EA and THQ have done it, so why not Warner Bros.?
To combat the sale of used games – from which publishers see no profit – the aforementioned companies have instituted the Online Pass, which encourages a gamer to purchase a title new. Buying it used will force you to purchase an Online Pass for an additional $10, so therefore, you're not really saving much of anything by going the pre-owned route.
And now, another publisher appears to be taking that approach: it's Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, which says Mortal Kombat will ship on April 19 with an "online pass" token that must be redeemed before playing online. And if it's true, you can expect Batman: Arkham City and F.E.A.R. 3 to receive the same treatment. The interesting part is that WBIE apparently has no intention of telling anyone; this information comes courtesy of a Joystiq tipster , who included details in an e-mail:
"Mortal Kombat, available on April 19 for the PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system and the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, includes a one-time-use registration code that gives players access to all online modes in the game. Players who do not have a code will get a free two-day trial of the online play and then be able to purchase the online modes for 800 Microsoft Points on Xbox LIVE Marketplace and $9.99 on the PlayStation Network."
It seems WBIE only wanted retailers to know, and weren't about to inform consumers. Maybe they jut assume it's expected in this day and age, but we imagine some buyers might be surprised…
Related Game(s): Mortal Kombat
no, it's not always expected. shame on them to try to sneak it in. i wonder if the box will clearly state that. ea does not always do it. crysis 2 has no online pass.
Well, that sucks that they don't come out & just say it.
Honesty matters!
…and so it begins… the great war between d1 purchases and second hand collectors…
The voucher to rule them all…
Q!
"play.experience.enjoy"
Classic!!
As a collector, I make it my business to buy any BS on-line pass games only as "used", and only once they're tossed into the $10 bargain bin.
This one will also join my "bin" list
They should inform people right from the get-go, if this is true.
Either way, it won't affect me. If I ever did buy a game used, I'd have no issue returning 9.99 to the developer.
No problem here, I ain't playin online. Buncha cheaters.
But to play with actual people you invited to your friends list could be an exception right? I swear I won't cheat. Heck, I don't even know how to or where to start. Not that I would though, the first time my 14 yr old brother showed me a challenge lobby I think it was called, in MW2 I was blown away. How did someone keep dropping police cars and jets out of the sky on the airport level?
Is the PS3 somehow hooked up to a computer which allows them to tweak the code and put whatever they want on the map. All the hacker stuff is WAAAAAY beyond me.
I know it is bad, but I've just been tip toeing with torrents lately to watch the 2nd season of Spartacus because I don't have STARZ, and even how that is done is past my level.
Not a big deal for me, I buy all my games new. I'm a nazi about taking care of my things and so I hate buying used.
If I don't like the price, I just wait until I find it for a price I do like.
So you execute the Jewish games?
Same here Kraygen, I can't honestly remember the last used game I bought.
Me neither, but that's because used games are practically never as cheap as buying the game new after a few months. The prices on used games at GameStop here in Norway are totally insane. Even games without cover, only the disc, are priced so high one might just as well buy a new one.
Ouch world. How about I'm ocd about my things.
Forgot my sarcasm tags, didn't mean to get all holocaust-y on ya 🙂
I also hate buying used games. I don't wanna risk buying a disc that has scratches on it.
If u have minor scratches on a disk, they're resurfacing discs tools out there.
Last edited by AcHiLLiA on 3/30/2011 12:38:09 PM
Wait… Arkham City has online?
only if you count the online scoreboards… cause i cant remember if it was mr Dutka or mr Shepard but one of them said no mp for batman ac no siree…
Last edited by Cesar_ser_4 on 3/30/2011 5:50:23 AM
That's what I figured. Who cares about scoreboards?
Doesn't affect me at all
This is what is broken with the games industry $60 model.
When people are buying your product elsewhere because it's cheaper the sensible approach is to drop your damn pricing, not to start putting a price tag on individual components to try and strong-arm your customers.
Price elasticity you morons. Price comes down, sales go up. find the right balance and you'll kill the preowned market AND boost your profit margins; without resorting to these annoying tactics.
Developer: "You can't blame people for buying pre-owned'"
The CEO of developer Saber Interactive says $60 RRP for new titles is holding industry back
It's unfair to blame consumers for trading in their old titles when new games cost as much as $60/£50 – that's according to the CEO of TimeShift developer Saber Interactive.
Read his wehole story here……
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/43696/You-cant-blame-people-for-buying-pre-owned
i always try to buy but what happens if somebody rents the game for a weekend from gamefly &/or blockbuster?? they dont get to try it?? and what would happen if/when the servers dont even work properly?
"The prices on used games at GameStop here in Norway are totally insane."
Ebay and Craigslist is your friend, this when you can get used games way cheaper.
"Price elasticity you morons. Price comes down, sales go up. find the right balance and you'll kill the preowned market AND boost your profit margins; without resorting to these annoying tactics."
You just demonstrated why the used game market will be around for a very long time.
dude, you might want to do some research before giving advice!
DONT buy games off ebay!
why?
well, have a look at the MK collectors edition on ebay.
120 USD, 130,140,150, i even saw one for 180!
and all these require 20+ dollars for shipping too!
now why spend 140 plus USD online if you can go to gamestop and get the same product for 100?
LONG gone are the days where ebay use to be cheap!
another perfect example, the playseats off there official site there 600 AUD for the armature model.
EXACT same one off ebay, just sold yesterday for 800!
LONG gone are the days where ebay use to be cheap!
O, and then theres the whole BS of having to worry if your items actually going to be sent.
lost count how many times i have bought something off ebay and never got it, or sold something off ebay and never got paid!
tis why im done with ebay, just a waste of time and a MASSIVE pain in the A$$!
way to go shoot yourself in the foot!
i cant believe the greed of publishers these days!
that rolls royce is not enough, they need another for the wife, and 10 more for the mistress and friends!
come on, where will the greediness end!?
Yeah right, I highly doubt every single dev out there is that rich. This is to ensure they don't LOSE money, not so that they make more. Instead of complaining about people who are trying to make a living, why don't you complain about the subject at hand (online passes) and how they won't be effective in halting the growth of the used games market?
ahhhhh, you do realize its not the developers who see the profits of this right?
Well thats put me off the game, first you have to buy extra characters now this. It's absurd that you have to pay for the privilege of online play when the retail price of games are far to much already. Tekken is free online, Street Fighter is free online, MK should be no different.
DLC has corrupted the gaming industry this generation. If you pay retail price for a game you should have the right to the full package,but now I see on the PS Store costumes, weapons extra levels all which should be included as something you unlock rather than paying, these are games remember.
you can blame the dlc stuff on the outrageos prices of the extra dvd9 devs get for trying to think outside the box
I am with you Ultima. What happened to the days of actually feeling an accomplishment for unlocking characters or hidden levels for completing hard challenges? Shoot, I'd even be happy if it was done with a cheat code. At least it was on the game when sold back in the day and we weren't given all the excuses we are given nowadays.
Oh, we couldn't fit it on the disc so dlc is so convenient and accessable to people. Huh, isn't blu ray 50GB? Oh, forgot damn Xbox please fix me.
This little sneaky practice and the fact that you have to pay for more characters has now put me off on purchasing this game. I will still rent it (just to see Kratos in action) beat it with my favorite fighters and return to Gamefly.
While it puts a bad taste in my mouth, I was planning on buying this new on release anyway so it's no skin off my back. I can see how this could act as a deterrent though, used games from Gamestop and EB are criminally overpriced. You'd end up paying more than retail if you bought used + online pass.
And what if you rent the game for a week from your local video store? no online for you.
If you were planning on buying this game on release day, this has no meaning to you when it comes to Mortal Kombat.
If you buy mostly used games, yeah, it's a problem.
Doesn't effect me at all b/c I was buying this new. I don't mind the pass but you should tell people about it instead of them getting a shock about it.
You know, when they simply put the PS3's name as "PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system," yet they make a big deal out of the "Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft," its seems a bit biased.
But that's not on-topic, now is it? As far as online passes go, I hate them. If I want to rent certain games, I have to make sure now that the online is not a big component of the game, otherwise I won't be able to get an accurate representation of what the game's actually like. At least with MK they're giving you two free trial days before they cut off the online and ask for the code, but I still don't like it.
Not sure this is costing money. If I get a $50 game for $20 used on eBay, then pay $10 for the online pass, I still save $20. That's another game right there. Pay $10 for that pass, and that's $60 compared to $100. $60 for 2 games, and 2 passes, vs $100 for two games with included 2 passes is worth it.
This is only a problem is you're used game costs less than $10 off the new price. In which case, splurge and buy new anyway. What's another $1-$9?
"To combat the sale of used games – from which publishers see no profit"
I love how developers "claim" they are making NO MONEY on used games…
This is the era of DLC! Come on and stop lying to our faces!
Oh noes, the game we made $60 + DLC from person A just got sold used to person B. We only make money on the DLC Person B buys… We should lockout the game's online features for person B and force them to pay extra, on top of the DLC that we make money with… Uh.. no we don't make money on used game sale… None at all! Yup, that's the truth! Yup! LOOK! Person C has the game now… Charge them money too! CHARGE!!!
Yeah…
"To combat the sale of used games – from which publishers see no profit" = Lie
Certainly… No profit at all in this day and age.