Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

EA Introduces "Online Pass" To Get In On Used Games Market

Posted by Soulskill on from the gee-thanks dept.

EA Sports has unveiled a new feature that they hope will help them get a piece of the lucrative used games market: the Online Pass. Each of their new titles will come with a one-time code that allows access to "premium" content and features. Players who buy the games used can get the same content, but will need to pay $10 for the privilege. "According to EA, the content can include anything from title updates and downloads to features like online leagues — and even online gameplay and multiplayer modes. ... EA will offer 10-day trials of Pass content so that users can see what they would be getting. So far, EA seems to be limiting the premium add-on experiment to its sports portfolio. ... The company has apparently gained the support of retailer GameStop, which has been watching with a close eye efforts on the part of publishers to discourage its thriving used games business. According to the retailer, encouraging premium content add-ons still benefits GameStop, since it sells PlayStation Network and Microsoft Points cards. It praised EA's Online Pass as 'forward-thinking.'"

2 of 223 comments (clear)

  1. Re:cheating the laws by redscare2k4 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Also (and sorry about the double post), game companies seem to forget that people who sell their games more often than not use that money to BUY MORE GAMES. Game companies are already getting benefits from the used game market, but as they can't put a figure in their anual reports, they're blind and think they're getting nothing.

  2. To bring the book industry into the 21st century.. by HungryHobo · · Score: 5, Interesting

    To bring the book industry into the 21st century I propose a system whereby printed books be changed such that instead of the second half of the book you get a code which will allow you to access the end of the story through the publishers website.
    The ending shall be a free add-on which you may only access through our online service.
    You will be prohibited from transfering access to the ending to anyone since it's a service rather than an item.

    If you want to know the ending after you've bought a book second hand you'll have to pay a 10 dollar fee to us.