"Online Passes" this has gotta be a joke!

[FrankForce77]

Wow...ok so I just read in my issue of Game Informer and at 1up.com that EA is going to start to charge people to play a used game online at the price tag of $10. OMFG this has gotta be a joke, someone please tell me that it's BS. Used games have been around pretty much since gaming started and now someone is going to worry about loosing money on the sales of them? I for one think it's BS and I am totally against it. I buy games used if I think that the production values do not warrant a $60 price tag. Sorry but I only spend my hard earned money on something worth it to me. To charge someone $10 to play a used game online pretty much says to me "hey we are greedy bastards and want more of your money". Now I can see this months after a game has been released and their are pleanty of used games on the market but I still don't think it's right. And the fact that Gamescrew (Gamestop) is supporting this is even more mind boggling.

Source - http://www.1up.com/news/continuing-b...e-sales-online

[Variation-XBA]

You clearly don't see the other side to the argument.

Companies spend millions on a game. they get their return when you go buy it new from wherever. When you go to EB and buy it used for $5 cheaper, they get nothing and EB gets all the profit.

Don't want to spend the $10? then buy it new which is going to be $10 more anyways, so it's the same thing (provided you keep the game ofcourse).

It's because of used game sales that things are going to trend this way, cause the developer/publisher need to get their cut somehow. Like the game? Support the company and buy it new. Too expensive? Wait till it drops in price cause realistically, saving $5 for a used copy really isnt anything at all.

[FrankForce77]

I see the other side and I sorta agree on it but I still think charging the gamers $10 instead of the big corporate giant that is Gamestop is a big mistake. Why should the little man get screwed with what EA or any other large company is not making? Our government does the same thing to us a citizens and it's not right. Does anybody here actually believe that EA, Gamestop, Activision or any of these other large companies give a damn about us the gamers? I say pass that cost on to the large companies that sell used games instead of me....I am sure that me and people like me are struggling more than those big companies and their rich CEO's.

[Conchord]

You clearly don't see the other side to the argument.

Companies spend millions on a game. they get their return when you go buy it new from wherever. When you go to EB and buy it used for $5 cheaper, they get nothing and EB gets all the profit.

Don't want to spend the $10? then buy it new which is going to be $10 more anyways, so it's the same thing (provided you keep the game ofcourse).

It's because of used game sales that things are going to trend this way, cause the developer/publisher need to get their cut somehow. Like the game? Support the company and buy it new. Too expensive? Wait till it drops in price cause realistically, saving $5 for a used copy really isnt anything at all.

EA made money when the first person bought the game. No need to make twice the amount off the same disc.

Don't know what the big deal is, they (publishers) continually rape gamers in the ass (DLC price, charging monthly fees for LIVE, delivering an 8 hour ****ing goddamned piece of **** single player mother ****ing campaign and making two "sequels" that could have easily been one ****ing game).

[Variation-XBA]

Companies exist to make money, if you think otherwise, you're fooling yourself. Things and times have changed. I'm not siding with them at all, but you don't get the other side of it.

Like I said, don't like it? Then wait till the price drops, not sure what else you want other than a handout? You'ld be nieve to think that this is going to be a fad or something, it's going to catch on and people will buy it. Same thing goes for the map packs for MW2; look how many people were furious and upset about a $15 map pack, yet look how many millions sold.

[Steeps5]

Same thing goes for the map packs for MW2; look how many people were furious and upset about a $15 map pack, yet look how many millions sold.

I can gladly say I didn't contribute =)

[Ainokeatoo]

Simple thing to do, is not to buy EA games, they don't have good games anyways, their good games are turning horrible, and they can't even keep their hyped up beta stable, that of which, isn't even open to everyone, just people who pre-ordered.

[FrankForce77]

This is soooo true as I think that Medal of Honor is going to be a flop. I played their Beta and in my opinion unless it get's a huge amount of polish, and because it's in beta it won't get that much unless they puch back the release date, it's gonna be a turd imo. I won't be buying their games that's for sure.

[Whisper]

Just wait until COD is 5 free hours per week, then you buy hours with microsoft points. It's coming folks, I know.

[Conchord]

Companies exist to make money, if you think otherwise, you're fooling yourself. Things and times have changed. I'm not siding with them at all, but you don't get the other side of it.

Like I said, don't like it? Then wait till the price drops, not sure what else you want other than a handout? You'ld be nieve to think that this is going to be a fad or something, it's going to catch on and people will buy it. Same thing goes for the map packs for MW2; look how many people were furious and upset about a $15 map pack, yet look how many millions sold.

Expansion of profits and simply making money are not the same thing. I get the "other side of it" perfectly well, I've been through plenty of business classes, and understand just what EA is doing, and its bull ****. Just like charging airline passengers a rated fee for using wireless internet. It was free at one point, then they realized "hey, why should overpriced tickets alone pay for this when we can charge customers again??".

I don't like it... Guess what I'm going to do? Not buy any of it, at all, ever! The only reason it keeps escalating is exactly the reason you stated... All the ****ing sheep who ***** about the price, while paying it regardless. Tell those immature, ignorant dip****s to look up the word "boycott"!!!

But on second thought, this is Xbox Live users we are talking about, *****ing without regard to anything other than *****ing is their primary function.

[SpaceGhost2K]

I see the other side and I sorta agree on it but I still think charging the gamers $10 instead of the big corporate giant that is Gamestop is a big mistake. Why should the little man get screwed with what EA or any other large company is not making? Our government does the same thing to us a citizens and it's not right. Does anybody here actually believe that EA, Gamestop, Activision or any of these other large companies give a damn about us the gamers? I say pass that cost on to the large companies that sell used games instead of me....I am sure that me and people like me are struggling more than those big companies and their rich CEO's.

You might pay Gamestop $55 or $50 instead of $60 for a game and then Gamestop gives you $22 in trade for it, and you think it's EA that's screwing you and you're coming to Gamestop's defense? Explain to me how that works, exactly. If EA is screwing you, then Gamestop is also screwing you, except that Gamestop gets to do it over and over and over as they rotate games.

The big difference? Gamestop doesn't make games, EA does. If EA kills Gamestop, so what? If Gamestop kills EA, they kill themselves with it, AND your gaming hobby to boot.

EA made money when the first person bought the game. No need to make twice the amount off the same disc.

If I star in a movie, should I just get paid my acting fee, or should I get a little bit every time someone buys a DVD, or watches it on television, too? Intellectual property doesn't work the same way as making a car and then not benefiting from when it's sold used.

Don't know what the big deal is, they (publishers) continually rape gamers in the ass (DLC price, charging monthly fees for LIVE, delivering an 8 hour ****ing goddamned piece of **** single player mother ****ing campaign and making two "sequels" that could have easily been one ****ing game).

Don't know what the big deal is, they (publishers) continually provide gamers the opportunity to continue playing games they like beyond their normal conclusion without forcing the extra content onto fans who have moved on.

I can gladly say I didn't contribute =)

Can you gladly say that you didn't get to play a lot of matches with a lot of friends who were playing on maps you didn't own? Was it worth the three latte's you got instead?

Simple thing to do, is not to buy EA games, they don't have good games anyways, their good games are turning horrible, and they can't even keep their hyped up beta stable, that of which, isn't even open to everyone, just people who pre-ordered.

Yeah, 'cause Dead Space 1 and 2, Mirror's Edge, Need for Speed: Pro Street, Madden, Mass Effect, Dragon Age: Origin aren't good games. And how rude of them to use the sale of one game to promote sales of another by offering a beta. Didn't Halo do that with Crackdown? Good thing because if they didn't, most people wouldn't have known about Crackdown and we wouldn't have the two awesome games we have today.

You guys are missing one significant point. Games aren't like the old days where one dev can spend six weeks making a game that sells four million copies. Those died with E.T. Games are costing millions of dollars to make, and good games are costing tens and hundreds of millions of dollars to make. Chit's gonna get serious, yo. If you want to keep playing, you ARE gonna keep paying. If you don't like that, maybe you should consider a different hobby. With all of the Rockband 3, Kinect, Dance Central stuff I have to buy for Christmas this year for multiple households, I'm looking at a THOUSAND DOLLARS worth of gaming stuff, and no, that's not counting future DLC for RB3 and DC, which will be a LOT. Heck, that's not even buying a console. A lot of people will have to, just to get started.

But they've got you, and they know they've got you. Gaming has taken over the entertainment medium of choice. Imagine all of your friends, family and associates talking about every movie in the past five years and you can't because you didn't see them. Or about the music but you haven't heard them. Culturally, you have to stay in the loop or remain relevant to your personal contacts.

I don't understand this concept of "they owe it to us" or "it should be free" or "we're getting screwed." Last I heard, EA isn't holding your wallet, you are. EA doesn't have a gun to your head. People see game devs and pubs trying to protect their future existence by trying to protect their current revenue flow. If you owned a business in this industry, would you not be doing the same thing? When you're watching pirates use this as an excuse to play stuff that cost you millions of dollars for free because they think YOU'RE greedy?

[FrankForce77]

For the record I do not spend my hard earned money at Gamestop as I shop at a local business that is privatly owned. The owner supports his family....not like a rich ceo lining their pockets.

[Conchord]

Last I heard, EA isn't holding your wallet, you are.

[Ainokeatoo]

Yeah, 'cause Dead Space 1 and 2, Mirror's Edge, Need for Speed: Pro Street, Madden, Mass Effect, Dragon Age: Origin aren't good games. And how rude of them to use the sale of one game to promote sales of another by offering a beta. Didn't Halo do that with Crackdown? Good thing because if they didn't, most people wouldn't have known about Crackdown and we wouldn't have the two awesome games we have today.

None of those games are of my liking, and I was using the term "Good" loosely, I don't like buying single player games, I buy mainly online multiplayer games, very rarely will I ever buy single player campaign based games. What? I never said they're using the sale of one game to promote the sale of another. People who Pre-Ordered MoH are the ones who got into the beta. But the difference between MoH, and Halo, is, not only did one have a much larger tester base, but it was more stable than the former.

You guys are missing one significant point. Games aren't like the old days where one dev can spend six weeks making a game that sells four million copies. Those died with E.T. Games are costing millions of dollars to make, and good games are costing tens and hundreds of millions of dollars to make. Chit's gonna get serious, yo. If you want to keep playing, you ARE gonna keep paying. If you don't like that, maybe you should consider a different hobby. With all of the Rockband 3, Kinect, Dance Central stuff I have to buy for Christmas this year for multiple households, I'm looking at a THOUSAND DOLLARS worth of gaming stuff, and no, that's not counting future DLC for RB3 and DC, which will be a LOT. Heck, that's not even buying a console. A lot of people will have to, just to get started.

But the thing is, the game in the store on those shelves, have already been paid for, the video game company has already made it's money by selling to the store, so the game might not be brand spanking new. The only person short of money is the store who may or may not now be out sixty bucks per game copy because the returner didn't like the game. Unless you're saying it's wrong for a person to purchase a game, not like it, then take it back.

I don't understand this concept of "they owe it to us" or "it should be free" or "we're getting screwed." Last I heard, EA isn't holding your wallet, you are. EA doesn't have a gun to your head. People see game devs and pubs trying to protect their future existence by trying to protect their current revenue flow. If you owned a business in this industry, would you not be doing the same thing? When you're watching pirates use this as an excuse to play stuff that cost you millions of dollars for free because they think YOU'RE greedy?

What? You have to purchase a USED game, how does that make you a pirate? I mean, haven't you ever sold something of yours to a friend? A car, piece of furniture, TV, anything? Pirates steal things, they steal movies, games, e-books, etc, anything digital desired by someone that costs money that they take without paying is basically a pirate. How is someone buying something from someone the same as being a pirate?

Sure, the store may be making money off it, but it is THEIR property once they purchase it to stock their store, it is THEIR merchandise if the customer who purchased it didn't like it and returned it. EA should not be nickle and diming the bread and butter of their online community. How many normal people REALLY go out of their way to pre-order a copy of a slightly upgraded but mostly the same as last years NFL game, when they could spend the same amount of money to pre-order Reach or something new that proclaims it hasn't been done before?

EA can do whatever it wants, the quality of their games are going down, the quality of their service is going down, then they want more money on top of the price for their DLC. That's fine, doesn't bother me none, I just won't purchase their games unless it's something I can't pass up.

[12buckmafia-XBA]

Seems fair to me. EA owns their online servers. Used games = more people playing the same disc = more storage profiles put on their system = more replay videos uploaded = more storage space used. This to me seems no different than 1 a person MMO activation keys, though in this case you're not paying a monthly fee to access the game.

The biggest problem I see in this isn't EA charging $10 to people playing from a used game. The biggest problem I see is them charging $10 and then shutting the online server off on a paid-for service.

I'd take issue too if you bought the game used and not purchasing an online pass would inhibit you from downloading DLC.

[Ainokeatoo]

Seems fair to me. EA owns their online servers. Used games = more people playing the same disc = more storage profiles put on their system = more replay videos uploaded = more storage space used. This to me seems no different than 1 a person MMO activation keys, though in this case you're not paying a monthly fee to access the game.

Bungie owns it's own servers to, and while their list of games may not be as large, they have to do the exact same thing. EA has been losing money for years because they stretch themselves so thin over so many studio's.

[Unreal]

None of those games are of my liking, and I was using the term "Good" loosely, I don't like buying single player games, I buy mainly online multiplayer games, very rarely will I ever buy single player campaign based games. What? I never said they're using the sale of one game to promote the sale of another. People who Pre-Ordered MoH are the ones who got into the beta. But the difference between MoH, and Halo, is, not only did one have a much larger tester base, but it was more stable than the former.



But the thing is, the game in the store on those shelves, have already been paid for, the video game company has already made it's money by selling to the store, so the game might not be brand spanking new. The only person short of money is the store who may or may not now be out sixty bucks per game copy because the returner didn't like the game. Unless you're saying it's wrong for a person to purchase a game, not like it, then take it back.



What? You have to purchase a USED game, how does that make you a pirate? I mean, haven't you ever sold something of yours to a friend? A car, piece of furniture, TV, anything? Pirates steal things, they steal movies, games, e-books, etc, anything digital desired by someone that costs money that they take without paying is basically a pirate. How is someone buying something from someone the same as being a pirate?

Sure, the store may be making money off it, but it is THEIR property once they purchase it to stock their store, it is THEIR merchandise if the customer who purchased it didn't like it and returned it. EA should not be nickle and diming the bread and butter of their online community. How many normal people REALLY go out of their way to pre-order a copy of a slightly upgraded but mostly the same as last years NFL game, when they could spend the same amount of money to pre-order Reach or something new that proclaims it hasn't been done before?

EA can do whatever it wants, the quality of their games are going down, the quality of their service is going down, then they want more money on top of the price for their DLC. That's fine, doesn't bother me none, I just won't purchase their games unless it's something I can't pass up.

Great post. People are so quick to judge others when they don't like something. I always buy my games new so it doesn't affect me. But I do have friends that can't afford to buy new all the time and its those people that it affects. Not only does EA close down servers to get you to buy newer versions of games, they charge you for content you paid for and call it DLC. People are just upset with this because it seems like its EA's way of making money to make up for their more misses then hit games they release.