According to the latest gossip, Electronic Arts is "aggressively" pursuing exclusive digital distribution rights on Nintendo's Wii U by having it use Origin. The idea would be that EA can force Origin onto a wider base of consumers while Nintendo could improve its standing in the West.

Valve is allegedly interested in bringing Steam to the system, but EA wants Origin to exclusively handle the digital distribution so it gets a "competitive edge" over the rival platform.

This new rumor is far from confirmed, but I certainly wouldn't be surprised if it turned out to be true. There's no doubt that EA wants Origin to succeed by any means necessary, and gaining an exclusive deal with a home console would be a big help.

Still ... I really would hate to see it. The idea of EA getting more control than it already has over this industry is fast becoming my biggest fear.

EA Origin to be a key element of Nintendo’s online strategy? [Wii U Go, via CVG]