GameStop welcomes programs like EA's Online Pass

Status
Not open for further replies.

Matthew DeCarlo

Posts: 5,271   +104
Staff

With most gamers ticked off about EA's "Online Pass" model, you'd expect retailers to be in a similar state of disapproval, but at least one major chain isn't sweating the new paywall. During a conference call, GameStop COO J. Paul Raines explained that the number of used game buyers playing games online is low. He also mentioned that if used games sales drop, so will prices, nullifying the extra fee for online access.


Raines compared Online Pass to DLC, which gives the company an opportunity to promote content for a popular franchises in-store. It was noted that GameStop leads the market in DLC card sales. Once gamers come to terms with programs like EA's, GameStop might be able to take advantage, establishing itself as a top seller of Online Passes – at least until people figure out that such things can be purchased from home with less hassle.

Permalink to story.

 
I don't see how this will be good for anyone besides game publishers. The developers won't get squat of this money that's for sure, and they're the hard working fellers that actually make the games. This just becomes a hassle for consumers.

It seems to me like this will end up being a form of DRM that will be hated by consumers. Will I be able to take my copy of Call of Duty to a friend's house and play it with his profiles on his system? I imagine it'll work if you log into your own account, but that sounds like a hassle to me. When was the last time you recovered your gamer tag on a different console? It takes a little while and is a real chore.

This kind of stuff kills me a bit. Micro transactions, downloadable content, new campaigns, blah blah blah. It's all very cleverly configured to get us to drop more money on what we used to get for one low price. Why are they punishing gamers who buy used games?

This is why I built a gaming PC. The latest DLC for Left for Dead 2 was free for me. Hell, I didn't even have to download or install anything. It did it for me and for free.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back