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Installing PC Games: Then and Now

Mass Effect 3

Huge, huge realization about the PC gaming industry today. You see, I finally found the time to install Mass Effect 3 for the PC. Yup, you read it right. You actually need to dedicate time to installing it as if it were a chore. If the multiplayer wasn’t so epic, I would have thrown a fit.

Here’s why:

Installing Games Before:

1. Buy the retail box
2. Insert disc into PC
3. Install the game
4. Play the game

Installing Games Today:

1. Pre-order the game to get exclusive in-game bonuses
2. Buy the game (either from the retail store or via digital download)
3. Insert disc into PC (if retail copy)
4. Install Download Client (EA uses Origin) by downloading it (you NEED Internet)
5. Figure out if Origin carries over from previous EA Account
6. Retrieve old password from EA Account
7. Install the game
8. Download the patch fixes
9. Retrieve pre-order rewards via DLC
10. Purchase Day 1 DLC that DID NOT come free with the game, yet still very important because it contains a huge crux of the game’s lore
11. Download 500+ MB of data for update
12. Play the game

I mean, WTF right? I’m all for giving money to the gaming industry but I can really understand why people pirate games. It isn’t just about not being able to afford an original copy, but also about how bootleg versions don’t put you through such a tedious process.

By Jayvee Fernandez

Jayvee Fernandez is a tech enthusiast and sitting Techbology Editor for The Philippine STAR.

He is also an EAN certified SCUBA Diver and underwater photographer based in Metro Manila, Philippines. His photos and videos have appeared in various international and local publications including Random House Germany, Discovery Channel Canada, and CNN.

4 replies on “Installing PC Games: Then and Now”

[…] Say what you want about software pirates but you cannot deny the fact that software piracy is building the future of computing tomorrow, today. Think of the most popular application for distributing your movies and music — torrents — and how it is being used to share information in the most convenient way possible. My take on piracy has always been a functional one more than a financial one: i don’t mind paying for my media. What I don’t mind is the hassle of going through hell just to install something i legitimately bought. […]

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