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EA dumps Online Pass program for good

Written by James Delahunty @ 15 May 2013 11:52 User comments (5)

EA dumps Online Pass program for good

Electronic Arts is dropping its controversial Online Pass program after three years, due to disapproval from customers.
EA's Online Pass consists of a one-time code that a buyer of a new game can use to unlock Online services and content. If the game is then sold on second hand to another player, then that player needed to pay a $10 fee to unlock the same services.

Frankly, if it took EA this long to realize that gamers don't like these measures, they need to clean their ears out.

"Yes, we're discontinuing Online Pass," John Roseburg, Senior Director, Corporate Communications at EA, told VentureBeat.

"None of our new EA titles will include that feature. Initially launched as an effort to package a full menu of online content and services, many players didn't respond to the format. We've listened to the feedback and decided to do away with it moving forward."



Of course, since EA adopted the measure, Sony, Activision and Ubisoft followed suit.

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5 user comments

116.5.2013 13:03

I'm surprised it is even legal.

216.5.2013 13:39

They're still d-bags.

317.5.2013 01:22

does this only apply to new games or if i buy a 2nd hand copy of battlefield for $15 will i still need the pass?????

417.5.2013 11:18

You would hope that they would just automatically activate the old games when they ping the server and that the new games wouldn't have that activation code in them. However it is EA so all bets are off.

518.5.2013 21:19

but this is totally funny this was the reason EA won't develop games for the wii u was because of the online pass of which nintendo didn't like which i find is funny

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