Mass Effect 3 Multiplayer Requires Online Pass

[Eccentric_Jon]

Is this surprising? A company requiring you to actually buy their product to use it completely? Is there any multiplayer game out recently that lets you play online with a cracked or second hand version?

I can't think of one.

You're kidding right?
Take pretty much any company that isn't EA, and you will be able to play the online mode on a preowned game without purchasing an online pass.
Sure, you might not have access to special guns, skins & in extreme cases game modes, but you will AT LEAST have a barebones version of the online.
EA are greedy moneygrabbers, and deserve to be named and shamed as such.

That said, people will still fork out for the online passes, and EA won't care about our bitching, it's purely for venting purposes.

I've not played a Mass Effect game as of yet, but since EA do this with everything, you can just shop in any other series you like...

 

[Sniper Team 4]

So...when Batman does this, the forums are littered with hate and tons of, "Well, I'm not buying this game anymore," posts. When Mass Effect does it, everyone just shrugs and accepts it. Did I miss something?

 

[Zhukov]

Well, no surprise there.

I'm on PC anyway, so I'm unaffected. At least, unaffected in the sense that I didn't have the used option to begin with.

Ah, EA. It's like you never left. Oh wait... you didn't. Well, crap.

 

[DustyDrB]

Who cares about the multiplayer anyway? I'll just sell my Online Pass. Well, unless there are single-player bonuses tied to it as well.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

I thought this was common sense.

Having preordered the game myself, this doesn't effect me. But if local, two player co-op is included but also requires the pass, I'm going to murder someone.

this is common sense, is it not?

but yeah, if they require an ADDITIONAL online pass for local co op, then you bet your ass my pitchfork will be sharpened to the highest degree possible.

 

[Xanthious]

That said, people will still fork out for the online passes, and EA won't care about our bitching, it's purely for venting purposes.

That's why it's my new belief that gamers need to start to band together on this. If you buy a game new and don't want to or can't use the online code then there should be a place where you can go to give it or sell it (for 2-5 bucks) to someone that would use it. Like I said up above you get a little bit of exposure and a site like that could really take off and begin to be a thorn in these publishers' sides.

 

[CM156_v1legacy]

Who cares about the multiplayer anyway? I'll just sell my Online Pass. Well, unless there are single-player bonuses tied to it as well.

There are. If you play these side missions, it increases your "Galaxy prepared" meter in the single player, which has to do with how many people will live, or something like that.

OT: Here's an idea: You allow the people to play the multiplayer secondhand, but if they don't put in a code, you sell ad space in the loading screens?

Common: New players don't have to bother, used players still get to play the game, and the company gets revenue from ads to pay for server upkeep because there will always be new people selling their games, and new players coming in.

 

[RedEyesBlackGamer]

I like that they lock the most unnecessary part of the game. So I still feel no pressure to buy new.

 

[Fappy]

Having preordered the game myself, this doesn't effect me. But if local, two player co-op is included but also requires the pass, I'm going to murder someone.

That would be bullshit... though this assumes they are including local co-op, and come on who still plays video games with buddies in their living room? Everyone plays online now!... Oh wait... No that's not true at all. Publishers don't understand their own demographics do they?

Where the fuck did my local 4-player gameplay go?

 

[IceStar100]

Who cares about the multiplayer anyway? I'll just sell my Online Pass. Well, unless there are single-player bonuses tied to it as well.

There are. If you play these side missions, it increases your "Galaxy prepared" meter in the single player, which has to do with how many people will live, or something like that.

OT: Here's an idea: You allow the people to play the multiplayer secondhand, but if they don't put in a code, you sell add space in the loading screens?

Give it a few more years they will do this and make you pay for a pass. Look at the in game ads in thier sports games.

 

[Catchy Slogan]

But I won't have anyone to play it with!



[sub][sub][sub]...I'm so alone...[/sub][/sub][/sub]

 

[MisterShine]

So...when Batman does this, the forums are littered with hate and tons of, "Well, I'm not buying this game anymore," posts. When Mass Effect does it, everyone just shrugs and accepts it. Did I miss something?

Three differences:

1. With Catwoman, she's been on display as a playable character and has been said to be a big part of the fun for literally months now by the developers, and then all of a sudden they're like "Oh, playing as Catwoman sounds cool to you? Better buy new! Har har har". ME multiplayer was announced a few days ago, and we don't even know that much about it.

2. Catwoman's sections are single player, offline modes which REQUIRE online activation. What if the person who buys the game can't get online? ME's multiplayer mode obviously requires you to be online to use its features in the first place.

3. Who the hell plays Mass Effect for multiplayer? Anyone who was already excited for the game doesn't care two Iota's whether the mode is in the game or not.


and personally, I don't care about new sale "bonuses" like this since I always buy new and I feel it is fair that if you buy a used product, you have to deal with the fact it isn't quite as good as a new one would've been. Also it's frelling Mass Effect 3, they could charge me 100 bucks and a blood sample and I'd do it with a smile on my face.

edit:

Not to ***** or anything, im just saying. I put my money where my mouth is and this wont be different.

Well now I'm curious Smash, did you not buy the second game new either, or is this a recent stance you've taken? Or do you feel there are differences between the cerberus network and this.

 

[Furioso]

Even if I bought it new I wouldn't play the inevitably awful multiplayer, so I guess now I have to buy it used simply for spite

 

[Jaime_Wolf]

Haters, I direct you to this: http://penny-arcade.com/patv/episode/project-ten-dollar

The discussion of fixing the problems is nice, but crucial is the fact that there is an extremely reasonable justification for charging this and that justification isn't just "we can totally get away with screwing customers more".

 

[Frostbite3789]

The amount of rage console only gamers have over this never ceases to amuse me.

As someone who has played on both console and PC for years, "Project $10" is nothing new. It just goes by another name in PC games called a "CD key". Even games on Steam use keys, you just don't have to input them, that game you bought is still tied to a key.

How is showing a proof of purchase 'infringing on consumer rights'? Do you scream at the person who checks your receipt every time you leave a Fry's? Or how about if you return something and the retailer requires you to have the receipt? Or anytime you buy something and the receipt prints? "ARE YOU GIVING ME PROOF I BOUGHT THIS?! RARRRRASDKLNSLKFNDSKFSDRAGEEEEEE!"

 

[CM156_v1legacy]

Haters, I direct you to this: http://penny-arcade.com/patv/episode/project-ten-dollar

The discussion of fixing the problems is nice, but crucial is the fact that there is an extremely reasonable justification for charging this and that justification isn't just "we can totally get away with screwing customers more".

I think you missed the end point of that episode, then, dear reader. It says you should not try to hurt the consumer, you should try to get around Gamestop. There is a difference. A big difference. What this is, is charging all people who got an item second hand.

 

[Timberwolf0924]

I'm glad they're doing this. Stop being a cheep ass and buy the game new or stop bitching about it

 

[Hat Man]

I already pre-ordered the game, so I don't really care.

 

[Prof. Monkeypox]

Having preordered the game myself, this doesn't effect me. But if local, two player co-op is included but also requires the pass, I'm going to murder someone.

Yeah, I don't intend to play online, but I'm still waiting to hear whether or not local co-op will even be supported (let alone requires a pass). I'll probably only check out the multiplayer anyway if I can get a friend to join me in person rather than xXxASS@VIOLATOR_HAX_LOLxXx