"3rd Party Download Required"
"This title installs and requires EA Origin to play. "
Sure, and that's the exact same way it works with Steamworks games, but people never claim that a game is "Steam only". Or, even worse, you have to have a constant connection to Ubisoft to play some of their games, but no one says they are "Ubisoft only".
You can buy the game in plenty of places. Just like Steamworks games, it requires you to install Origin (Steamworks requiring Steam, obviously) to "activate" it.