Humble Origin Bundle 2 launched

[HEXUS]

Pay what you want games include Dragon Age Origins, Dead Space 2, C&C Generals.

Read more.

[Chadders87]

If I wasn't so anti-EA / Origin...this would be a good bundle!

[aniilv]

mass effect 2 but not 1? lolk

[Chadders87]

Mass Effect 1 was in the last Origin Bundle, perhaps they don't want a complete clone of the past this time round. But if I remember, it was only the Sims in the last bundle that was non-steam.

This time round theres a lot more origin exclusives. Has anyone used origin of late? How is it?

[big_hairy_rob]

Will this be the first Humble Bundle with day one DLC????

[GuidoLS]

Ordered it - got the Origin key (all games activate on Origin with one code, so no gifting) and 4 Steam keys within about 30 seconds.

Steam keys for ME2, DS2, DA:O and Bejeweled 3 - so even if you never open the Origin client (which is relatively non-obtrusive) you have 3 AAA games and a game that will take many hours of your life, without realizing it, for <$5.00 US, plus whatever they put on the list next week (if you give more than the average, you also get the continued offerings next Tuesday).

As for Origin - it's mostly unobtrusive. You need an account. Offline mode is sometimes a pain, but it's getting better. It's no more 'evil' than the Steam client (or any other client). And it is, to a degree, more secure - unlike Steam, every time you start it, it will ask for a username/password. Some may consider that inconvenient. Others will find that welcoming.

And, most importantly, the money goes to charity, other than a small % (that you set) that goes to the Humble Bundle people.

It's worth it.

(and the post is mistaken in one aspect - Dragon Age 2 does NOT come with a Steam key, unless the EU gets something the US doesn't)

[shaithis]

Origin does not ask me for my login each time, only when I switch from one machine to another.

As for Origin overall, it's still a million miles away from where Steam is now but overall the core functionality works just as well.

My only reason to resent it these days is fragmentation of the market. I'd rather all my eggs be in one basket

[Millennium]

Might as well use Origin if you don't mind Steam...

Went ahead with Paypal as it's for charity. PvZ looks good, some other decent games not in my collection.

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[GuidoLS]

Origin does not ask me for my login each time, only when I switch from one machine to another.

As for Origin overall, it's still a million miles away from where Steam is now but overall the core functionality works just as well.

My only reason to resent it these days is fragmentation of the market. I'd rather all my eggs be in one basket

I actually shut it down when I'm not playing a game on their platform - not sure if that makes a difference or not. I do the same for Steam (and Desura, too). Of the 3, only Origin asks each time, so I guess I'm going to need to check and see if I checked something off.

And personally, I'm glad Origin doesn't have all the functionality of Steam - Steam does, or tries to do, entirely too many things, and the bloat is starting to show.

[Percy1983]

Origin doesn't bother me, I don't have origin or steam set to start on startup, depending which game I want to play decides with I click.

I don't see it as any better or worse than steam really.

As for humble bundle, just do it you can't beat the value but if you can afford a little more it is for a good cause.

[tribaljet]

Actually, Mass Effect 1 was not on the first Origin bundle, which contained Dead Space, Burnout Paradise, Crysis 2, Dead Space 3, Medal of Honor, Mirror's Edge, Battlefield 3, Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 and Populous. But I sure did wish they had included the first one on this bundle as having just the second one makes me not want to play it before the first and wanting to have the third for continuity's sake.

Origin is reasonable for what it is, the issue remains the same, namely how DRM impairs gaming in a significant way, such as how Command & Conquer 4 can often disconnect from the servers and all game progress is lost without any option to save it locally (at least from a first glance).

EDIT: Dragon Age, Dead Space 2, Bejeweled 3 and Mass Effect 2 can be activated on Steam as well (not on Origin or Steam but on both services).

[GuidoLS]

EA has also recently given away Mass Effect 1, Dragon Age: Origins, Theme Hospital, Peggle, Bejeweled 3, Battlefield 3, and a few others, through their On The House section of the Origin client. So it's kind of worth following, You can also follow the Game Deals sub over on Reddit if you don't want to keep the client running (as well as pick up on thousands of other deals).

[cps1974]

Mass Effect 1 was in the last Origin Bundle, perhaps they don't want a complete clone of the past this time round. But if I remember, it was only the Sims in the last bundle that was non-steam.

This time round theres a lot more origin exclusives. Has anyone used origin of late? How is it?

never had any prob with it myself - others hates the way it spies

[Optimaximal]

...others hates the way it spies

Something which has only ever been proven with some spurious data mining and open interpretation of the EULA, which is/was so packed with grey-area legalese that it was functionally worthless.

Also, £2 says the same people who *hate* Origin because its the NSA of Gaming are the same people who willingly participate in Valve's hardware survey!

[Chadders87]

My issue with Origin was how unreliable it was, and the fact it is EA. EA slipped micro transactions into every Origin game I bought, until I had enough and uninstalled it. This is going back a long way, and haven't tried it since.

It does seem like it has improved, while Steam has degenerated. With both being on par (ish) nowadays there is no reason to keep avoiding it I guess.