http://au.xbox360.ign.com/articles/108/1088621p1.html

 

EA Sports Locks Out Multiplayer Modes On Used Sales

EA tackles used game sales with new one-time only code.

 

Starting with the release of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 on 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."

 

Those 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.

 

"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.

 

Despite being the leader in used game sales, retailer GameStop, which acknowledged it plans to focus on digital content in the future, supports Electronic Arts' new direction.

 

"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."

 

We thank you EA for kicking your consumers in the balls once more

http://au.xbox360.ign.com/articles/108/1088621p1.html

 

EA Sports Locks Out Multiplayer Modes On Used Sales

EA tackles used game sales with new one-time only code.

 

Starting with the release of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 on 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."

 

Those 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.

 

"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.

 

Despite being the leader in used game sales, retailer GameStop, which acknowledged it plans to focus on digital content in the future, supports Electronic Arts' new direction.

 

"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."

 

We thank you EA for kicking your consumers in the balls once more

If you knew how much money is lost due to second hand trade in's at stores, you would understand this.

 

I support it.

If you knew how much money is lost due to second hand trade in's at stores, you would understand this.

 

I support it.

 

It's not money lost, its just money they would not normally get.

 

Can you imagine that if every time you bought a Second Hand car, you had to go to the original dealer to get it unlocked for 1/10th its original price?

 

Wtf is that ****?

 

They should not be allowed to do it.

Excactly this never lost them money, as someone had to buy it at full price originally, just another way they can squeeze us for every penny.

It's not money lost, its just money they would not normally get.

 

Can you imagine that if every time you bought a Second Hand car, you had to go to the original dealer to get it unlocked for 1/10th its original price?

 

Wtf is that ****?

 

They should not be allowed to do it.

Fact is a car breaks down and ages, you cant compare that to a videogame, a video game may theoritcally age but it wont nessicarily break down.

 

the comparision isnt a just one, too abstract.

 

besides most the time you buy a second hand car you have to do something worth your money to fix something.

 

It may not nessicarily go back to the original car designer but there is money still gone into it.

 

Videogames are a completly different market.

It's not money lost, its just money they would not normally get.

 

Can you imagine that if every time you bought a Second Hand car, you had to go to the original dealer to get it unlocked for 1/10th its original price?

 

Wtf is that ****?

 

They should not be allowed to do it.

 

+1

 

Agreed, at the end of the day, if you buy second hand you shouldn't have to pay extra as the code and game has already been "officially purchased" its just EA's way of making extra money, why do they persist of getting gamers offside with there new movements !!

i don't have a problem with it at all.

this was just put up on 1up.com and seems fitting to this discussion

 

Developer Calls Pre-Owned Sales a Bigger Problem than Piracy on Consoles

Blitz Games co-founder believes used game sales will continue pushing developers toward digital delivery.

 

Piracy is considered a serious problem on the PC, but it's taken equally seriously on the console front, where pirates use Wii Homebrew channels and other tricks to play games for free. Blitz Games Studios co-founder Andrew Oliver sees a bigger problem though.

 

"Arguably the bigger problem on consoles now is the trading in of games," Oliver told Develop.

 

"I understand why players do this, games are expensive and after a few weeks of playing you?ve either beaten it, or got bored of it so trading it back in to help pay for the next seems sensible when people are short of cash."

 

Oliver cited figured that suggested that games can be traded in as many as four times, in effect quartering royalties owed publishers and developers.

 

Calling it a "much bigger problem than piracy on the main consoles," Oliver said that the issue will likely push publishers further toward digital downloads and DLC.

 

EA is arguably at the forefront of the move to digital delivery, announcing the introduction of "Online Passes" to its line of sports games yesterday. These one-time codes offer a plethora of additional content to users, with additional downloads costing $10.00

 

The Online Passes program will kick off next month. Assuming that other developers agree with Oliver, don't be surprised if they follow in EA's footsteps.

I think its **** business practice, can you think of any other industry that does this? Just sayin'

 

Edit: add the s-word where there are those '*' are.

im going to compare it to your mates girlfriend, you can dance with your mates girl friend but if you want to take it to the horizontal dancing you better get yourself a new dancing partner

Fact is a car breaks down and ages, you cant compare that to a videogame, a video game may theoritcally age but it wont nessicarily break down.

 

Is it just me, or did you counter your own point here? You can't sell broken goods in any case.

He was refering to how a Physical object ages and becomes less reliable.

 

A software on a computer virtually never 'breaks down' as say a car does.

 

the comparision isnt a just one, too abstract.

 

 

Videogames are a completly different market.

 

k fair point, but if they start doing this with video games, it tests the markets attitude towards this sort of thing.

 

I could envisage it been applied to other media / markets that have a second hand market, been just about everything that has a computer in it (cars) or is usable on a computer (ie, software) or media playing devices (your iPod).

 

The possible areas this sort of software deployment strategy could be deployed applies to nearly everything you could think of.

im going to compare it to your mates girlfriend, you can dance with your mates girl friend but if you want to take it to the horizontal dancing you better get yourself a new dancing partner

 

Dancing with women is hardly a commodity. I doubt your mate would be selling dances with his girlfriend; let alone 'dances'?

 

He was refering to how a Physical object ages and becomes less reliable.

 

A software on a computer virtually never 'breaks down' as say a car does.

 

But they do degrade in a sense. A game from 2001 would be worth less than a newer game.

Edited May 12, 201014 yr by Sapper28

i don't like it , gossy has the best point.

 

The last EA game i brought was C&C3 and how long ago was that ??

I understand why they are doing it, sucks but it's a good business move. Everyone can bitch and moan all they like fact is you will pay. You can boycott EA games but EA has done it first so will everyone else follow.

 

If people didn't pirate games so often they wouldn't have to resort to squeezing every single penny out of every legitimate copy they can. I've seen more than a few deleted torrent posts and threads over my years in just this forum alone.

 

Every single person that has ever downloaded a game, it's your fault.

 

I can't wait until they figure out a fool proof way of ensuring that everyone playing paid. I hope they figure out a hack fix at the same time.

 

 

Downloadable content and pay to play are where the market is heading and if you want to enjoy the latest and greatest get ready to pay. Or you can hack it, download it and make it more expensive for everyone else.

What's the problem?

 

Who buys second hand games anyway?

 

Not only that but these are sports titles. Who is going to buy a second hand Sportsman '11 when they're going to be heavily discounted come 2012 anyway?

Edited May 12, 201014 yr by Rikidozan

Smoke jumper, as bigsmoke pointed out with his quote its not nessicarily becuase of pirating.

 

You may think its annoying or greedy, to me it's smart and a well deserved profit to the publisher/developers.

 

Also costs for dlc and second hand copies arent related to piracy, thats simply the demand for the market, they saw that people will pay for these additions so they exploit it, like any market would, just take a look a cars these days, all the extra addons that arent included with the car's original price tag.

 

If anything they want prices lower to stop piracy, though as over the last week has shown people will pirate anything, even a package deal of 5 of the best indie games out there and you choose what to pay, so you could pay $1 or $20, it was your choice but people choose to pirate, even though it was for a charity.

 

Some people are just like that.

 

k fair point, but if they start doing this with video games, it tests the markets attitude towards this sort of thing.

 

I could envisage it been applied to other media / markets that have a second hand market, been just about everything that has a computer in it (cars) or is usable on a computer (ie, software) or media playing devices (your iPod).

 

The possible areas this sort of software deployment strategy could be deployed applies to nearly everything you could think of.

 

No it cant be, becuase hence as the post originally stated, its for Online multiplayer access, the core functionality is still there, simply cant access online gameplay. Hence its something unique to the videogame market, you can still buy the game second hand, just cant play online unless u pay another $10 on top of a already cheaper price for a new copy.

 

What's the problem?

 

Who buys second hand games anyway?

 

It's an anti piracy issue so someone can't buy one copy then make 10 copies off it.

 

How exactly is this an anti piracy issue?

How exactly is this an anti piracy issue?

 

Because if you buy a game and make copies of it and sell the copies only the first game gets full use of it. Online games these days have massive problems with pirated versions clogging up servers in the first few days. This is an easy fix for some games.

Edited May 12, 201014 yr by Rikidozan

I understand why they are doing it, sucks but it's a good business move. Everyone can bitch and moan all they like fact is you will pay. You can boycott EA games but EA has done it first so will everyone else follow.

 

If people didn't pirate games so often they wouldn't have to resort to squeezing every single penny out of every legitimate copy they can. I've seen more than a few deleted torrent posts and threads over my years in just this forum alone.

 

Every single person that has ever downloaded a game, it's your fault.

 

I can't wait until they figure out a fool proof way of ensuring that everyone playing paid. I hope they figure out a hack fix at the same time.

 

 

Downloadable content and pay to play are where the market is heading and if you want to enjoy the latest and greatest get ready to pay. Or you can hack it, download it and make it more expensive for everyone else.

 

The above post has been rated PG: Patronising Gush.

 

Free market - if you don't like what you see you can buy something else? DLC is flawed. I don't want to pay 15 dollars for a map pack - i'd rather buy a complete game - anyway thats not the subject at hand.

 

As for thinking game protection is uncrackable - look at the past. Even the very latest, Assassins Creed 2 has been cracked now by Skidrow.

 

I for one think its not good business - if people aren't going to buy your game because its only for one person then you're not going to sell a copy. How is this good business?

 

All it is greed, and greed has no place in industry that is easily undercut either by quality or cheaper in the long run (complete game vs DLC half assed game)

 

/rant

Because if you buy a game and make copies of it and sell the copies only the first game gets full use of it.

 

How is that even relevant to this discussion?

 

were talking about how second hand games are sold and then you have to pay another $10 to EA for a online key.

 

Copying the game(pirating) makes playing online impossible with an EA product.

 

The above post has been rated PG: Patronising Gush.

 

Free market - if you don't like what you see you can buy something else? DLC is flawed. I don't want to pay 15 dollars for a map pack - i'd rather buy a complete game - anyway thats not the subject at hand.

 

As for thinking game protection is uncrackable - look at the past. Even the very latest, Assassins Creed 2 has been cracked now by Skidrow.

 

I for one think its not good business - if people aren't going to buy your game because its only for one person then you're not going to sell a copy. How is this good business?

 

All it is greed, and greed has no place in industry that is easily undercut either by quality or cheaper in the long run (complete game vs DLC half assed game)

 

/rant

 

 

Im sorry but is this some sort of fantasy world you live in? greed is apart of everyday life, and it sure as hell is apart of every possible industry ever conceptualised.

 

The videogame industry has basically come out of its infancy, its growing up and starting to take charge now that its at the top, there is no stoping that.

Edited May 12, 201014 yr by mojito22

Im sorry but is this some sort of fantasy world you live in? greed is apart of everyday life, and it sure as hell is apart of every possible industry ever conceptualised.

 

One of my own construction. Its nicer here.

The above post has been rated PG: Patronising Gush.

 

 

 

 

Meh, I've never pirated any game.

 

 

Greed, it's a business do I really expect anything else?

Edit: Disregard this post.

Edited May 12, 201014 yr by OrdeaL

How is that even relevant to this discussion?

 

were talking about how second hand games are sold and then you have to pay another $10 to EA for a online key.

 

Copying the game(pirating) makes playing online impossible with an EA product.

 

Good point. I didn't read the articles that well before jumping in. Anti piracy points retracted.

Edited May 12, 201014 yr by Rikidozan

Yes, true. I guess i'm still bitter about MW2 not having dedicated servers.