That's EA for you :(

[Hogezz]

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/28482/EA_Sports_Introduces_Online_Pass_For_Premium_Content_Online_Play.php

[MandaloreFett]

I completely agree with what EA is doing. They are being hurt while disgusting and greedy companies like Gamestop are making a killing by blatantly and maliciously ripping people off. When Shitstop sells a game used for 5 bucks less than new and makes a monster profit, the makers and publishers of the game make nothing. I am actually glad EA is doing this and I actually hope more companies do this to combat the crap that Shitstop gets away with.

[RageProphetXIII]

I'm sorry but I totally disagree with you here. No matter what EA makes a killing on their rehash of sports games they just don't like that another company is making money of selling used games.

Gamestop I don't even use. only to buy new games and it's rare I go and buy anythign from there but I have in the past I don't even trade games in because they only give you a third of what they sell them for and that's just not right.

EA is really hurting themselves and friends who lend out games. I can play a game that my buddy lent me unless I buy the online features. This is getting out of control. In the end I just won't by EA games not even if they are new.

All of a sudden companies that are not putting out any new games are complaining they are loosing money. Well hey If my only franchise is a game I that is pretty much the same as the last I'd be loosing money too. It's called lack of creative product. How about you start making some games we like and quit selling crap that is only for one demographic. Instead of investing time on DRM crap that no one wants, and start making better and different games you may just make some money istead of spending valuable time on damage control.

It's call Adaptation. This is a new digital age. Whatever game is out there, there is one that is the same and it's free. Yes there are people out there who hack and copy but there are always people out there that will buy your product because they want more from you.....so how about it EA, Sony and others get off your asses and make games and software we want and ask for.

[MandaloreFett]

Well you are someone that is unfortunately uncommon, that being a person that doesn't go to Gamestop and trades in games. Look at the statistics, they make a majority of their money and a good amount on the sales of used games, they barely make anything new. That's where the companies making the games get ripped off just like the customers who are trading their games into Gamestop. I agree that sports games are basically the same every year but they continue to sell well so EA is going to continue to produce them. It is a way to battle the sale of used games and although it may not be the best way to do it its the right one.

[Zabka]

I agree with fett. Not so much on the evil of gamestop but more in the fact that games cost $10s of millions of dollars to make and market, so to lose revenues on used sales hurts us all. Both the cost of games as well as the cost of maintenance are burdens to the company with no compensation.

Rage, you just kind of contradicted yourself. You berate EA for rehashing sports games and making a ton of money but then you say that they are losing money off the slower sales of those games. The reality is that they make money, bur not that much and the sales have been declining because of your very point. People dint have to buy these sports games and many have stopped as a result. Charging $10 for access isn't going to make them a ton of money, but it provides incentive to buy new instead of used games. It's sensible. Take two loses a ton of money on MLB games due to a bad licensing contract with MLB. But ea is struggling more with declining sales.

100s of people's jobs are associated with the success of those games. If people don't like the games they don't have to buy it--new or used. It's simple. I woul have more of a problem if they charged everyone for online access. I think that day isn't far off.

Besides that, the call for new games etc is constantly something the companies try to do. But if they don't sell well, they are in big trouble. Only a couple companies have the capital base to try something truly innovative and survive. But they get hit pretty bad nonetheless.

I am a believer that unless somebody is doing something for free or choose to give it away, they should get compensated for it. Otherwise, there will be no investments in the space. You can't make a game like mw2 or bioshock or bfbc2 or gears without expecting a return.

[AlphaOmega82]

HAHA EA definitely seems to have grow a pretty big set here. Unfortunately, I'm with Rage on this one. For a company that is trying to buy up the game industry as a whole, this is a low blow. So now I'll be paying $79.99 for a game that will be outdated within a year.

If it wasn't for EA Tiburon and Burnout I would have completely blew off all EA games. Why would an XBox user be required to pay to play online for their games AND be required to pay a fee to play online for EA games. Kinda seems like EA is overplaying the market too much. If it wasn't for their growing monopoly over sports games, they'd be dead in the water.

I can't wait to hear the groans when the next overhyped version of Madden comes out. I don't think even Drew Brees will pull em out of that mess. When EA puts out a game that is worth $10 then they will get my damn money. Hell they even put the NCAA Basketball franchise to sleep.

[captnjeter]

I don't think EA should be doing this, but I don't disagree with what they're doing. I'll explain.

I have no problem with them charging money for online access to people who buy used games. Because the person who does buy a used game does, in a way, get around paying full price for a game where the majority of the people do pay full price.

However, I'm not sure how many people actually buy used sports games, or even sell them in. Unless you absolutely hate the game, you'll probably keep it throughout the sport's respective season. No matter what, I never trade in my football games until March/April. Now there are obviously people who are different than me. But if a there are a lot of people who feel the same way, and a majority of trade ins don't happen until the season is over, well then who is going to buy a cheaper version of a game with a new game just months away, and it's not even that sport's season.

This idea would actually work more with games like CoD or Warhawk, games where the length of time between the next addition is more than a year.

[Zabka]

Alpha, The 10 is for used owners to get access, not new owners.

And this move will probably go beyond sports games. Bfbc2 charges 15 for people who buy it used to get some weapons and the updates.

[RageProphetXIII]

The way I see the used game racket is this......we've all stood there looking for games at the store and have wondered well should I get this one or wait. Sometimes we have doubts and we just wait for the price to drop. Great. I'm sure at some point or another we come across a game we thought would be cool and got it only to find it's a huge appointment.

Used games serve a purpose too not all of us can afford to drop 60 everytime we want a game so we wait. I've bought used games to find that damn its' an awesome game and the next one I'm getting it at lauch. It's like advertisement.

If game companies don't want to loose that much revanue then don't sell the games to Gamestop......sell them at Wallmart, Target....places were they don't sell used games. They do sell to Gamestop so they should stop bitching. I agree that it's crappy for developers to lose out on that revenue but are you gonna take a cut if I sell my used game to my buddy. Or when I hand one down to my nephew who can't buy his own your now gonna be a dick about it and make them pay for every gift I give him. It's just very DIckIsH.

Mostly I'm just dissappointed that these company are using up their time fixing their shortcomings by charging the gamers More....I mean Like SONY. Taking away the OS feature has only made it more obvious that I have over Payed for my console.....Shit I paid 400 when I could of just got the slim for 300.....so where is my 100 bucks. Huh...

[MandaloreFett]

With the growing trend I think its something we are just gonna have to get used to. DLC, DRM, and things like EA's "Project Ten Dollar" are here to stay. If they implemented some of these things and they didn't work or blew up in their face then they would stop, but look at how many people spent $15 (!!) on a map pack for MW2. Companies see this and will follow suit. I have bought every DLC for games like Borderlands and Dragon Age; when they add on stuff that add to the story it is worth it. Its just something that used sales have created, much like piracy and DRM

[MandaloreFett]

@Rage-- I never made use of the "Other OS" function on my PS3 nor do I think I know anyone who did. Was it really that important? And Sony didn't charge for that so I was somewhat confused. Also imagine people who paid 500 or 600 dollars for their PS3s and had 20-80GB of space and now you can get 120GB for 300. It's just what happens in time with electronics. And as for giving games to your nephew and selling to your friends thats not the same, a corporation and the rats that work there are getting EXTREMELY rich by ripping off consumers and developers alike. Wal-Mart is the world's biggest game sellers but most people know of Gamestop as the only "game store" any more and chalk it up to laziness and sometimes stupidity when some people trade things in