Origin to be “re-established as a service," says Wilson

EA Sports EVP Andrew Wilson said the firm is looking to “re-establish Origin as a service," instead of a means to "drive transactions" from its 40 million customers.

Speaking with GI International, Wilson said when Origin was first conceptualized, EA wanted it to be a service which made the firm's games better and which "enhanced the experience of playing games," for users across all platforms - not just PC. However, the service changed since launch, something Wilson acknowledges, but he said the team is working to bring the service back to its original intent.

"Over the years ... there've been some permutations of that vision that have manifested as part of Origin," he said. "It is by no means perfect, but we've done some pretty cool things. As you say, the plumbing is there. What can we do now to really think about Origin in the next generation?

"Part of the reason why I think it came back in to me was my history with Origin, and the ability to take a step back - really coming back to our roots as a service for gamers, versus anything else that it may have been perceived to have been over the last few years by virtue of its various permutations or changes in direction.

"The transaction component of that service has taken a disproportionate amount of the communication and mindshare of what we really try and provide."

When EA reorganized a few months back, Wilson was put in charge of Origin in addition to his responsibilities as head of EA Sports.