EA's Online Passes Have a Limited Shelf Life

[DustyDrB]

Now that's bullshit. I didn't care for Online Passes, but they were pretty low on my list of things to hate. But to punish not only used buyers, but new game buyers who just didn't buy the game immediately? Inexcusable.

 

[Furioso]

Isn't Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit a really old game?

You're half right, there was a really old game (I want to say on the N64 but I'm pretty sure it's the original xbox) called the same name

OT: This entire system has kept me from playing multiplayer games (except BF3, and others that are pretty much pure multiplayer focused) such as Uncharted 3, so kudos to you EA and friends, you sure know what your doing *sarcasm*

 

[Gmans uncle]

EA.... are you TRYING to piss me off? 'cause you're doing a damn good job.

 

[Frostbite3789]

Snip

So you're saying this is an article about a non-issue. I mean the Escapist never posts those!

/sarcasm

 

[Frostbite3789]

Isn't Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit a really old game?

You're half right, there was a really old game (I want to say on the N64 but I'm pretty sure it's the original xbox) called the same name

OT: This entire system has kept me from playing multiplayer games (except BF3, and others that are pretty much pure multiplayer focused) such as Uncharted 3, so kudos to you EA and friends, you sure know what your doing *sarcasm*

Do you play PC games?

 

[Furioso]

Isn't Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit a really old game?

You're half right, there was a really old game (I want to say on the N64 but I'm pretty sure it's the original xbox) called the same name

OT: This entire system has kept me from playing multiplayer games (except BF3, and others that are pretty much pure multiplayer focused) such as Uncharted 3, so kudos to you EA and friends, you sure know what your doing *sarcasm*

Do you play PC games?

I do but my computer can't handle the newer games, those are all on Xbox, PS3

 

[Lightning Delight]

Wait. I don't get it. What is the point of this? Like, who does this help? Is EA actually benefiting from this in any way?

 

[Frostbite3789]

Isn't Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit a really old game?

You're half right, there was a really old game (I want to say on the N64 but I'm pretty sure it's the original xbox) called the same name

OT: This entire system has kept me from playing multiplayer games (except BF3, and others that are pretty much pure multiplayer focused) such as Uncharted 3, so kudos to you EA and friends, you sure know what your doing *sarcasm*

Do you play PC games?

I do but my computer can't handle the newer games, those are all on Xbox, PS3

So, you're aware of the idea of a CD key? Explain the difference.

 

[The Wooster]

Is EA's design philosophy "How far can we go to annoy our customers before they actually do something about it"?

Between origin, this, forum to game library bans, and years of just dick moves that have helped sully gaming, project 10 dollar, activation codes, selling cheat codes and unlocks.

How did we as consumers allow this to happen?

I've been asking that question since Spore's DRM.

Guess most gamers just have the attention spans of fucking goldfish and forget all ills when the next hot game is dangled in front of them. It also doesn't help things that the major gaming news sites do nothing to condemn such horrible practices

Now to be fair, a lot of us do condemn these practices, but the place for that is in editorials, not news posts.

 

[Furioso]

Isn't Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit a really old game?

You're half right, there was a really old game (I want to say on the N64 but I'm pretty sure it's the original xbox) called the same name

OT: This entire system has kept me from playing multiplayer games (except BF3, and others that are pretty much pure multiplayer focused) such as Uncharted 3, so kudos to you EA and friends, you sure know what your doing *sarcasm*

Do you play PC games?

I do but my computer can't handle the newer games, those are all on Xbox, PS3

So, you're aware of the idea of a CD key? Explain the difference.

Because I can play the core game without the multiplayer key, and with how awkward it is to enter those things I simply don't care enough to put it in, I should have made it more clear that this doesn't apply to multiplayer that looks/is awesome in a mostly single player game, but in games where it isn't optimized, I'm not even going to give it a chance

 

[Frostbite3789]

Isn't Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit a really old game?

You're half right, there was a really old game (I want to say on the N64 but I'm pretty sure it's the original xbox) called the same name

OT: This entire system has kept me from playing multiplayer games (except BF3, and others that are pretty much pure multiplayer focused) such as Uncharted 3, so kudos to you EA and friends, you sure know what your doing *sarcasm*

Do you play PC games?

I do but my computer can't handle the newer games, those are all on Xbox, PS3

So, you're aware of the idea of a CD key? Explain the difference.

Because I can play the core game without the multiplayer key, and with how awkward it is to enter those things I simply don't care enough to put it in, I should have made it more clear that this doesn't apply to multiplayer that looks/is awesome in a mostly single player game, but in games where it isn't optimized, I'm not even going to give it a chance

So...that makes a CD key even worse, since without you can't even access the single player portion of a game. Thus making all the bitching and whining about Online Pass really stupid and obnoxious.

 

[Furioso]

Isn't Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit a really old game?

You're half right, there was a really old game (I want to say on the N64 but I'm pretty sure it's the original xbox) called the same name

OT: This entire system has kept me from playing multiplayer games (except BF3, and others that are pretty much pure multiplayer focused) such as Uncharted 3, so kudos to you EA and friends, you sure know what your doing *sarcasm*

Do you play PC games?

I do but my computer can't handle the newer games, those are all on Xbox, PS3

So, you're aware of the idea of a CD key? Explain the difference.

Because I can play the core game without the multiplayer key, and with how awkward it is to enter those things I simply don't care enough to put it in, I should have made it more clear that this doesn't apply to multiplayer that looks/is awesome in a mostly single player game, but in games where it isn't optimized, I'm not even going to give it a chance

So...that makes a CD key even worse, since without you can't even access the single player portion of a game. Thus making all the bitching and whining about Online Pass really stupid and obnoxious.

Not at all, if I buy a used computer game it will still have that CD key, which is the entire argument against multiplayer keys, that they can only be used once, at least the last time I checked computer keys could be used more than once, I can't remember the last time I bought a computer game retail

 

[MammothBlade]

EA games have a terrible shelf-life, and sour easily if exposed to objective criticism. They're just being honest. Though they should mark the expiry dates on the outside next time. Imagine a milk bottle where the expiry date is printed inside the seal. It seems absurd. Why, then, are EA printing expiry dates inside the case... Maybe people could take EA to trading standards for deception.

 

[Frostbite3789]

Snip

A lot of times they can't. And retail is your best bet for it to be possible. If you buy Steam, that key is straight up locked to your account. Even the DRM-less Withcer 2 is locked to your Steam account.

But I've never straight been locked out of a complete game I bought legally for a week because of an Online Pass. I have however had such a thing happen because of a CD key.

 

[FoolKiller]

Aww i had my rage dial all oiled and everything. I even got my special expensive oil when i saw the title.


Why would it expire if you can just ask customer support for free? Do they want to make it as annoying as possible so the lazier people won't actually claim it?

Yes. They're hoping that people will just go "oh well" and buy one from online. Its similar to the opt out options which I always find annoying.

 

[winter2]

I'm just waiting for EA to expire.

 

[Epona]

Permalink

It's just to prevent there from being a secondhand market for the codes. Maybe you don't care about the online pass, so you sell it to a friend later on... It's also a way to combat the inevitable keygen codes: You'll have to continually generate a new one, so maybe you'll slip up/forget/say "screw it."

If a new code can be obtained for free, how does this stop a secondhand market for codes? I could sell you a code and if it doesn't work, you just get the new one for free. I also don't see how this stops key generators.

 

[KeyMaster45]

as a rule, no Online Pass should expire, except those that do.

Now drop your pants and bend over EA, this is a dose of karma you've had coming for a really long time now.

 

[Irridium]

Is EA's design philosophy "How far can we go to annoy our customers before they actually do something about it"?

Between origin, this, forum to game library bans, and years of just dick moves that have helped sully gaming, project 10 dollar, activation codes, selling cheat codes and unlocks.

How did we as consumers allow this to happen?

I've been asking that question since Spore's DRM.

Guess most gamers just have the attention spans of fucking goldfish and forget all ills when the next hot game is dangled in front of them. It also doesn't help things that the major gaming news sites do nothing to condemn such horrible practices

Now to be fair, a lot of us do condemn these practices, but the place for that is in editorials, not news posts.

Yeah, that's true I guess.

Though you don't see much of that on the biggest gaming sites. At least, that was the case up until I stopped visiting them about a year ago and a half ago. Those sites being IGN/Gamespot.

 

[CardinalPiggles]

so I'd wait for more clarification on the issue before setting your rage dials to 'incomprehensible.'

It's too late for that, about a year too late. Last EA title I bought was Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, but that was only for nostalgic value, and it was only half the RRP too.

EA really annoys me, it has risen to the point where I simply boycott their games now. I know it's not going make a whole load of difference, but it makes me feel better knowing my money went to someone who is likely less of an arse hole.