Supra-edit: BioWare’s Stephen Reid says these two things are unrelated. So as not to waste prime article space, these other two things are also not related.
I just got a free beta key for SWTOR from Rock, Paper, Shotgun! I thought, well I didn’t think Rift was going to be all that fun, and playing in beta changed my mind. Maybe a free romp in SWTOR will do the same. Here I come static lightsaber battles!
Then I remembered I would have to install Origin. That brought my high crashing to the ground. I really don’t want to install something on my computer that seems shady at best. If EA simply wanted a great way to bring updated games the PC, why didn’t they just leave it at that instead of creating EULA-backed spyware. Any corporation that asks me to believe them when they won’t even explain what they deem necessary… well, I have my personal high road on this one.
In the world of quid pro quo, I don’t mind a source gathering information for say an operating system that I need or a game-buying service that I love, but making SWTOR’s rider the installation of Origin brings my high back to “meh.” I am now mulling my beta key. I want to play, but not that much. Put too many hoops in my way, and I have plenty of other games to fall back on. Still the first hoop (getting a free key) was a big one.
–Ravious
EDIT: Winged Nazgul to the rescue! Up we go, rollercoaster.
And with the ETA of patch 1.6 of Rift estimated to be this week…tons of new content, large new land mass…
Wait it out.
Why play a beta, when you can play a polished, released game with ZERO spyware.
How does Origin work, similar to Pando? Can’t we just uninstall it when we’re finished? I got a key too Rav, but most of my peeps with GW2Live don’t seem interested in trying it out.
I want to play the game. I want to experience its mechanics and see if they truly do compare to WoW. I want to experience the combat and see if its as slow as it appears.
Also, I’m dieing to see how deep the Bioware story goes, and how it will be the key factor in determining the life of SWTOR.
If you decide to try the beta, hit me up and we’ll go stomping together (Jedi or Sith, your pick).
Hmmm…. it seems it will use its own launcher. I wonder if it can be installed without Origin?
Not sure if it’s been said, but yes you can launch the beta without downloading origin. It has it’s own launcher you download it through
I am a little wary of Origin. EA’s customer service is troublesome at best, neglectful and downright insidious at worst.
Origin is only needed if you plan on buying SWTOR.
You can install and play the beta just fine without it.
Sweet! A New High!
This also practically ensure that I will only play for free (read: leech).
Actually, Origin is only required if you buy SWTOR from Origin. If you buy a boxed version you never need to launch Origin.
EA is touting Origin as an easier way to keep the client updated, but I’m not buying it. So boxed copy with no Origin client running for me.
A “New Hope”
Actually, you do not even need to install Origin to buy SWTOR via Origin.com.
The Origin desktop client is entirely optional. You do not need it to download, install or play The Old Republic – and that goes for the current client used for testing, as well as the final retail game.
Let me know if you have further questions – you can see my email. :)
Sold for the beta key!
Yes, play SWTOR Beta and get a feel for the things it does better than other MMOs (it does have a few strengths).
I have found the Empire storylines more engaging than the republic side. I’d rather be escapist and role-play a ruthless cut-throat badass. Being a basically good person struggling through a world full of corrupt politicians and crazy people is something I can do IRL if I want.
So then what is the difference between Origin and Steam? You need to have the platform running in order to play games purchased through their service, I assume, and they both try to show you what they are currently selling. Do you also have the same issues with Steam as well? I guess I’m just not understanding the rage against it…
Steam asks to get these needful things, first of all.
The second is purely consumer confidence. I trust Steam a lot. They seem to be wholly down with the quid pro quo of a consumer and service. EA has very little consumer confidence from me to believe that I will be treated with the respect I think I deserve. (See also recent Origin forum bannings via RPS for “evidence.”)
Steam has been hacked.
Indeed.
With this kind of service, any kind of problem can cut you off from literally thousands of dollars of games you have bought. Steam has been around long enough with a good enough track record to have earned some trust. EA has not proven themselves reliable enough.
The benefits of these services is not having to manage a library of CDs/DvDs to install games and keep them patched, as well as the social aspect of competing with friends on single player games.
I think you *need* to play this thing – how else are we going to get a reliable perspective on whether it’s worth buying or not?
Clearly by trusting the reviews.
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/13/modern-game-journalism-the-movie-the-trailer/
I can understand wanting to play SWTOR as an academic exercise; that is how I couched it. As a well-known and respected game blogger, you may want to experience the game some. However, the reality for me was that after getting a beta invite, I left the computer on all night to download the game, logged in, received a couple quests and couldn’t even bring myself to complete them. I logged off, bored, and unable to stomach the cartoon graphics. …That prompted me to buy Skyrim so that I could experience an open-world, sandbox RPG.
Agreed wholeheartedly. I grabbed a key from RPS, but I’m not even certain I’ll get around to the download; the mere presence of “quests” is usually enough to make me rage quit out of just about any game…
Yes, some folks really are THIS jaded. ;-} (myself nearly included)
Count me among the jaded too… hell, I’m practically an Aztec deity I’m so jaded about quest systems at this point…
I am wondering if folks who are commenting herein play World of Warcraft. It also has a bit of software that keeps an eye on what you are doing with the game files as well as reporting back to Blizzard information about your system specs.
I thought the graphics were pretty good, stylized for sure. I had a good time over the weekend with the game. I think I’ll be playing it for awhile. This will probably be my last mmo unless something else just completly blows my mind.