EA - project 10 dollars

[Schadenfroh]

Ubisoft has jumped on-board with the fee for used games:
http://www.dailytech.com/Ubisoft+to...ees+Too+Gamestop+Cheers+Idea/article18450.htm

Gamestop has put their support behind it as well.

But, they need to figure out how to deal with single player games. The best solution would likely to be software activation with some kind of support from the game console itself. IE, bind the game to a specific console. I am sure a software updated to the console can add it and Microsoft will likely want to do the same thing at some point.

 

[sonoma1993]

Ubisoft has jumped on-board with the fee for used games:
http://www.dailytech.com/Ubisoft+to...ees+Too+Gamestop+Cheers+Idea/article18450.htm

I figure this would happen, I bet more gaming companies will be doing this sooner or later as well. Once one company starts doing it, other companies will eventually do it as well.

 

[mugs]

Ubisoft has jumped on-board with the fee for used games:
http://www.dailytech.com/Ubisoft+to...ees+Too+Gamestop+Cheers+Idea/article18450.htm

Gamestop has put their support behind it as well.

Actual quote:
"Regarding ... monetizing used games or downloadable content … most of the games that we will release next year will have downloadable content available from the start. We are looking very carefully at what is being done by EA regarding what we call the '$10 solution,' and we will probably follow that line at sometime in the future"

The Gamestop quotes were actually referring to EA, not Ubisoft. Not that it makes much difference, except it's distasteful when pseudo-journalists lie to me.

But, they need to figure out how to deal with single player games. The best solution would likely to be software activation with some kind of support from the game console itself. IE, bind the game to a specific console. I am sure a software updated to the console can add it and Microsoft will likely want to do the same thing at some point.

That would be role of the paid DLC that is free with new copies of games. Software activation that binds the game to a specific console is very unlikely IMO. It would be technically possible with without a console update (by creating a piece of DLC that is required to play the game), but I doubt Microsoft would allow it.

 

[sao123]

My DRM hate isn't deep at all or hard to understand. EA is using DRM to stomp all over the First-sale Doctrine, which allows a legal purchaser of a copyrighted work to sell the ENTIRE product without EA's permission. EA is using DRM to control the transfer of the Online portion of the product, thereby circumventing the First-sale Doctrine the consumer has enjoyed for decades now. IMO they are in violation of the Copyright Act of 1976 and should be taken to court over it.

you mean the clayton antitrust act?

 

[Pig_Death]

how will this affect gamefly and such services....


...............................................................
EA just announced the next step of its "Project Ten Dollar" initiative, one that's likely to affect a lot of people much more deeply than the allure of some extra DLC. Starting with Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11, out June 8, EA Sports games for PS3 and Xbox 360 will include a title-specific "Online Pass" that enables access to "online services, features, and bonus content." If the code has already been redeemed (i.e. if you bought the game used) additional Online Passes will be available for (you guessed it!) ten dollars. Each game will include a seven-day free trial.

The online services under the Online Pass vary by game, but an EA rep told us they can include basic online multiplayer, as well as group/league features, roster and playbook updates, downloads of user-created content (like Photo Game Faces) and tournament support.

We'd think GameStop would be most upset about this plan, given that it's basically the destination for trade-ins of last year's sports games toward the new model, but CEO Dan DeMatteo offers a cheerful quote in the announcement. "GameStop is excited to partner with such a forward-thinking publisher as Electronic Arts," DeMatteo said. "This relationship allows us to capitalize on our investments to market and sell downloadable content online, as well as through our network of stores worldwide."

Ah who cares, Video games are still better then people :awe:

 

[Cuda1447]

This shit is stupid. So if I go rent Tiger Woods from Blockbuster to see if I like it, I can't play it online. I have to buy the game so I can play it online and see if I like it and want to.... uh... buy the game?

Fuck it. I won't buy any EA games I guess. I ALWAYS rent before I buy. (To much shit out there)

 

[IndyColtsFan]

This shit is stupid. So if I go rent Tiger Woods from Blockbuster to see if I like it, I can't play it online. I have to buy the game so I can play it online and see if I like it and want to.... uh... buy the game?

Fuck it. I won't buy any EA games I guess. I ALWAYS rent before I buy. (To much shit out there)

I guess that means you won't be in our AT Madden 11 league then?

 

[Cuda1447]

I guess that means you won't be in our AT Madden 11 league then?

I'm pissed at Madden after I started seeing ads right before I hiked the ball. Those fucking ads weren't there when I bought the game. To be fair, I have bought Madden every year since '99. I'd like to say I am not buying it this year, but there is no other option

 

[IndyColtsFan]

I'm pissed at Madden after I started seeing ads right before I hiked the ball. Those fucking ads weren't there when I bought the game. To be fair, I have bought Madden every year since '99. I'd like to say I am not buying it this year, but there is no other option

I'm debating whether or not to buy it. Every year, I say "No way, I am NOT buying this!" but every year, I get excited for football season and cave in. Those bastards know people like me are addicted to football and intentionally hold out until right before the season starts to take maximum advantage of my addiction! Oh well, at least Madden 09 and 10 were huge improvements over the next gen crap of Madden 07/08. And to my credit, I DID resist buying NCAA 10 last year.

If I do buy it, I am leaning towards the PS3 version this year.

 

[Golgatha]

For what it's worth, Dirt 3 by Codemasters has joined the fine list of games charging $10 for Online play of used games. There is a VIP Pass included in the PS3 and 360 versions of the game and the game will hound you relentlessly to input the code when you first start it up, or prompt you to buy it if you say you don't have a code.

 

[Tom]

Development costs used to be a fraction of what they are now.

So were sales volumes.

 

[Zargon]

more BS.

 

[AstroManLuca]

For what it's worth, Dirt 3 by Codemasters has joined the fine list of games charging $10 for Online play of used games. There is a VIP Pass included in the PS3 and 360 versions of the game and the game will hound you relentlessly to input the code when you first start it up, or prompt you to buy it if you say you don't have a code.

I would never even want to play Dirt 3 online. Or any other racing game for that matter. Every time I've tried, you just have some asshole running you off the road.

 

[Beev]

What I don't understand (because I'm ignorant regarding economics) is why movies can cost $100million+ to make, and charge $10 a ticket, yet games don't cost quite that much and they're $60. Wouldn't they sell millions more if they were even half the price? It would severely hurt the used game market, too.

Even better idea for ruining the used game market (unfortunately affects Gamefly): Keep games at their current price and make the $10 pass $50 instead. Just like the current $10 model people who buy new won't even notice a difference. Hell, create special copies for rental purposes that can counter the un-rentability of current online pass games.

Again, I'm not very economics savvy, but I'm curious to know what the drawbacks are for both things I mentioned above.

 

[purbeast0]

What I don't understand (because I'm ignorant regarding economics) is why movies can cost $100million+ to make, and charge $10 a ticket, yet games don't cost quite that much and they're $60. Wouldn't they sell millions more if they were even half the price? It would severely hurt the used game market, too.

Even better idea for ruining the used game market (unfortunately affects Gamefly): Keep games at their current price and make the $10 pass $50 instead. Just like the current $10 model people who buy new won't even notice a difference. Hell, create special copies for rental purposes that can counter the un-rentability of current online pass games.

Again, I'm not very economics savvy, but I'm curious to know what the drawbacks are for both things I mentioned above.

its simply supply and demand.

when you have movies that are $10/ticket, making $300+ million in opening weekend, that is 30 million people seeing a movie, in one weekend.

and the games that ARE the top sellers typically have huge development costs AND marketing costs, which can get into the hundreds of millions of dollars.

 

[thilanliyan]

What I don't understand (because I'm ignorant regarding economics) is why movies can cost $100million+ to make, and charge $10 a ticket, yet games don't cost quite that much and they're $60. Wouldn't they sell millions more if they were even half the price? It would severely hurt the used game market, too.

I've wondered the same thing. Lower the price and they would (likely) sell a lot more. The amount of people in the movie market will be larger of course but I'd definitely buy more games if they weren't $40-$70 each.

 

[chalmers]

Of course it's a money grab, they are a for-profit company! Every time a used copy of their game is sold, they see absolutely $0 from it. Do they want a cut? Hell yes they do. This $10 fee will either make a person buy the game new (they'll get money), pay the $10 to play online (they'll get money), or not buy the game at all (less server usage, lower costs, most likely no noticable hit on the online community with other users).

You guys give EA shit, but it's a smart move on their end. They could not care less about you buying used games, because they never see a dime from it. This will change that so they'll see at least some extra revenue.

I like how you try to be all deep with your hate on DRM, "fleecing the sheeple" and all that shit, but guess what? Every company in this capitalist economy wants your money. The secret? You don't have to give it to them. Nobody is fleecing anyone. EA wants a cut of their games being sold on the used market, this is something they can control. Let them. If you don't like it, don't buy it.

Don't worry I won't be buying it, but I'm still allowed to be angry and complain about it on a forum. I don't buy DLC unless it's expansion worthy. I don't buy "online passes", I don't buy anything extra on the game because I refuse to cave into this new ideology of companies selling you a game and then charging you out the ass for map packs, extra weapons, and whatever else. I'm not going to pay for it and I never will. Call me old school, but when I buy a game, I expect to get the entire god damn game with my $60, or whatever the used price is.

And EA charging this online pass is laughable. That's like clothing companies scavenging weekend yard sales charging people a thread and needle fee for buying someone's used clothes. Fuck you, I won't pay for it ever.

 

[blurredvision]

Don't worry I won't be buying it, but I'm still allowed to be angry and complain about it on a forum. I don't buy DLC unless it's expansion worthy. I don't buy "online passes", I don't buy anything extra on the game because I refuse to cave into this new ideology of companies selling you a game and then charging you out the ass for map packs, extra weapons, and whatever else. I'm not going to pay for it and I never will. Call me old school, but when I buy a game, I expect to get the entire god damn game with my $60, or whatever the used price is.

And EA charging this online pass is laughable. That's like clothing companies scavenging weekend yard sales charging people a thread and needle fee for buying someone's used clothes. Fuck you, I won't pay for it ever.

It's not like a "thread and needle fee". Buying a used shirt costs the original maker of that shirt nothing. But somebody buying a used game and playing it online does cost the developer something. The amount is unknown to me and can be debated, but running servers isn't free.

Sure, you could argue that the first person who bought the game should have paid the fee for that particular copy to play online for as long as the servers are up, but I'm fine with any of these companies wanting a slice of the pie for the use of something they are paying to upkeep. Bandwidth, energy, and support isn't free and if a user wants to use it, then pay the company who is giving access to it, don't whine like a bitch about it.

 

[chalmers]

It's not like a "thread and needle fee". Buying a used shirt costs the original maker of that shirt nothing. But somebody buying a used game and playing it online does cost the developer something. The amount is unknown to me and can be debated, but running servers isn't free.

Sure, you could argue that the first person who bought the game should have paid the fee for that particular copy to play online for as long as the servers are up, but I'm fine with any of these companies wanting a slice of the pie for the use of something they are paying to upkeep. Bandwidth, energy, and support isn't free and if a user wants to use it, then pay the company who is giving access to it, don't whine like a bitch about it.

I'd totally agree with you if the net addition to the load on their servers was > 0 when a used game is sold. Of course that would make sense that they need extra cash to pay for the extra load. It's a money grab plain and simple, the bandwith argument holds no merit to me. And that's fine, I just won't be purchasing any of their products under that model.

 

[JackBurton]

I find it hilarious that the people buying used games say they won't buy the game. Guess what, EA doesn't give a shit. And no, this won't affect new game sales either. This is a great idea on EA's part and hopefully others will follow EA's lead.

I'd love to see the used game market crushed.

 

[JackBurton]

Don't worry I won't be buying it, but I'm still allowed to be angry and complain about it on a forum. I don't buy DLC unless it's expansion worthy. I don't buy "online passes", I don't buy anything extra on the game because I refuse to cave into this new ideology of companies selling you a game and then charging you out the ass for map packs, extra weapons, and whatever else. I'm not going to pay for it and I never will. Call me old school, but when I buy a game, I expect to get the entire god damn game with my $60, or whatever the used price is.

And EA charging this online pass is laughable. That's like clothing companies scavenging weekend yard sales charging people a thread and needle fee for buying someone's used clothes. Fuck you, I won't pay for it ever.

That fee only applies to used games. There is no extra charge for new games so I have no issue with it.

 

[Beev]

Yeah I'm the same way. At first I was outraged like most gamers, but since I ONLY buy new it just doesn't affect me...

I still hate EA for other reasons, though

 

[fatpat268]

I find it hilarious that the people buying used games say they won't buy the game. Guess what, EA doesn't give a shit. And no, this won't affect new game sales either. This is a great idea on EA's part and hopefully others will follow EA's lead.

I'd love to see the used game market crushed.

I don't, but I do want to see Gamestop fail because of their business practices.

 

[blurredvision]

I'd totally agree with you if the net addition to the load on their servers was > 0 when a used game is sold. Of course that would make sense that they need extra cash to pay for the extra load. It's a money grab plain and simple, the bandwith argument holds no merit to me. And that's fine, I just won't be purchasing any of their products under that model.

Do you also avoid purchasing products that don't allow warranties to be transferred to a second-hand purchaser? It's the same concept, but one that's accepted.

 

[Duder1no]

fuck EA, they won't get any money from me

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