I gotta say I really didn't see this one coming. So is this the first step in the creation of a bold new EA or will this start to signal the end for all companies who still currently use online passes?
EA Kills It's Online Pass Initiative
I gotta say I really didn't see this one coming. So is this the first step in the creation of a bold new EA or will this start to signal the end for all companies who still currently use online passes?
ALL HAIL THE 1 2 P
Originally Posted by THE 1 2 P
Im pretty sure it has something to do with the new consoles. I am assuming that games will be registered and tied to a PSN/XBL account ala steam.
Bury me with my money......*dies*
Hmm, this is definitely an eyebrow raising situation. On the one hand, Sony has already gone on record as saying that you will be able to play used games on PS4. They didn't exactly say "how" you'll be able to do it, but they did say that you would be able to do it. If all games will be tied to a specific PSN account or Gamertag, then why would Sony say that used games will still be able to play on the PS4 ?
The only answer that I can think of, is that used games will "technically" be allowed, but there will be a built in "re-activation" fee of say $10 or $15 to transfer ownership of a game from one PSN account or gamertag to another PSN account or gamertag. The idea being that used games will still be allowed, but that the platform holder (Microsoft/Sony), and the publishers, will act as the middle man, instead of GameStop. Of course, if such a plan were to happen, you would imagine how upset GameStop would get, and as much as the platform holders and publishers dislike some of GameStop's methods, at the same time, GameStop does a great job of making the public aware of their products.
It's really going to be interesting to see how all of this plays out.
I am thinking they only killed it because the hardware will handle it for them through their services. You buy the disc, you tire of it and sell it, and then the new owner tries to use it and it shows that it was previously touched and they'll want to charge you like $10 to use the thing. EA gets off scott free because they're not doing it so the pass system is out of date and useless, and then the hardware guys take the crap for it.
Yeah, but you can bet your bottom dollar that if the hardware guys are going to also take the blame, they are going to take a good portion of that $10 fee, when before, EA got the $10 fee all to themselves. (well, mostly to themselves)
In a way, the hardware guys saying that individual publishers can decide whether a used game will have a "re-activation" fee or not, is kind of passing the buck so to speak. Microsoft can say, "Hey, we aren't blocking used games at a system level. Each publisher has the right to charge a ownership transfer fee or not. We have no control over their decision".
What would EA rather do. Sell people an online pass that people may never purchase just because of the idea of paying to play a game you've already purchased online, which I don't see why 360 owners that use XBL Gold are so against the concept, or lose out on DLC that people may buy? I think they see it that if they no longer use an online pass, it's a positive image towards the company and they might have people that buy a few dollars here and there worth of DLC. Getting some money additionally is better than getting no money additionally.
Everything in the above post is opinion unless stated otherwise.
I'm not following the logic. People are too cheap to pay the $10 for the online pass, but they would somehow buy enough DLC to make it worthwhile for EA to stop using online passes at all? I don't see it. It's more likely that EA has some other initiative up their sleeves to replace the online pass. It probably just means that all of us are going to be screwed when things like multiplayer are taken out of the games completely and sold only as DLC.
Na, im with kupo on this
His reasoning is that, when a person is locked out of the online portion, he may not know what he's missing and thus never care that he's missing it, so he'll never pony up for the online pass.
Now that an online pass is no longer an obstacle, that person can try it and ideally once he does, he likes it so much he sticks with it and buys the next dlc map pack or weapon shortcut kit
Some money from a used game is better than no money, this way also engenders goodwill from gamers everywhere and has the addedbonus of keeping an online community alive for those who purchased the game new, its win win win all around
At the same time this is ea we're talking about, so it could just be another way to lure us in to getting a taste then bombarding us with microtransactions
"Kidnap the presidents wife without a plan..."
EA has started removing online passes from some of their past games and has even made some of the online content of those games free. But of course we now know the real reason they decided to get rid of their online passes in the first place.
ALL HAIL THE 1 2 P
Or people think we know. EA is still releasing games on the PS360 and in the future, the Wii U. None of these systems have DRM that ties the games to an account. We're not sure if the PS4 has DRM that ties the game to the account. People are only assuming that EA has something to do with this because Microsoft's contract with exclusive content with them.
They made a deal with Microsoft. So did the NFL, so did Activision(again.) It doesn't mean there's a hidden agenda behind it. While I'm sure these companies like EA, Activision, and just about any big publisher is jumping for joy because of what Microsoft announced, it doesn't mean they were part of the plan.
Rockstar is one developer that came out and said they'd rather not screw their fanbase over. More than likely a comment just to make themselves look good, but it also holds some truth. Once two months pass, the games sales are pretty much done. The game will get sales here or there, but most of the sales are within the first two months. Rockstar mentioned that and stated that as long as you can make a game that players want to keep during that period of time, doesn't matter what the consumer does since they've got just about all the money they're going to get from the release.
Everything in the above post is opinion unless stated otherwise.
They're still dickheads.
This is how I see it going down.
Instead of asking for $10 to play online they will now ask for $30 for you to play at all.
Your $60 game once used will now have a $4 trade in value on day 1.
Gamestop gives you $4 cash for that used game that only you can play. They take the used game and resell it to the next guy for $55. Gamestop sends $30 to Sony or Microsoft who in turn sends $20 of it to EA. Gamestop erases the old code from the system so the old owner no longer owns this game in the system and they print a new code just for the new customer.
Genius really. Evil but genius.
A sentiment that should be shared with all generations to come.
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