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How do the Store worlds on Origin actually work?
waterywatermelon
Posts: 473 Member
I mean, I have already purchased Monte Vista, Dragon Valley and Roaring Heights on Origin. This has the weirdest installation method.
Basically, I purchased the product. EA would automatically send me a receipt with the redeemable code. Then, I had to use the code on the official website to redeem. Then, it would be available for download as a Sims3Pack file.
Why EA just didn't put on Origin for a direct download and installation, I have no idea.
Instead, they released the worlds in Sims3Pack form like the other items on the Sims 3 Store.
Now, this brings up a question.
If you buy an expansion pack on disc, then you can just install from the disc and play from there.
If you buy the Worlds in physical form, then will there be a disc or is it just an empty box with the game code that you redeem and download from the Sims3Store?
What happens if you get the game code but instead of registering yourself, you send the code to another person and allow the other person to redeem the product? Will the product appear on that person's Purchased History? If you do redeem it yourself and get the item on your Purchased History and then download the Sims3Pack file, can you send the Sims3Pack file to another person? Of course, one can always click on the "gift" button in Origin and gift the item to the person directly through Origin.
Basically, I purchased the product. EA would automatically send me a receipt with the redeemable code. Then, I had to use the code on the official website to redeem. Then, it would be available for download as a Sims3Pack file.
Why EA just didn't put on Origin for a direct download and installation, I have no idea.
Instead, they released the worlds in Sims3Pack form like the other items on the Sims 3 Store.
Now, this brings up a question.
If you buy an expansion pack on disc, then you can just install from the disc and play from there.
If you buy the Worlds in physical form, then will there be a disc or is it just an empty box with the game code that you redeem and download from the Sims3Store?
What happens if you get the game code but instead of registering yourself, you send the code to another person and allow the other person to redeem the product? Will the product appear on that person's Purchased History? If you do redeem it yourself and get the item on your Purchased History and then download the Sims3Pack file, can you send the Sims3Pack file to another person? Of course, one can always click on the "gift" button in Origin and gift the item to the person directly through Origin.
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If you buy a physical copy of a store world, you'll get a box that has a code in it and may or may not also have a disc. But even with a disc, you'd still need to register the world on the store site before installing it; I don't think there's a way to make the world install properly without that.
If you buy a world through Origin, you can definitely send the product code to someone else. It should appear in their store purchase history after they register it.
Store content is encrypted and can't be used by anyone other than the person whose account downloaded it. If the product code for the current installation doesn't match the product code of the account, the content won't work.
What do you mean by this?
Even if you purchase your worlds through discs, the box cover will literally say that the product requires Origin, as that is the case of all Origin games. You can install the expansion pack directly from disc or register the code in Origin. If you register the code in Origin, then you will be able to download and install the digital copy.
I'm not sure what you mean by "people who don't play through Origin". To my knowledge, once you close The Sims 3 game, you will see the Origin window. Apparently, you must also have Internet access, because the computer will first load Origin, then your game. If you drop the Internet connection, then you will be directed to a page on the Origin window, saying that you are not connected. The Sims 2 was made way before Origin arrived, so it was a straightforward insert-the-disc-in-and-play.
Sims 3 also predates Origin by two full years.
Not that it matters, but Origin can and should run fine with no internet connection. It's supposed to default to offline mode, and while it won't load your game library, an installed game can still be launched from its .exe or desktop shortcut.
The Sims 3 Store doesn't require Origin either, just an EA/Origin account to use for buying and downloading content.
Eh? How is that relevant to the following?
But, you still have to purchase the worlds through Origin, because you can't find these worlds in brick-and-mortar stores anymore; and you also can't find them on Steam. You have to use Origin to purchase the worlds, get the game code in the e-mail, redeem the game code on the official website and download from your Purchased History. Then, after you click on the Download button, the Sims 3 Game Launcher will load up, downloading the content to your computer.
Oh, okay.
Nope, I tried it. It didn't work.
I just disconnected my Internet connection and clicked on the .exe file. Origin fired up, requiring me to log in my credentials. I re-connected to the Internet and clicked on the Sims 3 .exe again. This time, it automatically made an Origin connection before opening up the Sims 3 Game Launcher. When I closed the Game Launcher, Origin popped up, allowing me to see the Game Library. Then, I disconnected again and clicked on the .exe file again. The Sims 3 Game Launcher popped up, completely bypassing Origin. However, The Sims 3 Game Launcher welcome page would explicitly say that I was playing Offline. When I closed the Launcher once again, Origin popped up, and none of the ads showed up because I was offline. However, I could click on my Game Library and view/access all of my Origin games from there.
I tend to completely shut down my computer every night, allowing the entire system to rest. This forces Origin to stop running in the background.
But apparently, I do need Origin running in the background while I'm playing The Sims 3. Hmmm... I suspect that it's because I registered all my owned games through Origin and downloaded/installed through Origin, including the base game.
I actually do own the Sims 3 and some expansion packs on disc, and as far as I can tell, only the Pets and Seasons EPs are installed through disc. I actually registered those EPs late and received the registration rewards late as well.
Uh... I don't think it uses Origin at all. Downloading something will automatically load up The Sims 3 Game Launcher. Not Origin.
It sounded like you didn't understand how Sims 3 installs that don't involve Origin work. Perhaps I misread that, but for "people who don't play through Origin," there is no need to sign into Origin, no Origin window popping up when the game closes, and no requirement for an internet connection. If you do install through Origin, then yes, you'll need Origin running in the background while you play.
I've always been able to launch Origin games without a connection, by the way. Yes, if I double-click on a game .exe, the Origin sign in window shows up, but once I input my credentials, the game launches fine. I've seen a few reports of this not working, but it seems to be the exception rather than the rule.
Not that it's relevant, but it sounds like Origin was running in the background when you disconnected from the internet the second time. If you click the X in the upper right corner of the Origin window, it doesn't stop running; you'd need to choose Exit from the dropdown menu to quit it entirely.
Store worlds do need to be purchased through Origin now, at least the ones that can't be acquired through points, but it's entirely possible to go through the website alone and never even install the app.