Battlefield 3 Probably Getting Online Pass

4.5
A growing number of games are locking out preowned customers from certain content -- usually online multiplayer -- unless they purchase an online pass-equivalent from their respective publishers. This allows publishers, who normally make no money on preowned sales, to at least get some revenue from the active second hand market.

DICE has half-confirmed to Gamerzines that Battlefield 3 will be shipping with some form of online pass system, but seemed somewhat shaky on the details. EA also closed the door on the discussion, asking the site to pick up the conversation at another time.

"The whole idea is that we're paying for servers," explained Battlefield 3 executive producer Patrick Bach. "And if you create a new account there is a big process on how that is being handled in the backend. We would rather have you buy a new game than a used game because buying a used game is only a cost to us; we don't get a single dime from a used game, but we still need to create server space and everything for you. We want people to at least pay us something to create this because we're paying for it. It was actually a loss for us to have new players."

If Battlefield 3 does end up shipping with an online pass system, it gives Modern Warfare 3 everything to play for. Whatever you may think of Activision's other business practices, one thing the company hasn't done -- yet -- is incorporate an online pass system. If Battlefield 3 ships with an online pass and Modern Warfare 3 doesn't, that may be enough to send a few people who were on the fence between the two rival military shooters in the direction of Activision's title.

Posted:

Source: http://www.gamepro.com/article/news/221541/battlefield-3-will-probably-feature-an-online-pass-as-compensation-for-server-costs/

Related Articles

Comments

"Battlefield 3 Probably Getting Online Pass" :: Login/Create an Account :: 63 comments

If you would like to post a comment please signin to your account or register for an account.

0nslaughtPosted:

I would rather buy new than used. But half the time on BFBC2 their servers are so laggy that its impossible to play. If they fixed their servers I'd be more than happy to buy new.

3OH3Posted:

vegeta508
3OH3 I'm upset to see how greedy these companies are beginning to be. The argument that they "have to make space for you" is misleading. Yes sure your character file is saved to a server but it's not going to be that big of a file. So what about actually playing the game? Surely that means that they have to make room for you also since youre on their server... Wrong. Guess what happens when people buy a game used EA? It means that someone no longer wanted to play it and sold it. So essentially that person is just replacing another player on the server so nothing is really changed all that much. If they really want money that bad then just place an add in the game. Yeah sure it may be a little annoying looking at it but armrest everyone could play...

Imagine if I went over to a friends house with my copy of BF3 and we were going to play it. Yeah we'd have fun except we can't because my friend doesn't have an online pass to play the game. Now I could just recover my account with the online pass except my profile contains a higher amount of gamer score than the average user (I'm sure we can all relate and how it takes us a while to recover). So now it is going to take me 15-20 minutes to recover my account so maybe instead of doing that we just decide to play some Modern Warfare: 3...

^^^ that is just one example of how an online pass could actually reduce sales instead of increasing them. Maybe my friend would have seen how good the game is and gone out to buy it for himself the next day. But because of the online pass he was never given the opportunity.

So..... if you couldn't tell, I am completely against the online pass. Buying used games won't cost all that much more money so deal with it... And if your concerned that much then just lower your money that you spend on advertising. I'm sure all of us know that the game is coming out in Novemeber and will be a great game. But sadly we all know that MW3 and BF3 are going to get into an advertising war as the two games release dates approach spending millions of more dollars than need to be spent and could have been used to pay for their server...
Excatly what I was thinking mate... You sir, have completely proven there theorem wrong. And their for they are just plain greedy.
exactally, they're just in it for the money.... I know of this situation because it happened with my friend and I who wanted to play my copy of Need For Speed Hot Pursuit but we couldn't since he didn't have an online pass. So it's not just a made up senario of something thy could happen. It's something that has/will happen.

SlightlyPoeticPosted:

They did something like this with bfbc2. I thought it was okay.

ImmortalTechniquePosted:

i really hope they don't do this... it's dumb enough with some of there sports games but maybe just like their sport games the online pass will be with the game when you buy it and if you need another one they you will buy it.

jwmc1971Posted:

thank god the carmakers dont do this ..." oh , you bought a used car ? well if you want to use those power windows and door locks and AC you need to give us an extra 10% cuz were not seeing a dime in the secondary market " ...a**holes !

DiscosPosted:

Its riduculous making us pay 40 for the game the more for the online pass

TicUsADartPosted:

The people who make these news posts now, suck.
Why would you make a post saying there PROBABLY or MIGHT be an online pass.
Figure it out.

LJH1993Posted:

Stokie1996 This is pathetic!
So I have to buy 2 copies?
One for each damn account!


Or just but the $10 code in game??

iWorkForXboxPosted:

ill just on ea support chat and get free ones like i did for NCAA 12 and Madden 11

SorceryPosted:

This is pathetic!
So I have to buy 2 copies?
One for each damn account!


Latest Downloads

Latest Tutorials