: offered version contains all DLC
- Dead Space: tons of weapons DLC, not included. They're effectively cosmetic or so overpowered it's like buying cheat codes.
- Dead Space 3: tons of weapons DLC, not included. Like above, they're either cosmetic or shootable cheat codes.
- Medal of Honor: missing the DLC map packs
- Mirror's Edge: missing time trials DLC; DLC is incompatible with the Steam version
- Sims 3: contains a small fraction of the available packaged DLC; game is centered around micro-transactions for things your home (i.e., there are countless items not included).
- Battlefield 3: missing the DLC map packs
EA, of course, profits from DLC purchases not included in the games on offer: they're not sold through the Humble Bundle.
BF3 has several DLC and I Origin would get 100% of those purchases. In fact BF3 was recently a free PS+ game; I'm guessing with the idea to drive people to buy the mulitple $14.99 DLC packs