EA SPORTS can suck a fat one....

[YLWFVR]

This is a bunch of crap...




"If you buy your sports games used and enjoy playing them online for free, EA would like to have a word with you.

And that word would be "no."

The mega-publisher announced Monday that beginning with the June 8th release of Tiger Woods 11, 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."

Sounds fine and dandy, but for one catch: while the code comes free with new copies of any EA Sports game, it can only be used once. Buy the game used -- or even just rent it through a service like GameFly -- and you'll be unable to play it online beyond a free seven-day trial period...unless you cough up $10 for an additional Online Pass.

"This is an important inflection point in our business because it allows us to accelerate our commitment to enhance premium online services to the entire robust EA SPORTS online community," said EA Sports president Peter Moore.

According to the official Online Pass site, online services that will be affected by the feature include "multiplayer online play, group features like online dynasty and leagues, user created content, and bonus downloadable content for your game including, for example, a new driver in Tiger."

The move is part of EA's so-called "Project Ten Dollar" initiative and is considered another attack on the used game market, which many publishers see as a financial black hole. EA has made prior attempts to dissuade the practice, although it remains an affordable solution to gamers looking for a bit of a bargain at the cost of owning new.

Interestingly, leading game retailer GameStop, who enjoy substantial revenue from selling used games, is seemingly supportive of the new program.

"This relationship allows us to capitalize on our investments to market and sell downloadable content online, as well as through our network of stores worldwide," said GameStop CEO Dan DeMatteo.

So is this a smart move by EA, or merely another case of a publisher gouging its customers? "

 

[SlowSRT4]

I also like how they just cut online play for their games, sometimes after only a year, when it is all P2P anyway so there is no server cost involved.

Nobody else does this crap.

 

[YLWFVR]

With all the crappy rehashed sports games they've been coming out in the last few years, this is just more justification to not buy their games anymore.

Freakin greedy bastards!!!

 

[mrvids]

One more reason not to buy EA $ports. They are already one of the more overpriced games because they don't really change much from year to year, so you're paying a lot of money for games that are really that aren't updated much except for uniforms.

 

[CRASH]

It's not greedy. It's called business. People want everything for free, and that's the problem and get all up in arms when they can't get it.

 

[RyeLou]

Maybe they can put the extra money towards better servers.

 

[AutoEuphoria]

This will become pretty common in the future. Game companies want to cash in on the used game business.

I'm not a fan of it either, because I used to buy ONLY used games. Saved a ton of money that way. I just hope it doesn't leap to other industries. Imagine Ford making a "one-owner-only" key that deactivates once the car is traded in or sold, then charging the new owner $1k for their own key. :scared:

 

[foncarelli]

Its in the game..

 

[DRKCYDE]

Don't play many ea games, nor buy many used.

 

[robvas]

EA has been a bunch of assholes for a long time.

Re-making the same shit year after year, trying to lock other game companies out of the business by exclusivity contracts with sports leagues, buying small game companies and ruining them.

I used to fantasize about working for them when I was a kid, turns out that would have probably been a disaster.