EA to Charge You $10 to Play Used Sports Online
Hopefully this will apply only to sports games
In an effort to capture additional revenue from a resale of a videogame, EA Sports is putting in place a system whereby secondhand owners of a game needs to spend an extra $10 to play online.
Dubbed the "Online Pass" from EA Sports, it rewards game owners of new copies with a game-specific, one-time-use registration code for online services, features and bonus content. This applies regardless if the game is played over the free PSN or the paid Xbox Live Gold services. This will start with Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11.
The one-time Online Pass registration code comes included with each unit sold new at retail. Once redeemed, additional Online Passes will be available for $10 – basically for anyone who gets to play the game after the original owner. Fans also may sign up for a free 7-day trial to experience Online Pass, which will be handy for those who borrow or rent the game on a short-term basis.
"This is an important inflection point in our business because it allows us to accelerate our commitment to enhance premium online services to the entire robust EA Sports online community," said Peter Moore, President of EA Sports.
While EA's effort to discourage used game sales (which could devalue a used game by $10) would logically upset companies that make lots of money from used games, GameStop doesn't seem all that displeased as now it has a new opportunity to sell special PSN and MS Points cards.
"GameStop is excited to partner with such a forward-thinking publisher as Electronic Arts," said Dan DeMatteo, Chief Executive Officer of GameStop Corp. "This relationship allows us to capitalize on our investments to market and sell downloadable content online, as well as through our network of stores worldwide."
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"This is an important inflection point in our business because it allows us to accelerate our commitment to enhance premium online services to the entire robust EA Sports online community,"
TRANSLATION:
"This is an important inflection point in our business because it allows us to accelerate our commitment to sell more revenue generating online services to the entire robust EA Sports online customer base"
OK The game industry is now getting GREEDY. First Dragon Age, now EA Sports. Well I know the titles I won't be purchasing.
But being popular titles I see this is going to be a change because people will buy it so they can play it. Then others will see how well they are selling and think it will be OK to charge for ALL used games. Before you know it, it will become the "norm"
Rough translation: Were sick of 2,000,000 playing our games online but only receiving a 3rd of the sales.
I'm all for capitalism and what not, but this doesn't seem very kosher.
This is just what I would want if I was EA, to be looked at the same as gamestop. I hate gamestop because they are a rip off, and EA because they are a rip off. Maybe EA should just try to buy gamestop, and quit charging 10bucks for online play? Also since I will no longer buy any EA games looks like you are losing $60 instead of making ten.
What will happen if you rent the game? It's already registered so will you have to pay 10$ extra just to play it? (Like an Xbox game using Live)
That's just ridiculous on EA's part.
FU EA. Just wait and buy it new when it is on sale for $19.95 but I am sure they would do some other asshole move to screw the consumer out of cash.
The only hope is if all gamers do the right thing by not supporting those games.
Maybe EA can just require us to give them our credit cards so they can charge us whenever they feel they deserve some more money without actually doing anything? Sound fair to me.
Example : new game costs $40
Used game costs $20 and then $10 extra...which makes $30
??? ????????????????????????????????????????????????????
If companies start to do stupid things like this, I just have to switch to piracy.
First DRM and now this? Using pirated products begins to be more and more comfortable.
Forgot to mention...
This means also...$10 by renting games...
Hmmm....Calling to SKIDROW, RELOADED, RAZOR1911, and many others...please be more productive..
I will officially stop buying legal products if stupid thing like this continues.
I will need you guys desperately in the future.
well atleast i don't have to do that because i buy all my games from steam
As this is illegal in the United Kingdom I wonder what sneaky method they will try and implement here
Just be happy you CAN buy used games, some software out there cannot be used by anyone other than the original owner legally
(non-transferable license)
Dicks. I boycotted EA a LONG time ago. They used to be THE coolest company in the beginning, but look at them now.
well atleast i don't have to do that because i buy all my games from steam
So you can never resell your games when you're done either... Why is that better? Sounds even worse.
--------
I'm boycotting EA. They haven't gotten any of my money in awhile and they'll never get any of my money in the future.
sooo... does these mean I can't take my game over to my friends house to play?
EA can snarf my love nozzle. this is utter BS!
So you can never resell your games when you're done either... Why is that better? Sounds even worse.--------I'm boycotting EA. They haven't gotten any of my money in awhile and they'll never get any of my money in the future.
Most of my games are online, thus requiring a key. Nobody will buy a game with a key that's already been used. Not to mention, I lose the friggin' keys all the time, so Steam removes that worry.
i thought major publishers were out to make money? it seems like the top 3 do nothing but alienate there customers and charge more which makes us buy less. dont they realize that there constantly devaluing there products buy doing this stupid nonsence
So... GameStop isn't mad abuot this?
I don't understand!
They think people are still going to buy used?
It doesn't make sense!
This is just what I would want if I was EA, to be looked at the same as gamestop. I hate gamestop because they are a rip off, and EA because they are a rip off. Maybe EA should just try to buy gamestop, and quit charging 10bucks for online play? Also since I will no longer buy any EA games looks like you are losing $60 instead of making ten.
GAMESTOP are the reason this is happening, more and more people wait to play the game 2nd hand and GAMESTOP actively push the 2nd copies since they make much more revenue from them. If GAMESTOP were to feed a portion of the 2nd hand sales back to the publishers then the publishers wouldn't bee looking at this sort of approach.
Regardless of the people who think that this is the Games Publishers cashing in, they actually need to make a profit by selling a minimum number of games, if they aren't reaching that minimum because of the practices of companies like GAMESTOP.
So if you feel the need to blame anyone blame the 2nd hand resellers for not compensating the publishers, and as long as this goes on look for more publishers to go this way.
I don't buy sport games but I hope this won't become the norm as I like to buy used games for my xbox, play them and sell them a month later for the same money
FU EA, FU
GAMESTOP are the reason this is happening, more and more people wait to play the game 2nd hand and GAMESTOP actively push the 2nd copies since they make much more revenue from them. If GAMESTOP were to feed a portion of the 2nd hand sales back to the publishers then the publishers wouldn't bee looking at this sort of approach.Regardless of the people who think that this is the Games Publishers cashing in, they actually need to make a profit by selling a minimum number of games, if they aren't reaching that minimum because of the practices of companies like GAMESTOP. So if you feel the need to blame anyone blame the 2nd hand resellers for not compensating the publishers, and as long as this goes on look for more publishers to go this way.
This. Not sure why people are surprised about this. For years, secondhand resellers have been making a killing, and absolutely zero of that goes to the publishers. Only thing I'm surprised about is how long it took.
Rough translation: Were sick of 2,000,000 playing our games online but only receiving a 3rd of the sales.
Used game sales does not mean more people are playing the game than copies of the game were sold. Provided the original copy can no longer play without the disc or the original key is disabled, then this is no different than a car company trying to charge people additional money when they buy a used car from someone.
If on the other hand they are allowing the original key to keep playing the game and the used copy to play online for $10 then there is nothing wrong with this at all and the only person making more money than they should is the one who sold the used game for probably way too much. In this case EA is not the greedy one and they are rightfully charging for the use of their services.
This. Not sure why people are surprised about this. For years, secondhand resellers have been making a killing, and absolutely zero of that goes to the publishers. Only thing I'm surprised about is how long it took.
So long as the original buyer of the game is not playing it online because he does not have the disc or his key is disabled, the publisher does not have the right to get any more revenue from used game sales. It would be like buying a used Ford car from your buddy and having Ford charge you extra because they want in on the re-sale.
If however the original buyer can still play and the used copy is allowed to play online for $10 then they are only charging for their services and the greedy people are the ones who sell the used game for way too much in the first place.
Without knowing what EA is allowing or not allowing, we can't assume they're being greedy just because it's the popular thing to do.
"GameStop is excited ..."
of course they are. Corrupt minds think alike.
As this is illegal in the United Kingdom I wonder what sneaky method they will try and implement here
What on Earth makes you think this is illegal here in the UK? It is not, EA have not prevented the resale of the goods, all they have said is, that if you wish to use their servers to play online then you must enter a valid code for the game, that code being supplied free to the original purchaser of the game. If you do not have a valid code then one can be purchased for $10. Perfectly legal for any company wishing to charge for others to use their services and does not contravene ANY laws here in the UK.
This is a two fold move by EA, first they get a bite out of the second hand market, also it will allow them to claim so money on the pirated versions of games out their, people with pirated games can buy a key from to use that game online, hence giving EA $10 revenue for pirated games
It makes sense from EA's perspective, I don't necessarily agree with them, I think EA make more than enough profit and they should stop looking for ways to screw us, the customer over, but I do understand why they did it.
EA is the Creative Labs of video games.
Both companies can go outside and play hide-and-go F*ck themselves.
how about they just sell the games less new... and req everyone to pay monthly or yearly fee, isnt that better? that way when a game is resold you would still have to pay yearly fee like anyone else and the game value its self can be left alone and not inflated...
i think its like the MMO's its the monthly/yearly fee that will bring in more money not stupid things like this on used games...
but of course that would imply that there services would actually not suck and be worth the monthly/yearly fee