You may have noticed that in the past few months, EA has begun to provide content that's free to purchasers of new games, but costs serious money for those buying second-hand. It's no co-incidence. It's called "Project Ten Dollar".
As part of the company's attempts to combat the sale of pre-owned games - where profits go to the retailer, not the publisher - Electronic Arts boss John Riccitiello assembled his executives in New York City last year for a "brainstorming session". What they came up with was "Project Ten Dollar".
With a name that like that, I hope Riccitiello didn't just say "yeah, approved" or something equally dull. I hope he leaned back in his chair, pointed at a dossier and said "Men...commence Project Ten Dollar". Then took a drag of a cigarette, gazed out the window, and muttered "and may God help us all....."
Project Ten Dollar made its debut in Dragon Age and, more publicly, with Mass Effect 2's Cerberus Network, but you can expect to see it a lot more going forwards. I mean, it has a codename! You know a company is serious about a campaign when it's given a snappy codename.
With all of EA's 2011 titles to feature DLC of some kind, it'd be safe to assume that most of those games, if not all of them, will feature the same kind of system, whereby DLC that's free for purchasers of new games costs $10 for anyone buying the game second-hand.
I don't mind it, as long as legit buyers get the DLC for free, like they are doing with Mass Effect 2 (so far).
Once they start to charge for download keys, that's crossing the line.
Yes, they do expire. After TWO YEARS.
To be fair, who really cares if EA gouges you for Dragon-Age DLC? There charging $40 for an expansion just months after the game is released, and it looks like there is another expansion on the way this Fall.
If Mass Effect 2 is the template, then it's all good.
Just checked, Dragon Age DLC codes expire on April 30, 2010
I have no problem with the practice, but if they're gonna do it there shouldn't be any expiration codes at all
As it stands now, if you buy a brand new copy of DA on May 1st you gotta cough up the dough, and that's bullshit
i got no problem with this, it doesn't shit on the used market, but it gives incentives to buy new.
If Mass Effect 2 is the template they use, it's fine by me. Please reward me for spending the $60 but don't fuck me over by cutting maps or weapons from the game, then try to charge me extra for it.
Wait, so if I bought the OG Dragon Age off Steam in June, I'd have to spend an extra $10 for the DLC? That's pretty dumb.
what's the extra content of mass effect? dumb stuff like costumes and shit like that?
I think that this free is stuff is just a way to get people to embrace the service,after that it will be,money please.
Anything that makes Gamestop squirm is good.Amen. I'll glady pay an extra $3-5 just so I don't have to get all of Gamestop's nasty used stickers off my cases. Now they're even sticking them on the game's spine. To pour salt on the wound they're putting them on the actual insert! :maf
Companies that fuck over the second hand market = awesome
what exactly is Mass Effect 2's template? You get access to the Cerberus network and you get access to the DLC? So far everything has been free, will that continue?
Ten dolla!
Dem 10bux would better be used for a Something Awful forum account!
Are you serious? Screw that.As long as it isn't a fucking hassle I don't care.
:piss EA account, Bioware account, linked to saves, etc. :piss2
Yeah, that's total bullshit.
In order to grab the Cerberus pack I needed three fucking accounts (EA/XBL/BW). Come the fuck on, EA.