Origin waives 90 days of distribution fees for crowdfunded games

EA wants to be your pal, indie developers -- it's even buying the first round of drinks. The publisher announced today that it will distribute games funded by Kickstarter and Indiegogo on Origin for 90 days without fees. When they're done, crowdfunded projects such as Wasteland 2 will have the opportunity to reach Origin's 12 million customers (a.k.a. people who own Battlefield 3, Mass Effect 3, or The Old Republic) and keep EA's share during the launch.

The offer is open to any "fully-funded, complete and ready-to-publish games designed for digital download to PC platforms." Brian Fargo, CEO of inXile , and Jane Jensen of Pinkerton Road Studio voiced support for EA's offer in the press release.

"Crowd-funded projects are like the 'people's choice awards' -- a way for gaming fans to express what they want to buy and play," said Jensen. "It's great to see a big publisher like EA acknowledging that and opening up distribution opportunities for these games."

Tyler grew up in Silicon Valley during the '80s and '90s, playing games like Zork and Arkanoid on early PCs. He was later captivated by Myst, SimCity, Civilization, Command & Conquer, all the shooters they call "boomer shooters" now, and PS1 classic Bushido Blade (that's right: he had Bleem!). Tyler joined PC Gamer in 2011, and today he's focused on the site's news coverage. His hobbies include amateur boxing and adding to his 1,200-plus hours in Rocket League.