View Full Version : EA Locks Multiplayer Modes on Used Sales
In a controversial move, Electronic Arts has made the decision to lock out multiplayer modes on used sales of its sports games. Beginning with the release of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, the publisher will introduce a new Online Pass, a one-time registration code included with each brand new copy of the game. The code allows players to access "online services, features and bonus content."
Players who purchase the game used can buy an Online Pass for $10 or sign up for a free 7-day trial. The pass will be implemented for NCAA Football 11, NHL 11, Madden NFL 11, NBA 11, FIFA 11, and EA Sports MMA as well. The pass offers different features for each title, however, players will not have access to basic multiplayer features if purchased used.
"You will be unable to play multiplayer online game modes or use your downloaded content in online game modes," EA says. Online leagues, dynasty and franchise modes are also only available with the Online Pass. The break down for each title can be seen on the publisher's official website.
http://www.neowin.net/news/electronic-arts-locks-out-multiplayer-modes-on-used-sales
rainless
05-12-10, 05:44 AM
Wow... Let's make everything suck now.
sandyduff
05-12-10, 05:57 AM
Wow... Let's make everything suck now.
Isn't that EA's new moto....? :D
Blue Jester_2112
05-12-10, 06:04 AM
Isn't that EA's new moto....? :D
Yeah, their corporate mission statement.
GoD_tattoo
05-12-10, 06:57 AM
I've never cared for their products anyway....Even more of a reason not to buy them...
WonderingSoul
05-12-10, 07:42 AM
This is like buying a used car and you have to pay Ford $100 to unlock the gas pedal for you.
Makes so no sense to me at all.
Firey_chasm
05-12-10, 09:13 AM
This is like buying a used car and you have to pay Ford $100 to unlock the gas pedal for you.
Makes so no sense to me at all.
it makes perfect sense. Its called stealing your money.
the second hand game market is huge which EA see zero money from, especially on sports games - people buy the latest years release and sell their old one, a lot of people then get the one from last year dirt cheap instead of the newest which is basically the same game. This way EA will see at least some profits off 2nd hand sale as people buy the ability to access multiplayer. EA get rich, we get poor.
There is going to be a point where regulators will surely have to get involved though as at current prices this could mean a 2nd hand game costs more than new unless shops lower their prices.
It is basically like cd keys for consoles, just a lot worse - even consoles now get DRM - and not even with any intent to stop piracy, just to get richer.
FudgeNuggets
05-12-10, 09:21 AM
You want to screw the general public EA? Well you know what we have to say to that? Arrrrrrrghhhhhh, yo ho ho ho...
WonderingSoul
05-12-10, 09:48 AM
You want to screw the general public EA? Well you know what we have to say to that? Arrrrrrrghhhhhh, yo ho ho ho...
http://gcaptain.com/maritime/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/744px-pirate_flag_of_rack_rackhamsvg.png
They wish to engage in a battle at seas do they!? Arggggg matey!
EarthDog
05-12-10, 10:26 AM
What does Captin Morgan have to do with this guys?
Well, Im not surprised. Good thing I never buy used games!!!!
Twigglish
05-12-10, 10:35 AM
This is so damn ridiculous. I'm steaming with anger right now. I want to meet the person, or group of people that thought this was a good idea.
They're mad because they're not getting credit for a sale that THEY ALREADY GOT CREDIT FOR. Someone had to buy it new for someone to get it used later. What's the next Fing step? You install the game to your hard drive, and then it melts?? Maybe they will get into the game on demand service and make you pay by the hour. Perhaps they will get a ping on a giant google map at their headquarters when someone enters a serial key that has already been registered. Then they come to your house and break your disc in half and tell you to buy a new one.
blueswitch
05-12-10, 12:47 PM
Shhh stop giving them ideas.
I don't see why they're so concerned about sports games? Usually when I go into Gamestop I see a ton of EA sports games sitting on shelves....usually it seems people who buy sports games want that current years game for the updated rosters and such.
Plus I agree with Twigglish...they sold the game to SOMEBODY at full price....they got the money they asked for....if somebody buys last years Madden used you didn't lose a sale because that person wasn't willing to shell out $60 for this years Madden...had last years not been on sale used he probably would have bought nothing.
Brutal-Force
05-12-10, 02:53 PM
I would say that outside of hard core gamers, almost all people either wait until a game goes on sale for 9.99, or they download an illegitimate copy and just don't play the multi-player unless the game is so awesome that it warrants paying for the full version. Since rarely do games meet that standard, I'd imagine that EA/Steam and the like are losing money so badly that they will charge for anything to make a profit.
Frankly, although I have some of the latest hardware, affording to amass a game collection gets more expensive than some hardware. I find that I do not get caught up in the hype of games as much as anymore, because some people don't know how to do a legitimate review and after seeing the game myself, I ask myself WTF. The Media leads most people with credit cards to the store like a lamb to slaughter, but these days having to pay cash for everything, I do my research before I buy.
I also have to thank GoD Tattoo for a hook up on a game I had been wanting to buy for months, but just couldn't afford it.
I hate to say it, but some of the free or free donation games like Goo are far better than a lot of the FPSs on the market.
Twigglish
05-12-10, 06:11 PM
I would say that outside of hard core gamers, almost all people either wait until a game goes on sale for 9.99, or they download an illegitimate copy and just don't play the multi-player unless the game is so awesome that it warrants paying for the full version. Since rarely do games meet that standard, I'd imagine that EA/Steam and the like are losing money so badly that they will charge for anything to make a profit.
Well then, what you "would" say would be a very false opinion with absolutely no merit to it except your personal experience. I could easily say the exact opposite. Many of my friends are casual gamers if that, and buy games full price. I'd actually argue that the hardcore gamers are more of the ones waiting for a sale and the casual gamer would be more of the people who forget about a game they were slightly interested in.
darkknight187
05-12-10, 06:25 PM
although i did like their idea in the beginning it looks like once again they have taken it to the extreme. albeit if it actually lowers the price of used games which currently sell for a mere 2-5$ under retail at B&M shops than those people who may buy those games without the plans to ever play online may see better deals in the used section.
We had a recent thread that pertained to the absurd save 2 dollar pricing scheme B&M stores do with used games for great profit. i personally see this as more of a war between EA and B&M stores with the consumer caught in the crossfire than a war against the consumer.
Twigglish
05-12-10, 08:21 PM
although i did like their idea in the beginning it looks like once again they have taken it to the extreme. albeit if it actually lowers the price of used games which currently sell for a mere 2-5$ under retail at B&M shops than those people who may buy those games without the plans to ever play online may see better deals in the used section.
We had a recent thread that pertained to the absurd save 2 dollar pricing scheme B&M stores do with used games for great profit. i personally see this as more of a war between EA and B&M stores with the consumer caught in the crossfire than a war against the consumer.
Better deals? IMO, more likely is that these stores like GameStop will just stop accepting trade-ins. They already completely rip you off when you turn in your games.
I still have this hunch that if this flies then EA will simply say that you get 1 year of multiplayer for free with a new game and have to pay for each year thereafter. It seems like many things in the gaming industry now is essentially putting out new insane things and seeing if society still rolls over and throws money towards EA. I'm not sure if EA came up with all these ideas or if the Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 experiment (higher price, expensive map pack) just convinced them, but I think they will keep on doing this until the winds really turn against them.
(Clarifying, I know EA didn't distribute or make Modern Warfare 2 but they certainly must have noticed it. They already have some used selling protection in the form of a game card you must purchase again if you buy a used copy of Mass Effect 2. So, I think EA's approach is to do a "World of Warcraft" account lockout sort of deal on all games... which makes me think that they will eventually try a year by year or month by month pricing scheme. After all, Activision was able to ask for more money, maybe EA can too)
Besides, all they have to do is discourage used sales and push people towards digital downloads (from Steam, or the stupid EA version, or what not) and get "new" sales that way. I already purchased older games on Steam when the price was really good and the game not so easy to get anyways. So, make used games even more rare to find and put the game on digital download means that used might just go poof. I suppose we will see anyways.
benbaked
05-12-10, 09:02 PM
What does Captin Morgan have to do with this guys?
Extra cash to EA = Admiral Nelson instead of the Captain.
Twigglish
05-12-10, 09:12 PM
gt24, I think you're on to something. I can honestly see in the NEAR future an EA Online payment plan where you have to pay monthly to unlock online abilities in EA games. If you don't pay for it, well, you still have single player.
What REALLY REALLY ****es me the ... off is that these friggin analysts are saying crap like EA doesn't get paid for their multiplayer servers every month, so buying games used is just leeching their bandwidth without putting money in their pockets. BULL. Bite me Mr. Analyst. If I buy a friggin steak dinner and walk out of the restaurant and someone else walks up and eats it, the restaurant still got paid for the same steak dinner. EA is still getting paid for the game no matter who is using it.
jediman
05-13-10, 06:21 AM
No No No
you people just don't understand. you OWE these companies your money whether you play the game or not. If you don't buy the game you are already a pirate who owes them money. If you do buy their game they think you are a pirate and you still owe them money. If you kill yourself and are unable to buy the game or any other game forever you are the worst kind of pirate.
seems console gamers are starting to feel the real squeeze on pc gaming
I hope it won't be long now until EA starts collapsing on itself. That company just needs to die.
I used to apply this (my) original quote to my sig in the SWG forums when referring to SOE after the Combat Upgrade (CU) that nobody wanted. I see that it now applies to EA as well:
EA: We put the F. U. in FUN!
Nhut Pham
05-13-10, 11:59 AM
http://gcaptain.com/maritime/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/744px-pirate_flag_of_rack_rackhamsvg.png
They wish to engage in a battle at seas do they!? Arggggg matey!
I don't know why, but I lol'ed hard at this.
And yes, this is a horrible idea. They only update the rosters, having an online league or finding match ups should be part of the game.
"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."
So you're gonna pay 10 bux to get access to pay for more DLC?
I can't say that I hate EA games though, I have enjoyed playing many EA titles, I personally feel they make a lot of great games.
madhatter256
05-13-10, 12:16 PM
This should force gamestop to lower the prices of their used EA games that have these features so that they can still make easy money.
deathman20
05-13-10, 12:17 PM
Maybe the used games will sell for cheaper now because they have to factor that into the $10 price tag as well for the online portion otherwise getting a brand new game is cheaper. So instead of $55 they sell the used for it might be $45 + $10 online. Still $55 but maybe if people don't want to play online you don't need to shell out for it, or the DLC for it either.
Personally I rarely have bought a used game, so it doesn't affect me one bit.
Twigglish
05-13-10, 03:11 PM
Like I said up above, I highly doubt prices will drop because of this. People will stay pay the same amount, so why drop the prices? If anything, they will just rip people off MORE when you try and sell them your game.
Wow...
This is what I call big cojo***...
They are totally screwing up the customer, these guys are some greedy bas****s
I hope it won't be long now until EA starts collapsing on itself. That company just needs to die.
I agree with this, EA just needs to go into Ch. 7 Bankruptcy... my #1 most hated was Sony Online Entertainment but now EA takes the cake.
I need to make a T-shirt with EA's logo and their new moto "EA - Ruin Everything"
Niku-Sama
05-19-10, 03:29 AM
the companies been on a downward trend all year, even through out all the madden and other sports games releases:
http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=ERTS
i've completely stopped buying any an all EA games for a long time now, this sucks considering my collection of old games, i dont even feel like buying NES games from EA because i hate them so much
jediman
05-19-10, 07:06 AM
anyone who thinks this is even remotely a good thing is being suckered in by EA. you still will pay the same price for games, maybe more if the reseller doesn't drop prices by the full 10 dollars. EA is just stealing extra money from you and the reseller that they don't deserve. They made their money for the sale and support of one person at any time. they are done. you gonna give hasbro an extra 10 dollars to play candy land multiplayer too?
JonSimonzi
05-19-10, 02:29 PM
the companies been on a downward trend all year, even through out all the madden and other sports games releases:
http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=ERTS
That's actually incorrect, they were constantly rising through the first quarter, up until May they were higher than they entered the year at, but over the past month they have been declining. They've dropped drastically over the past two years, but you'll be hard pressed to find a stock which hasn't due to the economy.
dillinja666
05-20-10, 09:01 PM
i wonder how legal this is. If I buy a product I own the product correct? Which means if I choose to sell it to someone, then they own it. The second person then shouldnt have to pay a 3rd party to use a product that I sold to them. I dont know how EA is orignally selling the game, like the online play is extra content..but something doesnt sound right about the way they have this worded.
cornbread
05-22-10, 12:16 PM
There is going to be a point where regulators will surely have to get involved
There are already regulators involved, the consumer. As long as we as consumers continue to buy their products they will continue to keep doing this. I've been saying this over five years now. I've never been a big fan of EA, their customer service is notorious for being crap, a lot of their games are released with bugs, and now this...the list goes on and on.
The only way to hurt the shady habits of EA and other companies like this is to hurt them in the wallet, get the info out to others, etc...quit buying their products, simple as that.
jediman
05-22-10, 04:12 PM
its pointless to worry about the legality unless you plan to sue. They can have and will do it until someone convinces or makes them stop. next next gen gamers will not even be able to quasi buy games. They will subscribe to 10 different services from 10 different publishers at 5-10$ a month each plus you will pay microsoft a monthly fee to play it on a windows computer. To all those who tollerated these encroachments good job. you ruined it for everyone
Since this is a huge kick in the balls to GameStop, I applaud it.
CompuTamer
05-22-10, 11:51 PM
Wow... Let's make everything suck now.
They seem to be trying... always on DRM, then this?
Yeah... uh... i ain't buyin it. I'll keep my money in my pockets, thanks. I have better things to buy.
This is like buying a used car and you have to pay Ford $100 to unlock the gas pedal for you.
Makes so no sense to me at all.
Technically you can still play the game (drive the car), so i'd say it's more like paying $100 to unlock the break pedal, or the 3rd and 4th gears of the car. You can still use it, just not to its full potential.
Though, honestly, if that happened, i'd ride a bike...
wingman99
05-23-10, 12:55 AM
I always wait for the new game prices to drop, however I can't find them on the shelf's at the stores anymore with lower prices, what is EA trying to do lose all there second rate revenue.:rain:
EA is getting to greedy I wonder if DRM and charging for second hand games is going to hurt them in the long run. Also I can see them starting to charge for yearly and monthly multiplayer subscriptions in the future.:rain:
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