EA sells Tiger Woods cheats on XBL

Marketplace offerings let gamers instantly open up all courses, golfers, pro shop items, for a price.

The Xbox 360 has been out for almost a year, and publishers are still experimenting to find the best way to make money and serve their customers with downloadable content for games. The latest approach comes from Electronic Arts, which has released a handful of downloadable add-ons for Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2007 on the Xbox Live Marketplace today.

What makes some of these add-ons unusual is that they merely give players instant access to things they would normally have to unlock in the course of normal play. So gamers can download the Unlock Golfer and Unlock Courses add-ons for 200 points ($2.50) each and open up all the hidden golfers and courses in the game without ever having to set foot on the virtual fairways.

Players wanting to take a shortcut to greatness can also shell out 200 points for the Maxed-Out Player add-on, which will set their created golfers' stats to 110 percent across the board. Finally, the more expensive Pro Shop add-on (300 points, or $3.75) will unlock all of the pro shop gear for the player's use.

Not all of the Tiger Woods add-ons being offered can be earned by actually playing the game, however. The Sunday Tiger download (240 points, or $3) is exclusive to the Marketplace, and allows players to hit the links as Woods in his trademark tournament-ending red shirt.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 for the Xbox 360 is scheduled to release later this week. It is rated E for Everyone and will retail for $59.99.

224 Comments

  • mcderek3000

    Posted Nov 14, 2006 8:42 pm PT

    Genius! Selling customers something that they already bought! As for selling a red t-shirt that does not actually exist and can only bought for a vidogame character? Brilliant! Imagine the money saved on manufacturing costs. Even the sweatshops in China can now be outsourced.

    What scares me a little is that some companies may make certain parts of a game too difficult to complete and then charge for a cheat to get them through these parts.

  • 66550

    Posted Nov 2, 2006 9:22 pm PT

    I understand the courses thing but paying money to get a maxed out player is stupid. Any one who actually does that is not getting everything the games has to offer and is just not getting the experience of good golfing gameplay. Though EA will most likely make plenty of money on these none the less.

  • frankfurter209

    Posted Oct 19, 2006 2:32 pm PT

    Paying money to have the game beaten for you is just stupid, and the cheats themselves have always been free. Maybe you did have to call a hotline or something, but the game never made you pay money for the cheats. Those were always free. Now, the reason why this is bad is because nothing is stopping EA from "accidentally" leaving out that really cool unlockable or bonus reward normally awarded for beating the game or accomplishing some hard task within the game. This feature would then pop up on marketplace for a couple bucks instead of in the game in the first place.

  • Salemiscool

    Posted Oct 19, 2006 1:34 pm PT

    Okay, i'll accept the fact that you have to pay to get unlockables without having to work for them, the only thing that bugs me is that i'd have to pay 3.50$ for a simple red t-shirt. Really...

  • dan_avalanche

    Posted Oct 19, 2006 12:42 pm PT

    everyone whining about this needs to get a grip. they've put unlockable stuff in games for the longest time. If you don't wanna short change yourself, DON'T BUY THE UNLOCKABLES!!! unlock them yourself. Nobody makes you buy this stuff, stop complaining about it. I personally think they should put a price on it, instead of a cheat code to unlock everything, make people actually play through and if someone is desperate enough to get something make them pay more. Seems as if you all have never heard of game genie or game shark. Paying money for a third party system to help you cheat through the game or unlock stuff. Same thing guys, this way just discourages people from cheating. I think it's a great idea EA

  • hodayathink

    Posted Oct 19, 2006 5:50 am PT

    frankfurter209:
    "It's unlocking content that I already bought! So why the hell should I pay for content in a game I've already own? There is no way you can justify that."

    First, as has been pointed out so many times, if you don't want to pay for the content, just unlock it yourself. That's the extremely simple alternative. No one is forcing you to buy anything.

    Second, Someone earlier in this post stated that they remembered the days of "Nintendo Power" where you used to be able to call a number in the magazine to get tips, and that wasn't free. The cheats were never actually free. What happened before is that all the cheats were just information, which could be spread any way that information is spread (over a phone call, through normal conversation, in a magazine, over the internet, etc.). Some people paid for magazines to get cheatcodes (Nintendo Power, GamePro, etc.), some people called various hotlines, and some people just waited until their friend told them. When the internet took off, it became a great place to aggregate and share all types of data, including cheats. So one person could now buy the cheat, post it online, and then the rest of the world had it. But don't act like people have never paid for cheats before, because that is really complete BS.

    Also, I don't consider a game that comes out without its cheats to incomplete. There are so many better things to work on in any game besides programming in the cheats that I'm glad they left them out to be released separately. If you want to cheat, you have to pay. Life should be that way, really.

  • _Sam_

    Posted Oct 18, 2006 8:23 pm PT

    if you buy these, then why even buy the game

  • WizengamotX

    Posted Oct 18, 2006 7:18 pm PT

    This isn't a very funny joke..

  • Obesity_King

    Posted Oct 18, 2006 7:15 pm PT

    I seriously hope the industry as a whole doesnt follow some of the business practices that EA uses.

  • X-Magick

    Posted Oct 18, 2006 7:11 pm PT

    I can remember when it was the Developers greatest achievements and funest part of making the game was the hiding of extras. Giving a different aspect of game play when you find out that a game you beat has a different ending or secret items. Most games have the ability to enter cheats for peple that have problems or just dont want to dedicate the time required to finish a game, or just to make it much easier. Now we will have to start buying the ability to enter the cheat codes. This is a way to cover their short commings to be able to produce a complete game. Now they have a way of raping the people that do spend their money on what is suposed to be a finished product, by selling the rest of an imcomplete product later. Dont buy the BS off Xbox live and if the PC versions have the same crap just dont buy from the companies that pull this kind of shenanigans in the future.

  • Rayze78

    Posted Oct 18, 2006 7:00 pm PT

    So....whats the point of playing the game then? I can see being able to "buy" an extra character, or an extra course or something. Like ONE of each. But buying stat points is just lame and takes away the point of playing. I like to "earn" my way through a game, but thats just me. Lets use Oblivion for example. I think its cool that they added more content. But what if you could buy a high level character? What would be the point of playing? To me, it just takes away the purpose of playing the game in the first place.

  • frankfurter209

    Posted Oct 18, 2006 6:25 pm PT

    hodayathink:
    "Let me get this straight:

    We're entitled to free cheats? Is that really the argument here? That we are entitled to be able to cheat in our games for free? That's what people are getting upset about?

    It's not the video game industry I'm ashamed of, it's the posters to this article."

    Me:

    You think cheats should cost money? Maybe if they were some brand new revolutionary concept or something, but games have had cheats for as long as I can remember and I remember them being free. It's unlocking content that I already bought! So why the hell should I pay for content in a game I've already own? There is no way you can justify that.

  • yawannataco

    Posted Oct 18, 2006 6:21 pm PT

    I think this is bull. Sh*t like this make me miss the good old days (last gen). Here's what EA, Sony and countless other developers are thinkging:

    "I know! We can charge $10 more per game because we have to put more work into each game. That'll sell. Then we can not actually put ANY of that work in the game and sell it online for MORE money! We can make a racing game and not put the cars or tracks in! They'll have to bite!"

    I know this is just for unlockable content but it's still just BS. This generation has brought gaming to a new low. Shame on you, EA. Not that you've ever been one to care what your user base thinks...

  • beware005

    Posted Oct 18, 2006 4:13 pm PT

    wow. people would actually spend money to beat the game. worst idea ever. maybe if they had more stuff you couldnt get by playing. but worst idea ever.

  • expertgamer3

    Posted Oct 18, 2006 2:03 pm PT

    why would i pay more for i game i already have.

    ill just spend the time to unlock everything.

  • Thesilverpimp

    Posted Oct 18, 2006 12:48 pm PT

    Whaaat?! No more free cheats? Gaming as come to a new level.. what wil the simple minded do? and the kids? Has anyone thought of the kids? Many dont need codes, other just try it to enhance gaming experience, others cuz they suck, but still.. The next gen will now strike back. Its worst than DarthVader or the Pokemon series. someone must stop the maddness. What if they charge for other games just to have big head, or different colored characters, or whaatt? what do you want from us EA? WhaaT?!! whaa....... *burst into tears and shuts down Firefox browser*......

  • hodayathink

    Posted Oct 18, 2006 11:04 am PT

    Let me get this straight:

    We're entitled to free cheats? Is that really the argument here? That we are entitled to be able to cheat in our games for free? That's what people are getting upset about?

    It's not the video game industry I'm ashamed of, it's the posters to this article.

  • faizali86

    Posted Oct 18, 2006 11:02 am PT

    what has the gaming world come to

  • tomp814

    Posted Oct 18, 2006 10:38 am PT

    Nothing more logical from EA.
    This really makes the lazy happy but, if you can get it by playing, I don't see the problem. When they start to make EXCLUSIVE add-ons, then we may have a problem.
    Think about it: If DotA was paid, would it get THAT MUCH famous?
    It will just kill the game's lifetime.

  • Iffy350

    Posted Oct 18, 2006 8:29 am PT

    You can purchace 600 dollars worth of unlockable cars in GT5. Its the beginning of the end for the console market. Im not shelling out 700 bucks for a PS3 so I can purchace FFXIII and be forced to pay Square Enix every time I want to level up. You see, this is why Im a PC gamer. People develope free add-ons for most PC games which extends the replay value. Free stuff, and if you don't like it you can delete the add-on content.

  • mark_unix

    Posted Oct 18, 2006 6:27 am PT

    go boycot EA
    http://www.petitiononline.com/bcottea/petition.html

  • brianpoetzel

    Posted Oct 18, 2006 5:40 am PT

    This is one of the biggest problems I have wih the next gen consoles. All the publishers are rushing to charge for new features. This stuff has been free for over a decade on the PC as the player development community. If the publishers really want to make money they'd let the the players make and post new content for free. Games would be selling long after they would normally die because the player community is keeping them fresh. Once I buy a game I don't want to keep shelling out money for it as I play. It's already $60 for gods sake. That's enough.

  • ewjim

    Posted Oct 18, 2006 2:02 am PT

    Pretty funny, they sell cheats with game...

  • Chitown_lova

    Posted Oct 18, 2006 12:00 am PT

    I saw this coming. The first hint that something like this was on the way was Dead Rising. You can download unlockables for the game from the marketplace.

    I mentioned to a co-worker that the tunnel key could very well have been a charged downloadable item from the marketplace. And that pretty soon developers will start doing it.

    EA isn't forcing anyone to buy the downloads. The only feature that is exclusive to the Marketplace is the sunday Tiger outfit. Everything else can be got through hard work.

    What's different between this and people buying high level gear for WoW on ebay?

  • mydasx

    Posted Oct 17, 2006 10:44 pm PT

    bend over and take it from the biggest bully on the cell block. THIS SUX

  • ardandil

    Posted Oct 17, 2006 9:00 pm PT

    this is low, very low...
    donwloadable content is a very interesting approach to the player community, but is still far from the right thing, i like to get points for purchases and use those to unlock premium content on previous or newer games, sort like the nintendo web page that let you get wallpapers and stuff for register your games and accessories that is neat. i would like that kind of aproach from upcoming consoles, i mean what if i get poinst por my new super mario galaxies? and then i exchange those to get f-zero or maybe link to the past? a new course on mario kart, a new kart... but still available with regular points, i think this is how it must be...

  • HK-Ghost

    Posted Oct 17, 2006 8:42 pm PT

    .....

    The latest in the lamest...

    -Ghost

  • FrankieLA

    Posted Oct 17, 2006 8:05 pm PT

    Welcome to the future of video games. PC games are looking better all over again.

  • Built

    Posted Oct 17, 2006 7:36 pm PT

    paying vs cheats...
    i dont think so...

    y pay more money on top of a game u alrady bought for around $50...

    anyways.. i dont care.. i dont play golf games... its boring as it is in reality...
    MINI GOLF ALL DA WAY!!!!!!

  • Dreski83

    Posted Oct 17, 2006 6:08 pm PT

    in a way I don't see too much error in this either... the idea of people not being able to play games entire weekends and unlock oodles of goodies a privilege not all have.
    Yet, being EA and a company who seems a lil desperate in tryin to appease the masses with something impressive, this isn't anything new in their long resume of lame'ness.

    reasonable concept for big spenders, but not my cup of choice.

  • frankfurter209

    Posted Oct 17, 2006 6:04 pm PT

    Well "Wesly_Snypes", you're a dumbass. True, we don't know that this is only the beginning, but common sense dictates that if EA makes profit off this (they will), then they will almost certainly take the next step and lock off sections of the game for a price. They could label them "bonus sections" or something so it lloks like an add-on rather then part of the game.

  • borgmaster

    Posted Oct 17, 2006 5:20 pm PT

    thank allah I don't play golf games, because I would buy a couple of those things.

  • the_real_VIP

    Posted Oct 17, 2006 4:26 pm PT

    Pay? ... that's EA.

  • Sonicplys

    Posted Oct 17, 2006 4:21 pm PT

    This is the kind of thing that will KILL video games.

  • Bobchad94

    Posted Oct 17, 2006 4:16 pm PT

    I see no problem with this... Some people don't really have time to unlock a lot of this stuff, and this gives them an opportunity to experience the meat of the game. I'm not sure I support the automatic 110% character stats, but unlocking levels is ok.

    Note, personally I wouldn't dream of spending money on something I unlock normally in the game, but it is a nice option.

  • thebrazenone

    Posted Oct 17, 2006 3:37 pm PT

    "If gamers don't buy into it, the developers can't push it if they still want to generate a profit."

    You're entitled to your opinion, but it really doesn't cost the developer anything to take a feature out of a game and sell it in the marketplace - that's a no lose situation for the developer. The developers really don't care if some people don't buy it, they can't lose. Besides, to point out an obvious trend is not exactly "magical" foresight into the future, the only crystal ball you need is a little common sense.

  • Riverwolf007

    Posted Oct 17, 2006 3:02 pm PT

    So how much does it cost to have yourself listed as #1 in the stats?

  • WESLY_SNYPES

    Posted Oct 17, 2006 2:37 pm PT

    Like I said, if you don't like it DON'T BUY IT. Simple as that. I like how people magically have foresight into the future saying that "oh this is just the beginning..." The beginning of what? Do you have the future plans of EA or any other game developers marketing or pricing strategy in some crystal ball? If you don't buy what they are selling then they will be forced to change their strategy to fit what the consumer is willing to spend. All these people saying that gamers will be paying for incomplete games need to stop being so damn dramatic. A lot of games have been released that people think are incomplete for a variety of reasons. However, microtransactions are in it's infancy stage in the console world and has yet to catch on. If gamers don't buy into it, the developers can't push it if they still want to generate a profit.

  • mightywarlord

    Posted Oct 17, 2006 2:19 pm PT

    If they're allowing people to go online with these cheats, then that's probably the dumbest thing I ever heard.

    If it's for single player kicks, then I still don't think it's a good idea, but I don't mind it since it doesn't actually effect me.

  • frankfurter209

    Posted Oct 17, 2006 1:35 pm PT

    Nolimitjay1 and punkarl, you guys hit the nail on the head. And to everyone who says "I don't have time to unlock everything", WELL THERE ARE CHEATS MORONS!!! Earlier Tiger Woods games had unlock everything cheats and max out golfer stats cheats! This isn't some crazy new idea that many of you make it out to be. The only thing new is paying money for content you already own. Down with EA. If you buy their products, make sure you buy used, so they never see a penny off your purchase.

  • deadman829

    Posted Oct 17, 2006 1:14 pm PT

    In an almost GOB Bluth like fashion, EA... You've made a huge mistake.

  • BlueSteam

    Posted Oct 17, 2006 12:46 pm PT

    That sucks... the bad thing will be maxed out players all over live... as if it weren't hard enough to do well online already...

  • NoLimitJay1

    Posted Oct 17, 2006 12:36 pm PT

    The people who are saying "I dont care if people buy the stuff because I wont spend my money" are fools. Dont you see the big picture? The more of a market this develops into, the less and less content youre gonna see in your game. Its a slippery slope. I mean, youre already paying 60 for a game with less features then its last-gen counterpart. And why is that? Because the market said people dont care. So now the people that DO care are stuck either paying 60 or not having a game. And that is what is going to happen with all this content. Not to mention, people with an internet connection dont have any chance on seeing all the features of games. This is all about money and greed and suckering in people who cant see in front of their face. So five years from now when we're paying 80 for half a game, and then another 20 to download the other half of the game, youll have morons like ardavies1 and CheddarLimbo to thank.

  • Master_Gabranth

    Posted Oct 17, 2006 12:03 pm PT

    the idea that people are spending money for virtual items blows me away. the fact that you can buy money for WoW using regular US currency is just....wrong--i feel the same way about this. besides, the fun of the game is playing through it anyway. why pay an extra few bucks to unlock everything? it's like paying $5 to get to the final boss of an RPG. ummmmm, why?!

  • VolcanoMan001

    Posted Oct 17, 2006 11:43 am PT

    Anything for a buck, right EA?

  • danxxx

    Posted Oct 17, 2006 10:50 am PT

    thats sad and the ppl who buy those cheats are stupid hope they dont sell any of those cheats because thats gay and cheap.

  • ardavies1

    Posted Oct 17, 2006 8:48 am PT

    Personally, I think it's a great idea. The red shirt: setting back one or two iconic shirts is exactly the kind of thing that should be allowed for microtransactions. Now, if you actually had nothing to wear at all to begin with things would be different, but this is simply a bonus item and they're giving it to people who pay a little extra.

    It's the cheats I'm really impressed by, though. They're giving us choice. If we want to, we can play the game just as we used to; but on the other hand, if we're a little short of time, or if we really don't enjoy the grind of maxing out our player's stats, then we can pay the publisher to unlock it for us. I stress, it doesn't afftect anyone who doesn't opt for it - even if you do buy the game! It's simply a timesaver.

    Finally, for these people screaming that it's just the beginning and it's all going to get worse: well, when it gets worse, then we can stop buying their products. But while all they're doing is giving gamers options and letting us buy time for money, whilst keeping (almost) everything in the game unlockable WITHOUT any extra payment - well, they've got my vote.

  • CheddarLimbo

    Posted Oct 17, 2006 8:46 am PT

    I'm not really that bothered by this, I say if fools want to part with their money - so be it. More options is always a good thing in my opinion. I'm not going to buy this stuff myself, because I don't have a lot of discretionary income. But that doesn't mean I think nobody else should. Why should I care how other people play their games and spend their money?

    What this comes down to is a convenience fee. This is standard in a lot of other business models. For example, go to your local corner store and buy some postage stamps. They're $.50 for $.39 stamp because it's convenient to go just to the corner instead of going all the way to the Post Office. The premium charge is in exchange for not spending your time doing something. People like to get all up in arms because they think the video game market is so sacred and untouchable. They think this practice is dirty, or unfair. But we live in a capitalist world where having money gives you the ability to have things and do things that people without money can't. The video game industry is a business like anything else. EA doesn't want to heal the world, they just want to make money. And I'm pretty much fine with that as long as they also make money by selling me quality titles that I enjoy playing.

    I think the reason most people are against this sort of thing is because they put so much personal status on being able to obtain these abilities and unlockables. If someone else can gain that same status by just paying for it, they feel cheated. If unlocking content is fun and personally rewarding for you, great, have a good time playing hundreds of rounds of golf. But for some people, video games are casual and they can't grind away their weekend unlocking new shirts. Does that mean they don't deserve to have that content?

  • Dill_Doe

    Posted Oct 17, 2006 8:26 am PT

    this is the future of gaming, sad as it may be.

  • thebrazenone

    Posted Oct 17, 2006 8:19 am PT

    "If you don't like it: DON'T WORRY ABOUT BUYING IT! EA reps are not yet at your doorstep with a gun to demand you fork over more money..."

    So long as there are people who do buy, then we all are adversely affected - if not now, then in the future version of games. I don't plan on purchasing EA's PGA game, but It personally kills me that people will buy Tiger's red Sunday shirt . . . the fact that I am not forced to pay extra money for the red home jersey of Manchester United this year when I buy FIFA, doesn't mean that I won't be forced to do it next year. As for the cheats, the problem with those are: Since the cheats are already in the game, they can be made available at the title screen for free. Why some people are so ready to praise EA for making its content locked, and then charging them for it is beyond me. If you're too busy to play games or believe that the content is too difficult to unlock, why are you going to ultimately pay for these microtransactions . . . so that EA and other companies are encouraged to make their content even more time consuming and difficult to unlock in the future? That's just retarded.

    Undoubtedly, you never have to buy anything, but if you have a hobby you'd rather see it improved than forced to give up on it - that's why some of us are moaning.

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