EA wants your $10

[BoringSupreez]

If if means that they will beef up the online servers, I don't have an issue with it.

Yeah, it won't be too horrible if it means the servers stay up a few years extra.

[BoringSupreez]

For what it's worth, I think the danger is overstated. I mean, you shouldn't spit into your cartridges, but I careful blowing can do in a pinch. You're still better off just cleaning contacts with alcohol, though.

what if I blow into it while I've been drinking?

You'll be arrested for Gaming Under the Influence, or GUI.

[AppleQueso]

My question is...what about Gamestop employees who take the game home, use the code, and then bring it back labeled as "new." Or if an employee with few scruples starts using codes from new games, since they'll have access to them. Will Gamestop have any kind of reinbursement program?

Well, I'm pretty sure the employee that does it will get fired, for one thing. I remember The Saboteur had some code that came with new copies, and no one was allowed to take/use it unless it came from a traded in copy.

DLC codes that come with games are usually kept with the disc as well (when they are gutted), to prevent customers from stealing them.

Would be nice if they did this same thing with manuals.

amazing though, EA found a way to make sports games over a year old even MORE worthless.

[BoringSupreez]

My question is...what about Gamestop employees who take the game home, use the code, and then bring it back labeled as "new." Or if an employee with few scruples starts using codes from new games, since they'll have access to them. Will Gamestop have any kind of reinbursement program?

Well, I'm pretty sure the employee that does it will get fired, for one thing. I remember The Saboteur had some code that came with new copies, and no one was allowed to take/use it unless it came from a traded in copy.

DLC codes that come with games are usually kept with the disc as well (when they are gutted), to prevent customers from stealing them.

Would be nice if they did this same thing with manuals.

amazing though, EA found a way to make sports games over a year old even MORE worthless.

Reminds me of going to Gamestop and seeing various EA Sports games for 0.99. No one wants to play Madden '03 anymore, apparently. And no one will want to play Madden '11 in 5 years if it costs $10 to do it. I predict that most people who pay will be doing it to play non-yearly games like C&C and Burnout.

[MrPopo]

You don't seem to be getting what they are planning. If you buy the game new, you're golden. I also suspect it'll be tied to a universal account, so if you uninstall the game and reinstall you can still play. It'll be no different than today's Dragon Age and Mass Effect DLC. A card comes with the game, you use the code, and now your account has a feature enabled.

If, instead, you buy the game used you will have to pay to get that feature enabled. The goal is to discourage people who only buy used games. If you care about the online you'll buy it new, or wait until the used price gets low enough that used + online fee is still worthwhile to you.

The only issue I have with this statement is that, for Mass Effect 2, those bonus materials were merely optional, where as many of the people who play these games online likely consider that a pivotal feature. To them it's the same as allowing them the chance to play the game Used, but then forcing them to pay money to witness the ending. Or better yet, making people pay to play as Luigi on Super Mario Bros.

True enough Ack. I think that's the intent, though. They know the multiplayer is the big draw for this generation of gamers who acknowledge the outside world (my, how times have changed) and they're offering an ultimatum; either buy the game new (EA gets a cut) or wait until the used price comes down significantly so the extra activation fee still makes it worthwhile to buy used.

Now that I think about it, not only is this going to potentially drive down the used price of a lot of games, but it will also drive down the price of your trade in. When you can trade in your games for $10/each or less there's going to be less mid-generation inflow to Gamestop, since at that point you need to be trading in 3 games just to see significant savings (whereas today you can get a full game for that).

I really don't think the used game market would be such an issue for publishers if Gamestop didn't push it so hard. As many people have pointed out, we had Funcoland back in the glory days of the SNES, but it was never seen as a big revenue drain. But the old trade-in stores didn't tend to have much new inventory, so you still went for Toys R Us to get the new stuff, and then maybe later you'd trade them in and see if there were other games other people have played. Gamestop has been too aggressive with their trade in strategy.

Having a lower price at retail will drive sales on its own. But this might make too much sense to a greedy company.

1. Why does attempting to make money = greedy?
2. Let's do the math here. Let's say that a game sells 100,000 copies at $60 apiece. That's a gross revenue of $6,000,000. If they drop the price to $50 those initial 100,000 customers now only generate $5,000,000. They need another 20,000 copies to sell just to break even, which is a 20% sales growth. That's not an insignificant number. They have no reason to drop the price if they aren't going to expect to get that 20%+ increase.

[Hobie-wan]

For what it's worth, I think the danger is overstated. I mean, you shouldn't spit into your cartridges, but I careful blowing can do in a pinch. You're still better off just cleaning contacts with alcohol, though.

There's always moisture in your breath unless you're a mummy, though then you've got a dust problem instead.

But yes, BAD NOISE! This just made NES games worse. When damp, the game makes better contact, then it corrodes worse. That's why most old toasters need a new 72 pin connector. Remember how you'd have to blow on the game a little more as time went on? Need to clean the games, clean the GB/GBP and never blow on them again.

[noiseredux]

But yes, BAD NOISE! This just made NES games worse. When damp, the game makes better contact, then it corrodes worse. That's why most old toasters need a new 72 pin connector. Remember how you'd have to blow on the game a little more as time went on? Need to clean the games, clean the GB/GBP and never blow on them again.

crap. Thanks for the lesson Hobie. Will add rubbing alcohol to shopping list.

[LBJeff]

Now that I think about it, not only is this going to potentially drive down the used price of a lot of games, but it will also drive down the price of your trade in. When you can trade in your games for $10/each or less there's going to be less mid-generation inflow to Gamestop, since at that point you need to be trading in 3 games just to see significant savings (whereas today you can get a full game for that).

Which means EA wins on multiple fronts. People will be less likely to buy the game used which means if they are going to buy it they will buy it new. And they are more likely to keep it since they won't get two bird craps for it on trade in.

I do think this is a dick move, but I can't fault the logic. It's smart. They are a private corporation that is in the business of making money. Lots of it. I know that people will say it is screwing everyone over, but if that is the case, don't buy their games.

[gtmtnbiker]

Which means EA wins on multiple fronts. People will be less likely to buy the game used which means if they are going to buy it they will buy it new. And they are more likely to keep it since they won't get two bird craps for it on trade in.

I do think this is a dick move, but I can't fault the logic. It's smart. They are a private corporation that is in the business of making money. Lots of it. I know that people will say it is screwing everyone over, but if that is the case, don't buy their games.

If their games are truly really good, they'll make more money. Otherwise, I think it will be about the same (plus/minus a little). I don't think it will necessarily change whether people buy it used/new. It will affect used games pricing. When someone gets less money for a game they buy new, they'll have less money available for other new games.

[Limewater]

For what it's worth, I think the danger is overstated. I mean, you shouldn't spit into your cartridges, but I careful blowing can do in a pinch. You're still better off just cleaning contacts with alcohol, though.

There's always moisture in your breath unless you're a mummy, though then you've got a dust problem instead.

Hobie, don't you live in Houston? Your breath is probably drier than the air most days of the year. That's joke, but I'm kind of serious. Most of us in the south expose our games to more moisture through just having them than we would by blowing them on occasion.

For what it's worth, when I replaced my 72-pin connector a couple of years ago there was very little corrosion. My pins were just worn out and not bent down far enough anymore.