Electronic Arts Kills the Online Pass

[Atmos Duality]

Not really worth getting excited about considering:
-The current console cycle is coming to a close soon
-It's highly likely that the next gen consoles are poised to kill the used game market innately (which was what Project 10 dollar was for anyway)
-Doesn't apply to non-console markets anyway

You want me to sing your praises EA? How about you do something that's actually praiseworthy, instead of peddling an "upgrade" to a soon-to-be-outmoded system.

 

[Slash2x]

There's no arguing the point that gamers didn't respond to it, but while this is good news for those who were staunchly opposed to the concept, it does leave one rather important question unanswered: What comes next? I don't believe that EA is so institutionally evil that it will be compelled to come up with something even worse than Online Pass, but there's no question that it's going to come up with something. "We're still committed to creating content and services that enhance the game experience well beyond the day you first start playing," Reseburg said.

Next-Gen consoles with these kind of systems integrated I'd say.
One option is that they killed it because "it didn't show any success", the other might just be because they will soon no longer need it and they can get some PR out of it while they're at it.

There's no need for "Online Passes" on PC for instance, since they pushed Origin down every EA-gamers throat, where they have to register the game in the first place for it to work.

Wait............. OH SHIT!!!!!!! They are going to make everyone sign into Origin from every service.......... And the games will have a unique id on the disc that locks it out from other consoles, so you will have to "add" the ability to play it from your Origin account....

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

"None of our new EA titles will include that feature."

Feature is probably the wrong word there, Reseburg.

 

[Fiz_The_Toaster]

First Microsoft is dropping the points thing and now this.

The hell is going on?

I'm not complaining mind you because this is pretty damn awesome, but I'm scared to turn on the facet because there might be blood!

What's this about MS not using points? Am I going to have to bring out the Chardonnay?

It's in another news article here.

Basically MS is going to stop using MS points for their next console if I remember it right.

So yes, drink away.

 

[GAunderrated]

.....WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH EA!?

I mean...Jesus Christ. They're listening! They're actually fucking listening!

I'm pretty confident they're only saying this because they rebranded it.

There was a Jimquisition video that mentioned it a while back, where Dead Space 3 didn't have an online pass. It had an "Extreme Edition" or somesuch that served the exact same role.

I'm as sure as I can be, this discontinuation of the Online Pass bullshit is just an attempt to soothe the hate right after they renamed the practice.

Glad to see I'm not the only one who thought this is just PR to rebrand things. I hope EA has ditched it for good but talk is cheap I'll wait to see what crap is attached to the next EA game. If nothing I'll give them kudos but not before

 

[elilupe]

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAA
I'm...impressed...? I just...I don't know...EA being...smart and listening to its customers?
WHAT DO I DO SOMEONE HELP

 

[Sir Thomas Sean Connery]

I..... wha...... huh?

Sorry EA, did you say something? I thought I heard something, but there's no way it can be true. It had to have been a dream.

Oh. Wait. Seriously?

You know what, I don't even care how terrible the followup is going to be. This is absolutely fantastic.

 

[Ed130 The Vanguard]

.....WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH EA!?

I mean...Jesus Christ. They're listening! They're actually fucking listening!

I'm pretty confident they're only saying this because they rebranded it.

There was a Jimquisition video that mentioned it a while back, where Dead Space 3 didn't have an online pass. It had an "Extreme Edition" or somesuch that served the exact same role.

I'm as sure as I can be, this discontinuation of the Online Pass bullshit is just an attempt to soothe the hate right after they renamed the practice.

Bingo.

The biggest issue with EA is that any nice pat on the back done by them is usually followed up with a backstab.

Plus, as others have said EA could cure cancer and still be disliked by people.

The stench of being a greedy moronic douchebag doesn't fade that easily.

 

[Something Amyss]

Yay? I'm with Andy, who knows what new brand of evil machination they'll spawn next. I doubt they did it just because of customer feedback.

Maybe it was just a mix of them not selling online passes or more new copies. Or maybe they realize it was misguided because the used game buyers weren't the ones making the massive profits from the used game market.
Either way, I agree, something worse is probably on the way.

They were evidently selling online passes. It makes me think that they must have been losing new sales or the like.

 

[Something Amyss]

Plus, as others have said EA could cure cancer and still be disliked by people.

The stench of being a greedy moronic douchebag doesn't fade that easily.

To be fair, EA would likely cure cancer, then lock it behind install payments so that insurance companies couldn't reduce their profit margins.

 

[Not Lord Atkin]

EA? Are you feeling alright? You seem kind of feverish...

 

[Xukog]

I wonder how much worse their next idea will be...

 

[Trishbot]

A few more years and a few more companies backtracking on stupid decisions and we might actually be back to the state we were during the PS2 days!

 

[aba1]

Looks like they are finally looking to get their shit together.

 

[RJ 17]

I bet they're tired of being dubbed "Worst Company in America". Two years straight - and considering all the shitty companies out there - is quite an accomplishment.

Still, as the article said, there is the question of what they'll do to fill the void. Let's see if they're truly trying to inject some life into their PR.

 

[Lunar Templar]

Call me cynical but just what are they going to put in it's place? install limits?

more then likely they'll just keep abusing the mircotransactions, only worse now

 

[Bat Vader]

That is cool. Perhaps EA does listen to what gamers say and isn't as evil as everyone thinks. So Ubisoft basically is trying to steal a game they have no rights to after firing the guy making it and EA does something on the other side of the spectrum and does something good. Perhaps the world is going to implode now.

 

[Not G. Ivingname]

I do wonder if they are do this because of sales drops, because they actually listened, or doing in a continued attempt to make up for the PR nightmare that was Sim City.

 

[Freyar]

They aren't actually changing anything here. On the PC, games will still require registration with Origin which means that platform will remain the same.

As for consoles, there will be either be "New Purchase!" DLC incentives, there will be Origin incentives much like Dragon Age, or the consoles will require people to be online and verify ownership anyway. I don't expect EA to actually improve here, it'll be the Online Pass in just another name.

 

[-Dragmire-]

I'm just amazed that EA made a public PR statement and didn't fuck it up!

I'm curious if this ties in with Microsoft's rumored publisher controlled drm systems on their next console but for now, good show EA.