EA’s answer to Steam is called Origin, launches today

Origin is EA’s Steam. It’s their answer to Valve’s popular service. The new digital distribution service will be fully revealed later today.

For now we know that Origin will focus on PC games, but it could later move to mobile devices and others. It will replace the EA Store for PC games distribution. If you visit the EA Store now you’ll find a placeholder for Origin. It goes live later this morning.

Therel be 150 titles at launch for PC. Social networking features are also promised, so expect profile pages, friends lists and messaging. And to start out with a bang and make its mark on the digital distribution map, EA will make Star Wars: The Old Republic MMO an Origin exclusive. Nicely played, sirs.

The grand opening for Origin has been set at 9 a.m. PST. 

What does this mean for Steam? Nothing?