EA Ditches Origin Game Launcher in Favor of New ‘EA App’
The EA app—as it’s officially called—kicks Origin’s clunky interface to the curb in exchange for what appears to be a more intuitive experience. Though the app still displays ads for new games upon opening, it doesn’t appear to be nearly as ad-centric as its predecessor, which was largely a marketing client with a side of game library access. The friends list is displayed on the right instead of being tucked away at the bottom, and a list of the user’s installed games sits on the left, making boot-up less complicated than it’s been for the last decade. EA says the app will provide users with a “faster, more reliable, and more streamlined gaming experience.”
Design-wise, the EA app looks a lot like Steam. And while that’s a bit boring, who can blame EA for (albeit quite blatantly) imitating its most impressive competitor? Steam is a platform people want to hang out on, while EA—since its 2007 Store and Download Manager combo—has almost always been a platform people use only when they absolutely have to. Introducing a clearer interface like the one pictured above allows users to locate their downloaded games, browse new titles, and tinker with the download manager more easily. Maybe, just maybe, this will help EA escape its widely-hated status and move to one of gradual acceptance.
EA says the app, which is now available for download on supported Windows PCs, will automatically contain users’ local and cloud saves, as well as their existing friend lists. Users will also be able to merge their friend lists with those they’ve built on Steam, Xbox, and PlayStation.
The few of us who dare to game on Mac will have to wait a bit longer to try the EA app for ourselves. EA says Mac users will continue to boot up their games via Origin and that it has “no changes to announce” regarding the introduction of the new app on Mac. That being said, it seems a version of the EA app for Mac will eventually come: “As things evolve, we’ll have more information to share in the coming months,” EA says.
Continue reading
Evidence Mounts Samsung Will Return to Google Wear OS, Ditch Tizen
Most big smartphone makers stopped making Wear OS watches over the intervening years, but a new report adds credence to the rumors that Samsung could be coming back to the Google fold.
NASA Ditches SLS for SpaceX to Launch Europa Clipper
NASA's plan to launch the Europa Clipper on the Space Launch System (SLS) has been scrapped. Now, NASA will go with the Falcon Heavy instead, a big win for SpaceX.
Microsoft Now Offers the Option to (Mostly) Ditch Your Password
Microsoft wants to ditch passwords and it's making the feature widely available on Windows for the first time.
Apple Might be Ditching its Controversial CSAM Image Scanning Program
Apple had previously said it was only delaying its CSAM image scanning technology so it could gather feedback, but now it appears the company might be scrapping it all together.