User Editorial: Victory! EA kills it's Online Pass Program!

Victory! EA kills it's Online Pass Program!

On 05/19/2013 at 11:54 AM by NSonic79

But the battle is yet to begin!

I was in the process of writing a sister blog to Cary Woodham's top five favorite Star Trek characters, but this wonderful news just couldn’t wait.

Word has come down that EA will no longer use their Online Pass program in any of their future titles. It seems that they finally got the message (be it from gamers like me that no longer bought EA titles or realizing they were losing money off this) that “Project Ten Dollar” was an epic fail and decided it was in their best interest to forgo this practice in the future. Though they say this decision was based partially on consumer response, I’m sure this was also done upon seeing their bottom line dipping ever since they started this practice.

Like I mentioned in previous posts about THQ, Kingdoms of Amalur, Resistance 3, Prototype 2 and Mass Effect 3, Online Pass didn’t help them one damn bit with their gameplay/business model. Instead they ended up having issues with their low sales numbers, gameplay mechanics catered to justify Online Pass to outright closure of the developer and/or publisher of these said games. I’ve documented these games with my “Online Pass Watch” and “Why (Insert game title here), why?!?” if only to show the error of these companies trying to use the “Project Ten Dollar” model.

And it would appear one of them finally got the message.

According to GameBeats and Plugged in (the only two sites I’ve found to actually mention this story) EA’s senior director of corporate communications is quoted in saying the following.

“Initially launched as an effort to package a full menu of online content and services, many players didn’t respond to the format,” said John Reseburg, EA senior director of corporate communications. “We’ve listened to the feedback and decided to do away with it moving forward.”

I find that statement itself funny given how we were initially told Online Pass was to help combat piracy, then to help pay for the servers that gamers take up space on when they buy the game used, to helping developers get a fair share of the profits from second hand sales, to now this notion that Online Pass was intended as a new online content and service provider.

So to translate this “corporate speak” he’s pretty much saying “We hoped to repackage online multiplayer into a service gamers would be willing to pay for, even though such offerings were given as a free incentive to keep the game EVER SINCE CONSOLES BECAME CAPABLE OF CONNECTING ONLINE, but upon hearing gamers crying foul on this and seeing sales of our Online Pass games go down with little profit being made on the Online Pass sales, we’ve decided to go back to how games used to be sold.”

That pretty much sums things up in a nutshell.

The only thing confusing about both these news articles is that even though they both say there will be no more Online Pass games going forward, Plugged In’s article says that prior Online Pass Games will have their Online Pass features cancelled whereas GamesBeat’s articles mentions nothing of the sort about this. Either way I almost feel sorry for the gamers out there who actually bought these Online Pass games new in hoping to avoid paying extra to gamers who actually bought the Online Pass when they bought their games used, regardless if the game itself was dirt cheap.

Almost.

I guess just like when EA kills their game servers sooner than expected, I doubt gamers out there will be seeing no refunds if they happen to just purchase their Online Passes recently. (That is IF Plugged In’s article is correct)

So I’d like to thank all the gamers out there that took a stand like me in not buying ANY of these Online Pass Games or did buy these games but made the decision to not pay the Online Pass fee. This event wouldn’t have been possible if we didn’t make our stand and showed EA that Online Pass was not the future of video gaming. Regardless if EA made this decision because of actual gamer feedback (via twitter, email or blog post) or because they saw their corporate profits take a dive, the end result is still the same. EA’s Online Pass is dead, and knowing we had a hand in its demise is something no one can take away from us. Stand proud fellow gamers in congratulation of our efforts. Hopefully other companies (505 Games, Activision, D3Publisher, Sony Computer Entertainment, THQ, Ubisoft, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, KoeiTecmo,) that use their own version of Online Pass will also see the error of their ways and follow EA’s lead, much like they did when EA started Online Pass in the first place!

But don’t start celebrating, pre-ordering future EA games or buying past EA’s past Online Pass games just yet. Despite this being a clear victory for consumers there are still dark clouds on the horizon. At the end of the news articles John Reseburg is also quoted in saying the following.

“We’re still committed to creating content and services that enhance the game experience well beyond the day you first start playing,”

An innocent enough statement as it is but if any of EA’s recent game releases is any indication, we could be seeing the Online Pass model being replaced with a heavier emphasis of overpriced DLC and microtransactions. So far we’ve been able to steer clear of those pitfalls in various levels of success this gaming generation. But with constant online consoles still unconfirmed for both the PS4 and Xbox Infinity, anything is possible.

So where does that leave me with my crusade against Online Pass? Well I still plan to finish up my “Online Pass Watch” blogs along with ripping apart any game that still tries to use the Online Pass model in my “Why” and “That’s what you get” blog writings. But in the meantime I’ll still remain vigilant of Online Pass. There are still nine companies that still use it and hopefully no one else will join the fray thanks to EA’s decision. I will not rest till I know for certain that my gaming hobby will be safe from these attempts to change the way we game in a bad way. So that future generations will not have to deal with what we are dealing with now. So that future generations can enjoy what we enjoyed in the past: just playing games and having fun.

Ta-ta

“N”

Aboboisdaman

05/19/2013 at 01:14 PM

I saw this somewhere, and immediately thought of you lol. I didn't realize there were nine other companies that have online pass. I ususally wait untill games are dirt cheap and don't play online anyway. So it's not really a big issue for me. This is great news though.

NSonic79

05/19/2013 at 01:25 PM

Where at did you see this? I've only seen this info on the two sites I mentioned. I have yet to see this on any other major gaming sites as of this writing.

those nine companies use their versions of Online Pass in various degrees. I guess you can't count THQ since they are out of business and activision used Online Pass in a unqiue way with Prototype 2.

Help spread the word! Freedom from Online Pass!

05/19/2013 at 01:40 PM

It's on Gamespot. I refuse to pay to play online. I can understand for MMOs but everything else? Nah. I got better ways to spend my money.

05/19/2013 at 02:28 PM

ah yes gamespot. I've never went back to them ever since the editorial issue that lead to the creation of Giant Bomb. I hope more sites carry the news since they seemed less likely to even inform us if a game came with an online pass.

Alex-C25

05/19/2013 at 01:42 PM

Even though I had never owned an online pass game, what i've heard so far of the practice, has turned me off a bit. Looks like your crusade is going in a good direction.

Oh and hey, its me Alex from 1up. I finally made an account here.

05/19/2013 at 02:30 PM

kudos to you for forgoing any game with online pass. i have enough headaches in life to have to worry about what I mightnot be getting in a game purchase.

about time you showed up mate! been wondering where you went.

leeradical42

05/19/2013 at 02:17 PM

I have been complaining for years on this and the only reason i got Tiger woods 2014 was cause my freind from EA gave me a free copy, and he did tell me that they were doing away with the online pass but said there may be a catch to this later on down the line but of course hes not at liberty to reveal what there future plans are but we shall see.

05/19/2013 at 02:33 PM

I hope you were able to make your complaints more focues toward these companies for I'd have you to thank in bringing the opposition!

too bad you couldn't leak this info sooner, it would've been awesome to have known this before the official press releases. I wonder if those future plans might be like what EA plans to do with the next madden game.

05/19/2013 at 04:08 PM

Well my EA freind is pretty high up in the rep dpt so when he tells me things i have to keep it on the down low for the simple reason he is a trusted freind and i wouldnt want to betrtay his trust in telling me things but EA is a very sneaky company and its all about money and the main reason for there demise of the online pass was because of the Sim City fiascal that as EA said was the worst disaster in EAs history, and after that EAs rep was all but gone.

05/19/2013 at 05:57 PM

So not even a confidencal source? Your probably right, one shouldn't betray a friends trust even if it's to get the scoop. Indeed the Sim City fiasco has taught EA the error of their ways. sadly it had to take the falling apart of a classic game to make them see the light.

brighat

05/19/2013 at 04:21 PM

EA still has a long way to go to get me to buy any of their software. I rarely play online so dumping online passes doesn't affect me.

05/19/2013 at 05:59 PM

For now anyway. would the DLC and microtransactions be the reason why EA still has a long way to go? I've focused so much on ONline pass I fear I have blinded myself to their other tatcis besides their usual corporate actions to their developers.

05/19/2013 at 08:01 PM

That and the middling quality of their games and the Always-Online fiasco of Sim City. They shove endless Maddens, FIFAs and NHLs without making any huge changes and I also wonder if they will try another Always-Online game in the future. The only good thing is that they are under new management so maybe they will change my mind. Right now, nothing they have interests me on the console or the PC.

05/24/2013 at 10:52 PM

Oh THAT! Those issues have become so engraded into my mind I hardly think about them anymore. Plus not much of a sports fan but gladly won't buy them just the same. Perhaps the new mangaement will changed some of those issues. didn't they announce the next Sims game would be accessable offline?

Super Step Contributing Writer

05/19/2013 at 06:48 PM

Not owning any current gen systems means I'm immune to online pass, but this is good news, nonetheless for going forward. Even if like you, I'm currently wondering what dumb DLC type practice they'll try to replace it with.

05/19/2013 at 07:20 PM

it's gamers like me that push for the removal of such things so that gamers like you can one day play current gen games without the worry of Online Pass. We'll just have to wait and see what ideas EA has up their sleeves. And when we find out I'll be sure to be there to rip it apart if its nonconsumer friendly.

Casey Curran Staff Writer

05/19/2013 at 09:24 PM

So does this mean you'll give Mass Effect a try? I mean, 3 still technically has the pass, but you sent the message and won the battle.

05/19/2013 at 10:05 PM

depending when I finally get ahold of the first mass effect game (and like it) along with confirmation that indeed EA will cancel past Online Pass enabled games like Mass Effect 2 & 3, then yes. I would give the series a fair shake. Though no promises, for some odd reason I didn't become much of a fan of bioware games despite me owning their titles on the original Xbox.

now if EA was to release an actual COMPLETE trilogy with all the offered DLC online pass free.....

smartcelt

05/20/2013 at 12:11 AM

Hooray! Score one for the good guys. May the Evil Alliance always fail in their attempts to extort money out of us.

05/24/2013 at 10:51 PM

Indeed it was a heady victory, yet after seeing the reveal of the Xbox One makes it feel like a hollow one now.

SanAndreas

05/20/2013 at 05:36 AM

I am glad to see the Online Pass gone. Although I'm still not a fan of EA's portfolio and am not inclined to buy from them, given the company's size and influence, I hope this discourages companies whose products I do like from going with online passes. Still, the cynic in me wonders if the online pass is being replaced with the terrible always-online that SimCity was saddled with.

05/24/2013 at 10:54 PM

Given EA's clout I would hope other publishers forgo their online pass services too. It would be a landslide victory if they did! But then again there is indeed the concern of what EA could do with the new consoles. they are built much like PC's and thier Origin game client was meant for PC use....

daftman

05/20/2013 at 11:43 AM

This is great news. Though I've never been as staunch on the issue as you are, I've definitely passed on buying games before because of the Pass. Hopefully those other companies reach the same conclusion soon. It'd be great to go into the next generation with our industry free of this malady.

05/24/2013 at 10:56 PM

I've met other games just in game stores themsevles that end up passing on a game when they have a hard time just trying to figure out what is being cut if they happened to buy the game used. As for the next generation of consoles, I'm still holding out faith that no one would be that silly to try such a control grab in an industry that allowed sharing since day one! (kinda, can't forget the nintendo vs blockbuster lawsuit of the 80's.)

PixlBit