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EA Locks Multiplayer Modes on Used Sales
- Thread starter Angry
- Start date
- Joined
- May 11, 2001
Isn't that EA's new moto....?
Yeah, their corporate mission statement.
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2009
I've never cared for their products anyway....Even more of a reason not to buy them...
- Joined
- Aug 23, 2006
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.
Makes so no sense to me at all.
- Joined
- Jan 3, 2005
- Location
- Guildford, England
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
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- Mar 2, 2006
- Location
- Gone Racing
You want to screw the general public EA? Well you know what we have to say to that? Arrrrrrrghhhhhh, yo ho ho ho...
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- Aug 23, 2006
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2007
- Location
- Clarksville, TN
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.
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.
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2005
- Location
- Denver, CO
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.
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.
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2009
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.
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.
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2007
- Location
- Clarksville, TN
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.
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2004
- Location
- PA
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.
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.
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2007
- Location
- Clarksville, TN
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.
(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.
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Extra cash to EA = Admiral Nelson instead of the Captain.
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2007
- Location
- Clarksville, TN
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.
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.
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
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
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