Electronic Arts want you to use Origin. We mean, really want you to use Origin. And as proof we have a new gambit - a new promotion known as On The House, debuting as an offer for horror classic Dead Space for free. Genuinely free, not "free for a month and then if you want to keep playing you need to pay us" free.
About 'On the House'
Free?! What's the catch?
There's no catch. Grab full games, expansions and more at absolutely no cost. Just make sure to act fast because On the House specials can appear and disappear at any time.
You mean a trial or demo, right?
Nope. You’re getting a full version of the real game — for free!
How long will I own the game?
Once you’ve claimed your game, it’s yours to keep!
Why is Origin doing this?
We're gamers, too. We appreciate you making Origin your gaming home ... and besides, who doesn't like free stuff?
Free?! What's the catch?
There's no catch. Grab full games, expansions and more at absolutely no cost. Just make sure to act fast because On the House specials can appear and disappear at any time.
You mean a trial or demo, right?
Nope. You’re getting a full version of the real game — for free!
How long will I own the game?
Once you’ve claimed your game, it’s yours to keep!
Why is Origin doing this?
We're gamers, too. We appreciate you making Origin your gaming home ... and besides, who doesn't like free stuff?
Origin hasn't been without its critics, but it's hard to pass up a free game if you don't already have it. Responses by an Origin representative on Reddit also indicates that the Dead Space deal is just the first, and plenty more are in the pipeline.
The question is, why are EA doing this? Simple, they're seeking to push consumers onto the Origin website and client more frequently, have them log in every day or multiple times a day to check for new offers and freebies, even when they're not gaming. Such is the status quo with Steam, where you're virtually guaranteed that at 6pm GMT the site will be sluggish as everyone logs in to check for updated deals.
Will this be enough to get people enthused by Origin? Probably not on it's own, but it is a good start which EA will hopefully stick to rather than quietly shelve the project.
The Dead Space On The House deal is valid until May 8th, but the above promo blurb indicates that it may end sooner. If you want to take advantage of it, we can only suggest that you don't dawdle.
