EA Charges For Everything They Shouldn't

EA Charges For Everything They Shouldn’t

Submitted by Kat on October 24, 2006 – 9:46 pm7 Comments

Remember last week when we reported on EA selling unlockables? They’re getting sneakier, offering more traditionally-included bits of games for money.

First up, EA is now offering buyable tutorial videos for NCAA 07 Football and Madden NFL 07. Each 5-minute video costs $2 (160 MS Points) and covers subjects like passing or running. Hopefully we’re all smart enough to go to the internet and find a free tutorial! Joystiq reports that the video is huge (246MB) and not very helpful at all. Tutorials have traditionally been included in games and that is how it should be.

What’s even more disturbing is that in the previous article on EA selling unlockables, we mentioned that cheat codes traditionally help you unlock items that you don’t have the time to game for. Well, EA has removed the money cheat code for The Godfather, and are now charging players both in-game money and real-life money to get an item! If you don’t have enough in-game money, you can conveniently buy some with your real-life money.

To summarize: To buy the ability to have the “Level 4 Tommy Gun

http://www.psp-downloads.org/ Sam

seems like a very cheap way of squeezing more money out of gamers…

tutorials should be 100% free!
pickassoreborn

Bunch of money-grabbing whores.
someguy

if you idiots would quit paying for this crap they wouldn’t do it.
entr0py

This doesn’t surprise me at all after buying BF2142 (also an EA game). The first thing you’ll notice when you open the box is a note informing you that the game has new advertising software integrated. Your IP address will be recorded, along with information about how you play in order to provide custom in-game ads that download and change automatically. EA wisely decided not to implement it yet, likely waiting for after all the press reviews of the game come out. But every map is already littered with billboards and signs that will someday direct you to the nearest post-apocalyptic starbucks or walmart. I have no doubt the same software will show up in their future console games unless there’s a huge backlash.
http://www.blackskygame.com Ramification

And I thought that things like Project Entropia were the end of the world.
EA is decades ahead of the korean/ebay markets even.
Well, hello doom of good gaming, goodbye great games of past.

On the upside, it’s going to make indies look like gold.
Wonder how long companeis can keep afloat like this?
Quite frankly, I’ll settle for even a “niche” crowed of 10k users. I know my product is quality, I know my users are of quality.

I wouldn’t want to hang with the JerrySpringer fans of the gaming world.
That’s what world of warcraft is for.
Haysoos

This is EA. I’ve been saying since Oblivion’s horse armor that now we will have to pay for items that we would simply unlock. Not only are they charging you for content that should be free, but they are also sucking the replayability from it. Whats the solution? There are 12 billion games out there, it doesn’t hurt me at all that I haven’t bought an EA game in three years.

If only we could keep the stupid sheep and fanboys from going along with it…
J

“This doesn’t surprise me at all after buying BF2142 (also an EA game). The first thing you’ll notice when you open the box is a note informing you that the game has new advertising software integrated. Your IP address will be recorded, along with information about how you play in order to provide custom in-game ads that download and change automatically. EA wisely decided not to implement it yet, likely waiting for after all the press reviews of the game come out. But every map is already littered with billboards and signs that will someday direct you to the nearest post-apocalyptic starbucks or walmart. I have no doubt the same software will show up in their future console games unless there’s a huge backlash.”

You’re ridiculous. The ads have not yet been implemented, but EA said they are working with advertisers to make the ads fit in to the era (eg seamlessly blend). That aside, your comment about the ads directing ‘you t the nearest… starbucks or walmart’ – in order for me to reply to your post, I had to scroll past 3 google ads; I’m not bitching.

Sure you could argue that as this site is essentially a free service, they have to make money somehow, right?

Well, I’m paying money to be connected to the internet, and then I have to look at ads? Kind of like paying money to buy a game and then have to look at ads?

You’re blowing this out of proportion.

Sit down, relax, and play the awesome game that is 2142.