GoddyofAus
Banned
So this is either proof that Riccitello was a massive cunt, or that EA has something worse up their sleeve.
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EA kills its Online Pass program
- Thread starter Takao
- Start date
We all know this poll doesn't mean anything when there is worst companies out there and that angry gamers voted in mass.
And why killing Origin? I know Steam is still better in general, but I thought competition was suppose to be a good thing? Do you guys really want Steam to be alone just because you want all your games in one place?
(I haven't bought anything on Origin other than ME3 DLCs, so maybe there is something i'm missing)
travisbickle
Member
To be replaced with a yearly subscription with leader boards, cross (EA) game chat, and access to EA apps.
Doczu
Member
The best anwser in this thread.
Online passes are gone because they figured out a way to lock your entire game to your PSN/XBLA account, so you can never sell it back.
BOOM!
Someone please explain this to me:
Publishers hate used game sales. Publishers want to get rid of used game sales. Gamestop are the biggest seller of used games. How come that publishers always make huge exclusive deals with gamestop if they hate them and gamestop is ruining their business? I just don't understand the logic behind this. As far as i know gamestop only orders as much new copies at release as they have to. Pre-orders + some extra copies. Anything else is used or not available until someone sells it to gamestop.
I don't live in a country where gamestop and others like gamestop are very big. I've got a used games shop like gamestop some kilometers away but they are still to expensive even used. I get much better deals from private persons on the internet (and they get more money too).
So how come a business like gamestop that pays you 10$ for 3 games and sells them each for 30$ can even exist in a world where publishers hate used games and people who want to sell/buy used games have options like ebay where they get much more for their games?
I think if you couldn't go to your gamestop nearby and buy a 2 week old game for 5-10$ off people would buy it new, so that the publisher/developer would get the money instead of gamestop. Do people really want to fuck the creater of the content they are consuming over, just to save 5-10$ for a new release?
Publishers hate used game sales. Publishers want to get rid of used game sales. Gamestop are the biggest seller of used games. How come that publishers always make huge exclusive deals with gamestop if they hate them and gamestop is ruining their business? I just don't understand the logic behind this. As far as i know gamestop only orders as much new copies at release as they have to. Pre-orders + some extra copies. Anything else is used or not available until someone sells it to gamestop.
I don't live in a country where gamestop and others like gamestop are very big. I've got a used games shop like gamestop some kilometers away but they are still to expensive even used. I get much better deals from private persons on the internet (and they get more money too).
So how come a business like gamestop that pays you 10$ for 3 games and sells them each for 30$ can even exist in a world where publishers hate used games and people who want to sell/buy used games have options like ebay where they get much more for their games?
I think if you couldn't go to your gamestop nearby and buy a 2 week old game for 5-10$ off people would buy it new, so that the publisher/developer would get the money instead of gamestop. Do people really want to fuck the creater of the content they are consuming over, just to save 5-10$ for a new release?
Captain Tuttle
Member
Good news although I suspect like most in this thread that something else will take it's place.
So who's left? Which companies still have online passes?
So who's left? Which companies still have online passes?
Sony, Ubisoft and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment are the most important ones.
An employee of an EA-owned studio agreeing with a decision made by EA proper? Why, I never!
Pai Pai Master
Banned
To be replaced by subscription fee for all games.
His usage fits the literal dictionary definition just fine (a prominent or conspicuous part or characteristic), it's just that the commonly accepted usage of "feature" is usually meant to describe something as being desirable. It's just so rare to see people describe something that is considered universally negative to be a feature.Isnt the word "feature" just definining that something is a part of something else? Or what is the proper word for it? (no jokes
Certainly not wrong, just hilarious.
You should realize that player response means sales have been signficantly lower than expected. That's the feedback they look at the most.
Lol, I thought the same.
Gamestop is still one of the biggest brick and mortar seller of video games and video game related electronics in the US. You don't want to piss them off and run the risk of them not carrying new consoles, but still reselling new consoles. From a purely top down view, even without the support of the big 3, Gamestop can still survive, just in a severely limited compacity; very reminicent of how FuncoLand was run back in the day.
dream431ca
Banned
First smart thing I've seen EA do in a long time.
StrongArmSteady
Member
Lost track fo the convo, has anyone raised the point that MTX are the replacment for Online Passes?
Microtransactions in Dead Space 3 (and FIFA XX) must have been sucessful for them, there will be less fallout than with Online passes...
Dont believe their lies...they've found something seemgly innocuous..
Microtransactions in Dead Space 3 (and FIFA XX) must have been sucessful for them, there will be less fallout than with Online passes...
Dont believe their lies...they've found something seemgly innocuous..
Diddy Kong
Banned
There's always a catch
Probably something worse in the pipe, but I definitely can see how an online pass can be financially detrimental, especially in online games with a lot of post-release DLC.
If someone picks up a used copy of BF3 a year from release at $20 buck or so, but never takes it online because they don't want to pay the $10 or whatever, that's no money gained. There should be no hurdles from someone getting invested in your multiplayer game each potential player is someone that would buy post-release content and get his or her friends playing the game.
Online pass always seemed petty and shortsighted.
If someone picks up a used copy of BF3 a year from release at $20 buck or so, but never takes it online because they don't want to pay the $10 or whatever, that's no money gained. There should be no hurdles from someone getting invested in your multiplayer game each potential player is someone that would buy post-release content and get his or her friends playing the game.
Online pass always seemed petty and shortsighted.
I am wondering how this helps with sales though? Seems like this only benefits people who buy the games used which EA sees no money from anyway.
EDIT: Tadale made a great point and that could explain why. Truth is best buy had BF 3 on sale for 9.99. I was going to buy it before I realized that I had to pay another 9.99 just to get online.
I do think there is more to the story though. Since when does EA listen to the consumers?
Omegasquash
Member
Color me skeptical.
Baconsammy
Banned
You don't need online passes when everything is always online accompanied by crazy DRM
And you don't need always-online if you have good DRM.
Incorrect. Gamestop met with both companies and came away praising them. They wouldn't do that if their main profit generator was being stripped away.
JrBaconCheeseburger
Member
Ending online pass because they have something else in the works for next-gen. EA can't be trusted
PlayerReady
Member
I can't understand the online pass, Activision and Take 2 don't use it and have been very successful. EA, Sony, and THQ do and have suffered for it. It's shit and does not guarantee revenue if your games are poor!
Yep. Who cares if you don't get your money from a kid that bought COD used? That's one more customer who might get their friends interested in the game, and one more customer who might buy in to DLC.
Players response...Ah! Don't make me laugh. EA could put a bee hive with each copy of Fifa or Mass Effect and players would buy them regardless..
There's always a catch. In this case, I think we should prepare ourselves for the next generation of consoles to be always online DRM.
Not Spaceghost
Spaceghost
Wait does this mean I can go out and buy that 12 dollar used copy of Battlefield 3 I've been eye balling and be able to play online?
Sure... praising them for having new games sales. We'll see what happens next. I will believe it when I see it.
This thread is proof everyone hates EA no matter what they do. =P
Off-Kilter
Banned
So GAF, is it safe to assume Riccitello's removal directly resulted in this?
Stumpokapow
listen to the mad man
I'm not really sure why everyone is going to "they're going to come up with something even more insidious".
They already have come up with their replacement. Have you played FIFA or Mass Effect online? Their multiplayer modes from now on are going to be built around gambling/collecting unlockable stuff/F2P-style stuff. They're getting rid of online passes because what they lose in margin on the used games they make up in revenue from Software as a Service. And then they discontinue the online servers for the games if they aren't generating profit any more.
And that's assuming they haven't also got revenue concessions from MS from Xbox Live, in which case they're also making a profit that way too.
Exactly, you nailed it.
They already have come up with their replacement. Have you played FIFA or Mass Effect online? Their multiplayer modes from now on are going to be built around gambling/collecting unlockable stuff/F2P-style stuff. They're getting rid of online passes because what they lose in margin on the used games they make up in revenue from Software as a Service. And then they discontinue the online servers for the games if they aren't generating profit any more.
And that's assuming they haven't also got revenue concessions from MS from Xbox Live, in which case they're also making a profit that way too.
Exactly, you nailed it.
Dick Justice
Banned
Poor EA. They're the real victims here. It's not like they have a history of anti-consumer bullshit, amirite?
Hahahaha! Didn't know about this. I knew they had to have something prepared.
FUT has been making money for several years, so that doesn't really draw a link between Online Pass and their regular Microtransaction models.
Online Pass itself incurs a cost to maintain and develop. The resources taken to keep up Online Pass and Good Faith, if people believe that or not, are the real reasons.
Just because there are far worse companies out there doesn't even nearly mean that this poll doesn't "mean anything."
It means that EA is seen as bad by the majority of gamers. To say this doesn't matter is silly.
GoddyofAus
Banned
Pretty resoundingly, I would've thought.
Is it a bad thing? The consumer makes the choice on whether to purchase an item that s/he can just normally unlock through gameplay. This is far better than a gateway purchase that everyone -must- make in order to even begin playing.
Baconsammy
Banned
Is that really a thing? If so, I imagine Activision also gets a piece?
Need more to follow suit. Though the others are likely to follow on the micro-transactions route as well...
Sony already does with UC3's F2P. -_-
I thought they always did which is why the map packs are exclusive for a month on the 360.
Sony already does with UC3's F2P. -_-
I thought they always did which is why the map packs are exclusive for a month on the 360.
Sums it up pretty well.
Nah, the two are related by a common incident. One is not the outcome of the other.
If the PS4 and Infinity both have optional used game protection, this is what the publishers will use instead.
Or as mentioned, this makes them look good since microtransactions are making them money (until that looks bad....when they become core parts of a game).