Origin Bulks Up With New Publishers

Electronic Arts is adding new publishers and a couple of big new games to Origin.

Origin is poised to move up a weight class or two with the addition of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Capcom and THQ to its lineup. EA hasn’t said much yet about which specific games that will be added to the service, but two big-name titles are definitely on the way: Batman: Arkham City and Saints Row: The Third. More games from each publisher will be added “in the coming months.”

“Since launch, we’ve had overwhelming support from both publishers and developers across the gaming industry, recognizing Origin as an opportunity to deliver more of their great content straight to consumers across the globe,” said Origin Senior Vice President David DeMartini.

But what’s EA’s plan to incentivize its service over, say, Steam? If you’re a PC gamer and you’re able to read this, then it’s all but certain you have Steam installed, with its huge library, ridiculous sales and proven reliability. It’s not as though Origin is more conveniently located or has a cuter staff, and aside from a few EA titles like Battlefield 3, variety of selection isn’t really a selling point either. That leaves pricing, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see EA eat some bottom-line losses in order to draw attention to the service. But how low will it have to go before you’re willing to give it a fair shot?