Michael Corvin

I was reading this article over on Yahoo! that mentioned that EA sports titles starting with Tiger Woods 2011 will carry a $10 fee to play online if you purchase the game used.

I don't think we've really discussed it here, so what are your thoughts?

BTW, the comments over there are golden.

Liver&Onions

gamestop better lower the fucking price on a used copy then!

or not. I would seeing people spend $54.99 on a used copy, only to have to pay $10 to play online. That would be gold!

Deftones

absolutely not. it's ridiculous that EA is trying to dictate terms to used game stores. personally, I'd love for Gamestop to completely stop selling EA games in protest. hit them where it really hurts: the bottom line. I know it will never happen, but still ridiculous. and fwiw, i hate Gamestop's used game prices and never buy used there.

from what i understand, say i own the game, but take it over to my brother's house to play. i don't believe i'd be able to play it on there without paying another $10, since the one time use code is tied to your specific machine. once you start dictating the terms of the use of the game, that's a big fuck you to the customer.

UncleGramps

Gamestop is actually involved in this: http://www.businesswire.com/portal/s...98&newsLang=en

Michael Corvin

That's the kicker though, EA makes $0 off of Gamestop's used games already so if GS stops carrying them, EA still makes $0 and now so does GS. It won't hurt EA's bottom line at all, in fact the goal is to curb all the used sales anyway, so GS discontinuing EA sales is the ultimate goal.

Personally, I have no problems with this. There is no fee if you buy new. EA makes no money on used so that's the point of the $10. I'm all for it. I have no love for GS and buy 99% of my games new anyway. The developers and producers deserved to get paid for their product.

Liver&Onions

I think Deftones meant new EA games as well.

Deftones

yeah, new games. stop selling EA products period. the only way Gamestop is involved in this bullshit is if they are getting discounted rates on new product. no way a company would voluntarily agree to make less money unless they get something in return.

Boba Fett

If "online services, features, and bonus content" means all new buyers get DLC for free, I'd say I'm ok with it. Sadly, I'm sure EA is intentionally wording this vaguely to make people think that's the case.

ultimaton

Aside from scenario brought up by Deftones I don't have a problem with it. I don't mind EA trying to get something out of the used game market.

DeanoBKN

I am all for this as well. I expect to see a lot more of this in the future from other publishers too.

Deftones, I believe the code is linked to your gamertag, so all you have to do is load up yours to play it, and your friend has a free 7 day pass.

Drexl

It will probably be some trivial content rather than anything they produce for that game. You know, the kind of stuff that comes out the same week as the game. I just hope these codes still work after a year or more, for those of us who tend to wait until games get cheap.

dx23

Hmmm, hasn't EA been doing this already for the past 2 years? NBA Live 09 and 10 had a one time only codes that connects the user to the roster and dynamic updates. I don't know why people are thinking this is new.

SunMonkey

I like it.

akrate69

This would include EA games traded on sites like this also, right? I don't like it. If this works, it'll just be the first step. Next it won't work offline either, and so on. The developers and producers got paid when the game originally sold.

maxfisher

I think it's bullshit. It'd be hilarious if Gamestop stopped selling new EA games, but kept buying and selling used ones and offering 800 microsoft points with each used purchase.

fumanstan

I don't have an issue with a developer finding ways to profit off the used game market, although i'm a bit biased.

Gizmo

No.

Movie studios don't get additional money from second-hand purchases of movies (DVD/Blu-ray).
Neither do car makers.
Or anyone else.

So fuck 'em. And when everyone turns to piracy, too bad for them.

Gizmo

Sweet.

So when you decide to sell your used DVDs, be sure to send the respective studios a 15% cut. No, really. Same with video games. Are you not willing to do that? Perhaps you shouldn't agree with this silly policy.

The Bus

This affects me in precisely not a single way.

Gizmo

If you decide to trade/sell your games, they will diminish in value quicker. All in all, it helps out us as consumers in no way. It's all for EA to rake up more money.

Deftones

Yeah, for those people who don't think it'll affect them, they aren't trading games in. Most people trade games and this will make EA games worth less on the resale market.

Supermallet

It's bullshit, but it's not illegal. However, I will never pay an extra $10 to play online or get DLC. In fact, unless it's a game I'm dying to play online (i.e. Rock Band 3), I won't active the one time use code, which means it will be available for the next person who buys it used from me.

Groucho

If EA left their servers up indefinitely I could see them doing this. But they don't. They take down servers for old games (even when there is still an active community) in order to force people to "upgrade" to the new version (read: same game, updated roster).

Decker

If the DLC is just bonus stuff like the VIP pack now or a trivial online functionality like the NBA Live 2010 season stat integration had, then I think it's no big deal. If the game is significantly hampered online, on the other hand, that makes second hand games worthless and I'm not for that at all. It doesn't take much to make me prefer the new games -- even digital boobies seem to do the trick. Let's not take this too far, EA.

BTW Corvin, how do you conclude based on the quote "all future EA Sports games for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 will include a one-time, game-specific 'Online Pass' code, which grants access to 'online services, features and bonus content.'" that you won't be able to play the game online if you don't buy it new?

DVDChris

yeah this has zero effect on me. With the prices on the games on Amazon recently, I see no need to buy used. Plus I never sell my games. I keep every single one of them. I actually liked the extra content given to those who bought mass effect 2 brand new.