I am still missing in-game DLC, can't download some of my games (as in never), and am encountering other significant issues in EA app.
I've done the usual troubleshooting (clearing EA app's cache, adding firewall exceptions, running EA app as an administrator, reinstalling EA app, etc). Anything listed below is still an ongoing issue as of the last time I checked. I have installed all my games via both Origin and EA app. I used WinMerge (a free data comparison tool) to assist in comparing installations between Origin and EA app. If there is any more information EA needs, please do not hesitate to contact me. I am more than willing to follow up in order to get these EA app issues resolved. Some of these issues may be regional (i.e., it may work for you if you are in a different region than me). My language + region setting is en_US.
Please do not discontinue Origin until all parity issues have been fixed. I am not asking you to hold off until EA app is bug-free or has added features like a wishlist, because any substantial piece of software is likely going to have bugs and evolving features, but please do not discontinue Origin until EA app has reached parity with Origin in terms of delivering purchased content. I need to be able to access my purchased content.
This is a work in progress. I'm currently going back through to see if there is a difference between installing those games on a system drive versus another internal drive (this will not help with the missing DLCs, download failures, or wrong edition issues however).
Mass Effect 3 Digital Deluxe Edition (doesn't download)
Update as of January 4, 2023: Attempting to download Mass Effect 3 Digital Deluxe Edition still results in an error message. I have never been able to install Mass Effect 3 Digital Deluxe Edition via EA app. Mass Effect 3 Digital Deluxe Edition installs as expected via Origin.
Since I began testing EA app over two months ago, I have not been able to download Mass Effect 3 Digital Deluxe Edition via EA app. I purchased Mass Effect 3 Digital Deluxe Edition on Origin.com. When I try testing it in EA App, the download fails immediately, and the error message I get is "There's a problem with your download. Something went wrong during your download. Give us a few minutes, then try again." Since Mass Effect 3 Digital Deluxe Edition won't install via EA app, I also can't test the all DLCs I bought on Origin.com to see if everything is copacetic with them on EA app.
Mirror's Edge (doesn't download)
Update as of January 4, 2023: Attempting to download Mirror's Edge still results in an error message. I have never been able to install Mirror's Edge via EA app. Mirror's Edge installs as expected via Origin.
Since I began testing EA app over two months ago, I have not been able to download Mirror's Edge via EA app. Mirror's Edge was redeemed to my EA account from Steam years ago. When I try testing it in EA App, it fails immediately, and the error message I get was "There's a problem with your download. Something went wrong during your download. Give us a few minutes, then try again." Since Mirror's Edge won't install via EA app, I also can't test Mirror's Edge Pure Time Trials Map Pack (which I purchased on Origin.com) to see if it works OK on EA app.
Mass Effect 2 Digital Deluxe Edition (missing DLC and installation error message)
Update as of January 4, 2023: The Genesis DLC is still missing, and the Inferno Armor still reports a failure message during installation.
Mass Effect 2 Digital Deluxe Edition was purchased from Origin.com. Mass Effect 2 Genesis DLC was also purchased from Origin.com.
The Mass Effect 2 Genesis Interactive Backstory DLC (DLC_DHME1) is not being installed by EA app (it should be located in "Mass Effect 2\BioGame\DLC", in the "DLC_DHME1" subdirectory thereof). The Genesis Interactive Backstory is not a digital art book, it is an in-game DLC used for making various Mass Effect 1 backstory choices (e.g., romance or not, spare or kill Rachni queen, spare or kill Wrex, save Kaiden or Ashley, save or sacrifice the Citadel Council) in Mass Effect 2 if you don't have Mass Effect 1 saves available with the backstory choices you want to use with Mass Effect 2. Genesis is very handy is you want to replay Mass Effect 2 with alternate backstory choices from Mass Effect 1 without also having to replay Mass Effect 1.
The Genesis Interactive Backstory DLC is not missing when I install Mass Effect 2 via Origin. Also, if I install Mass Effect 2 via Origin, but launch the game via EA app, the Genesis DLC works as expected in-game. The issue is that EA app doesn't download this DLC in the first place.
Origin:
EA app:
Also, Inferno Armor DLC (DLC_PRE_General) reports to have failed installation in EA App every time I install Mass Effect 2 via EA app (this has been going on since I started testing EA app over two months ago). "The installation failed. The final stages of installation didn't go as planned. Please try again."
Sometimes when I click the retry button, the issue seemingly resolves itself, sometimes it doesn't and I have to select cancel instead (the repair option also triggers this failure message for the Inferno Armor). Regardless, when I check the DLC files in Windows File Explorer, the files for the Inferno Armor are present (I do not know if it they are correctly registered in-game when the retry download option doesn't work), and clicking Manage add-ons in EA app shows the Inferno Armor as installed.
Origin does not have this issue.
Dragon Age: Origins Digital Deluxe Edition / Dragon Age: Origins Ultimate Edition (missing DLC)
Update as of January 4, 2023: The Collector's Edition Bonus Items are still missing.
I purchased both Dragon Age: Origins Digital Deluxe Edition (see Wayback Machine link for product description) and Dragon Age: Origins Ultimate Edition on Origin.com years ago (at the time of my purchase, only the Digital Deluxe Edition had the Collector's Edition Bonus Items DLC, but the Ultimate Edition was the most economical means of buying the remaining DLCs, so I bought both editions; I believe EA added the Collector's Edition Bonus Items to the Ultimate Edition package on Origin some time thereafter).
When I install Dragon Age: Origins via EA app, the Collector's Edition Bonus Items (Grimoire of the Frozen Wastes, Bergen's Honor helmet, Final Reason staff) are missing (they should be located in "Dragon Age\addins", in the "dao_prc_promo_c2" subdirectory thereof). I also redeemed the Dragon Age: Origins DLC Bundle on EA app, which advertises that it includes the Collector's Edition bonus content, but the Collector's Edition Bonus Items still do not install for me in EA app. When I check Dragon Age Keep for rewards for Dragon Age: Origins (https://dragonagekeep.com/en_US/career/#product/dao), Collector's Edition shows as owned, although this is kind of irrelevant since Dragon Age: Origins no longer connects to BioWare's game server. I have checked both %ProgramFiles%\EA Games\Dragon Age\addins\ and %UserProfile%\Documents\BioWare\Dragon Age\AddIns, as well as verifying in-game that the content is missing after installing via EA app.
Instead of being able to download and install the content via EA app, I'm having to use a web browser to download the Collector's Edition Bonus Items DAZIP archive (DAO_PRC_PROMO_C2_1.0.dazip) from BioWare's file server and manually install it using daupdater.exe in order to obtain the Collector's Edition Bonus Items. This issue may be related to the Dragon Age: Origins game server shutdown and not EA app specifically, but if so, can EA add the the Collector's Edition Bonus Items DLC to either the Dragon Age: Origins Ultimate Edition package or the Dragon Age: Origins DLC Bundle (as already advertised) package on EA app so that EA app can install the Collector's Edition Bonus Items? For comparison, Dragon Age: Origins Ultimate Edition on GOG.com installs the Collector's Edition Bonus Items.
Origin:
Dragon Age Keep:
EA app:
Nox (won't launch)
Update as of January 5, 2023: Nox still won't launch via EA app.
Nox fails to launch via EA app. I received this game as part of EA's On the House promotion. This game launches correctly via Origin. The EA app error message states, "Your game failed to launch. An error on our end caused your launch to fail. Try again a little later."
Crysis Warhead (faulty installation path via EA app)
Update as of January 4, 2023: Crysis Warhead still default installs to "%ProgramFiles%\EA Games\" via EA app instead of "%ProgramFiles%\EA Games\Crysis Warhead" (hence uninstalling Crysis Warhead, if it is installed to its current EA app default location, will also uninstall any other games you have installed in the EA Games directory).
I purchased the Crysis Trilogy on Origin.com, which includes Crysis Warhead. Crysis Warhead's default installation path via EA app is currently "%ProgramFiles%\EA Games\" (i.e., it dumps the game's subdirectories like Bin32, Bin64, data, etc. into the EA Games directory rather than a dedicated "Crysis Warhead" subdirectory). Besides this being messy from a filesystem hierarchy perspective, the impact is that when you uninstall Crysis Warhead, the entirety of the "EA Games" directory is treated as Crysis Warhead's installation directory, so the entirety of "EA Games" (including any other games installed in the EA Games directory) is removed.
The default installation path for Crysis Warhead should be changed to "%ProgramFiles%\EA Games\Crysis Warhead". For comparison, the default installation path via Origin for Crysis Warhead is "%ProgramFiles(x86)\Origin Games\Crysis Warhead", thus Origin avoids this issue.
In the example screenshot linked below, I have installed Crysis Warhead, Jade Empire, Lands of Lore: The Throne of Chaos, and SimCity 2000 via EA app (using their default installation locations). If I uninstall Crysis Warhead, then Lands of Lore: The Throne of Chaos, Jade Empire, and SimCity 2000 will also be removed, because Crysis Warhead treats "%ProgramFiles%\EA Games\" as its installation directory rather than "%ProgramFiles%\EA Games\Crysis Warhead". A temporary workaround is to manually change Crysis Warhead's installation path to "%ProgramFiles%\EA Games\Crysis Warhead" at installation, but this should be the default behavior instead (as it is on Origin).
The default directory structure for Crysis Warhead on EA app should look like this:
EA Games
|-------Crysis Warhead
|-------------__Installer
|-------------Bin32
|-------------Bin64
|-------------data
|-------------Game
|-------------Support
|-------------toolswhereas instead the current directory structure is this (it erroniously lacks a Crysis Warhead game directory):
EA Games
|-------__Installer
|-------Bin32
|-------Bin64
|-------data
|-------Game
|-------Support
|-------tools
Medal of Honor (2010) Limited Edition (default installation location doesn't respect EA app settings)
Update as of January 4, 2023: All the major issues with Medal of Honor (2010) Limited Edition appear to have been ironed out. There is a minor inconvenience remaining. When downloading Medal of Honor, the default install location is given as "C:\Program Files (x86)\EA Games\Medal of Honor" irrespective of the install location I have specified in EA app's settings. E.g., if I have set EA app to install games to D:\Program Files\EA Games, the default install location for Medal of Honor (2010) still remains "C:\Program Files (x86)\EA Games\Medal of Honor", and has to be manually overridden to D:\Program Files\EA Games\Medal of Honor. Ideally the game's default install location should respect whatever install location is set in EA app's settings.
Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom (crashes immediately)
Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom as installed by EA app crashed immediately. I purchased this game on Origin.com. When the game crashes, the error states, "VirtualProtect() failed." Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom is already patched, but it is either improperly patched or not fully patched. In order to fix this, I had to replace the wc4dvd.exe provided by EA app with a version I had patched myself, as well as replace the dxmci.dll provided by EA app with a version I had configured to fix some video issues (I needed to specify the VOB directory, select VMR9 in order to change videos from being rendered in black and white to being rendered in color on Nvidia hardware, and select Mpeg2Dec). After replacing these files, the game worked. Most users would not know to do this. The patch files can be found at http://www.si-gamer.net/gulikoza/dxmci.html.
Update: Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom crashes regardless of whether I install it to an SSD other than my system drive or if I install it my system drive. Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom works fine via Origin, both when installed on an SSD other than my system drive and when installed to my system drive.
Bulletstorm Limited Edition (missing library cover image)
Bulletstorm Limited Edition was redeemed to my EA account from DVD (purchased new, GameStop). Bulletstorm Limited Edition is missing a library cover image in EA app (currently it's a blank square with a broken image icon). I purchased both Bulletstorm Limited Edition and Bulletstorm Lite separately (I was not gifted Bulletstorm Lite), so please do not remove Bulletstorm Limited Edition from my account. It just needs cover art.
Also, I have a temporary back-up Origin installation of Bulletstorm Limited Edition from late May. I won't swear to it that I didn't apply any patches to that back-up (due to Games for Windows – Live needing to be updated), but I don't remember having applied any patches to it already (but it's entirely possible that I did apply the patches before creating the back-up; I don't think I would have, but I can't remember). As of today, when I install Bulletstorm Limited Edition via Origin or EA app, the current Origin/EA app version reports (in the build.properties file):
timestampForBVT=2011-01-18_01.36.00
changelistBuiltFrom=139174
engineVersion=7094
whereas the Origin version I have backed up from May reports (in the build.properties file):
timestampForBVT=2011-05-26_13.46.45
changelistBuiltFrom=152815
engineVersion=7147
Battlefield 3, Battlefield Hardline, Medal of Honor: Warfighter (PunkBuster multiplayer anti-cheat software is not automatically installed)
Battlefield 3 Premium Edition, Battlefield Hardline Ultimate Edition, and Medal of Honor: Warfighter Digital Deluxe Edition were purchased from Origin.com. I completely removed PunkBuster from my system each time before testing these downloads. I noticed that Battlefield 3, Battlefield Hardline, and Medal of Honor: Warfighter, at least my editions of them, as installed by the EA app don't install PunkBuster. PunkBuster Service Installer (pbsvc.exe) is included in the installer files for Battlefield 3 (%ProgramFiles%\EA Games\Battlefield 3\__Installer\punkbuster\redist\), Battlefield Hardline (%ProgramFiles%\EA Games\BFH\__Installer\punkbuster\redist), and Medal of Honor: Warfigher (%ProgramFiles%\EA Games\Medal of Honor Warfighter\__Installer\punkbuster\redist), but it doesn't autoinstall or otherwise prompt for installation. Battlefield 4 installed via EA app does autoinstall PunkBuster (Battlefield 4 Premium Edition was also purchased from Origin.com). It's simple to install PunkBuster from the installer files or https://www.evenbalance.com/downloads.php, but I don't know if that is something most users would think to do, and therefore I think the default behavior should either be a prompt (like Origin gives) or to autoinstall PunkBuster as is done with Battlefield 4 when installed by EA app. Combing through the InstallLog.txt for Battlefield 3, Battlefield Hardline, and Medal of Honor: Warfighter, all it states is, "Not Installing PunkBuster" (i.e., it didn't fail, it just wasn't triggered as part of the installation).
Whereas the InstallLog.txt for Battlefield 4 documents the following:
Started PunkBuster Install Phase
Launching process:
Command: "C:\Program Files\EA Games\Battlefield 4\__Installer\punkbuster\redist\pbsvc.exe" --install --install-dlls="C:\Program Files\EA Games\Battlefield 4" --i-accept-the-pb-eula --no-prompts --no-display
Working directory: C:\Program Files\EA Games\Battlefield 4\__Installer\punkbuster\redist\
Process exited with exit code 0.
Successfully installed PunkBuster.
Finished PunkBuster Install Phase
There may be other games affected, but those are the three I noticed. I don't know if EA app installs PunkBuster along with Medal of Honor (2010) since Medal of Honor Limited Edition is missing from my EA app library. When Medal of Honor (2010) Limited Edition is added to my EA app library, I will test it.
Battlefield 3 non-standard behavior in EA app
I'm trying to pin down the exact set of circumstances that lead to this behavior, but I think I mostly have this documented. This isn't major, but I notice that when Battlefield 3's Battlelog webpage is launched by EA app, the Battlefield 3 shortcuts (at least for my edition) are temporarily removed from the "Installed" section of My Collection and the "Installed Games" section of the sidebar (the shortcut moves back to the "My games" section of My Collection instead). The Battlefield 3 shortcuts return to the "Installed" section of My Collection and the "Installed Games" section of the sidebar after I launch another game or close and restart EA app.
Also, after exiting Battlefield 3, often EA app will stay minimized in the system tray rather than restoring, and clicking on the EA app icon in the system tray will not restore EA app. I have to exit EA app and restart it in order to access my library again. I used Microsoft Edge to access Battlelog for this test (Windows 10).
Titanfall 2 non-standard behavior in EA app
When I launch Titanffall 2 via EA app, then exit the game, the Titanfall 2 shortcuts (at least for my edition) are temporarily removed from the "Installed" section of My Collection and the "Installed Games" section of the sidebar (the shortcut moves back to the "My games" section of My Collection instead). The Titanfall 2 shortcuts return to the "Installed" section of My Collection and the "Installed Games" section of the sidebar after I launch another game or close and restart EA app.
If you change EA app's game install location (Settings -> Download -> Downloads), certain conditions lead to this returning to the default.
E.g., certain game uninstallers seem to trigger this. I been rushing through my library trying to figure what games and DLC have been adversely impacted by the changeover, so I haven't been focused on trying to pinpoint what causes it, but it has happened several times.
Everything beneath this line is merely a suggestion, not a major issue.
- I use the wishlist feature available in the Origin client and on Origin.com. Please add wishlist functionality to EA app and possibly EA.com/games/library/pc-download.
- EA app currently doesn't give you the option to install it to a different internal storage drive than your system drive. I would like to install it on another internal storage drive, if possible.
- EA app does allow you to change the default location of the "EA Games" directory when installing EA app, however, if you change the location (e.g., to another internal storage drive), EA app doesn't autopopulate the "EA Games" directory path. I.e., the preconfigured default location is C:\Program Files\EA Games; if I want to change the install location to D:\Program Files\EA Games, EA app doesn't automatically append the "EA Games" directory part when I select D:\Program Files, nor am I allowed to type in the path, so I have to manually create a subdirectory on my D drive named "EA Games" first before I can change the install location to the designation of my choosing. Please allow the ability to type in the path, à la Origin.
- I would like to see a few more of the store filters from Origin carried over to EA app (namely Franchise, Publisher, and Developer). These could be part of a single filter drop-down list, rather than creating multiple buttons. Also, when you do a search on EA app, you can see both Games and Add-ons in the results, but if you are just looking at the Browse section (without searching), only games are listed. I would like a way to browse add-ons (whether that is a "Game Type" filter like Origin has, or an Add-ons button next to the "All games" and "Deals & promotions" buttons on the main Browse page).
- While I don't notice any file differences when the Dragon Age: Inquisition is installed via EA app vs Origin (beyond some files changing region from US to UK for some reason, and some added localizations), Origin correctly identifies that I already own the Dragon Age: Inquisition DLC Bundle content and the Dragon Age: Inquisition Deluxe Upgrade content (by virtue of owning Dragon Age: Inquisition - Game of the Year Edition), but EA app does not (EA app lists a price of $29.99 next to the bundle and a price of $9.99 next to the Deluxe Upgrade, instead of noting that "You own this add-on"). EA app also didn't recognize that I already owned the Dragon Age: Origins DLC Bundle content and Dragon Age II DLC Bundle content as well, but since those are free, it was easy for me to remedy. I appreciate that the DLC bundles are separate SKUs, but I wish EA app would recognize when you already own content (e.g., if you buy a GOTY, ultimate, deluxe, etc, edition of a game that contains all the content found in various upgrades, bundles, etc). Crysis 3 is the same way. I own the Digital Deluxe Edition of Crysis 3; I wish EA app would recognize that I already own the content found in the Crysis 3 Digital Deluxe Upgrade (FWIW, Origin failed to identify this one as well).
- Similar to the aforementioned, I would like EA app to warn the customer if they already own some or all of the content in a bundle. For example, if you already own the Aston Martin DB5 Superbuild DLC for Need for Speed Payback, and you start the purchase process for the Need for Speed Payback: Pontiac Firebird & Aston Martin DB5 Superbuild Bundle, Origin will warn you that you already have some of the content in that bundle. Based on my experience with EA app thus far, no similar notifications take place.
- I often prefer browsing game stores via a web browser instead of their individual software clients (ability to open multiple browser tabs, not to mention a stand-alone web browser can sometimes be more responsive than a game client's embedded browser). In this regard, Origin.com only listed games that were still available for purchase or that were otherwise still available via EA Play. However, Origin.com now redirects to EA.com/games/library/pc-download, which includes games which are no longer available for purchase (e.g., Harry Potter games). I happen to like some of the classic EA games (and am still hoping that one day EA will allow me to redeem my DVD copies of The Godfather: The Game and The Sims 2 Double Deluxe to my Origin/EA app library), so at first I was excited to see some of the titles listed (e.g., The Lord of the Rings games, earlier Battlefield games, earlier Need for Speed games, Black & White duology, early NHL games), only to realize upon clicking on the individual game product pages that these games are still very much unavailable for purchase. I'm not sure why some of these unpurchasable games are listed when resources like https://www.mobygames.com/browse/games/electronic-arts-inc/so,1d/list-games/, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Electronic_Arts_games, and https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Company:Electronic_Arts exist, but if EA is going to maintain its current approach of listing historical, now unpurchasable games in addition to purchasable games on EA.com/games/library/pc-download, it would be nice to have a filter which limits the results to games which are still purchasable (i.e., limit the results to something resembling a store).
- I don't have EA app pinned or running at Windows' startup. In Windows, please consider renaming the EA app shortcut "EA app" instead of "EA", as, at least in my experience, it yields more precise search results, at least in Windows 10. I have several programs installed beginning with the letters ea, and searching for EA doesn't result in the EA app being listed as the best match (whether overall, or just for apps). And searching for "EA app" when the shortcut is named "EA" yields nothing. I've manually renamed the shortcut to "EA app", and I think that is a better default than "EA". The "EA" folder which contains the three EA app shortcuts would probably be better off renamed as "EA app" as well.
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