Regardless of how you how you choose to purchase Battlefield 3, it looks like registration to EA's Origin service will be required. The news comes via DICE community manager Daniel Matros, who confirmed a lone gamer's suspicion via Twitter. In other words, all retail and digital copies, regardless of whether they were purchased via Origin or another digital distributor, players must have an origin membership.

It's not too surprising, given EA's recent trends. The company doesn't host its games on Xbox Live or PSN servers, instead requiring players to register for a separate EA account. The company also recently revealed that Battlefield 3 will not be offered via Steam, though it claims this is due to "restrictive terms" on Valve's part.