You’re a Mac. You’re a PC. Can I be both?
Whenever Eurogamer has a piece related to Origin (EA’s digital download service) one can expect a torrent of comments from readers flogging the service with a passion. Among the cries of ‘You cannot trust EA’ and ‘I only installed it because I had to for Battlefield 3 and Mass Effect 3’ there are countless comments commending Steam for the excellent service it provides and practically adoring Valve. It seems that, more than any other consumer, gamers are defined by brand loyalty. Hardcore brand loyalty to be exact. It’s not enough to buy products from a particular brand. Gamers have to criticise any other brand that is not their preferred choice.
A quick look at any forum or message board paints a singular picture: individuals who are objective about brands are few and far between. Most people stick to their preferred brand like their life depends on it and they become vicious should anyone say anything remotely critical about it. Let’s conveniently forget that Steam sucked royal ass when it was first released in 2004 (What? I have to go online to activate Half Life 2 or otherwise I cannot play?!). Never mind that Origin today is magnitudes better than Steam was a few years ago. Don’t dwell on the idea that having only one service is not at all a good situation for consumers. Continue reading
