Xbox Live and EA Origin Account Creation and Interaction
I'm writing this post to open a dialog in the community (requesting feedback and suggestions) on how Xbox Live and EA Origin Online interact via the Xbox console. At this time, Xbox gives extraordinarily limited, incomplete and/or erroneous "In-App Feedback" to the Xbox user when attempting to create identity and account interaction between Xbox and EA Origin Online. The community's story on this topic (screenshots, hours of phone calls or chat to EA support, your online research) as well as your suggestions are appreciated.
EA develops highly popular games for Xbox ( Battlefield 4, Battlefield 3, Need for Speed, FIFA Soccer, etc...). Typically when a family buys an Xbox game, they put a disc in the console, attempt to use online features if they choose and (in most cases) "auto-magically connect". In most cases, ease of use is fundamental to experiences on Xbox.
For EA Origin Online games however, it's not quite that happy tale. From a technical standpoint, the details of this are compounded by the following variables.
1. If an EA Origin account already exists or does not exist for "any" user on the console
2. If the user is an adult or child (in the Xbox Live realm)
3. If the user is an adult or child (in the EA Origin realm - once created)
4. If the user is a "child" under 13 years of age OR 13+ years of age (in the EA Origin realm)
5. If there are any age discrepancies "differences" in the data on record one side vs the other (Xbox vs. EA Origin Online)
6. If the email addresses between both accounts (Xbox and EA Origin) "match"
7. If the email addresses have been linked (required if email addresses are different between Xbox and EA)
8. If the email address on the EA side is in the form of GUID (Globally Unique Identifier) per the following format ***************@anonymous.ea.com (due to the fact child users under the Age of 13 cannot register an email address with EA Origin Online and
the Origin Client (PC/MAC App) registration process auto-created an email for the child)
9. If when creating EA accounts, the parent account at EA was created first or the child account was
10. If the child account at EA was referred to the parent account during the account creation process
11. etc...
Being a parent trying to help a child connect, I've become aware of the following two principals:
1.) IN-APP FEEDBACK IS NOT ERROR CODE AWARE FOR EA GAMES ATTEMPTING TO CONNECT/SYNC (Xbox Live to EA) IN A MANNER MEANINGFUL TO THE USER
2.) XBOX GIVES NO ACTIONABLE OR COMPREHENSIBLE FEEDBACK APPLICABLE TO IDENTITY CIRCUMSTANCES THAT EXIST BETWEEN THE CONSOLE AND EA ONLINE
If you've experienced getting online with EA through Xbox intially (meaning for the first time), you'll know the Xbox Live In-App Feedback is completely missing meaningful or actionable "information" relating to those processes. You'll also know the In-App Feedback Microsoft did write gives identical responses for every type of failure to connect with EA no matter what the basis for the failure.
In reality each variable has different requirements for resolution and there are differing sets of Xbox Live and EA Origin Online interactions relating to identity, age restrictions, whether EA Origin accounts exist or do not exist, whether those identities are parent or child accounts (if they do exist), whether the age of a child account is restricted (by EA or Xbox) based on the content of the game, and so on. None of this "stuff" is documented with In-App Feedback "on the Xbox side" for the user.
AN EXAMPLE: Battlefield 4 attempts to connect from Xbox console to EA Origin online under the indentity of a child registered with EA (who is under the age of 13 on the EA side), Battlefield will stall at the loading screen on the Xbox console and cycle it's loading progress bar indefinitely. If user identity (and therefore authorization) are switched on the Xbox side to another user (registered Adult at EA for instance), and Battlefield launched, it loads instantly. In the first case, the user is never made aware why the app is failing ("because of identity"). The user experiences a game that "won't load" when in fact it's a user identity issue with Xbox Live asking EA: is it ok to the load the game for this user? EA never responds with authorization because their EULA forbids users under the age of 13 from using EA Online. The user is authenticated but not authorized. And now to the "point": in no way is the user (or parent) ever made aware why their game doesn't load???
ANOTHER EXAMPLE: is initially connecting Xbox Live to EA Origin. The best Xbox Live has to offer currently from it's side (until a user does a considerable amount of work at EA) is either "nothing" literaly (meaning no error messages whatsoever) or "cannot conect at this time"...
It is my hope to request, that at the very least, Xbox Live should provide meaningful starting points for users to seek resolutions to their connection issues. That "meaningful" be based on error codes shared by both sides and that the array of reasons for why an interaction may fail (Battlefield 4 being just one example) be presented "in console".
FOR THE COMMUNITY
Please help Xbox and EA Origin to know your experience. Please describe, document and explain the reality and maybe we can get some "feedback" into the feedback.xbox.com arena and get a win for the user base.
FOR THE PROFESSIONALS
Xbox Live and EA Origin, please sit down and run these processes given at least the variables listed above and consider that "most" of your users may not have a clue as how to complete the initial logon process I wil outline below as another example. Please recognize that many users are children and many adults rely on their XBOX CONSOLE (as home base).... to give a lot more in-app feedback then it currently does relating to EA Origin.
Thank you
= = = = =
An example of the complexity of creating an EA Online account for a Child to play an EA game via Xbox Live
= = = = =
How do I set up an Origin Account for my child
https://help.ea.com/en/article/how-do-i-set-up-an-origin-account-for-my-child/
Per the EA End User License Agreement, EA Online requires an age of 13+ to access online content
http://www.ea.com/1/product-eulas
1.) Create your own account first (Parent Account) via the web interface at Origin.com.
NOTE: You must do this via a WEB BROWSER "first" before attempting to setup the child's account
NOTE: All steps must be completed for both THE PARENT and the CHILD accounts before making any attempt to connect from the Xbox console for the first time for any game with EA Online functionality.
You will need the following for your account:
Name
Email
Date of Birth
Password
A "gamertag" you will use at Origin
2.) Create your child's acount (this must be done using the downloadable Origin Client (PC of Mac)
Download Origin Client
https://www.origin.com/en-us/download
You will need the following for your child's account
Name
Date of Birth
Password
A "gamertag" you will use at Origin (for your child's account)
NOTE: If the child account Date of Birth is for a child less than 13 years of age, an Email Address CANNOT be added. Instead, EA auto-creates an email address for the child based on a GUID (Globally Unique Identifier) per the following format
email address to set to ***************@anonymous.ea.com
This email address will need to be updated once your child turns 13 years of age so that the child can access content online via XBoxLive
FROM THE ORIGIN CLIENT
1.On the login window, click Create an account.
2.When prompted for the Date of Birth and Country, enter your child's date of birth.
3.Choose an Origin ID and password that both you and your child will remember.
4.Enter the email address from YOUR OWN Origin Account in the PARENT'S email field.
Linking your Gamertag to your Origin Account
NOTE: !! NONE of this functionality is available for your child's login in the installed Origin Client (PC or MAC) until the Child Account "date of birth" reages 13+ years of age. EA block this functionality from appearing in the Origin Client (until the
age requirement is met). HOWEVER, you can see the functionality in your own login for the Origin Client (PC or MAC) as the parent meets the age restriction.
NOTE: !! This is something EA does not inform the their customers of (you the user) at any time in any resource.
http://help.ea.com/en/article/linking-your-gamertag-psn-id-or-ea-classic-screen-name/
http://answers.ea.com/t5/Battlefield-3/I-d-like-to-link-my-PSN-account-to-my-new-origin-account/m-p/1219252#M84965
In order to link a gamertag or PSN ID to your Origin account
1. Log in to your Origin account
2. Click Friends -> Add a friend in the menu bar (NOT AVAILABLE UNTIL 13 YEARS OF AGE)
3. The pop-up will give you the option to connect to Facebook, XBOX Live or Playstation Network. Choose your preferred option
4. Fill in your log-in details and follow the steps on screen
If any connection or logon issue persists for more than 24 hours, contact EA support.
If everything went fine, then you should be able to see your Xbox or PSN account listed under Connected Accounts in your account management page (click Account and Privacy in the menu bar).
