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EA killing Online Passes for existing games

Publisher confirms it is retroactively eliminating online passes for all EA titles beginning with EA Sports games.

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In response to consumer feedback, Electronic Arts has announced it is doing away with its controversial Online Pass scheme altogether. Previously, the company said only that future titles would not include Online Passes. Now, the move will be applied retroactively, beginning with EA Sports titles.

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"As we discontinue Online Pass for our new EA titles, we are also in the process of eliminating it from all our existing EA titles as well," EA corporate communications representative John Reseburg told Game Informer. "We heard the feedback from players and decided to do away with Online Pass altogether."

"Players will see it first with some EA Sports titles, where a prompt to enter an Online Pass code will no longer appear in-game; with other titles we are simply making Online Passes available free of charge online," he continued. "These are rolling updates that are taking effect over the next several weeks. We hope players continue to enjoy our games and online services for a long time to come."

Online Passes have often been viewed as ways for developers and publishers to offset the financial shortfall of not seeing revenue when games are traded in and resold through retailers.

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brothersinarmsb

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Edited By brothersinarmsb

Great moment in gaming history.

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Sohereiam

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Sohereiam

@brothersinarmsb The real great moment is when DRM, Region Lockout and payable DLC are extinct of the world.

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JustArtificial

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Edited By JustArtificial

@Sohereiam @brothersinarmsb Payable DLC won't go away, because developers worked on that piece of content. OF COURSE, that only applies to DLC that happens after the Gold status AND is worthwhile (looking at you pre-orders, season passes and Day 1 DLC).

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Sohereiam

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Sohereiam

@JustArtificial @Sohereiam @brothersinarmsb The ones that have been released already is one thing, I'm talking about the future releases.

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R2C25

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R2C25

@Sohereiam @brothersinarmsb PS3 games are region locked. Sony first party at least.

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Sohereiam

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Sohereiam

@R2C25 @Sohereiam @brothersinarmsb You mean PSN games and DLC, the retail games are region free(except Persona 4 Arena)

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RossRichard

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RossRichard

What does it matter when they kill online play after a game has been out for 2-3 years?

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Sardinar

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Sardinar

I am happy to not know what Online Passes are. :)

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Avatar image for Sohereiam
Sohereiam

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Sohereiam

@Sardinar Are passes that allows you to play a game multiplayer, games like Uncharted 3 and Mass Effect 3 have a system that in order for you to play the multiplayer you need a code in order to activate the multiplayer, new games have the code inside the box, and when resold the person who buys in order to play the multiplayer will need the code since the code was already used(unless the person who resell the game never used the code in first place) you will need a new one and they are expensive.

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shuwar

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Edited By shuwar

Feedback - shit bag xD
Probably the numbers were showing OP was a bad idea in the first place (not very surprising). I, for instance, avoid games with online passes as much as I can. But what about the people who already paid for them...?
Even a parasite has to know its limits - if you're too greedy you'll end up dead, too.

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Avatar image for Random_Virus
Random_Virus

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Random_Virus

Alright! Madden 2002 free to play online!

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Avatar image for JOLIVERW
JOLIVERW

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JOLIVERW

Haha no. I doubt it. Don't forget that EA turn off a lot of their servers after two years, to force you to buy the new version of the game. :/

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blackace

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blackace

@JOLIVERW Right. So did 2K Sports. Stupid dumba*****. I want to play NBA 2K11 and 2K12 online.

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Avatar image for DaWarthog
DaWarthog

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DaWarthog

@JOLIVERW Correction to force dumb people to buy the newer version.

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sahandx360

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sahandx360

Let's Play Fifa..

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GSGuy321

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Edited By GSGuy321

The DRM has been offloaded to Sony/Microsoft.

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deactivated-610c3819be19e

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Edited By deactivated-610c3819be19e

You people think this is them 'listening' to their fans feedback?

I am god damn insulted that they are trying to pull this off as a good faith change PR stunt because their fans didn't like the feature.

They know they do not need Online passes anymore. Come the fall Xbox will roll out their authentication feature and games on Origin need an account.


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grauberger

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Edited By grauberger

@WingChopMasta You mean Xbox AND PS4.. right?

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PumpkinBoogie

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PumpkinBoogie

LOL.....I'd say how awesomely cool that is of EA to finally recognize how stupid online passes are; but somehow I can't help but think there's a catch in all of this somewhere.

I KNOW there's gotta be one 'gotcha!!' somewhere waiting to come back and smack all of us in the face later.....b/c this all seems too good to be true.

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Mr_Mark_Legion

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Mr_Mark_Legion

@PumpkinBoogie called next gen

4 • 
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lukey52

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lukey52

This is EA? WTF! *Mindblown*

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deathblow3

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deathblow3

@lukey52 then you realize that they have an ace up there sleeve. turned off servers and next gen no preowned.

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JOLIVERW

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JOLIVERW

This is all very well and good, but next generation we will have the same problem. So enjoy the final months of this generation, until we are hit with the new money grabber which effectively replaces this. The 'used game tax'. Which does virtually the same thing as an online pass, but worse.

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Redblaze27

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Redblaze27

@JOLIVERW You know whats fun: if you keep supporting this gen it wont go anywhere!

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deathblow3

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deathblow3

@Redblaze27 @JOLIVERW problem is... all they have to do is no longer make games on current gen. which will force you to go next gen

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Saidrex

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Saidrex

Wait wait wait, what? what? Will it start raining frogs now too?

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thorn3000

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thorn3000

@Saidrex I am sure the new generation of consoles has other stuff than online passes planned ;)

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HickfromAL

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HickfromAL

ohhh, that is so nice from EA. I'm sure they're making up for the "lost revenue" with other scams, namely In App Purchase crap...

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Raggi_Boy

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Raggi_Boy

This is madness!!

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DarthLod

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DarthLod

Wow...they actually LISTENED to feedback. o_O

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CHADbomb

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CHADbomb

o_O
CUTE! n.n

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Flames03

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Flames03

Good job EA for doing the right thing.Damn signing exclusive deals with the Xbox One and dropping the online pass looks like EA is turning their company around.

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Banefire76

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Edited By Banefire76

@Flames03 Sorry but you are not seeing the situation clearly. EA is merely trying to backpeddle as fast as they can because their original gamble failed.

This is not an action because they respect gamers, No this is them desperately trying to backflip and save face. It would have meant something if they did this to begin with. All it does now is show how afraid they are. As they should be.

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draken2533

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Edited By draken2533

they are doing away with it because for sure xbox is doing it for them and sony hasn't confirmed yet but i have a feeling it's gonna be the same story

2 • 
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killer90210

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killer90210

the calm before the storm

4 • 
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HickfromAL

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HickfromAL

@killer90210 ... you just know those boys n; girls at EA worked out another scam....

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julzeverne

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julzeverne

@killer90210 Nice euphemism for bankruptcy.

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tomservo51

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Edited By tomservo51

"We heard the feedback from players and decided to do away with Online Pass altogether" Bold faced LIE.

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julzeverne

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Edited By julzeverne

EA is finally feeling the heat.

I think it is a little too little to late, though. The damage is done, dude.

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JustArtificial

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JustArtificial

Well, someone's trying to earn brownie points to stay clear from the Worst Corporation of The Year Award. That's fine, MS and Sony are looking like they will be the clear winners.

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thorn3000

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thorn3000

@JustArtificial microsoft mostly, why sony? it has not yet confirmed or denied anything as far as I know

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deathblow3

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deathblow3

@thorn3000 @JustArtificial when people wont say anything about a situation that means it true. why hold off on good news????

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wizzzer_thy_133

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wizzzer_thy_133

desperation won't save you EA

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berserker66666

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Edited By berserker66666

Everyone who payed for online passes thus far, I have but one thing to say....SUCKERS!!!

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Banefire76

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Banefire76

@berserker66666 Fall for this stunt by EA and you're still a sucker.

15 • 
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burrito_tester

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burrito_tester

This is only because Microsoft is paying them millions to support the always-online part of Xbox One + Anti-Used Games

5 • 
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Mr_Mark_Legion

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Mr_Mark_Legion

@burrito_tester yep. same shit different name

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LoganDaDestroya

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LoganDaDestroya

I don't know... Maybe Online Passes were a good thing. Now it's looking like we'll have to pay full price for used games instead...


If it ends up that way we've basically screwed ourselves.

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Gallowhand

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Gallowhand

@LoganDaDestroya Put the blame where it belongs - on the poor business decisions of greedy publishers.

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LoganDaDestroya

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LoganDaDestroya

@Gallowhand @LoganDaDestroya But why does it belong there? Regardless of our opinions on used game sales, developers are constantly pretty screwed over by them.

Lending games to friends is perfectly fine and all, but Gamestop and similar companies will always attempt to encourage people to buy used games at the counter if they attempt to buy a game new. At that point, they're pretty much denying revenue for those who made it.

People who make and sell games are not at all happy about that. And they want a solution where used game sales can still help them generate revenue. It's not greedy, it's just common sense. To them it's as bad as piracy, either way they aren't getting money for it.

And thus, I would have much preferred paying a small fee like an online pass than what it seems Microsoft is going to push forward with a much larger fee, which may also be the reason they are abandoning Online passes in the first place.

I'm a PC gamer mostly, most purchases are digital, so it doesn't matter to me all too much. But still, it'll be unfortunate if consumers complaining about this only brings about even harsher rules.
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domxnik

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domxnik

At least they are doing something right. Hopefully they keep learning from their mistakes in the past. I have my doubts.

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BoozerX

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BoozerX

Translation:

Online pass?

Pffft , that is for bad companies.

We are really evil,so.

OFFLINE PASSES


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