The game is not for sale on Steam, so people in the Steam forums have been debating about whether to get the game elsewhere, given the knowledge that they'd have to install EA's Origin platform if they did so. The debate isn't just about adopting other platforms, but about whether some games are worth doing it for. I wrote this opinion on there just now and thought I'd post it here too.
If this game ever went on sale on Steam (like 75 or 80 percent), I would probably buy it again just to get access to Steam achievements.
I bought the collection on GamersGate last night for $7.49 (75%). I downloaded it from GamersGate, but the installation process involved the installation of Origin and registration of the game through that service. Since I already have an Origin store account (for Ultima Online purchases), I was able to use that account to sign in to the Origin client. I didn't like having to sign up for EA's gaming platform on account of EA's always-on DRM, and I think EA's always-on hangup attributed to the game's financial failure in the market. (A game can be one of the best games ever made and still be a financial failure if it doesn't make back the investment that went into it, which in this case was enormous.)
Be that as it may, signing in for the first time and installing the game through Origin was easy. My level of tolerance for always-on DRM varies. I shun UPlay because it is nothing but a bag of problems, but I was willing to put up with Games for Windows Live for the sake of Dawn of War 2 (when I discovered GFWL doesn't hate newer PCs).
I started Kingdoms of Amalur and played for about two or three hours, through the first area of the game, and experienced no crashes or other problems; But bear in mind, my PC is built with all-new hardware that exceeds the game's recommended specs by far. The game ran smooth as glass. Playing through the Origin service was easy and painless last night, and as long as that continues to be the case, I'll put up with it if the game is worth it. If it lets me down, you'll hear about it here. (I'm aware that it HAS let some of you down already.)
The Origin client itself has a smaller memory footprint than Steam. It has three major components: the storefront, my library, and my friend list. The friend list allows you to add friends from across different networks, like XBox Live, Facebook, Playstation Network, and Origin itself. Origin also has its own cloud like Steam does, for saving and playing games across multiple PCs. And you can buy and install DLC from within games, which is handy if you want the $5 weapons and armor booster that isn't included in the GamersGate purchase.
All in all, I don't regret my purchase and if I had known the game was as fun as it is, I would have bought it at full price. The story in Kingdoms of Amalur is exciting from the start, and gameplay is similar to newer online RPGs like Neverwinter, but better in my opinion, because combat is more interesting and you start out with a base proficiency in all class skills, similar to older RPGs like Ultima Online. Kingdoms of Amalur also features stealth combat similar to newer games like Amazing Spider-Man and the Batman Arkham games. And because of your base proficiency, even if you decide not to specialize in that direction and become a master rogue or thief, you'll always be able to sneak up on the occasional guard when the situation calls for it.