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Dr.Palutena · Apr 22, 2011

my thoughts:
unsurprising
doesn't interest me
hope it doesn't take off though cause there's enough things to pay for already in this industry that isn't just the videogame itself, though the stuff much like ps+ sounds like reasonable things to offer as paid features.
love the use of "free" to describe a feature available in a paid subscription service

Lothars · Apr 22, 2011

I don't have a problem with this because you don't have to subscribe to this plus we don't know anything about this if it's true or not.

to all you saying fuck you EA don't subscribe and just ignore it, it's not gonna affect you.

Sipowicz · Apr 22, 2011

truly the company that cares

NEOPARADIGM · Apr 22, 2011

Reads a lot like "pay money so that you can avoid paying money" to me.

bluemax · Apr 22, 2011

I actually think this will be rather successful.

Metalmurphy · Apr 22, 2011

Marvie_3 said:
Fuck you, EA.

The hell? Did you even read what this supposed subscription is?

added_time · Apr 22, 2011

I already stopped buying the yearly edition of FIFA since it simply does not even come close to improving enough each year to warrant the cost of a full price new game. One per generation is enough for me.
Now they want to push it even further? Sure, go nuts. The general public has proven time and time again that they are stupid enough to pay extra for almost anything. I walked away a long time ago from this crap but I don't give anyone else enough credit to do the same.

Chrange · Apr 22, 2011

The ability to transfer DLC sounds like something we should have already, seeing the number of Tiger Woods courses that are DLC again this year. I guess they weren't ready in time to put on the disc two years running...

Activision will probably be up next with a 'pro' subscription for Call of Duty to get you discounts on DLC, early access to beta tests, and more than likely access to improved replay features.

Nome · Apr 22, 2011

I don't own a single EA Sports game, as I'm not really interested in any of them. But for those hating on this so much, some questions I'm curious about.

Are any of the features mentioned in the proposed subscription service currently free?
Is there any indication this subscription will be required?

If the answer is no to both of them, then why is anyone complaining?

AndyMoogle · Apr 22, 2011

Easy_D said:
And in the end, it uses a regular P2P connection!

Except for the fact that all of EA's games run on their dedicated servers.

Chrange · Apr 22, 2011

AndyMoogle said:
Except for the fact that all of EA's games run on their dedicated servers.

Matchmaking =/= running on. There's no way NHL has been running on dedicated servers, unless the netcode is absolutely horrible.

AndyMoogle · Apr 22, 2011

Chrange said:
Matchmaking =/= running on. There's no way NHL has been running on dedicated servers, unless the netcode is absolutely horrible.

Oh? I was under the impression that they used dedicated servers for all of their games since they keep shutting down older games. I guess they just want to be able to have a way of forcing people into buying the latest sport games.

rapid32.5 · Apr 22, 2011

wasn't EA first one of the bunch to announce $60 price tag on games this gen ? EA is going places I see.

alr1ght · Apr 22, 2011

and another crash is looming...

TacticalFox88 · Apr 22, 2011

rapid32.5 said:
wasn't EA first one of the bunch to announce $60 price tag on games this gen ? EA is going places I see.

No, if I remember correctly, I think MS did that purposefully, not the developers.

ProtoCents · Apr 22, 2011

MLB The Show and PES for me.

Chrange · Apr 22, 2011

AndyMoogle said:
Oh? I was under the impression that they used dedicated servers for all of their games since they keep shutting down older games. I guess they just want to be able to have a way of forcing people into buying the latest sport games.

I'm not positive, but I think they just do the matchmaking for the game and hand it off as P2P gameplay. When they feel it's time people move on, they shut down the matchmaking and *poof* it's like the game never existed.

TacticalFox88 said:
No, if I remember correctly, I think MS did that purposefully, not the developers.

You don't remember correctly. None of Microsoft's first party games were $60 until Gears of War. Activision and EA both put games at $60.

Edit - Google found this pre-release price list:
BURNOUT REVENGE 59.99 11/23
CALL OF DUTY 2 59.99 11/30
FIFA 2006 59.99 12/7
GODFATHER 59.99 11/23
GUN 59.99 11/30
KAMEO 49.99 11/30
MADDEN NFL 2006 59.99 11/23
NBA LIVE 2006 59.99 11/23
NEED FOR SPEED MOST 59.99 11/23
PERFECT DARK ZERO 49.99 11/30
PROJECT GOTHAM 3 49.99 11/30
QUAKE 4 59.99 11/30
TIGER WOODS PGA 2006 59.99 11/23
TONY HAWK AMER WASTE 59.99 11/30

squicken · Apr 22, 2011

By downloadable titles I think it just means demos. Maybe it will have stickiness with regards to your franchise mode once the game proper ships.

angelfly · Apr 22, 2011

Doesn't surprise me at all. People already pay $60 a year for roster updates so they may as well turn it into a regular subscription service. CoD is next.

Kahoona · Apr 22, 2011

Doesn't the DLC for sports games pretty much amount to cheat codes?

Gen X · Apr 22, 2011

Absoludacrous said:
I somehow doubt EA is going to bypass gold when it comes to online play under this subscription plan.

I don't think they can. I am pretty sure you need a Gold Account to login to EAs servers.

The one thing I don't like on that subscription list in the OP is where is says that if you're a subscriber you get the ability to transfer paid content from one version to a future version IE, lets pretend you can transfer all 20 DLC TW2012 courses to next years Tiger Wood game.

If you're not a subscriber then no option for you. Ouch.

Spat_triate · Apr 22, 2011

I'll just leave these here (found on FIFA forums):

Cataferal · Apr 22, 2011

I fully the support principle of subscription-based sports titles.

It's basically the natural progression for a genre that has so far thrived on incremental, yearly updates.

However, the pricing scheme has to match the value of the service, and at that price, I'm going to expect much more than discounted DLC and beta builds.

bjork · Apr 22, 2011

Download the game and play it only until the retail version comes out? That's weird.

Spat_triate · Apr 22, 2011

Cataferal said:
I fully the support principle of subscription-based sports titles.

It's basically the natural progression for a genre that has so far thrived on incremental, yearly updates.

However, the pricing scheme has to match the value of the service, and at that price, I'm going to expect more than what they currently do with franchises like FIFA and Madden.

With this supposed iteration of the service, won't you still have to buy those yearly upgrades anyway?
This seems to be more like a PSN+ type service that gives you some added value on top of your regular $60 purchase.

Four_Chamber · Apr 22, 2011

Bumblebeetuna said:
Looks like they are just taking everything we already get and charging us/charging less for it.

- Discounts on all DLC for "participating" EA Sports console titles. Considering a vast majority of their current DLC for sports games is just bullshit pay to cheat unlock codes and courses that were in previous games for free, I don't give a fuck about this. Plus they put participating in there... any discounts likely won't apply to the popular sports titles. They can fill this promise by offering you cheaper cheat code DLC in NHL 12 and a new ball skin in FIFA. Fuck EA.

- Downloadable versions of "participating" titles before release. They sure aren't going to be giving us Madden before release date. And even if they did, is it worth it? Fuck EA.

- Exclusive membership recognition badge. Great, who doesn't want a scarlet letter on their profile? "Look at me! I'm EA's bitch!" Didn't they already try this with the hardcore Madden subscription or whatever? Where you had to pay to play ranked All-Madden games but got your name in a cool font? Fuck EA.

- Transfer paid content from past titles into future participating titles. Well this actually is a little shocking. So instead of getting a lot less content out of the box because EA cut a lot of it out to sell as DLC, you can instead buy the DLC, but then never have to buy it again? Tiger Woods comes to mind. IIRC the full game costs over $100 to buy and almost all of the DLC courses were in past games this generation for free. Fuck EA.

- Free extension of EA Sports into web and PC. Uh.. we already have this. We are forced to sign up for your goddamn shitty website accounts for virtually any one of your games. And linking them rarely works so people who play a lot of your games probably have 4-5 EA accounts. What this says to me is that the web features we used to get free like using the PC for Madden/NCAA franchises, will now require a subscription. Fucking stupid. But just as was the case in Madden 10 and Madden 11, someone will come out with something that fucking decimates what Tiburon and their huge staff and budget can do. I believe in Madden 10 someone from here created a franchise stat script. And in Madden 11 we have the league manager site. Fuck EA.

- Free DLC for participating titles. Have they ever released sports DLC that is worth a shit anyway? And you're paying a subscription so it's not "free" anyway. Fuck EA.

And people gripe about Activision. The dumbest part about all of this is they claim to want to create a unified, persistent social profile. WE HAVE THIS ALREADY. They are called our Live tags and our PSN usernames.

I love this post

Chrange · Apr 22, 2011

Cataferal said:
I fully the support principle of subscription-based sports titles.

It's basically the natural progression for a genre that has so far thrived on incremental, yearly updates.

However, the pricing scheme has to match the value of the service, and at that price, I'm going to expect much more than discounted DLC and beta builds.

This isn't really subscription based sports titles though, it's paying a subscription fee for extras and still having to buy the games every year.

megamerican · Apr 22, 2011

The only thing I give less of a shit about than sports games is online sports game. Still fuck EA for starting yet another atrocious precedent.

Chrange · Apr 22, 2011

I have to admit, with the way the Oilers roster changed day to day this year, I'd probably pay a subscription fee to get daily roster updates in NHL 12. Nothing ridiculous though.

DMczaf · Apr 22, 2011

megamerican said:
The only thing I give less of a shit about than sports games is online sports game. Still fuck EA for starting yet another atrocious precedent.

I think you mean Fuck Sony for starting yet another atrocious precedent, because this is pretty much PSN+.

CrazedArabMan · Apr 22, 2011

X26 said:
bye EA, I can live without the NHL series

I can't, I need my NHL series

Well I can live without online anyways...

Cataferal · Apr 22, 2011

Spat_triate said:
With this supposed iteration of the service, won't you still have to buy those yearly upgrades anyway?

Yup. I think they've missed a trick here. Why not sell us a "FIFA: The Ultimate Football Sim" starter package for a low price, and then charge a rolling subscription for updates (roster changes, graphical improvements, new commentary tracks, modes, pitches online play etc...) in a procedural, MMO fashion that develops the experience in monthly increments, rather than yearly?

It seems like they have a potentially good idea here, but as you say, it's more like subscribing to PSN+ than WoW.

KingJ2002 · Apr 22, 2011

Marvie_3 said:
Fuck you, EA.

first words that came to my mind... Fuck Em!

Dabanton · Apr 22, 2011

So EA reverts to type.

Atolm · Apr 22, 2011

Sorry but no.

Hey You · Apr 22, 2011

Thank god I don't buy Sports games, or even any EA games for that matter.

Kyoufu · Apr 22, 2011

And people tell me EA are awesome.. :lol

Phoenician_Viking · Apr 22, 2011

Mama Robotnik said:
So pay for internet, then pay for XBL, then pay for the game, then pay for EA Online?

I don't like this, not one bit.

Kotick also mentioned he would love a subscription for COD. That might be the new trend next generation. Fuck this industry.

DECK'ARD · Apr 22, 2011

The worst thing about the generation has been you have an industry struggling with rising costs, which as an industry they encouraged. Instead of trying to find ways to reduce costs they find as many ways of increasing the money they can get from consumers.

It's arse-backwards. The film industry found one way with 3D, the games industry is literally trying to find a way every single week.

If you're not careful you will make people turn to less expensive forms of entertainment.

PJX · Apr 22, 2011

bjork said:
But Sega did this with PSO I/II on Xbox, and PSU on 360. It's not really a new thing in that respect, is it?

False

TacticalFox88 said:
No, if I remember correctly, I think MS did that purposefully, not the developers.

False

All MS games initially started at 49.99. I believe the first $60 MS game was Gears of War

Vorador · Apr 22, 2011

I've never bought a EA sports game, and with this kind of shit flying on, i doubt i ever will.

Blueblur1 · Apr 22, 2011

Galvanise_ said:
Fuck off EA.

My sentiments exactly.

DR3AM · Apr 23, 2011

You dont have to subscribe to play online. It's an optional service

erragal · Apr 23, 2011

Objectively speaking if you play multiple EA sports games heavily this doesn't seem like the most horrible deal ever. Based on those pricing plans (The most expensive one is only 34.99 yearly) it's not a massive expense and the early access alone will likely lure in quite a few hardcore players.

The best way they could make this valuable is improving the quality of available DLC. Last two EA sports games I played (NHL 11 and NCAA 11) the only DLC available were cheats; nothing that actually added content to the game (Feel free to correct me if they added anything past release). That would immediately makes the 'carry-over' and discount parts fairly reasonable.

Doesn't seem to be worth it to people that only play one particular title each year, however.

Most of the venom here seems completely unwarranted, almost as if people are assuming it's subscription for online play.

LiquidMetal14 · Apr 23, 2011

Sons of the bitches

Emitan · Apr 23, 2011

Breaking news: EA Sports rips off customers in exciting new ways!

Afrikan · Apr 23, 2011

Lothars said:
I don't have a problem with this because you don't have to subscribe to this plus we don't know anything about this if it's true or not.

to all you saying fuck you EA don't subscribe and just ignore it, it's not gonna affect you.

um, I think it will effect me in alot of ways.....I'm expecting certain features and modes I've had for free, to be part of this new subscription.....or anything other future feature/mode, that would have been part of the $60 will probably added to this.

you have to understand where some of these gamers are coming from with the whole "FU EA bla bla" thing.....having the only current licensed NFL game available, EA actually tried to charge for alternate uniforms early in Madden 2006........alternate uniforms my friend, alternate uniforms.

Snuggles · Apr 23, 2011

who knew EA could be capable of such a thing

Like I would pay for that shit, lol.

bone_and_sinew · Apr 23, 2011

See? EA is still evil. They've just looked less evil due to Kotick's shenanigans.

backbreaker65 · Apr 23, 2011

Let's see MLB 10 The Show had stadiums for sale and if you purchased 11, those stadiums are automatically unlocked. No subscription service needed to get your already purchased DLC.

If EA knew how to make a fundamentally sound game that simulated the game they are trying to replicate, it may not be bad, but these bastards try pass off fundamental stuff germaine to the game as a feature like tackling and or catching a ball.

And why would I pay to play an EA sports game early, hell as of now they're not ready on the release date, having to wait on a patch soon after release then a more comprehensive patch 2 months later.

Hahahahahahahahahahahaha

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