Origin

If you don't care about beautifully displayed game boxes on a shelf, then digital distribution is definitely the way you should go. It is faster, more convenient and you can find all sorts of great deals. The only drawback is that you won't have a good-looking collector's edition box to show off. Though not as popular as Steam, Origin is slowly but surely becoming a reliable service. It gives you the possibility of purchasing games quickly, easily and securely and it lets you organize them neatly in a personal library.

The software is absolutely free and it takes less than a minute to install it and set up a new account. It works on all modern Windows platforms and it doesn't have any special requirements.

The general layout of the user interface is fairly easy to learn. Besides the home page, where you will find news and other information, you can also access the Origin store or specific sections of the store, view the latest deals and access your personal library, through a series of tabs, located on the left side of the window. You can browse through all the games in the store, but you can also look into specific genres or franchises.

A large amount of information is provided for each game, including screenshots, videos, system requirements and more. Buying a game is a straightforward and effortless process. Bought games are automatically installed and added to your library. Also, certain games, including great ones like Mass Effect, can only be found on Origin, which is another reason to use this service. What's more, Origin has a regular give-away, so you can get a free game every few months.

Origin comes with a built-in chat application. If you befriend other Origin users, you will be able to communicate with them through Origin, see what they are currently playing and more. You can also expect to find a few useful in-game overlays, which help you keep in touch with the community.

Great games, good prices and a convenient distribution system is exactly what you can expect from Origin.