EA Sports Locks Out Multiplayer Modes On Used Sales

[Skaw]

For the sports titles, yeah, it's a shit method when you're looking at a guaranteed release every year. Other games, like Mass Effect 2, it's a pretty good method. You get a code that gets you some exclusive DLC for free new, or you pay for it used. Movies are good example, books, not so much. It doesn't take several million dollars, pre-advertising, to make a book.

 

[Strid]

And no, it's not a legal mandate for a company to gouge the customers as much as possible. It's a decent short term strategy, but it's a great way to go out of business long term. I'm not saying EA is anywhere near on its way out, I'm just saying that they have a choice. You lose customers and drain more money from the ones you keep. It's far from certain.

This isn't gouging, but it is backhanding a federal law. It would be gouging if they were to raise an MSRP, not a price set by a store profiting off of their work. I also think IW (through MW2 PC) and Ubisoft (throguh DRM) has showed us that things like this do not really have enough of a negative impact on sales to even warrant the worry. Also, given the majority of people EA attracts to their games, it's not exactly the group of people who care about anything other than if they buy a game used it cost more money to play online, making this only an issue "other people" seem to care about.

 

[Xalioniaf]

My city has an 8.25% sales tax. If I were to order a used game online, pay the shipping, and purchase an online key pass, it would come out about even compared to buying the game new. I'd actually get the game for five dollars less if I just drove down to my local Gamestop and picked it up used there, and bought the code when I got home.
Seriously, seems like dissenters are bitching just to bitch. It might still end up better to buy it used depending on your local sales tax.

 

[Taurothar]

I think the largest problem with the attack on the secondary sales market and piracy in general as well is that games are often far too shitty to pay full price for. I fully admit that I have pirated games to try them out. If I like the game, I buy it to experience everything it has to offer; if the game sucks balls, I don't buy it. Why should I have to gamble $60+tax/shipping/gas just to try out a game that doesn't have a public demo? I can't buy a game, try it and return it if it sucks, they have return policies that strictly prohibit returns for refund on opened games because of codes like this, or piracy. If I were to instantly turn around and trade in a game used, I could at most get back what, 30% of my investment? In my financial situation, I have to spend my entertainment dollars wisely (hence MMO, best bang for buck) so I don't risk spending the money on potential wastes of money. I know I'm just justifying a crime, but let's be honest here, it's a crime that only hurts the shitty game makers. I don't go making copies of the pirated games and hand them out to my buddies, or even host torrents after they finish dl'ing (bad practice, but I suppose I'm not a nice pirate). In my eyes, my only crime is sticking it to the people who push out rushed or near unplayable games that really don't warrant the price tag.

I also am interested in the comment that "this will reduce the number of ____ '09 sitting in gamestops" but just the opposite. They'll still accept the trades, but people won't buy them quite as readily. Also, prices will drop quickly as they get traded in. When gamestop only pays 3 bucks for a 60 dollar game, only to resell it for 45 and 10 bucks for the online access code, I could instantly see that this was a profiteering scheme concocted to swindle parents or significant others making a heartfelt purchase only to find out there's more to buy. I kind of relate it to buying a blu-ray player for someone and not giving them the HDMI cable to hook it up. Sure you have a player, and it can be hooked up with what comes with it, but what's the point without HD picture? It's the very "batteries not included" marketing that has been around for ages and only seems to adapt itself to every form of sales.

 

[Skaw]

I think the largest problem with the attack on the secondary sales market and piracy in general as well is that games are often far too shitty to pay full price for. I fully admit that I have pirated games to try them out. If I like the game, I buy it to experience everything it has to offer; if the game sucks balls, I don't buy it. Why should I have to gamble $60+tax/shipping/gas just to try out a game that doesn't have a public demo?

On the otherhand, games have cost $50-$60 for a long time. But the cost to make them has gone up wildly in the same amount of time. And take in to consideration the second hand market and piracy. It's a wonder we're not paying two, three times the amount we do now since cost to buy the product hasn't reflected the cost it takes to make it.

But even the shitty games are tens of millions of dollars spent in development.

 

[johnno25]

I don't know what to think about this. EA wants us to pay $10 for playing a used game online? What's next, i buy a used car and have to pay the manufacturer $1000 for the code to unlock the gas cap? Games weren't the first market to not profit off of used sales and i'm sure won't be the last.

 

[Xalioniaf]

On the otherhand, games have cost $50-$60 for a long time. But the cost to make them has gone up wildly in the same amount of time. And take in to consideration the second hand market and piracy. It's a wonder we're not paying two, three times the amount we do now since cost to buy the product hasn't reflected the cost it takes to make it.

Well, it's a wonder as long as you're not living in Australia.

I don't know what to think about this. EA wants us to pay $10 for playing a used game online? What's next, i buy a used car and have to pay the manufacturer $1000 for the code to unlock the gas cap? Games weren't the first market to not profit off of used sales and i'm sure won't be the last.

Auto manufacturers aren't exactly griping about the second-hand vehicle market.

 

[Skaw]

I don't know what to think about this. EA wants us to pay $10 for playing a used game online? What's next, i buy a used car and have to pay the manufacturer $1000 for the code to unlock the gas cap? Games weren't the first market to not profit off of used sales and i'm sure won't be the last.

Don't used car dealerships have to be licensed by manufacturers to sell their brands, which costs the dealership money?

 

[Tagrineth]

I don't know what to think about this. EA wants us to pay $10 for playing a used game online? What's next, i buy a used car and have to pay the manufacturer $1000 for the code to unlock the gas cap? Games weren't the first market to not profit off of used sales and i'm sure won't be the last.

Not even comparable. The gas cap would be a strict requirement for driving your car for any remote amount of time. They aren't adding a cost for single player, just multiplayer. There's absolutely nothing stopping people from buying the game used and playing it for hours offline. >_>