EA Sports Unveils Launch Day DLC Program "Online Pass"

[Andy Chalk]

EA Sports Unveils Launch Day DLC Program "Online Pass"

EA Sports [http://www.easports.com] has jumped on the day-one DLC bandwagon with Online Pass, which offers bonus features and content to gamers who buy brand-new copies of EA Sports games.

EA calls it "said he was a fan [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/98497-Retailers-Warn-Project-Ten-Dollar-Will-Hurt-Consumers] of the system too. It's no surprise, then, that EA Sports will soon begin offering extra content to its customers through a similar system called Online Pass.

One single-use Online Pass code, offering "online services, features and bonus content," will be included free with each new EA Sports game, while additional Online Passes can be purchased once the freebie is redeemed for $10 each. "This is an important inflection point in our business because it allows us to accelerate our commitment to enhance premium online services to the entire robust EA Sports online community," Moore said.

GameStop [http://www.gamestop.com], whose pre-owned game sales are a big reason why Project Ten Dollar exists in the first place, appears to be trying to get out in front of this one by selling "point cards" with new and used copies of EA games that can be used to purchase Online Pass content. "We're delighted that GameStop is offering their support of this program as a place for gamers to purchase points that provide access to downloadable content from EA at their stores and through their website," Moore added.

Online Pass will debut with EASports.com [http://www.amazon.com/Tiger-Woods-PGA-Tour-Nintendo-Wii/dp/B00386VMZA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1276719284&sr=1-1].



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[Andy Chalk]

So what do we think? Cash grab, natural evolution of the genre? Will EA Sports fans react differently to this than those of games like Dragon Age and Mass Effect?

 

[Sir Ollie]

What's the point?

Since EA Sports crap out a game every year, why pay $10 for multiplayer then to have them [URL="http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/97200-EA-Shutting-Down-Older-Game-Servers-in-February" (title,target)]shut down a year later[/URL].

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

I like the plan, but not for yearly sports games. BECAUSE...as Sir Ollie said...They shut down the servers waaaaaaay too fast.

I mean, while the discs are being printed up, why not have the devs work on DLC during the period from the end of production to release?

 

[VitusPrime]

What can you actually -add- to a sports game nowadays?
Concepts there, but its not going to work with a yearly game.

 

[mogamer]

What can you actually -add- to a sports game nowadays?
Concepts there, but its not going to work with a yearly game.

How about adding new rosters at the start of each season. That way people only have to pay $10 instead of $60 each year! Year to year, there are very little differences to these games. Just add rosters every year and create a whole new game every 3 - 4 years putting all of the small changes into one large set of changes.

If Gamestop is going to be selling the online cards along side the used games, are they going to reduce the prices of those used games by $10?

I know, I'm living in a fool's paradise and none of this is going to happen. ;(

 

[Gindil]

This is EA's cash cow. You think we're really going to see them actually update a title for $10 instead of doling out a "new" game for $60?

It would kill the industry!

 

[beddo]

That way people only have to pay $10 instead of $60 each year!

Pretty much answered your own question there eh?

 

[Hawkeye16]

Why does EA hate us so much?