EA Sports president Peter Moore claims that gamers "appreciate the need" for his company's Project $10 anti-trade technology and Online Pass. This despite the fact that others in the company have said that these initiatives are not about fighting used game sales, but providing better online services and additional content for free.
Online Pass went live with Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11. It requires that consumers who buy EA Sports games must pay an additional fee of right around $10 in order to access online play. EA Sports will use this method for all future games.
Speaking to Kotaku, Moore said that gamers "recognise the business model implications of new versus used." He added: "Whilst I'm not sure they're angry, they absolutely look at what's going on in the marketplace and understand totally what it is we're doing. One thing I have to do, and it's my job, and my development team's job, and my marketing team's job, is make you not want to trade the game in."
EA Sports claims that approximately 70 percent of access codes in new games (Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11) featuring the online pass have been activated and that only a single digit of consumers have bought the access code to play online. Perhaps that can be chalked up to the game being Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11. A real test will be the new Madden game.
On a related note, anecdotal evidence suggest that THQ's version of the Online Pass, which cost $5, is doing pretty well. The "add-on" for UFC Undisputed 2010 has at least broken the top twenty on Xbox Live's "Best Selling" list. You can buy the game used for $44.99, according to Gamestop.
Moore goes onto say that this new initiative is conditioning players:
"From our perspective, [it's] conditioning you to punch a code in, to get you going, get some digital content, and conditioning you to look at digital content as a value-add to the game experience itself," said Moore.
Of course, conditioning is really needed with this kind of stuff; after all you have to be conditioned to pay for something that once didn't cost you a thing like online play.
Source: GI.Biz
Comments
Re: Peter Moore: Gamers Appreciate Online Pass
I APPRECIATE getting robbed as well. Doesn't mean I WANT to be.
Hunting the shadows of the troubled dreams.
Re: Peter Moore: Gamers Appreciate Online Pass
1. About the article, even though most people know already, you should clarify that you only have to pay the $10 fee for online use if you buy the game used as opposed to new (where you recieve an activation code as part of the purchase).
2. I do appreciate (in this instance meaning 'fully realize') the concept of online passes.
3. I disagree fully that there is a need for them because that implies that your company would die without the online passes.
Re: Peter Moore: Gamers Appreciate Online Pass
how does he get "appreciate the need" from complete and total opposition seriously is he blind deaf and dumb.
Re: Peter Moore: Gamers Appreciate Online Pass
..... Peter, working at the top means you became disonnected from your consumers long ago. Do NOT speak up for people you evidently know nothing about.
Re: Peter Moore: Gamers Appreciate Online Pass
Peter,
I like you, I really do, but please... don't speak for me or my opinion as in this particualr case, I disagree emphatically. You lost a lot of "street cred" joining EA. Loosing your defacto "correct" status came with the move to EA my friend. Sorry but "them's the breaks."
Re: Peter Moore: Gamers Appreciate Online Pass
>> "One thing I have to do, and it's my job, and my development team's job, and my marketing team's job, is make you not want to trade the game in."
I don't understand this. if I am used to getting online play for free when I buy a game new (that doesn't change here), how does adding a $10 fee for the next guy a deterrent for ME to trade it in? If they really want me to NOT trade it in, EA shouldn't shovel out a minor upgrade every year. Mr. Moore must have drank an awful lot of the EA kool-aid (read: mountain of cash).
I'm not against the basic concept of this but don't do it with something gamers are used to getting for free - you simply can't put the toothpaste back in the tube. I say free but the part EA misses here is that I ALREADY pay for online play on xbox live! why should I EVER pay twice for online play?!?! it's like getting taxed twice. give us good extra content for free when we buy it new and make the used game buyer pay for this content or make it unavailable entirely. of course that content would need to be something compelling and also not essential to finish the game but guess what: you make f'ing video games so your main resource is imagination - imagination is free and unlimited, so use it!! EA can hire me, I've got plenty of ideas since they seem to be out of them.
also, he's not really reading what gamers are writing in response to this pay twice for online play crime they are committing. if he did, he'd know gamers (in general) are pissed.
Re: Peter Moore: Gamers Appreciate Online Pass
I was with you up until "it's like getting taxed twice." Contrary to what politicians will tell you, getting taxed twice is a pretty common thing; I pay payroll taxes, sales taxes, and income taxes, all on the same money.
Re: Peter Moore: Gamers Appreciate Online Pass
*Reads Title*
HAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHA
*Breaths*
Mr. Moore, what are you smoking? Just because gamers used the online pass to get online dose not mean we appreciate it. Even more true for those that actually paid for something they should have gotten right off the bat.
http://www.magicinkgaming.com/
Re: Peter Moore: Gamers Appreciate Online Pass
But they BOUGHT it.
People can hem and haw all they want about how unfair it is, but if they still pay for it, it's a success and EA's going to keep doing it.
You want to discourage Online Pass? Don't buy games with it. A drop in sales is the only thing that will make EA rethink their strategy. There's a reason they call it "the bottom line".