The days of entering codes into your PlayStation 3 before connecting with your peers are long over, as EA has announced that it’s doing away with its Online Pass system. In an email sent to GamesBeat overnight, the company’s senior director of corporate communications John Reseburg confirmed that the publisher’s poised to do away with the controversial practice for all of its future releases.
Reseburg explained that “many players didn't respond to the format”, despite the initiative being adopted by virtually every other publisher in the industry. "We've listened to the feedback and decided to do away with it moving forward,” he said candidly.
Of course, you have every right to feel cynical. EA introduced the Online Pass in 2010, and instantly reported profits of $10 - $15 million from the system, which forced folks purchasing used games to pay extra for any included online options. With such a large chunk of change being left on the table, we have to imagine that the publisher has an alternative revenue stream in mind – those microtransactions in Mass Effect 3 proved popular, didn’t they?
[source venturebeat.com, via joystiq.com]
Comments 16
Now they can charge everyone all the DLC and Microtransactions available for their games at least now I can play online when someone lends or I lend a copy one of their games.
In the other hand they are no longer going to sell the Season Passes for their games I think this two might be related.
I'm curious what this means for uPlay and PSN Pass and all of the others.
I never buy used games and rarely play online but this is cool for those that do.
has anyone else noticed that since the old CO of EA left (or was sacked whatever happened) some of the news coming from EA has actually been good?
This is great news for me as I rent most games at the moment!
Dear SONY do not include online pass in The Last of Us! Please!
Now it's just a question of what new scheme EA will implement instead of this. You can already hear them cackling from deep inside the bowels of their evil tower.
^ this
people are thinking if online passes are be discontinued are they going with the "disk lock" feature.
I hate them unless I'm buying a newer game and the total price difference between new and used w/ a pass would be negligible.
Yeah EA is scary cause they keep changing stuff about themselves lol
Are they planning another source, or are they trying to get people to stop hating them?
People will never stop hating EA. I'm not there biggest fan but I don't think they are the devil like most people either.
What? With micro transactions and releasing half of their game's original content afterwards as DLC, they don't need this anymore?
To little to late,I will still NEVER by another game With the name EA on it, this isn't the only reason by the way
LOL. "Players didn't respond to the format".
Obviously getting rid of this is a good thing. But it probably just means microtransactions in big budget games.
So nobody actually came up with any replacement ideas? They aren't going to leave that $10 - $15 million laying around.
2 ideas off the top of my head:
EA Online - $50 per year for an account for ALL of EAs games, regardless of format - PS3/4, Xboxen, PC (No WiiU as has been reported EA is not making a single game for WiiU, maybe this is why?)
EA Game Pass - It's like "online pass" only it isn't in the box. When you go to play the game online you'll just pay them, maybe like WOW $5 per month or something.
Probably some combination of the 2 so EA can advertise to it's customers, "Your choice: Pay only $5 per month per game, or for only $50 play any game you want for as long as you want!!"
EA created Origin and has had a falling out w/ Nintendo for reasons as yet unknown. And you don't get to be the most evil company in the world 2 years running by all of a sudden turning around and playing nice w/ your customers.
In closing as usual, E3 for more info.
Better believe something els is brewing to take its place. Rejoice now before the storm hits.
Tap here to load 16 comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...