EA Screwing People Again

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2010/05/ea-sports-to-charge-10-to-play-used-games-online.ars?old=mobile

yep going to charge 10$ to play online when you by a used game. Another reason I'm boycotting them. EA knows how to ruin a game in a second.

Just when I was starting to like EA again. Figures.

it doesn't surprise me at all it is EA they've been doing it for years with sports games I just hope it doesn't transfer over to the shooters genre for I personally don't care since for me it like paying 10 for the game but for everyone else it blows.

I too think tho sucks. But from a business perspective u will probably see more of this from many developers. The used game market has got a little out of control and the developer and publisher make no money on used games. All the profit goes to the store. Of you figure the cost to develop and market a game it isn't cheap. So if u really wanna support the market for quality games them be sure to buy new.

S7 Glock wrote:I too think tho sucks. But from a business perspective u will probably see more of this from many developers. The used game market has got a little out of control and the developer and publisher make no money on used games. All the profit goes to the store. Of you figure the cost to develop and market a game it isn't cheap. So if u really wanna support the market for quality games them be sure to buy new.

ya i am with glock plus most used games are not really cheap till the game has been out a long time like when i got forza it was only 5 bucks cheaper if this was going on it would have coast me 15bucks more over all ...

it that or b1tch at eas on the phone saying it new!!!!

Glocks right plus you'll be saving money now, if you figure buying madden used for $55 dollars then paying $10 bucks to play online that's 65 not including tax. So in reality you'll be paying near the 65-70 dollar mark depending where you live and taxes for that specific city,I would just get the new copy it's a lot less hectic.

The more likely scenario I see is... in order for the used game sellers to keep selling, they lower their price by whatever EA is charging. That way there is still incentive to buy used rather than new. The consumer ends up paying the same amount, but a small portion of the revenue is redirected to the manufacturer. If they didn't do this then people would end up paying more for a used game than for a new copy, and the law suits would be incredible.

S7 Coolhand wrote:The more likely scenario I see is... in order for the used game sellers to keep selling, they lower their price by whatever EA is charging. That way there is still incentive to buy used rather than new. The consumer ends up paying the same amount, but a small portion of the revenue is redirected to the manufacturer.

thats a good idea and i am sure this will happen because gamestop will be hit hard by this if they dont do something

S7 Sticky wrote:

S7 Coolhand wrote:The more likely scenario I see is... in order for the used game sellers to keep selling, they lower their price by whatever EA is charging. That way there is still incentive to buy used rather than new. The consumer ends up paying the same amount, but a small portion of the revenue is redirected to the manufacturer.

thats a good idea and i am sure this will happen because gamestop will be hit hard by this if they dont do something

depends on the game. Alot of games there hitting the 100% profit mark or more even. Not sure if it was here or the old forums but I think someone posted on the forums an article where BestBuy and Gamestop were competeing on selling games, needless to say Bestbuy lost. It was only done in one market out west I beleive. Just to give you an example of what GameStop can do is this and this is my own experience. When CoD:WaW was coming out I went a few months ahead and took my copy of Modern Warefare in to get a jump start on my preorder. Well I decided I made a bad choice, a used copy of Modern Warefare was like 55$ just before CoD:WaW came out. Think I might have gotten 20$ trade in on Modern Warefare. Also you have to remember they do cash transactions to which alot of people do when there strapped for money, you don't get near the amount when you take the cash vs doing a preorder or doing a gift card.

I guess I'm missing something, as I don't see how this really screws over a gamer, but how it screws over the used game "seller". The only reason EA is in business is to make money, and if the can't do that they will not be in business. One universal code that lets you DL everything (like in BC2) is not a bad idea, and much better than what Activision is doing. Seriously, $15 for the first map pack, then who knows how much for each additional one. With BC2 if you pay $10 for the VIP code (which you get for free buying the game at launch or pre-ordering) in BF2 you get every future DLC for that one price.

~mrmiller

S7 mrmiller wrote:I guess I'm missing something, as I don't see how this really screws over a gamer, but how it screws over the used game "seller".
~mrmiller

Exactly. Gamestop will have to take the loss here, and I'm not so sure they can afford it. This is the new game vendor vs the used game vendor, fighting over the money we are willing to spend. That feud has been simmering for a while. I don't think this cost will be passed on to us.

Your used games sure are expensive over there...$55?!

Per the article:
"You'll also be given access to "bonus" content, but it sounds
suspiciously like items that were simply left out of the game in order
to provide a false sense of value."

Wow...I'm pretty sure I've been saying this since the first person ever decided to release a Map Pack.

This probably wont effect me, as I don't buy used games. Seriously, where I live your only options are to buy new, or buy the rejects in the pawn shop/Video Store (the Only one) that nobody wanted to play, and that's why they are there. We don't have a lot of addicts robbing people's games to feed their habits here, so the pawn shop has sh1t selection. God, I live in the old hole I used to live in, all I can get for games is what I order.
FML

Makes sense from EAs point of view. We are already starting to see similar stuff across the board. Look at Mass Effect 2 and the Cerberus network thing that allowed you to unlock "extra" content, or more recently Bad Company 2s VIP thing that unlocks "extra" content. If you buy these games used you have to purchase these features.

I fully support Game companies doing this only because I think it is is retarded what GS charges for used AAA titles. Yeah I know they guearanteethe game and everything but we all know that as long as your system is working good you have to mess up a disk pretty bad for it not to play. I remember when used games were actually a great value, now I rarely buy them anymore.

I am still bitter about GS and other retailers not buying back PC games anymore

this wont affect me either. If i want a game, then I usually know i want it before it releases. i end up preordering it and then trading it in later.

It might sound like bullshit, but it does make sense from a business perspective. places like gamestop and EB games make a sh1t load of money off the same game which at times can pass through alot of hands. It means they get alot of the gamer's money, while publishers and developers only get money from the specific title followers who buy it new.

I agree with that Tico. And I don't really blame them for trying to level the playing field and get their deserved piece of the pie.

...it won't really affect me either.

To be honest I am suprised that game companies did not start doing this sooner. The amount of profit GS makes from selling used games is friggin ridiculous I am sure.

Me I don't like it. EA money skeem all over. They have to milk everyone. Might as well start there own little online package so you can pay a membership per month. DRM for the win