Electronic Arts Kills the Online Pass

[SecondPrize]

I won't congratulate EA for going back on this, that's like telling someone "Good job" because they've stopped murdering hookers.
This was always purely anti-consumer. You included multiplayer because it's a selling point for your games. Charging consumers for costs associated with a multiplayer component was never anything but ridiculous.

 

[Vault Citizen]

I hope that the escapist knows that saying things like this when its not April 1st is jus... Wait? This is legit? Really? This isn't a joke? Huh, I did not see that coming.

 

[Grouchy Imp_v1legacy]

Bloody hell, er, well done EA. Of course, a lot of people will still be pessimistic, but even big changes have to start small.

But if EA is no longer the bad guy, who is? Now that the vile demon has fled EA's halls, where and when shall it rear its corrupt head once more?

<a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/124066-Nintendo-Suddenly-Claims-Ownership-Of-Many-YouTube-Videos>Nintendo Suddenly Claims Ownership Of Many YouTube Videos

Wow, that didn't take long.

 

[LGC Pominator]

Wow...
Just freaking Wow

I may actually finally lift my personal ban on buying their games now... THIS IS ALL I EVER WANTED!

 

[Griffolion]

I certainly hope people have considered the possibility that they've removed the online pass to replace it with something else, that may potentially be worse. This is EA we're talking about. Any good they do is usually for the ultimate intention of evil.

 

[Bradeck]

Who cares? Honestly, the rumors seem to indicate that the 720 won't even PLAY used games. So who cares about online pass? People are actually convinced this is a good thing? This is EA saying, we don't need outdated forms of DRM, we can just FORCE them to buy games on the 720.

 

[Colt47]

Who cares? Honestly, the rumors seem to indicate that the 720 won't even PLAY used games. So who cares about online pass? People are actually convinced this is a good thing? This is EA saying, we don't need outdated forms of DRM, we can just FORCE them to buy games on the 720.

Maybe, but at this point anything is a positive with that company. They dug a hole so deep on themselves PR wise that in Terraria's terms, they've dug strait down past the Mushroom caverns in the underworld and strait into hell.

 

[Korzack]

Ooh, nice one! Wonder what they'll come up with to replace it, but still, a step forward's still a step forward, so kudos!

 

[bandit0802]

Thanks, EA! Make sure you remove the requirements in your previous games.

I don't mind paying for DLC. It's just that extra $10 for multiplayer if I buy a game used that I have a problem with.

 

[GoaThief]

I never really had a problem with project ten dollar, seemed like a fair solution.

I wonder what they have planned next, however.

 

[Scars Unseen]

Next up: Offline Pass! Are you Forever Alone? Don't want to play always on(but totally not in a DRM way, which we are staunchly against) games? Well now you don't have to! For a modest monthly fee, you can play all your favorite games(that we publish) without any connection to the internet whatsoever![footnote]for the game, that is. An internet connection is still required for the Offline Pass authenticator to verify currency of subscription.[/footnote]

Sign up today!

 

[Gameguy20100]

so wait, who do we hate now? I mean evil EA higher ups get fired, and now they are listening to the community? Whats next free dlc for bf4?

Hey, crazy idea, what if we didn't actually hate anything? And instead of desperately trying to make every game company look like a scheming devil in disguise, we just bought games we liked and passed on games we don't?

Are you trying to bring logic and reason here?

BLASPHEMY!!!!

your kind are not welcome here you must have a MAXIMUM OF 20 IQ points.

Take your intelligence elsewhere Twilight.

 

[I.Muir]

Good on them
I still think they are the spawn of Satan and should burn

 

[VoidWanderer]

Is today opposite day? EA makes a good decision that benefits players, and Nintendo pulls a move worthy of EA!

Is anyone else scared?

 

[Krantos]

If true: Yay! Good On ye, old boy! Go EA! Woof Woof! etc.etc


On the other hand, there is a little voice in the back of my head, reminding me these are the same people who adamantly claim SIMCity doesn't have DRM. "It's Not DRM! It's just an MMO!"

So part of me wonders whether they'll continue to do it, just call it something else and put it behind some shrubbery hoping we won't notice.

Color me hopeful, but immensely skeptical.

 

[Sansha]

Whatever. I'm not about to praise EA for making a decision that they should have made a long time ago. I'm still never giving them any custom.

It's good that they're bothering to listen to feedback. Maybe not working developers to death, nuking Origin and losing their horseshit always-online stuff will follow.

 

[TheSteeleStrap]

Well..... Fuck.... Does this mean we have to hate Ubisoft now? Online Passes AND DRM...

 

[8bitmaster]

Heres the thing... I'm not defending the online pass, but really who could blame them for using it anyways? It was meant so that the developers and publishers got something from used games to begin with. Granted, like the article said we have no way to know what it's being replaced with, but I have a feeling it'll be something that's trying to do the same kind of thing. Just because EA is discontinuing the online pass, doesn't mean we've seen the end to things like this. I'm shockingly fine with having something disabled from a used game so the developers get some money. I hate publishers as much as the rest of you but hey, those developers need to eat! You can't code on an empty stomach you know.

edit:

Well..... Fuck.... Does this mean we have to hate Ubisoft now? Online Passes AND DRM...

Ubisoft has been removing the always on requirement to a lot of their games. They did that awhile ago. It's now a 1 month (I think) quick check to make sure you have legit keys and whatnot, then it goes back offline (unless the game is online). The DRM they use is just as much DRM as steam. It's a client. A client I really haven't heard much negativity about since the always on requirement is now gone.

 

[TheSteeleStrap]

so wait, who do we hate now? I mean evil EA higher ups get fired, and now they are listening to the community? Whats next free dlc for bf4?

Hey, crazy idea, what if we didn't actually hate anything? And instead of desperately trying to make every game company look like a scheming devil in disguise, we just bought games we liked and passed on games we don't?

That's actually a great idea too.