Yesterday we’ve published the PC requirements for Titanfall, highlighting the fact that players will need a 64-bit operating system to play the game. That’s not the only requirement for Titanfall it seems, as the game will require an Origin account on the PC. This is only partially surprising news, considering that, after all, Titanfall is an EA title. On the other hand, past titles such as Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning have been released via Steam. Rumors of an Origin requirements have been around for long (Amazon listed Origin among the Titanfall requirements awhile ago), but it’s the first time Vince Zampella himself confirmed the news, answering a twitter question:
@Klink77 yes it does, we'll miss you :(
— Vince Zampella (@VinceZampella) February 4, 2014
Many fans of Titanfall have already been put off by the Origin requirements (keep in mind, this applies only to PC users, Xbox One and Xbox 360 users won’t need Origin to access Titanfall). The main arguments cited would be the expensive nature of games on the platform (as opposed to Valve’s Steam), issues with the cloud save system, memory leaks and requirements, a clunky store page, and a lack of trust towards EA in general, amplified by recent failures such as the Battlefield 4 launch.
On the positive side of things, a growing use of Origin would create competition for Steam, and wherever there’s competition, customers win! Many PC gamers have no Origin account at this time, and have been generally avoiding the unwelcoming platform (often compared to the Windows Games Live system). Of course, currenty Origin users will not be affected by this requirement, but will this turn away potential players? Will this requirement affect Titanfall sales on the PC? Possibly. Will they ultimately lead to financial struggle for Respawn Entertainment? Doubtful.
On a personal level, I’ve never been fond of Origins myself. I’m happy with my Steam account, and I have had no reasons to look for alternatives. I’ve also always somehow managed to avoid Origin and the titles linked to it. Would I give up on Titanfall because of this requirements? Not really. Then again, I have plenty of accounts to manage and remember, and one more (which, frankly, is nowhere near being user-friendly or easy to manage) wasn’t on my wishlist for 2014.
How do you guys feel about the matter?