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EA Reveals Online Pass Revenue, The Sims Social Becomes #3 Facebook Game By DAUs

N

Nirolak

Mrgrgr
I thought some people would be interested in how much money EA's online pass system was actually generating.

Gamasutra said:
EA Details Strong Digital Growth, Sims Social Numbers
by Frank Cifaldi [Social/Online, Business]
September 7, 2011

EA's new focus on digital titles and games as services is only starting to pay off for the company, CFO Eric Brown said at the Citi 2011 Tech Conference on Wednesday.

Gamasutra previously reported on Brown's commentary on upcoming subscription-based MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic, though in further commentary, he spoke to the success of the company's current and upcoming casual games, freemium social games, and downloadable content for its console titles.

On EA Sports' Online Pass

This year, EA introduced its Online Pass, which directly combats the used games market by offering one-time use codes to play its EA Sports games online. Those obtaining used copies of the game must purchase an additional $10 pass from EA to play online.

According to Brown, the revenues from the program have not been terribly substantial for the company, though the profit margins are of course significant.

"The revenues we derive from that haven't been dramatic. I'd say they're in the $10-$15 million range since we initiated the program," he said. While the sales are not "dramatic" in volume, he pointed out that it is all "found revenue" that comes from users who previously "consumed bandwidth for free."

...snip...

The Sims Social

The company recently launched The Sims Social, a major launch for EA's social business based on a franchise that has sold tens of millions of units at retail.

According to EA, The Sims Social sees about 7.8 million daily active users, placing it third on the charts (about 200k shy of Zynga's Farmville at number two).

Brown says the ratio of daily to monthly active users is "quite high," and that players play an average of three times a day in 15 to 20 minute sessions.

"What has made [The Sims Social] a success so far is the Playfish expertise... combined with the creative excellence of the core Sims team," said Brown. "Those teams work together exceptionally well."
Click to expand...
Source: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/37089/EA_Details_Strong_Digital_Growth_Sims_Social_Numbers.php
 
N

Nirolak

Mrgrgr
Here's the top ten chart, though it includes quite a few things that aren't games:

fbappsx4eu.png
 
L

LuchaShaq

Banned
As long as they gimp my ability to resell games I buy new I won't buy anything of theirs new (5$ steam sale is the exception, not even 5$ origin sale), or pay for an online pass.
 
I

inky

Member
he pointed out that it is all "found revenue" that comes from users who previously "consumed bandwidth for free."
Click to expand...

So I guess the people who buy your fucking games new also consume your bandwidth for free, because they are the using same fucking copies that used games buyers are.
I don't even buy used games, but that is such a load of bullshit. EA just sucks more and more each day.
 
stuminus3

stuminus3

Member
"Consumed bandwidth for free"?

Fuck you you fucking leeching scumbag fucks.

Somebody bought that game new, and they paid for your fucking bandwidth.

Absolutely fucking disgusting. I'm literally shaking with disgust. And I don't even buy used games.
 
N

Neuromancer

Member
You guys are forgetting that EA has to pay for the bandwidth for you to go through their servers so they can collect biographical data for you and share it with their 3rd party marketing partners (for a price, probably.) That doesn't come cheap!
 
T

Tallshortman

Member
stuminus3 said:
"Consumed bandwidth for free"?

Fuck you you fucking leeching scumbag fucks.

Somebody bought that game new, and they paid for your fucking bandwidth.

Absolutely fucking disgusting. I'm literally shaking with disgust. And I don't even buy used games.
Click to expand...

If you're actually physically shaking with disgust to this news you should probably reevaluate your priorities. I can't believe people get so riled up about a company being like most other companies like they just killed their grandmother. Pretty annoying but nothing that's really affected me since I never play the multiplayer of used games I buy anyways.
 
S

snoopeasystreet

Member
All you GAFfers have been consuming my bandwidth and words for free. Going to set up some of sort of personal pass in order to make back some money.
 
J

JWong

Banned
Neuromancer said:
You guys are forgetting that EA has to pay for the bandwidth for you to go through their servers so they can collect biographical data for you and share it with their 3rd party marketing partners (for a price, probably.) That doesn't come cheap!
Click to expand...
You're already using Facebook, dude.

That's already happening.
 
stuminus3

stuminus3

Member
Tallshortman said:
If you're actually physically shaking with disgust to this news you should probably reevaluate your priorities. I can't believe people get so riled up about a company being like most other companies like they just killed their grandmother. Pretty annoying but nothing that's really affected me since I never play the multiplayer of used games I buy anyways.
Click to expand...
GTFO, you don't know me and have absolutely no fucking right to tell me what should and should not be my priority.

You think this is just about some stupid videogame company?
 
S

Seraphis Cain

bad gameplay lol
The most shocking thing about all of this is that I've never even heard of Cityville, and I'm on Facebook all the damn time. And it's apparently the most popular Facebook game ever or something. Huh.
 
M

markot

Banned
To be fair, do you know how much bandwidth an online game takes? Not only in downloads, BUT UPLOADS TOO!?!
 
T

Tallshortman

Member
stuminus3 said:
GTFO, you don't know me and have absolutely no fucking right to tell me what should and should not be my priority.

You think this is just about some stupid videogame company?
Click to expand...

I think I'll stay, thanks very much. I can tell you whatever I feel like saying given that it's my opinion. Feel free to express more moral outrage at me though.

Also, yes this is about some stupid videogame company. Them "masking" their obvious reason for the online passes is no different from how other companies in all walks of industries operate. There's no reason to get so riled up for yet another company doing something shitty. I'm assuming you're not shaking from disgust 24/7 of course.
 
F

FieryBalrog

Member
stuminus3 said:
GTFO, you don't know me and have absolutely no fucking right to tell me what should and should not be my priority.

You think this is just about some stupid videogame company?
Click to expand...
Aren't you the guy who was quivering in rage about Bobby Kotick addicting children to CoD map packs?

Stop trolling, seriously.
 
I

inky

Member
Tallshortman said:
If you're actually physically shaking with disgust to this news you should probably reevaluate your priorities. I can't believe people get so riled up about a company being like most other companies like they just killed their grandmother. Pretty annoying but nothing that's really affected me since I never play the multiplayer of used games I buy anyways.
Click to expand...

This a VG enthusiasts site, and many people here consider it as important a hobby as any other. For some it is even their job or a part of their lifestyle, so of course many are going to have strong opinions about a variety of subjects, including corporate decisions that negatively affect videogames.
On top of that, you cap your criticism a line that has become very common: "well, it doesn't affect ME, so I don't see a reason why YOU should complain", then proceed to shrug it off.

Not trying to antagonize you or anything, but if you can only provide these kind of opinions I guess the one who should reevaluate his priorities is you, because i don't see anything good coming from that moral high ground... if that were all you are after. But it is very dangerous to use such reductionist statements.
 
A

alr1ght

bish gets all the credit :)
Those online passes have saved me a bunch of money. So thanks EA, in a roundabout way. $60 just this month.
 
B

bubnbob

Banned
stuminus3 said:
GTFO, you don't know me and have absolutely no fucking right to tell me what should and should not be my priority.

You think this is just about some stupid videogame company?
Click to expand...

omfg... lmao
 
F

FieryBalrog

Member
Yeah, so it was you.
stuminus3 said:
I hope Bobby is happy peddling this shit to children.

You know how they priced their map packs so extortionately and everyone was like "well, that's what the market is willing to pay?"

Well, that's not actually what's happening. It's not the dudebros that are soaking this up in the millions. It's children. Young children, who need to get it because their friends all have it.

I'm sure Bobby knows it. Bobby doesn't care.
Click to expand...
stuminus3 said:
You think?

See, I'm a grown man. I'm immune to peer pressure. My friends say "hey guy you gonna buy that map pack" and I'm gonna say "hell no, guy - there's better value for money out there, I'm gonna play some TF2".

Children do not have that luxury.

Can you imagine being a tween/early teen and going into school and telling your friends you're not gonna get the map pack because you can get free maps on some random PC game they've never heard of? No way, that's a one way trip to your head flushed down a toilet. And you can't just say "well Call of Duty isn't for kids anyway" because that's even worse. Bobby preys on the fact that it's worse, he thrives on it.

I think that's why Bodycount had that song, "Evil Kotick".
Click to expand...
stuminus3 said:
Right. It's horrible. Something should be done about it! But where do we start?

I'm thinking like forming a street team in the local neighbourhood or something. Print up some flyers to hand out to all the parents around the schools, showing them there's other options.
Click to expand...
 
L

LuchaShaq

Banned
Tallshortman said:
If you're actually physically shaking with disgust to this news you should probably reevaluate your priorities. I can't believe people get so riled up about a company being like most other companies like they just killed their grandmother. Pretty annoying but nothing that's really affected me since I never play the multiplayer of used games I buy anyways.
Click to expand...


Hear that everyone?

Anything short of 100 child murders, 1000 rapes, or mass genocide is fine, QUIT YER CRYIN BOY
 
R

Relix

he's Virgin Tight™
stuminus3 said:
GTFO, you don't know me and have absolutely no fucking right to tell me what should and should not be my priority.

You think this is just about some stupid videogame company?
Click to expand...

I am sure there's some irony in this message...
or sarcasm...

I mean... I hope for the sake of the world there is.
 
T

Tallshortman

Member
LuchaShaq said:
Hear that everyone?

Anything short of 100 child murders, 1000 rapes, or mass genocide is fine, QUIT YER CRYIN BOY
Click to expand...

Heh, that's what I said. You got me. Certainly interesting that you would equate video games with rape, murder, and genocide. First world problems huh?

inky said:
This a VG enthusiasts site, and many people here consider it as important a hobby as any other. For some it is even their job or a part of their lifestyle, so of course many are going to have strong opinions about a variety of subjects, including corporate decisions that negatively affect videogames.
On top of that, you cap your criticism a line that has become very common: "well, it doesn't affect ME, so I don't see a reason why YOU should complain", then proceed to shrug it off.

Not trying to antagonize you or anything, but if you can only provide these kind of opinions I guess the one who should reevaluate his priorities is you, because i don't see anything good coming from that moral high ground... if that were all you are after. But it is very dangerous to use such reductionist statements.
Click to expand...

If you could explain to me how I was trying to take the moral high ground please enlighten me. I was making a comment suggesting the person calm down given how silly his overreaction was. Also, you're taking the line that all negative VG news is on the same level, they're simply not. This in comparison with, say, very intrusive DRM standard are simply not the same thing. It's perfectly fine to have strong opinions when the subject is something more serious, not a practice that is common in the industry now and has been since CD keys were invented (DRM against used games).

Me taking the moral highground would be me attempting to say his response was immoral, which I'm sure you know never happened. Lastly, I consider gaming an important hobby too. Lastly, I'm not sure how my opinion has to do with what my priorities are given I didn't state anything indicating what my priorities were in the first place.

I believe you think that I was trying to rile up the person I was responding too. That was not my intent, my intent was to show him how pointless it is to waste such emotional responses to a small piece of shitty news when there's far worse things to get angry about in the VG world.
 
stuminus3

stuminus3

Member
Tallshortman said:
I was making a comment suggesting the person calm down given how silly his overreaction was.
Click to expand...
You do realise I actually somewhat quietly and calmly typed my original message, right? It's not like I was ripping apart my keyboard and punching holes in the walls. Good grief man.

You think there's far worse things in the videogame industry to get angry about? Bully for you. Opinions and all. I think you mentioned something about that?

Whatever, man. You just keep on sticking your fingers in your ears and sticking your nose up in the air at our meager Western problems. Meanwhile, a stranger on a forum is angry! Oh noes!
 
IlludiumQ36

IlludiumQ36

Member
Consumed bandwidth for free......

That's a hilarious statement considering that EA forces people to use their servers when the community on the PC side and the platform holders on the console side are perfectly willing to do it for them.
 
I

inky

Member
Tallshortman said:
I believe you think that I was trying to rile up the person I was responding too. That was not my intent, my intent was to show him how pointless it is to waste such emotional responses to a small piece of shitty news when there's far worse things to get angry about in the VG world.
Click to expand...

Well, that is exactly what it looked like. I said you were taking the moral high ground because it seemed you not only implied to know better than him about what he likes to gets worked up about, but also felt like judging his reaction just because to you there are other better topics elsewhere.

And like I said, you did not "try to show him how pointless it was", it only read as the usual comment made by many other people who feel like they need to tell others what they should or shouldn't be bothered about, just because in the end it doesn't affect them. Let people get annoyed by what they wish, I say.

Whatevs.
 
P

Pachterballs

Banned
bdizzle said:
Consumed bandwidth? Stop lying and just say you don't want a used market to exist.
Click to expand...

what part of what he said would you construe to be lying?

anyhow.
a free 10-15 million ain't bad. and it can only grow
 
K

Koomaster

Member
I don't think that stat for Sims Social will hold if they don't bother fixing their bugs. The game is in beta despite being a live release. Too many people are having problems right now and it's been going on for like 2 weeks+. Yet they keep releasing items they want people to spend money on; or breaking other things with the game instead of working on bugs people have been reporting.
 
S

Sol..

I am Wayne Brady.
i would probably consume less bandwidth if they would stop sending shit to my GUI.

Fuckin' non stop with that bullshit in all sports games these days. Shit quadruples the initial load time and the non stop barrage of the same video in the madden online menu makes me want to blow my fucking head off.
 
I

ItWasMeantToBe19

Banned
Koomaster said:
I don't think that stat for Sims Social will hold if they don't bother fixing their bugs. The game is in beta despite being a live release. Too many people are having problems right now and it's been going on for like 2 weeks+. Yet they keep releasing items they want people to spend money on; or breaking other things with the game instead of working on bugs people have been reporting.
Click to expand...


Holy shit, an actual post about the game.
 
Z

zeelman

Member
EA is so full of shit, but they have to get every penny possible, even if they piss off and alienate customers.
 
K

Koomaster

Member
ItWasMeantToBe19 said:
Holy shit, an actual post about the game.
Click to expand...
I figured people had the bitching about EA Online Pass PR locked down and covered already. Had to branch out and talk about the actual game from the article since I am playing it and have an interest and all.

If anyone is wondering, the game other than the bugs is kind of frustrating. Often times you will decorate your house or do things in the game, only to find out later on that there is a quest associated with doing what you've already done.

For instance I had already built several rooms to my house and suddenly there is a quest to buy and build another room when I have no more space on my property. Or buy $1000 simoleons worth of paintings when I have bought every single painting available. So I have to waste money buying paintings I don't want. My advice it to not try to make your home look nice or level up your skills. Just do the quests since they will tell you what they want you to do with the game.
 
C

Curufinwe

Member
SmokyDave said:
"Consumed bandwidth for free".

Yeah, that's some classic EA right there.
Click to expand...

Why would EA (or any of the other publishers doing online passes) want people who paid them nothing to be able to play their games online for free? They're a business, no a charity.
 
J

jett

D-Member
SmokyDave said:
"Consumed bandwidth for free".

Yeah, that's some classic EA right there.
Click to expand...

...but people that bought used did use EA's servers and consume their bandwidth without having paid them anything.
 
iNvid02

iNvid02

Member
jett said:
...but people that bought used did use EA's servers and consume their bandwidth without having paid them anything.
Click to expand...

but then nothing has changed, the new buyer is taking the original buyer's place and no extra bandwidth has been consumed.
only one person is using the PRECIOUS BANDWIDTH, and EA generated one sale
 
N

Neuromancer

Member
JWong said:
You're already using Facebook, dude.

That's already happening.
Click to expand...
What are you talking about? I was talking about Online Pass and how the charge for it. The one has nothing to do with the other.
 
P

piratepwnsninja

Member
jett said:
...but people that bought used did use EA's servers and consume their bandwidth without having paid them anything.
Click to expand...


Yeah, that is what I don't get in this thread. The statement isn't false. Before, people bought the game used, played online, and accessed online servers set up by EA, thus using their bandwidth for free without EA making a dime off of them.
 
J

Josh7289

Member
Hey, good for The Sims Social.

The Online Pass stuff is kind of bullshit, but to be honest if it combats GameStop's corrosive used game market, with used games being sold for as little as $2 off retail and people still buying them and giving nothing to the developers, I can't say I mind too much. Of course, that's only if revenue from the Online Pass is in fact going to the developers, and not just EA as a publisher.

Well, EA takes their online game servers down after only a year so anyway so people buying used might not even get the chance to buy an Online Pass hahahaha
 
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