Originally Posted by Uncle Peter

Plus Steam doesn't quite work in the same way. With most titles, once you have activated the game you are free to play it offline without requirement to authenticate on a regular basis. Not sure about Origin. Anyway you aren't just locked down to one digital distribution medium on the PC, there are alternatives and as a result there is competitive pricing if you look hard enough.

Ultimately, Microsoft are driving their strategy down from the boardroom and trying to foist their vision on the gaming community which is never going to be well received.