Battlefield 3 Will "Probably" Use Online Pass

[Andy Chalk]

Battlefield 3 Will "Probably" Use Online Pass

Battlefield 3 [http://www.amazon.com/Battlefield-3-Limited-Pc/dp/B002I0HJZO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1312233170&sr=8-3] Executive Producer Patrick Bach says the upcoming shooter will "probably" use some kind of Online Pass system that will force preowned buyers to pay extra for multiplayer access.

Gamers hate it but publishers love it and it's probably not going away anytime soon, so it's no surprise that the upcoming Battlefield 3 will most likely incorporate some form of Online Pass, the system of single-use codes that forces preowned buyers to spend a few bucks extra to get access to all of a game's features. The codes are typically tied into online components, which makes their inclusion with the multiplayer-focused Battlefield 3 a natural fit, yet Bach seemed a little reluctant to hitch his horse to that wagon.

BF3 players will "probably" have to register a code included with the game in order to play online, he told GamerZines [http://www.gamerzines.com/ps3/news/battlefield-3-online-pass.html], "but I don't think it's an online pass, I think it's our own backend. I'm not sure I want to call our system an online pass."

Bach acknowledged that EA will likely use the system to lock out preowned buyers unless they also purchase a standalone code for online access but insisted that it's nothing that hasn't been done before, saying that Battlefield games have "always had a code in the box in one way or another."

"The whole idea is that we're paying for servers, and if you create a new account there is a big process on how that is being handled in the backend," he explained. "We would rather have you buy a new game than a used game because buying a used game is only a cost to us; we don't get a single dime from a used game, but we still need to create server space and everything for you."

"We want people to at least pay us something to create this because we're paying for it. It was actually a loss for us to have new players," he continued. "Hopefully people understand why. It's not to punish people. To us it's compensation."

Online Passes are nothing new, particularly for EA, but Activision's pledge to Modern Warfare [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/105602-Activision-Adamant-it-Will-Never-Charge-for-Call-of-Duty-Multiplayer] series, combined with the general disdain for Online Passes in the first place, might be enough to turn it into a big bone of contention among gamers. Could this hurt EA's quest to make the Battlefield franchise a big dog in the modern combat shooter fight?

Battlefield 3 launches on October 25 for the PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360; Modern Warfare 3 follows two weeks later, on November 8.


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[Worgen]

its annoying but doesnt really affect me since Im getting it on the pc so there is no pass system like that since there is almost no preowned pc market

 

[teebeeohh]

mmimimimimimimi, the game is ruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuined, which what will i buy now to show how much i will not buy cod?

 

[Mumorpuger]

Support the developers and publishers. Buy new.

 

[Aura Guardian]

That's fine. I buy my games new and I was thinking out this getting this game. And besides...PC gamers have to deal with it. And the console gamers like myself will probably ***** about it(except...I am not complaining).

 

[VGC USpartan VS]

I was half-heartely hoping that Battlefield 3 would do better than MW3 but once I read this I sighed and cancelled all of my hopes of getting this game till' it's in the bargain bins... and even then I'll only play the singleplayer.

 

[Paragon Fury]

This is even an announcement?

I just assumed that this is the way all EA games were going to work from now on. Not like it ever bothered me; I never buy games used.

 

[StriderShinryu]

I think it's rather presumptuous to state that "gamers hate it." I actually have no problem at all with an online pass or Project $10 type system, particularly in cases like this where there is a back end system that needs maintenance. And by the general response to news items like this, I know I'm not the only one.

 

[Arehexes]

Well this sucks, since I'm refusing the buy any game that uses online passes (I hope people follow me in this because if we let this go on we won't own the games we buy). So while I love battlefield I'm not buying this, I refuse to support online pass's period.

 

[CM156_v1legacy]

Yeaaaha, not a fan of this kinda system.

Regardless, I wasn't going to play it in the first place, so this is no real loss to me. Whatever.

 

[Grey_Focks]

I was half-heartely hoping that Battlefield 3 would do better than MW3 but once I read this I sighed and cancelled all of my hopes of getting this game till' it's in the bargain bins... and even then I'll only play the singleplayer.

You realize that they don't make ANY money off of used sales, yet they still need money to keep servers up....right? Also, I wouldn't buy any game with the name "Battlefield" for it's single player. It's an MP franchise through and through.

OT: Getting it new, on PC, possibly also xbox, so am very unaffected.

EDIT:

Well this sucks, since I'm refusing the buy any game that uses online passes (I hope people follow me in this because if we let this go on we won't own the games we buy). So while I love battlefield I'm not buying this, I refuse to support online pass's period.

See above.

 

[Irridium]

So creating new accounts is that straining to them?

Did I read that right, or am I going crazy, because I think he said that creating accounts puts a strain on them.

Here's an idea, DON'T MAKE US CREATE NEW ACCOUNTS FOR THE GAME!

Or are they referring to EA accounts, which were probably created with a different game?

I mean really, is he serious? Is it that much of a hassle to make people create accounts? Is this the same for other studio's? If it's the case, then WHY ARE THEY MAKING US MAKE ACCOUNTS! To solve this issue, just don't make us create new accounts. BAM! Problem solved. 360 users use their 360 accounts, PS3 users use their PSN accounts, PC users will use their EA account, which they most likely created with another game.

I mean, is this really that big of an issue? Really? Please tell me I'm reading it wrong, or that something was lost in translation... did anyone else notice when he said creating accounts was really straining them?

 

[Arehexes]

I was half-heartely hoping that Battlefield 3 would do better than MW3 but once I read this I sighed and cancelled all of my hopes of getting this game till' it's in the bargain bins... and even then I'll only play the singleplayer.

You realize that they don't make ANY money off of used sales, yet they still need money to keep servers up....right? Also, I wouldn't buy any game with the name "Battlefield" for it's single player. It's an MP franchise through and through.

OT: Getting it new, on PC, possibly also xbox, so am very unaffected.

Does that explain why EA used it for Mass Effect 2 when they used the Cerberus Code, I mean it was single player. It's also used to dip their hand in when people transfer their license to someone else to play the game.

 

[Arehexes]

I was half-heartely hoping that Battlefield 3 would do better than MW3 but once I read this I sighed and cancelled all of my hopes of getting this game till' it's in the bargain bins... and even then I'll only play the singleplayer.

You realize that they don't make ANY money off of used sales, yet they still need money to keep servers up....right? Also, I wouldn't buy any game with the name "Battlefield" for it's single player. It's an MP franchise through and through.

OT: Getting it new, on PC, possibly also xbox, so am very unaffected.

EDIT:

Well this sucks, since I'm refusing the buy any game that uses online passes (I hope people follow me in this because if we let this go on we won't own the games we buy). So while I love battlefield I'm not buying this, I refuse to support online pass's period.

See above.

Then have a monthly fee, if I buy a game that's a slot on a server. If I give that game to a friend that slot is still there, nothing has changed. If it's to support server costs they should do what MMO's do and have monthly fees.

 

[fix-the-spade]

Haha, welcome to PC gaming boys!

No doubt this will create all kinds of consternation, but EA have been using this tactic on PC players since before BF2 was released. If it's not to combat 'piracy' it's to offset 'server costs' not withstanding that most PC game servers are privately run.

The run of play says that people merrily put up with this crap, or pirate the game and are barely aware the system even exists. Either way us the paying consumer loses out.

 

[FFHAuthor]

Modern Warfare might not charge for online play, but they charge for maps. They charge 15 a pop for map packs. You don't have the pack and you've got the nasty problem of consistently getting booted from games when everyone else has paid in for the maps and you haven't. So MW2 charged 15 bucks for each map pack, in addition to the 60 bucks for the game itself.

Battlefield BC2, charged me 60 bucks, that was it. I got all the maps downloaded when they came out for no charge at all, and even if I didn't, I still wouldn't have to worry about getting kicked or being unable to play at all. Not to mention there was no outrageous waiting times to play online.

Everybody's up in arms about online passes and saying Modern Warfare is awesome because they won't charge for multiplayer, but you are getting charged every time a map pack comes out. Three of my friends got into Battlefield recently, two with used copies, and one with a copy whose VIP code was linked to another account. 10 bucks for the VIP acess, and that was it. How much would it cost to get Black Ops and all the maps? New, 105 dollars, used 75 dollars. Who's really charging more here guys?

 

[Wandrecanada]

If you're a gamer and a fan chances are you'll read about Online Pass. If you're a gamer and a fan chances are you will get most of your games new anyways since fans don't tend to wait for purchasing. Therefor if you're a gamer and a fan knowing in advance about Online Pass is knowing about something that won't affect you in the slightest (generally).

 

[fix-the-spade]

You realize that they don't make ANY money off of used sales, yet they still need money to keep servers up....right?

Why don't they allow the use of privately owned servers or small scale peer to peer play? As a compromise, P2P and Non-EA owned servers don't need online pass, access to matchmaking (and by extension the unlocks/advancement trees) requires online pass.

Both p2p and private servers equate to a cost of zero to EA as they place no strain on account or play servers. Most console online runs on p2p anyway.

Of course, this wouldn't allow them to take money twice for selling a single product.