"Online Pass" system to screw over resellers

[AppleQueso]

Because the NFL is privately owned

I'm not sure what the status of the NBA and FIFA is, but I was talking more about how they created a monopoly by buying exclusive rights. It's like some film theater franchise, signing contracts with every single studio, to have exclusive rights to playing their movies.

Every other cinema would be out of business in 3 days.

Technically the free market shouldn't allow such a thing to happen, but we all know how often the "free" market is manipulated, and then the government is supposed to intervene.

I don't think it's really a monopoly. Other companies can still make football games, they just can't use NFL teams and whatnot. It's not like EA bought the rights to football itself or something.

[Hatta]

Can anyone tell me why the gaming industry, currently more prosperous and profitable than its ever been before, suddenly feels so threatened by the used game market?

The same reason the rest of corporate America, at a time of record profits, feels so threatened by taxation. Sheer unadulterated greed. We live in a time of robber barons.

[AppleQueso]

Can anyone tell me why the gaming industry, currently more prosperous and profitable than its ever been before, suddenly feels so threatened by the used game market?

The same reason the rest of corporate America, at a time of record profits, feels so threatened by taxation. Sheer unadulterated greed. We live in a time of robber barons.

Heh, and taxes are at a record low too

[SegaBlack]

They don't "suddenly", but with online connectivity of consoles, they now have a tool to use in their efforts to reduce the used game market.

That is exactly what they are trying to do, and it's well within their rights. They make ZERO dollars from reselling. Why not try to "encourage" more people to buy new?

I agree that it's okay to encourage people to buy new games, but if the article is correct in saying Warner Bros. doesn't want customers to know about this then is that really encouragement? Sounds more like punishment for not buying new to me...

[ZeroAX]

Only if you buy used.

True but I like to trade my sports games, about 3-4 months before the new one comes out, so it still has considerable trade value (by trade I mean trade with other gamers, not trading it in a shop).

But the 10$ plan is still BS so screw them. And you know what the worse part is? I don't know about the rest of Europe, but at least here, people don't really trade in games that fast. It's IMPOSSIBLE to find a used copy of the current FIFA, NBA 2K, Pro Evolution ect. ect.

By the time the new version comes out and these start flooding the used game bins, EA has already shut down the servers.

So the small % of people, who DO trade their game (like me) get screwed over, for something that happens on the other side of the world.


I'm not really mad though. I'm smart enough to know, you don't like something, don't buy it. Just chatting and all.


And about the NFl exclusive thing. Can another company make another game with NFL teams and players, but not use the NFL license?

Cause Pro Evolution has many official leagues licenses (not sure if it also has the champion's league license), so you still get an authentic professional football exprience. Just not with the FIFA branding (which to be honest, no one cares for, except for when the world cup is on).

But I remember, when EA wanted to do their own MMA game to compete with THQ, the UFC organization threatened (or should I say blackmailed?) athletes that they'd be blacklisted, if they signed their rights off to EA (of course after a google search, this threat was retracted a year later).

So I was wondering if something similar is happening with the NFL license. Where a company can't make an american football game, with the official teams and officials players, just not the league's branding.

[YoshiEgg25]

And about the NFl exclusive thing. Can another company make another game with NFL teams and players, but not use the NFL license?

Cause Pro Evolution has many official leagues licenses (not sure if it also has the champion's league license), so you still get an authentic professional football exprience. Just not with the FIFA branding (which to be honest, no one cares for, except for when the world cup is on).

But I remember, when EA wanted to do their own MMA game to compete with THQ, the UFC organization threatened (or should I say blackmailed?) athletes that they'd be blacklisted, if they signed their rights off to EA (of course after a google search, this threat was retracted a year later).

So I was wondering if something similar is happening with the NFL license. Where a company can't make an american football game, with the official teams and officials players, just not the league's branding.

No, they can't. NFL is a single league, like FIFA. They're the big dogs. You can't get them, you have nothing. There are a couple Arena Football games for PS2, but the league just isn't popular enough in comparison with the NFL. It's a joke, really. It's not near a level of EPL vs. MLS, it's more like Major League Baseball vs. Minor League Baseball, except the AFL teams are in the big cities directly competing with NFL teams.

Which is a shame, as AFL is mighty fun to watch. If the NFL lockout happens this year, they're going to do much better.

[ZeroAX]

No, they can't. NFL is a single league, like FIFA. They're the big dogs. You can't get them, you have nothing.

ok thanks. Still sucks, oh well.

Though FIFA is the single league of national teams, so club football has maintained the competition running in the video game football world (and from what I've heard, it's for the better. I remember, before Pro Evo became big, the FIFA series sucked (and until 07 or 08 still sucked). Imagine how basketball games would have been if it wasn't for NBA 2K....)

[MrPopo]

Can anyone tell me why the gaming industry, currently more prosperous and profitable than its ever been before, suddenly feels so threatened by the used game market?

The same reason the rest of corporate America, at a time of record profits, feels so threatened by taxation. Sheer unadulterated greed. We live in a time of robber barons.

As opposed to the 50's when companies weren't being greedy?

[Hatta]

Good point, unadulterated greed is in the nature of corporations. But it's particularly bad now, since there's essentially a revolving door between government and industry. Lobbyists enter government, and representatives leave to lobby. Consider the RIAA lobbyist who is now a federal judge presiding over a P2P lawsuit. Our system is so broken that this doesn't even count as corruption.

[OldSchool_Boy]

So if used games won't have online ability, then wouldn't it be cheaper to resell?