In the past year or so it's become very common for new games to include an "Online Pass" inside the box. This code will unlock certain aspects of the game like multiplayer, co-op levels, or future downloadable content. It's pretty obvious that publishers have done this to encourage gamers to buy new games rather than used ones, but Sessler doesn't think it's the best idea. In this week's Soapbox, Adam explains the flaws he sees in this new business model and why the Online Pass may not be around forever.
Sessler's Soapbox: Kingdoms of Online Passes »
Subscribe to G4's WEB SHOWS Video Podcast: 
Comments are Closed
Comments
Displaying 61–76 of 76
31234
hoof_hearted4
Online Pass ruined Resistance 3's sales....and now Insomniac is done with it. im already raged about that! i love that series. soo many unanswered questions! ughhh
Trityler
Don't worry online passes wont be around forever... They'll be gone when titles are only available through digital distribution. Oh wait, that's not going to benefit us, is it?
Sinus Fantasia... where snot shoots out in the sky and explodes in a wonderous array of colors (mostly white, yellow, and yellow green)
AmericanKing01
Fandome is very important, I personally find BF3 fanboys agravating but I do admire there devotion to there game.
Angelicsin87
#$%^ both online passes and crap game market.
CareyGrant
Here's a radical thought, why not give resellers like Gamestop competition, because, honestly, this is what this all boils down to: resellers like Gamestop who make BANK selling used games, and who push used games vs. new (cutting out the publishers and devs).
Forget online passes and other nonsense cash-grabs and open up your own chain of physical locations to compete with and undercut the resellers. You could even sweeten the deal by making all future pre-order bonuses tied to these new stores, further cutting out the resellers like Gamestop.
lowkevmic
For online passes, I think if they were to offer it in the form of something that will NOT be offered only a few months later, then maybe I can see that helping boost the sales of new games.
TheyTarget
Just gonna see a rise in pirating. I mean honestly. You work your ass off all month.Pay your rent, bills, and buy your groceries, then whats left in most peoples budgets? I work full time a minimum wage and I have maybe $50 a month spare income. I see a $40 game used I might buy it. Get it home and find out I now have to pay $15 more dollars I don't have to actually play the game I just bought. Nope. I guarantee a lot of people would start pirating when you do that.
Heck if I didn't know about this whole stopping used sales BS, as soon as I got the buy this code to play the game I would think right there it's a scam. In fact how many mothers would return a game they just bought there kid because of this? I remember buying games when I was little (I'm talking about mmos here) and asking my mom for a credit card to play it. Not a chance, she would take the game back right then and there. I was poor my mom would always buy me used games and if they were doing something like this I wouldn't be playing games at all when I was young. The online pass thing is so incredibly short sighted.
Zx2654
Gamers do get bullied a lot by the game makers. It doesn't help when we make petitions for stuff like a story of a game but we deal with a lot of crap from them like having to pay to for online access with xbox live and (not 100% sure) one file on the psvita. Online passes are simple and easy and they will probably stay but who buys a used game for multiplayer anyway and since Blockbuster is dead I can't rent.
Palor
Online Passes will generate more new game sales however it is also going to cut down on the number of people that play a game. Some of the people buying used games are dong so because that is all they can afford. If you remove that option by removing key content from a game some people will just pass on the game entirely.
Lets also not forget that it ruins an age old gaming tradition of borrowing a friends game to see if it is worth the purchase.
KGB21
I think the solution is to not limit the game but to add something, like the pass should be access to a beta for a new game (which I have seen done before) or like get the first expansion free. But that leads to the difference between DLC and expansions, DLC tend to feel like they should already be part of the game where as expansions feels like its adding new things not missing things, basically your getting a mini sequel.
KGB21
I think the solution is to not limit the game but to add something, like the pass should be access to a beta for a new game (which I have seen done before) or like get the first expansion free. But that leads to the difference between DLC and expansions, DLC tend to feel like they should already be part of the game where as expansions feels like its adding new things not missing things, basically your getting a mini sequel.
macross2012
Kingdoms is such a bad game I dont know how adam could be playing it for weeks. Outdated by 10+ years in graphics and is just HORRIBLE!
kdebones
You have to admit, what Adam is saying in that this is a way for the companies to make money is 100% true. Take KoA for example; I believe it was at CES or some other convention you could pre-order it and get the Mass Effect 3 N7 Armor, and something from KoA for ME3. Chances are you will be able to download this stuff later, but to get it in for free when buying a game (I doubt ME3 with the KoA armor would go for 65.99 or whatever it would cost) give you a extra feeling of "Oh hey, cool!". Then, if by chance you sell it back to a game store, what will the average game buyer (adults, teens or kids parents) want to buy? The old, used game, or the brand spanking new one with ALL THE COOL GADGETS AND JUNK! Unless your a penny pincher or frugal (like you should be) it's an easy trap that the gaming companies have made for buyers to fall into.
I know it's just the beginning of 2012, but can't wait to see how game sells do this year compared to last year (which was on a decline even with Skyrim, Saints Row the Third, Batman: AC, etc).
Malco54
MW3 didn't need an online pass and Activation racked in Booko bucks.
spikeykirby
im renting this game in defiance
spikeykirby
im renting this game in defiance
Displaying 61–76 of 76
31234