EA's Steam-challenging Origin digital distribution service will begin selling third-party titles from the likes of Warner Bros Interactive and THQ in November, according to Gamasutra . The service, which EA claims has over six million subscribers, is required to play obscure indie game Battlefield 3 on the PC.
Valve and EA have a strange relationship at the moment, with Crysis 2 being pulled from Steam (albeit for unrelated reasons APPARENTLY), and Battlefield 3 bypassing Valve's service - but showing up on other download sites. The two have previously enjoyed a mutually-beneficial relationship; Steam sells EA's titles, and EA distributes boxed copies of Valve games.
But it looks like the friction between the two is increasing, with Battlefield 3 potentially being to Origin what Half-Life 2 was to Steam. Add Warner Bros and THQ's games to the mix, and EA's proposition begins to look a bit more attractive. What would it take for you to drop Steam and join EA?
