And so ends me ever purchasing any EA sports product

[Stoney Mason]

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/108/1088621p1.html

Basically an extension of their "project $10 dollar" program. They are perfectly within their rights to do this of course. I guess I just won't ever end up buying these titles.

[Skidmark]

If I understood correctly, they will now charge people who buy a second hand copy of some their games $10 in order to play them online? That's just too much, I really can't think of any reason for them to do so besides making more profit.

[Stoney Mason]

They don't make money off of used sales. So the argument for them is that they have to pay the cost of online servers and development for consumers who didn't buy their product or contribute to their bottom line.

I get the argument intellectually. It's just one line too far for me to cross. Its probably only going to get more common which is one of those things that may eventually push me out of gaming or at the minimum only playing a handful of games ever (which I'm getting closer to anyway) 

[Skidmark]

I don't think that I get the argument. When I buy a copy of their game I pay for the online too. It shouldn't really matter who is playing it as long it has been paid for.

[archie4208]

Remember how EA was supposed to be the scruffy underdog against the big bad Activision? 

[Stoney Mason]

I don't think that I get the argument. When I buy a copy of their game I pay for the online too. It shouldn't really matter who is playing it as long it has been paid for.

But when you buy it, their argument is that they aren't getting a cut of the money that needs to pay for the funding and profiting of the on going costs of both running the servers and developing the features. When gamestop, or any other retailer, or even me as an individual sells a copy of their game, they only profit on the original sale when the store sold it to the original buyer. Any sales after that, they have not profited on. So 12 people could eventually play that game online but only one person has paid for it who contributed to EA's bottom line.

I'm not overly defending that position. More trying to explain how they are looking at it, which is the way a business is going to look at it.

I've personally always felt that the used market for popular online games is essentially free word of mouth advertising and brand building for their products. So I don't necessarily buy into the idea that they only have lost revenue. Not to mention I don't believe consumers should be punished for selling or buying something second hand.  

[Mr. Gundam]

This will surely piss off the rental market.

edit: 7 day free online trial obviously designed for the rental market, but still awfully shitty.

[Stoney Mason]

This will surely piss off the rental market.

Gamestop doesn't really care I'm guessing. I have a feeling these products even without online functionality will still sell very well used

Not to mention it sounds like they will partner with EA to sell these 10 dollar codes in their store or online when you buy a used game. Its just another thing for them to try to sell you.

[Skidmark]

I see, this can be applied to the movies industry and dvd renting and so on.
If they want to implement such methods of revenue then they should also make it cheaper for us to buy new copies of their games. If they do so then I won't have anything against this new model. But keeping the prices as they are and then charging me again for them when Im done with them and just want to trade them with my brother is just ridiculous.

[Ichirou]

I thought the Cerberus Network was a fucking rip, even though I have a new copy of ME2 and didn't have to pay for it.  It's really interesting how adding online this generation is completely changing how these game companies operate, and not for the better.

[pilonv1]

They've done this before but only for certain features (Online Franchise in Madden or the Live Team in NBA Live). This is just extending it.

[Brehvolution]

I'd argue that "paying for online" was bought by the original purchase. This is a bitch move.

[Eel O'Brian]

i don't get it

don't the vast majority of sports faithful buy these games new on day one anyway?

[Brehvolution]

Yeah. 

I'm Zero Hero, and I'm a maddenaholic. 

[originalz]

I wonder how many people bought that stupid-ass "Elite mode" in Madden 2010.

[demi]

If Skate falls under this then oh well, gotta buy skate.

List of EA Sports titles I've bought:

[Joe Molotov]

Not to mention it sounds like they will partner with EA to sell these 10 dollar codes in their store or online when you buy a used game. Its just another thing for them to try to sell you.

Here's a busted game for $55. Would you like to pay $10 to make it work?

[Akala]

i don't get it

don't the vast majority of sports faithful buy these games new on day one anyway?

ever been to someone's house, and the only games they have are the annual EA games? I once worked with a guy who went to the limit. ALL he played was madden. all other games 'were gay.'

this isn't as common as it was in the PS2 days, but I'm sure these people are out there somewhere.

[Eel O'Brian]

that's what i'm saying, if ea is gonna pull this shit it would make more sense to do it with games that are more apt to be played through once and traded instead of sports games people are going to hang on to and keep playing for the next six months

[Akala]

I'm sure that will come soon enough.

[Stoney Mason]

Welcome to GAF.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=21207460&postcount=73

[brawndolicious]

The funniest thing is how they turn off the servers after two years anyways.
 
EA only has a couple more years with the NFL license so hopefully there'll be some competition soon (from activision if anybody lol).

[Stoney Mason]

I mean you really can't make this shit up how "gamers" will bend over backwards to protect video game companies.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=21211448&postcount=136

[AdmiralViscen]

I don't see how a separate individual accessing online is so burdensome on their servers. I would imagine that someone who buys a game and keeps it for two years is going to be playing online more often than someone who flippantly returns it or buys it at a cut rate. If I play too many online sessions should I be double-billed too?

Their policy of turning off servers raises a good point, too. What if I buy the game used, and pick up their stupid game code, and they kill the online after a month? Class action lawsuit in the making.

[Stoney Mason]

I don't see how a separate individual accessing online is so burdensome on their servers. I would imagine that someone who buys a game and keeps it for two years is going to be playing online more often than someone who flippantly returns it or buys it at a cut rate. If I play too many online sessions should I be double-billed too?

Their policy of turning off servers raises a good point, too. What if I buy the game used, and pick up their stupid game code, and they kill the online after a month? Class action lawsuit in the making.

I thought this person nailed my personal take on it.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=21215991&postcount=198

[Cravis]

What's hilarious is the suckers that think they're saving 5 bucks at Gamestop buying used will actually be paying 5 bucks more if they want to play online.

[ManaByte]

I don't see a problem with this at all. If you don't allow Gamestop to fuck you over with a used game sale; it really doesn't hurt you.

[Ichirou]

The only good thing to come out of this might just be that consumers will eventually catch on and GameStop will have to lower its used game prices.

[Stoney Mason]

I don't see a problem with this at all. If you don't allow Gamestop to fuck you over with a used game sale; it really doesn't hurt you.

That's because you have some weird obsession with gamestop when most normal people don't really give a shit about it.

[originalz]

Madden has been the same game for like 10 fucking years now.

I really miss 2K football

Madden 2010 is actually really good compared to the previous years, although it probably should have been at that level years ago.

2K football would be nice to have back though, the competition of Live vs NBA2K makes things pretty interesting.  I'm a loyal 2K person with basketball, although after being away from so long, it might be tough for them to compete with Madden these days.  2K's online can also be iffy at times, although they've gotten better with it throughout the years it's still not as good as EA's offerings.  Still, with EA's games you're stuck on their servers, sometimes the Japanese servers go down for maintenance and I can't play their games until they go back up.

One of my friends who I play Madden with tried to use his code in 2010 to unlock the online franchise mode but it wouldn't work.  Never figured out why, although we didn't really care about the mode so it was no real loss.  If there are bad codes out there, it's going to cause a lot of problems since tons of people only play Madden for the online game (myself included).