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EA kills its Online Pass program

Vert boil

Member
Unsure if this is part of EA dropping Online passes or just another snafu but a lot of them have been reduced to free today.

Alice: Madness Returns - American McGee's Alice (was 800msp)

Bad Company 2 VIP (was 800msp)

Bulletstorm Online Pass (was 800msp)

Dragon Age: Origins - The Stone Prisoner (was 1200msp)

Dragon Age 2: The Black Emporium (was 800msp)

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning Online Pass (was 800msp)

Mass Effect 2: Cerberus Network (was 1200msp)

Medal of Honor Online Pass (was 800msp)

SHIFT 2 UNLEASHED™ ONLINE PASS (was 800msp)

Skate 3: Skate Share Pack (was 800msp)

Some more could pop up later on.
 

MMaRsu

Banned
Unsure if this is part of EA dropping Online passes or just another snafu but a lot of them have been reduced to free today.

Alice: Madness Returns - American McGee's Alice (was 800msp)

Bad Company 2 VIP (was 800msp)

Bulletstorm Online Pass (was 800msp)

Dragon Age: Origins - The Stone Prisoner (was 1200msp)

Dragon Age 2: The Black Emporium (was 800msp)

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning Online Pass (was 800msp)

Mass Effect 2: Cerberus Network (was 1200msp)

Medal of Honor Online Pass (was 800msp)

SHIFT 2 UNLEASHED™ ONLINE PASS (was 800msp)

Skate 3: Skate Share Pack (was 800msp)

Some more could pop up later on.

I think this warrants a new thread, is it cool if I make one?
 
Worth a bump?
Worth a bump.


EA must be fucking pissed right now, they tried to be the hero since they knew MS would fuck us over anyhow (and probably assumed Sony would too at the time, which they very well might have planned until they saw the backlash).

So now both allow used games and EA sold the skin before they shot the bear.

It's just delicious.
I'm anticipating them trying to weasel themselves back into an online pass system soon.

fuck EA
 

Nirolak

Mrgrgr
Worth a bump?
Worth a bump.


EA must be fucking pissed right now, they tried to be the hero since they knew MS would fuck us over anyhow (and probably assumed Sony would too at the time, which they very well might have planned until they saw the backlash).

So now both allow used games and EA sold the skin before they shot the bear.

It's just delicious.
I'm anticipating them trying to weasel themselves back into an online pass system soon.

fuck EA
I don't think you understand.

Basically every EA game has lottery microtransactions now.

It makes no sense to gate access to that for the same reason you don't make people buy a license to play the lottery.
 
I don't think you understand.

Basically every EA game has lottery microtransactions now.

It makes no sense to gate access to that for the same reason you don't make people buy a license to play the lottery.

Do they? I haven't bought an EA game in a while (last one was bf3 I think and before that nothing for a long time)

I know they shit DLC all over their multiplayer games and in dead space 3 but is it like that in every singleplayer game too?
Second hand shelves in game mania here are lined with dozens and dozens and dozens of copies of bf3 and fifa. (all priced high lol, until eventually like the older fifas they end up with a 2-5 euro sticker)

Edit: or what do you mean with lottery microtransactions? like those chests in dota2 / those awful gambling chests in f2p mmos?
 

scitek

Member
Do they? I haven't bought an EA game in a while (last one was bf3 I think and before that nothing for a long time)

I know they shit DLC all over their multiplayer games and in dead space 3 but is it like that in every singleplayer game too?
Second hand shelves in game mania here are lined with dozens and dozens and dozens of copies of bf3 and fifa. (all priced high lol, until eventually like the older fifas they end up with a 2-5 euro sticker)

Yeah, every game will have the option in in-game stores and such to pay to win. At least it's completely optional.
 

Massa

Member
Do they? I haven't bought an EA game in a while (last one was bf3 I think and before that nothing for a long time)

I know they shit DLC all over their multiplayer games and in dead space 3 but is it like that in every singleplayer game too?
Second hand shelves in game mania here are lined with dozens and dozens and dozens of copies of bf3 and fifa. (all priced high lol, until eventually like the older fifas they end up with a 2-5 euro sticker)

That is their plan going forward. Online passes didn't make them money, microtransactions make them money. Instead of being prompted to buy an online pass to play a game you'll be asked to spend a few bucks on a "starter pack" or some other silliness and it'll go from there.
 

Nirolak

Mrgrgr
Do they? I haven't bought an EA game in a while (last one was bf3 I think and before that nothing for a long time)

I know they shit DLC all over their multiplayer games and in dead space 3 but is it like that in every singleplayer game too?
Second hand shelves in game mania here are lined with dozens and dozens and dozens of copies of bf3 and fifa. (all priced high lol, until eventually like the older fifas they end up with a 2-5 euro sticker)

Edit: or what do you mean with lottery microtransactions? like those chests in dota2 / those awful gambling chests in f2p mmos?
Yes chests like TF2 and Dota.

They have "ultimate team card packs" in sports games and loot crates in Mass Effect and soon Battlefield.
 

Scum

Junior Member
I don't think you understand.

Basically every EA game has lottery microtransactions now.

It makes no sense to gate access to that for the same reason you don't make people buy a license to play the lottery.

Everyone should have known something was up when they mentioned this. I can't wait for FIFA Ultimate Team to become a separate entity. loool
 
That is their plan going forward. Online passes didn't make them money, microtransactions make them money. Instead of being prompted to buy an online pass to play a game you'll be asked to spend a few bucks on a "starter pack" or some other silliness and it'll go from there.

Well that's even worse then.
f2p inconveniences added like bagspace/fast travel/unlocks/grind relief so they can then put them behind a paywall. (dead space 3 pioneered this, didn't it?)

I'm sure I'm not the only one who cringes every time I hear an IP I like have the word 'f2p' after it.

EA want both then... the full ticket price and the f2p aspect:\

edit: oh and the gambling chests too , fml.
I wonder if parents even know when they buy these games for christmas for little timmy that they have gambling mechanics in them. Probably not...
 

injurai

Banned
honestly I feel like this 180 from microsoft will only deliver more of the same dev crushing policies

gameplay will take a hit as everything gets balanced around these cheap microtransactions and no game will ever be sold complete.
 

inky

Member
Nirolak knows what's up. Changes to the core game design are going to happen, with or without obvious DRM.

You guys are absolutely right. More games will merge the SP and MP experience, turn into, what was that term? Paymium (ugh) games, and other similar shenanigans. Whether it was always an excuse or only now the consoles are capable of providing that transition at a system level, it has always been the plan to turn every game into a "give us money at every turn" affair.
 
Yes chests like TF2 and Dota.

They have "ultimate team card packs" in sports games and loot crates in Mass Effect and soon Battlefield.

Oh wow I didn't know that. I feel it's just a matter of time before government cracks down on that type of DLC, since for all intents and purposes IT IS gambling.
 

Shrennin

Didn't get the memo regarding the 14th Amendment
I feel like EA had a "I just made a huge mistake" moment when Microsoft just reversed their DRM policies.

Granted, I think it's good for EA to give up the online pass system, but if they were only doing so due to Microsoft's policies with its core system, then it's going to be very hard for them to reinstate the online passes because of what they said.
 
I expect EA to put in more RNG boxes (for real $) in their games like in ME3 (god knows I was suckered into getting a few boxes).


edit: wait wasn't something like this annouced for BF4 already?
 

hal9001

Banned
honestly I feel like this 180 from microsoft will only deliver more of the same dev crushing policies

gameplay will take a hit as everything gets balanced around these cheap microtransactions and no game will ever be sold complete.

Then don't but those games. Vote with your wallet just like with the ps4 pre orders and soon enough they will backtrack.
 
Then don't but those games. Vote with your wallet just like with the ps4 pre orders and soon enough they will backtrack.

I've never bought a dlc.
Yet I see more and more of this shit every day :(
Need more people with self respect and a mind for the day after tomorrow to stop this from snowballing (let alone reverse it)
 
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