EA's Online Passes Have a Limited Shelf Life

[Not G. Ivingname]

Can players just make one big class action lawsuit for the things EA keeps putting on it's EULA's?

This madness has to stop.

 

[crazyarms33]

I don't see the big deal. The new pass is free according to EA?

 

[Zer_]

snip

I like the picture...

"NOPE!"

 

[Yopaz]

My friend noticed the expiry thing when he purchased Dragon Age: Origins, though that was DLC, not online pass. Also for some reason the code worked even though it expired a few months before he redeemed it.
This just confirms I made a good choice in getting Hot Pursuit for PC. I hate filling in codes using a controller, waste of time and I haven't even used the multiplayer once.

You play PC games. You've had to jump through this very same hoop since the beginning of time. Except for a PC they're called a CD key. It serves the exact same purpose.

If you buy games on Steam the CD key is in most cases entered automatically and in the cases where it isn't Steam gives you a pop-up box with the option to copy they so you can paste it in when you're going to activate it.
I also said I hated entering codes using a controller if you bothered to read my post. I find it a lot easier to type codes when I have a keyboard rather than moving a cursor around and picking letters.

 

[Wintermoot]

why do people still buy EA games? if you want to play a online racing game either import Initial D for the PS3 or play ANY OTHER racing game on the PC/360.
PS
if EA if you are afraid piracy is hurting your sales think again butt raping your consumers is hurting your sales it,s shit like this that MAKES people want to pirate.

 

[PingoBlack]

How did we as consumers allow this to happen?

Simple, you keep buying their crap, then complain later when EA already has your money.

 

[SidingWithTheEnemy]

Wait... What?

Why would they make them expire, if you can just get a new one for free? Isn't that just more work for their support hotline? And more money used that way?

EA, I don't understand this.

Easy, because if just want to play single player and sell the game afterwards, you aren't entitled to make money out of your online Pass.
But considering their games and their respective shortness you could finish the game way before the online pass expires so this is a rather futile attempt.
It's not that I'm going to buy anything from E.A. that comes with Origin. I'm having enough trouble with Steam. I've made my peace with Dragon Age and Mass Effect and will focus on the Indie market from now on...

 

[Mad World]

Legitimate customers are being inconvenienced more and more. It's going to be interesting to see how things like this escalate in the future.

 

[RikuoAmero]

This reminds me...a couple years ago I got my first PS3 and like the stupid idiot I was, I ordered Hancock Blu-ray brand spankin' new off of Amazon. It came in the mail, and out of sheer curiosity I read the back of the case where it was describing the Digital Copy...the code had expired MONTHS beforehand...and this was a new copy, still in its shrink-wrap...

 

[Doclector]

EA, you really are trying your best to annoy people aren't you? To not truly p*** them off, but to just...add that little bit more annoyance to their day.

They do seem to be giving the new online passes out for free, but like jimquisition said, typing in a 25 digit code on an xbox controller takes quite some time anyway, and is just one more barrier preventing the player from enjoying the game. Imagine how much stress having to call up customer services for said number (and let's face it, Customer services usually suck) and then type it in adds? What about the inevitable time when said (crappy) customer services gets the code wrong?

 

[Lieju]

Still, given the choice i would hand over my first born child to EA rather than give Activision a cent.

What's with all the hate for Activision? Something related to CoD? In which case it's no wonder I haven't heard of it.

 

[Traun]

It does raise serious questions though about "What do their PR people actually do?"

Damage control, although recently I think every PR department is doing this exclusively.

Anyway, I understand the need for expiration date, still kind of sucks though.

 

[Lilani]

So, this is what a suicidal company looks like. It's almost fascinating, really (once you get passed how incredibly sad and stupid it is).

 

[Alandoril]

Why exactly do those codes need to expire?

 

[Leonick]

I don't see the big deal. The new pass is free according to EA?

Yea but that's kind of the point, if you can just go ask customer support for another one, why did the one in the box have to expire in the first place?

 

[crazyarms33]

I don't see the big deal. The new pass is free according to EA?

Yea but that's kind of the point, if you can just go ask customer support for another one, why did the one in the box have to expire in the first place?

Probably just to make sure that people who buy used games can't use their servers for free? Or to track the activity of an account to see how often they play their product? I'm just guessing here though.

 

[Scrustle]

I just... EA... stop it. Now. Just stop it. Please.

 

[Leonick]

I don't see the big deal. The new pass is free according to EA?

Yea but that's kind of the point, if you can just go ask customer support for another one, why did the one in the box have to expire in the first place?

Probably just to make sure that people who buy used games can't use their servers for free? Or to track the activity of an account to see how often they play their product? I'm just guessing here though.

But that makes little sense...
Someone who buys the game used can not use their servers unless the used game came with an unused online pass which is rare and wouldn't really effect EA or he bought one...
If they want to track activity they just have to look at when I'm connected to their servers (nothing wrong in doing so btw).

Having the online pass that is in a box standing on the shelf of a store expire is completely pointless. The only thing it's doing is wasting time for their customers and their customer support...

 

[RicoADF]

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*

The first Hot Pursuit game was
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Need_for_Speed_III:_Hot_Pursuit
On PC and Playstation (origional)

 

[willsham45]

Let me guess so people cannot buy the game new not bother with the code and then sell it on with an intact code.