Redeemable codes, digital copies and expiration dates

[Johnny Novgorod]

I'm new to the PS3 and even newer to the whole thing of cashing in codes for DLC or in this case digital copies of games. I'm specifically referring to the God of War Saga - comes with 2 disks containing GoW 1-2-3 and a voucher for downloading Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta. Alright, I redeemed the code that came with the game (brand new), downloaded both games, code will expire soon and both games work fine. This seems strange to me because according to the voucher the code was to expire March 2013, but never mind.

Anyway I'm a little uneasy about not having physical copies for the games I technically bought. Suppose my console gets borked or something - there's no way of re-installing them, right? Bottom line point though: can and will digital downloads expire, sooner or later? Has this happened to anyone?

 

[Marter]

If you redeemed the code successfully it'll be in your PSN Store history and you can re-download it whenever (on up to 5 consoles, I believe is the limit).

Expiration dates on digital copies, I've heard, often don't happen when they say. People have told me they've redeemed codes years after they were supposed to be expired.

I've never had a problem with digital codes/DLC/etc. I don't use digital copy codes on DVDs/Blu-rays, and Steam is where all my digital games are. If Steam ever goes down, though, then we'll have an issue. All of those games will be unavailable. That'll be a huge problem.

 

[Elfgore]

I'm kinda peeved about how long the ten dollar upgrade from PS3 to PS4 last. One is already expired, and the other ends later this month. I really hope Marter's statement about the expiration date not mattering is true. Chances are I'm not getting a PS4 until April.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

If you redeemed the code successfully it'll be in your PSN Store history and you can re-download it whenever (on up to 5 consoles, I believe is the limit).

That's very good to know, thank you!

I'm kinda peeved about how long the ten dollar upgrade from PS3 to PS4 last. One is already expired, and the other ends later this month. I really hope Marter's statement about the expiration date not mattering is true. Chances are I'm not getting a PS4 until April.

Well like I said, I just redeemed a code that was supposed to have expired exactly a year ago. From a newly bought game, too. And I've seen on the internet people saying they've redeemed codes that had expired years ago as well.

 

[Yopaz]

A friend of mine used an expired code for Dragon Age Origins about 2 years after expiry (he already had it on PC and just wanted to try the 360 version also massive fan) and that worked just fine. I'm not really sure why that is, but a few guesses would be that either the process to shut them down takes a while and costs them some money so it gets delayed or they don't do it at all, that at the date it "expires" is simply the time they stop making the promotional codes or it could be that the publishers and the ones who manage this have different ideas. Microsoft manages the Xbox Live market and they are the ones who have to inactivate codes, so they might not be as eager to do so as the publisher is.

Either way, do not throw away codes just because they are expired, test them first.