EA Blocks Multiplayer Mode on Used Games XBOX360/PS3/PC

[Dyson]

Wrong, what your thinking of is the shops that sell you games from overseas, so technically they are not sold in the UK (helps when they don't need to pay VAT).

Also prices are going ^ not down. Then they sit around wondering why it isn't shifting units in some cases and blame good old piracy (accusing a halo fan of piracy is one way of certain death ).

I don't think so. As games get older, they get cheaper. Even Overclockers don't charge full rrp for their few games they stock, do they sell from the Channel Islands too?

 

[Gzero]

I wouldn't call £32 for MW2 cheap

I wish games got cheaper as they got older, but not all do, half life complete collection is tad expensive for an old set of games for example.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a bargain hunter, game had Napoleon: Total War (DVD) for £7 online.

I think we're going a wee bit off topic lol.

I'm just going to wait and see how this pans out.

 

[Dyson]

Not off topic at all really, I was just stating that if people who buy second hand games due to price don't want to pay out extra to EA etc, then they can just wait for the games prices to fall, which they almost always do.

Overclockers was just an example, but even their price is lower than when the game first came out. Many retailers are doing AC2 for under £25 now, some even under £20, but it would have been closer to £40 when new.

And £32 for MW2 isn't bad, when you think the rrp was £55.

 

[Gzero]

LOL whut? xD

MW2 has been out since Nov 2k9? It's went down by about £5 if you get it from else where (talking pc prices since I know console games prices are inflated usually to cover the hardware costs)

But Bioshock 2 is half the price and it's only been out since Feb.


I want to be more consistent and talk about games from the same publisher, but can't really be bothered.

 

[Kenai]

TBH MW/MW2 are very much exceptions to the rule due the fact that for some odd reason people see it as the holy grail of perfect gaming so Activision know they can milk it for a long time and it will still sell.

Most normal games do take a substantial nose dive in price a few months after release.

 

[Margaret]

Completely correct. Despite this Steam gets welcomed as the bastion of all things fluffy and wonderful in the world.

Even before Steam came out some games couldn't be sold.

Second hand PC games just aren't worth the hassle most of the time, that's why Steam gets no flak for it. I don't like the idea that I could buy a second hand version of CoD4 (example) but they could have wrote down the serial number and still use it online from time to time.

It's a moot point with PC games though, the majority of new games can be had for £17.99 and usually a maximum of £25, it's not like on console where you actually save a lot of money buying second hand.

 

[Chronictank]

Its no different from what Xbox do with LIVE. You buy a product yet cant use its online features without paying extra, but u have the means to do so from the start. If you sell your xbox, your live access doesnt go with it.

And now you have to buy xbox live AND pay for the games imaginary servers (seeing as xbox is pretty much p2p for the most part)
You are essentially paying for nothing...

And if you wana use the car comparison then its like buying the insurance. You have the car but can drive it without the insurance. When you resell your insurance doesnt get transferred over with it, they have to buy another one. With Ea you get the car + insurance free first time.

You are paying for the EA account the second time not the game.

It's nothing like insurance, that is an awful analogy (your insurance travels with you not your car, if you buy a new car you can transfer your insurance along with you).

You are paying for a service (at best) in the form of online services like dedicated servers or in some (or most as i suspect) nothing except a pretty interface for matchmaking

It astounds me how some people here are actually happy to have features taken away

 

[Streeteh]

And now you have to buy xbox live AND pay for the games imaginary servers (seeing as xbox is pretty much p2p for the most part)
You are essentially paying for nothing...

If you buy new you aren't as game prices will not increase first hand and this measure will be included for free in all new games. Also EA, last i heard, tend to run servers for most of their online games, be this for actually connecting to and playing or just stats etc they still do run a service the user connects to.

[EDIT] As for your comment about being happy about having features taken away, i'm not, but i am happy about a potential choice we can now make that many have overlooked. Take for example Gears of War 2, i wanted this game but only for local play i wasn't interested in online. I ended up buying it second hand as it was the most affordable option but it was still more expensive than i would have liked. Now if second hand copies required this activation fee it would reduce the price of the second hand product, thus allowing me to choose which games online features don't interest me and buy it at a greatly reduced price second hand as the feature i didn't want anyway requires an activation fee. Any games i want online for i can either buy on release (most likely as online games are at their best in the early weeks of their release) or wait until the price drops.

 

[Simi]

What will be next?
Movie makers cutting vital scenes from their dvd's that can be unlocked via a code that ships with the new movie or can be bought for an extra £5?
Will those who are okay with this move by EA be equally okay if the above happened?

Not sure why everyone is so stuck on this whole car comparison rather than just comparing it to other forms of media - like dvd's and cd's

 

[Nexus]

What will be next?
Movie makers cutting vital scenes from their dvd's that can be unlocked via a code that ships with the new movie or can be bought for an extra £5?
Will those who are okay with this move by EA be equally okay if the above happened?

Not sure why everyone is so stuck on this whole car comparison rather than just comparing it to other forms of media - like dvd's and cd's

I had thought about that myself, as the car comparisons are just getting silly. The thing with using DVDs as an example is that the market there is different I feel. On the high-street, CEX is the only shop I'm aware of that resells second hand DVDs, but their business model is different to what the shops selling second hand games use.

There is then the fact that most of the big high-street DVD chains usually have very good deals as it is. By 4 for £20 and a lot of the others are dirt cheap. It's only really Blu-Rays that cost a good chunk of money and they are now starting to reach the prices of what DVDs used to be.

I just think in this case, there is little point in comparing it to something else at all. The simple fact is that Publishers have relied for years on games being sold by shops and them sharing the profits. The high-street retailers now push second hand games more than they do full retail ones (Just go in Game's flagship store on Oxford Street and see how much bigger the used section is) and now they are loosing out on the fact that shops are pricing new used games at like only a fiver off.

 

[Nexus]

[EDIT] As for your comment about being happy about having features taken away, i'm not, but i am happy about a potential choice we can now make that many have overlooked. Take for example Gears of War 2, i wanted this game but only for local play i wasn't interested in online. I ended up buying it second hand as it was the most affordable option but it was still more expensive than i would have liked. Now if second hand copies required this activation fee it would reduce the price of the second hand product, thus allowing me to choose which games online features don't interest me and buy it at a greatly reduced price second hand as the feature i didn't want anyway requires an activation fee. Any games i want online for i can either buy on release (most likely as online games are at their best in the early weeks of their release) or wait until the price drops.

The details so far that EA have given say that the activation is for using the online gameplay features and DLC. In no way does that stop anyone from buying a second hand single player game in the same way that they do now. If you buy a game for local multiplayer, there is a good chance you could probably still do that without paying an activation fee.

Like I said before in this thread, I don't buy second hand games.
One thing I do though, which I've not seen anyone else mention is rent games.

I've been using Love Film games for the past year or so, and if there is a single player game that I'm not sure I will play again, or I'm not too sure on it due to reviews, I will rent it. A free 7 day online pass, also means I could still try out the multiplayer. If it turns out to be a good game I would buy it. If I know the game is good, then I'll buy it straight up.

Obviously in this case, again the Publishers don't get any cut of the profit. However, I think renting makes more sense and is surely cheaper than constantly trading in games.

 

[Chronictank]

If you buy a game for local multiplayer, there is a good chance you could probably still do that without paying an activation fee.

If you really believe that, you are extremely naive
They have had a good go at breaking LAN games with the last few releases with forced online connections already
Next it will be modding (cod4 for example already has done this) to force you to buy DLC to expand your game, and guess what if you want your SINGLEPLAYER expansion you will have to pay for the multi player fee

 

[Nexus]

If you really believe that, you are extremely naive
They have had a good go at breaking LAN games with the last few releases with forced online connections already
Next it will be modding (cod4 for example already has done this) to force you to buy DLC to expand your game, and guess what if you want your SINGLEPLAYER expansion you will have to pay for the multi player fee

LAN games and modding... this is console games were are talking about, not PC games.

I don't see why any Publisher would restrict the ability to play split-screen or any kind of party play. Take FIFA for example, it's probably one of the longest running and first gaming series' to allow you to have all your mates in front of the TV with four or more controllers. I can't see them changing that so that you have to go online and enter a code. The whole point was that you could take a console or the controllers around a mates and play there. Let's not forget that EA does also make games for the Wii market, which is all about playing in front of the TV with all your mates. It's only online gaming they are looking to prevent.

Yes, it does mean DLC most likely will be restricted, but I can't think of much DLC I've ever bought that wasn't mostly multiplayer orientated.

 

[Gzero]

LAN games and modding... this is console games were are talking about, not PC games.

I don't see why any Publisher would restrict the ability to play split-screen or any kind of party play. Take FIFA for example, it's probably one of the longest running and first gaming series' to allow you to have all your mates in front of the TV with four or more controllers. I can't see them changing that so that you have to go online and enter a code. The whole point was that you could take a console or the controllers around a mates and play there. Let's not forget that EA does also make games for the Wii market, which is all about playing in front of the TV with all your mates. It's only online gaming they are looking to prevent.

Cough Starcraft 2.

We are talking PC games here too since that is where this all started (limiting/restricting to account basis).

Don't be surprised when Assassins Creed 3 needs you to have an always on connection just to play the single player.

 

[Nexus]

Cough Starcraft 2.

We are talking PC games here too since that is where this all started (limiting/restricting to account basis).

Don't be surprised when Assassins Creed 3 needs you to have an always on connection just to play the single player.

There isn't the same kind of market for second hand PC games though, as they aren't sold on the high-street like console games are. As someone pointed out earlier in the thread, PC games are also a fraction of the price of the console versions. The PC gaming market is slowly dying as it is, I think they already know that the future of it is digital downloads, especially with piracy being so easy, it makes sense.

You are really being silly if you think full single player games like Assassins Creed would require you to verify or have an internet connection on. Remember that not everyone has an internet connection and nor should it ever be a pre-requisite to buy and play a game. There are plenty of environments that consoles are used in where there is no access.

 

[Gzero]

There isn't the same kind of market for second hand PC games though, as they aren't sold on the high-street like console games are. As someone pointed out earlier in the thread, PC games are also a fraction of the price of the console versions. The PC gaming market is slowly dying as it is, I think they already know that the future of it is digital downloads, especially with piracy being so easy, it makes sense.

You are really being silly if you think full single player games like Assassins Creed would require you to verify or have an internet connection on. Remember that not everyone has an internet connection and nor should it ever be a pre-requisite to buy and play a game. There are plenty of environments that consoles are used in where there is no access.

You say there is no second hand market for Pc Games, yet there they are being sold in Gamestation...

You say I'm being silly that AC needs an internet connection, yet there it is, C&C and AC both need always on internet connections.

 

[Nexus]

You say there is no second hand market for Pc Games, yet there they are being sold in Gamestation...

You say I'm being silly that AC needs an internet connection, yet there it is, C&C and AC both need always on internet connections.

See, your talking about PC games again.
In the case of PC games, where piracy is so rife it's probably justified. I don't play PC games anymore, but if I did, I'd probably see it as a good thing. If piracy carries on the way it does, then it's just further going to kill the PC Gaming market.

I wasn't aware that Gamestation did PC pre-owned games, but that's probably also a reflection of the fact that I've never looked because the PC gaming section in most shops now either doesn't exist, or is nothing more than a shelf. Of course there is a market for 2nd hand PC Games like anything. But then Game, who is the biggest on the high-street doesn't do them, so they obviously think they don't sell well enough anymore to justify bothering.

The whole reason that they are bringing these measures in, as has been discussed numerous times now, is for the publishers to try to prevent the high-street stores from undercutting them and not sharing the profit.

It may go someway to prevent piracy, but then we don't even know the exact details of what they are doing. Since they have said so far that you can play multiplayer online for a free 7 day trial, I would take that to mean that anyone with a copy of the game can play it and then purchase an online key. Thus if you were playing a rented, 2nd hand copy or even pirated copy, they would still have the ability to access it.

 

[Vonhelmet]

CeX sell second hand PC games.

 

[Gzero]

See, your talking about PC games again.
In the case of PC games, where piracy is so rife it's probably justified. I don't play PC games anymore, but if I did, I'd probably see it as a good thing. If piracy carries on the way it does, then it's just further going to kill the PC Gaming market.

I wasn't aware that Gamestation did PC pre-owned games, but that's probably also a reflection of the fact that I've never looked because the PC gaming section in most shops now either doesn't exist, or is nothing more than a shelf. Of course there is a market for 2nd hand PC Games like anything. But then Game, who is the biggest on the high-street doesn't do them, so they obviously think they don't sell well enough anymore to justify bothering.

The whole reason that they are bringing these measures in, as has been discussed numerous times now, is for the publishers to try to prevent the high-street stores from undercutting them and not sharing the profit.

It may go someway to prevent piracy, but then we don't even know the exact details of what they are doing. Since they have said so far that you can play multiplayer online for a free 7 day trial, I would take that to mean that anyone with a copy of the game can play it and then purchase an online key. Thus if you were playing a rented, 2nd hand copy or even pirated copy, they would still have the ability to access it.

Still a little research would help you. Gamestation are OWNED by Game.

Piracy is not rife on PC, the perception that it is is completely wrong in my opinion.

I think the fact that games are still being released on PC prove this.

We can talk about PC games as per title

What you don't know is, EA use the same servers for ALL of their networks. They call it the PLASMA (backend)servers, so any changes to their models affects all the platforms I'm afraid (it should be noted that on the US boards, the mods are able to temp ban gamers for any misbehaviour on their forums and it applies across all EA services).

This is EA we are talking about here, they might not be Activision or Ubisoft, but they have their own ball park to make up the rules as they go along as these latest ideas show (dlc codes and multiplayer codes).

 

[Nexus]

I'm well aware that Gamestation is owned by Game, believe it or not, I had a summer job working for Game some 10 years ago, back when they took over Electronics Boutique to secure more of the market. They also had lots of underhand policies, such as allowing employees to take home brand new games, play them for three days, then put them back on the shelf as brand new.

Game is still the flagship brand on the high-street and considering how hard they push pre-owned sales, it's odd then that they do not do pre-owned PC games, yet Gamestation do.

I'd imagine that Cex probably do like you say, but then as I said earlier, in regards to second hand DVD sales, they had a different business model, and are not what the Publishers are targeting.

It doesn't matter what technology they use on their servers or what somebody says or thinks on their internet forums. To think that they would make it so that Wii/Xbox/PS3 owners can only play single player games with an internet connection is ludicrous and your living in cloud cuckoo land.