EA moves to trump Steam Free Weekends with Origin Game Time

Electronic Arts added a new feature to its Origin digital distribution client today: Game Time, a free game trial program that lets you download the full version of a featured game and play it as much as you like for 48 hours. Game Time seems like a clear attempt to one-up Steam's "Free Weekend" program, which regularly allows Steam users to download a featured game and play it as much as they like within a strict timeframe. Origin's new system is a bit different -- the 48-hour real-time window doesn't open until participants launch the game for the first time, affording users a bit more freedom in how they use the service. Titanfall is the inaugural Game Time offering, though it's not the only game EA is giving away through Origin -- the company has been sporadically releasing its older games (Dead Space, Peggle) for free via the On The House program, presumably in an effort to entice people into signing up for Origin accounts.