Does Origin track game play time?

Question

I don't seem to see this in the interface but am wondering if maybe behind the scenes the data is available somewhere, or in some hidden corner of the UI.

I was curious how much time I've spent in the Mass Effect universe. So I fired up Steam and checked the hours played in 1 and 2. Then I jumped to Origin to see how long I spent in 3, ... but it doesn't seem to show this information.

Is it hidden there somewhere?

Asked by eidylon

Answer

No. Origin does not track play time in any game at all. The reason you don't see a recording of this metric is because it apparently has not been implemented. Battlefield 3's BattleLog tracks play time for that game and it's conceivable that other games may track this metric internally as well like they do achievements (which Origin also lacks at this point in time), but that would be a game by game consideration.

According to the EA support person whom I just asked whether this feature exists or is planned to be added to origin, their response was, "As such as of now, there is no such system and we do not any updates for future now." Obviously English language support is a feature that could use some revision, but I believe they were trying to say, "we do no get any updates about future plans at this time." I might tend to question the reliability of their customer support given the awkward nature of the interaction, but their customer support responses are expected to be taken as official word so do with that what you will.

The following is a transcript of the conversation substituting ##### for my name and Customer Support Person for the CSR on the other end (be warned: Their English is poor and the responses I got were bizarre at times):

Customer Support Person: Thanks for contacting EA Help! My name is Customer Support Person how may I help you?

Customer Support Person: Hello

you: Hello. I have a quick question regarding Origin: When I play a game, any game, through Origin, is my playtime being tracked anywhere? Can I view that informatio now or will I be able to in the future?

Customer Support Person: I do understand your concern, #####.

Customer Support Person: But as such there is no such thing which track your time on Origin.

you: Not my time on Origin. My time in-game.

you: I don't think anyone would care about my time on Origin.

Customer Support Person: May I know which game are you trying to play?

you: ????

you: Any game. Mass Effect 3, Kingdoms of Amalur, you name it. If I play any game on Origin, is my PLAYTIME being tracked. So if I play 2 hours in Mass Effect 3 and 4 hours in Kingdoms of Amalur, will those hours be tracked anywhere? I couldn't care less about how many hours I spend in Origin. I just leave it open all the time so it's a pointless metric.

Customer Support Person: I am not sure about it.

Customer Support Person: As for Battlefield 3, you can see your play time on Battlelog.

you: Even if you can't see it now, is playtime being recorded for other games? Will it be at some point in the future of Origin?

Customer Support Person: I would definitely make sure that this valuable suggestions of yours will be forwarded to our developers and they will definitely focussing this parameters as well.

Customer Support Person: Thank you for contacting EA. Is there anything else I can help you with today?

you: So the answer is No? Is it being recorded now? Is it in the plan for upcoming features? I'm not so much making a suggestion as asking if it is happening or is planned.

you: So, in summary: You have no idea?

Customer Support Person: As such as of now, there is no such system and we do not any updates for future now.

you: Ok that's all you needed to say. Thanks. That's everything.

Answered by skovacs1

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How can I determine whether a Steam game can be activated on Origin as well?

Question

As described by title, I own a certain number of games on Steam. How can I determine whether a Steam game can be activated on Origin as well?

Asked by Drake

Answer

This list was obtained here. In addition, the following Steam games also can be activated on Origin:

+---------------------------------------+-------------------+
|              Game Title               | Can be activated? |
+---------------------------------------+-------------------+
| Command & Conquer - Red Alert 3       | Yes               |
| Dragon Age:Origins - Ultimate Edition | Yes               |
+---------------------------------------+-------------------+

If you have an EA Game not listed here that you can retrieve the CD Key from Steam you can try to activate it on Origin and even if it doesn't work, you may be able to contact support and get them to activate it.

Answered by Mr. November

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Can Steam be used to Launch Mass Effect 3?

Question

I own Mass Effect 3 on Origin, but I very much prefer launching games from Steam (largely for the overlay, since I've got hundreds of Steam friends). I know that non-steam applications can be launched from Steam by mapping their executables, but I'm not sure how the interaction with Origin works. Is it possible to use Steam to launch Mass Effect 3? If so, are there any adverse symptoms to be aware of? Will doing so enable the Steam overlay?

Asked by Dave McClelland

Answer

It is possible to launch Mass Effect 3 through Steam, but you still need Origin to load the game. I just tested this myself by:

1. Clicking Add A Game in the bottom left of the library tab
2. Add a Non-Steam Game
3. Browse...
4. Local Disk --> Program Files (x86) --> Origin Games --> Mass Effect 3 --> Binaries --> Win32 --> MassEffect3.exe

Now when I launch the application from Steam, it launches Origin which then launches Mass Effect 3. Launchception.

Note that I am playing from a Windows Computer running Windows 7 64-bit, so the names of your exact directories will differ by OS/depending on how you set up your Origin installation.

If you were hoping to access your Steam Overlay within the game, this will require a bit of a workaround.

Instead of having a direct shortcut to ME3, you will have to create a shortcut to Origin:

1. Clicking Add A Game in the bottom left of the library tab
2. Add a Non-Steam Game
3. Browse...
4. Local Disk --> Program Files (x86) --> Origin --> Origin.exe

Make sure Origin isn't currently running, then launch it from Steam. Now, when you launch any game from this instance of Origin, you will be able to access the Steam overlay. Screenshot of my ME3 with the Steam Overlay here.

If you want to get fancy, you can also rename the shortcut (to Mass Effect 3) as well as change the icon to ME3's to replace the default Origin one:

Both overlays will be available (assuming they are on different key bindings). Be aware, however: opening the Origin overlay will pause the game, but opening the Steam overlay will not. Further, when both overlays are opened at the same time, the steam overlay cannot be interacted with (the origin overlay pops up on top of it).

Answered by Kotsu

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Can I cancel a friend request?

Question

I attempted to add a friend of mine to my Origin friends list through searching for their name. However, it seems that I accidentally invited the wrong person.

Is there any way to rescind/cancel the friend request I sent to the random person, or will I just have to wait for them to eventually accept/decline my request?

Asked by FAE

Answer

Unfortunately, there's not a way to do that. It is something people have been asking for on a few forums, but so far, it hasn't been implemented.

You will have to wait to see what the random person decides to do, and if they choose to friend you, you can always unfriend them by right-clicking their name in your list of contacts, and then clicking "unfriend".

Answered by Ashley Nunn

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Battlefield 3 problem connecting to same server on LAN

Question

In Battlefield 3, I'm able to connect to a server with a first computer, but the second computer in the LAN will always keep on the "connecting..." phase. I think that happens because I was using the same port.

Origin uses registry to launch the game so I changed the registry to use another port:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\GameUX\Games{438D1154-48C0-41FD-BDB0-BC789AAA5BE3}\AppExePath

using

C:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\Battlefield 3\bf3.exe +clientport 20000

But it didn't work. Also tried to enable/disable UPnP.

Of course both computers have different accounts.

Asked by Roberto

Answer

had the same problem with a friend, we solved following the howto on this link on youtube and also opening the following ports on our router:

• TCP: 80, 443, 9988, 42127
• UDP: 3074, 3659, 6000, 25200

maybe it's helpful for you too (this doesn't work for everybody)

Answered by Samuele Mattiuzzo

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How do I associate my physical copies of Mass Effect 3 with my Origin account?

Question

How is it done? Do the discs come with an activation code?

If I can, do I need the physical copies of Mass Effect 3 or can I download the game through Origin from that point on?

Asked by Juan Manuel

Answer

Physical copies come with an Origin-redeemable key inside. In fact, you'll need to register it with Origin to install the game in the first place.

If you already have the discs available, you might as well use them to save some bandwidth, but after registering the key, you'll be able to download the game from Origin as well.

Answered by lunboks

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DirectX setup Internal Error when installing Mass Effect 3

Question

When trying to install Mass Effect 3 on my Windows 7 machine I got the following message at 99% installed:

I have made sure that i have the most resent version of DirectX form the web installer.

I found this video when searching for a solution

But I don't see a DirectX folder in the Mass Effect 3 folder.

Asked by Blem

Answer

1. Go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\Mass Effect 3\ __Installer\directx\redist

2. Delete all the contents of the folder except for the following files: DSETUP.dll dsetup32.dll DXSETUP.exe

3. Install Mass Effect 3 again.

Note change the Go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games prefix if you installed to a custom location.

Answered by tiddy

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How do I make a shortcut to an origin game?

Question

I deleted my original shortcut to Mass Effect 3 as part of an ill-conceived attempt to get a steam overlay within Origin.

Unfortunately, I can't figure out how to create a desktop shortcut from within origin, nor do I know where to target with a manually created shortcut.

Does Origin not have the ability to make shortcuts outside of installing a game?

I'm using Windows 7.

Asked by Raven Dreamer

Answer

Assuming windows 7, you should already have a shortcut available in your windows Games folder. For me, this is located at C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Games.

Alternatively, if you hit the start button (or windows key) and type "games explorer" and open the folder it displays, it will list all your registered games. .

From either of these folders, you should be able to right-click-drag the game's icon onto the desktop, and selecting either copy here (games folder) or create shortcuts here (games explorer)

Answered by Dave McClelland

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Does Mass Effect 3 require Origin?

Question

I am not particularly trusting of EA's Origin platform, with some going so far as to call it spyware. I don't care at this point about multiplayer in Mass Effect 3. I know that, more than likely, I will need Origin to play this game online, but I'm only interested in Single Player campaign at this time.

Playing on a PC, is Origin required to install and/or play Mass Effect 3 from disk?

Asked by Aeo

Answer

According to Wikipedia, you will need an Origin account for both the single-player and the multiplayer campaigns in ME3.

Customers purchasing PC editions of the game (retail or digital) will be required to install Electronic Arts' content delivery and digital rights management system, Origin. The Origin client (and an Origin account) is required to install, activate and run Mass Effect 3 on a PC for single and multi-player portions of the game.

This Bioware forum post by Chris Priestly gives a lot more detail around Origin and Mass Effect. Specifically, it speaks to your question:

Is constant Origin connection required or is it a single one off authentication when the game is first installed. Is there also a limit to the number of installations available? Mass Effect 3 will require a one time, single authorization for the single player game. There is no limit to the number of installs. Playing Mass Effect 3 Multiplayer will require a constant connection.

Answered by Ashley Nunn

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Does Origin have any built in screenshot functionality?

Question

Origin is trying to edge its way onto Steam's turf, which seems to have been one of the major reasons for keeping Mass Effect 3 an Origin (and console!) exclusive.

Thing is, I use Steam for a lot more than simply buying games - I've also fallen in love with the Steam Screenshot service.

Does Origin have anything comparable? Or will I have to rely on third party software (like FRAPS, or... even running Origin through Steam?) to get my screenshots?

Asked by Raven Dreamer

Answer

Origin does not support screenshots. You will have to use FRAPS or Steam to make them or the game's functionality if there is any.

Answered by scorcher24

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How do I preload on Origin?

Question

I got on Origin today and saw that it was prompting me to preorder and preload Mass Effect 3. . After pre-ordering it, I went to my game library to preload it, but the "preload" button is disabled! Why would this be? Does it have something to do with already having the demo downloaded?

Asked by Dave McClelland

Answer

For any origin game, the following steps have been shown to help with getting the preload work.

• Restart Origin
• Reload "My Games"
• Wait... Seriously, sometimes it just takes a minute

Do note, that some people experienced this more when they ordered the game from the site rather than the client. Again, giving it a minute and then restarting Origin is probably your best bet.

Now, ME3 in particular has had some other issues. As quoted from a Bioware Representative:

There can be a delay to download based on the activity on the servers. This is not based on where you live, just on how busy things are.

Everyone should be able to begin uploading within the hour as more servers are brought online to handle the load. We appreciate your patience.

This may occur with other games in the future as well, so it is something to note. They throttle the number of people downloading if their servers get to overloaded, so keep that in mind.

Also, do note that each game has a set release schedule that may vary based on the region in which you live, and you may not be able to download the game yet. For ME 3, the schedule is here, however other games will likely have their schedule available via the Origin support website.

If you continue to have issues, you can always contact EA support.

Answered by Ktash

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How to get rid of Origin while still playing games that require it?

Question

I consider Origin as spyware. Is there a way to play games that require it without it scanning my computer?

My idea is to have it running with a dedicated user on my computer which does not have any permissions so it cannot scan my hard drive.

Do you have some ideas how to get rid of it?

Asked by edem

Answer

Origin is EA's answer to Steam - that is, it's an integrated store and gaming platform, with social bells and whistles thrown in because why not.

Just like Steam, it's rather deeply integrated into some games (most big EA titles from here on, it seems, such as the upcoming Mass Effect 3) which means you can't just get rid of it. It's required to play some of their games, just as Steam was (and is) required to play Half-Life 2, the first flagship title that Valve used to promote Steam, amongst others.

I haven't seen any information on playing Origin games without it installed, apart from one hack for Battlefield 3 (which could easily result in permanent bans as it's against their agreement).

As you also asked for a link to removal instructions in your comment above, you can either use the normal Add/Remove Programs menu from the Control Panel, or have a look at this EA page for manual uninstallation instructions. Do note the Scary Red Text saying:

NOTE: If you remove Origin, you will lose accessibility and playability to any downloaded games and manuals until you reinstall Origin.

So this will not let you play your games without Origin.

Answered by Alex

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How can I get easy Plane kills in Battlefield 3?

Question

I am now level 10 on battlefield 3, but have yet to get any plane points. I can fly fine, but without the first unlock - Flares. The first time someone locks missiles on to me I'm a deadman flying.

I've machine gunned tanks, planes, but been very unsuccessful, they dont die. I even flew into another plane: It counted as a kill for me! Despite this I am currently on 10/300 to unlocking flares. And flares still only keep me alive longer, allowing me to machine-gun more. It would be nice if I could get some heat seekers myself.

Currently I take off, and someone else will either shoot me down before I leave the runway, or take me out in the air. Sometimes someone will lock on from ground, and down I go. I have no chance of killing something, as it takes too long.

How can I rack up the 6-9 kills I need to unlock flares so that I can live a bit longer?

Asked by Doomsknight

Answer

Unfourtunatley there really is no gaurenteed way to do this. BF3 has been out for some time so there are a lot of players who are rediculous in those jets. There are a few things I could suggest though.

1. Play a map with multiple aircrafts: Any map that has more than one plane, and more preferably multiple helicopters will be a good place to start. Take down a helicopter and you can score some nice points for a double kill (maybe more) and vehicle destruction. Having multiple aircraft in the sky also creates more distraction for everyone involved giving you a decent chance to fly under the radar (literaly).

2. Play with some friends: Having a good squadmate or two can really turn the airfield in your favor. Spotting Jets and Helicopters makes a massive difference early in the game for jet pilots. Until you have the radar on your jet you are basically flying blind, and it is VERY tough to spot those choppers until it is too late. Also teammates can assist getting jets OFF of your tail with a little SOFLAM and Javeline action.

3. Play conservativly: Once you get that jet, don't go losing it. Once you die in the jet the chances of you getting it back in that same game are slim to none (depending on the fullness of the game and the number of jet hogs there are) Don't fly near the enemy AA weaponry and try to stay low to avoid locks (since you can't do anything once you're locked)

4. Don't rule out ground units: If your team is spotting, look for the humvees and DPV's. In a jet these are cake to take out and can sometimes provide 2+ kills and vehicle destroy.

All in all getting past those flares is the hardest part, it only gets easier from there. Score yourself a few good helicopter kills and you could be looking at the unlock in one or two sweeps.

Answered by Emerica.

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How do I install Battlefield 3 on Origin without Downloading it?

Question

It might sound weird.

I have the main Data files in a folder cas_06.cas etc etc.

(I have all the files. The Data ones are the biggest (GBs) And would save the most time)

I have tried placing them where they are to be downloaded to. But it doesnt seem to want to use/update these files.

Is there anyway to verify cache as you could in steam, for it to check current contents and what else is needed?

Or any otherway for it to accept these files on my PC without re-downloading them. Thanks

Asked by Doomsknight

Answer

Due to traffic restrictions at my dorm I had to install my Battlefield 3 like this:

• Install Origin & Download Battlefield 3 at a friends home to my netbook
• copy the entire folder for battlefield 3 from there to my own origin installation at my home pc
• Start Origin and start the installation of Battlefield 3

Origin then looked if it already had the files in its Folder and skipped the download for every file. So it looked like it was downloading but it wasn't (it only checked the files).

After a minute or so, the game was installed properly and I could play normally.

Answered by Aron_dc

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Why is SWTOR not downloading through EA's Origin service?

Question

So, I'm about to download SWTOR as written here http://www.swtor.com/early-access.

But it seems like I have to download the client by itself, not via the Origin program by EA, even if the game shows up in Origin.

Will the download be for the Origin service (linking it to Origin at the end) or does it have nothing to do with the service?

In short, will I have to redownload it after the Early Access (Dec. 20th) even if I download it now?

Answer

While SWTOR does require an Origin/EA account, it uses its own launcher (which is its downloader/patcher).

The Early Access client is the same downloader and game client that the final game will use. This is kind of the point of Early Access, to have a copy of the final game before its official launch. However, be aware that they will be taking the servers down for maintenance on the 19th/20th, prior to the game's official launch.

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Mass Effect 3 will be on Origin, how will this affect me with my two other Mass Effect games being on Steam?

Question

As you know EA had a fall out with Steam earlier this year (2011). This meant that any newly released games by EA would only be available through Origin and not any other source.

This is troubling for me as I do not know how it will affect me in keeping my character consistency throughout all the games (as you maintain your character stats, features) all through the Mass Effect series.

Do you think Mass Effect 3 will be able to detect my previous games even though they are located in the Steam folder?

Thanks

Answer

As Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2 saves your games in a non-Steam-specific location ([My Documents]/Bioware/Mass Effect and [My Documents]/Bioware/Mass Effect 2) Mass Effect 3 should not have any problem finding your previous save games.

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Battlefield 3 PC black screen with sounds

Question

Since the last patch of Battlefield 3 I can't play it anymore because the screen is black, but I can hear sounds in the background. I tried to repair the installation from Origin, but it doesn't resolve the problem. I think the issue is related to the fact that I have a Russian version of the game patched with the english language, but I don't know how to fix the problem. I have a notebook: 1st generation Core i7, 4GB RAM, GeForce 420M (last driver).

Answer

You should update your language pack (tiny 2 MB):

• How to Change Language Battlefield 3 Language Changer tool Origin - CJS CD Keys

Unfortunately, you will have to do this after every BF3 patch, so don't forget to bookmark this page (they are the main source). Hopefully, DICE won't update BF3 too often.

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How do you make a backup of save games and patches?

Question

I'm getting a new motherboard which means I have to reinstall my OS, how would I do that but not have to remove my games? Is there anyway I can back up the games?

Specifically, I don't want to lose my save progress in Skyrim or have to download all of the Battlefield patches again.

Answer

The location of the save data was answered here. Back that up to an external device and your save data should be good.

Skyrim puts its saves in the following directory in Windows Vista & Windows 7:

C:\Users\[UserName]\Documents\My Games\Skyrim\Saves

Skyrim puts saves in the following directory in Windows XP:

C:\Documents and Settings[UserName]\My Documents\My Games\Skyrim\Saves

The BF3 installation data should be done in the same manner. The EA forums have a post regarding this.

• Navigate to your origin games directory.
• Copy the battefield 3 folder to your backup location.
• Install Origin on the new PC.
• Copy the backup back into your Origin games folder.
• Open Notepad and copy paste the bellow text.
• Edit the correct path to the Origin Games folder, eg C:\Program Files\Origin Games\ (Remember to double backslash "\" instead of "\" for the path, in both "GDFBinary" and "Install Dir" fields.
• Save the notepad doc as bf3.reg, select "All Files" under the drop menu "Save as type".
• Run the registry file and add to registry.
• Open Origin, it will say preparing for a while until the process completes checking the files.
• Play game.

Here is the text which works for my setup, my orgin games folder is under C:\Games\Orgin Games. Edit appropriately for your setup. Enjoy.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\EA GAMES\Battlefield 3] "GDFBinary"="C:\games\Origin Games\Battlefield 3\GDFBinary_en_US.dll" "GameExplorer"="{A62587A8-42EC-4F3B-A42D-206690BAE079}" "DisplayName"="Battlefield 3™" "Locale"="en_US" "Product GUID"="{76285C16-411A-488A-BCE3-C83CB933D8CF}" "Install Dir"="C:\games\Origin Games\Battlefield 3\"

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Why is the early access version of SWTOR not downloading through EA's Origin service?

Question

So, I'm about to download SWTOR as written here http://www.swtor.com/early-access.

But it seems like I have to download the client by itself, not via the Origin program by EA, even if the game shows up in Origin.

Will the download be for the Origin service (linking it to Origin at the end) or does it have nothing to do with the service?

In short, will I have to redownload it after the Early Access (Dec. 20th) even if I download it now?

Answer

While SWTOR does require an Origin/EA account, it uses its own launcher (which is its downloader/patcher).

The Early Access client is the same downloader and game client that the final game will use. This is kind of the point of Early Access, to have a copy of the final game before its official launch. However, be aware that they will be taking the servers down for maintenance on the 19th/20th, prior to the game's official launch.

Check more discussion of this question.

SWTOR and EA's Origin

Question

So, I'm about to download SWTOR as written here http://www.swtor.com/early-access

But it seems like I have to download the client by itself, not via the Origin program by EA (Even if the game shows up in Origin.)

Will it download it for the Origin (linking it to origin at the end) or does it have nothing to do with the service?

In short, will I have to redownload it after the Early Access (Dec. 20th) even if download it now?

Answer

While SWTOR does require an Origin/EA account, it uses its own launcher (which is its downloader/patcher).

The Early Access client is the same downloader and game client that the final game will use. This is kind of the point of Early Access, to have a copy of the final game before its official launch. However, be aware that they will be taking the servers down for maintenance on the 19th/20th, prior to the game's official launch.

Check more discussion of this question.