Games

EA Removes Online Passes From Some Games

The end of EA's much hated Online Pass system has finally come. 

On Thursday the publisher announced on its help center that the required $10 dollars to go online with used titles like Mass Effect 2, Alice: Madness Returns, Medal of Honor and more have been "discontinued."

"For new EA titles, Online Pass will no longer be needed or included," the post says. "Additionally, we are in the process of eliminating Online Pass requirements from existing EA games. This process will take several weeks. For some games, the prompt to enter an Online Pass code will no longer appear; for others, you will still need to download and install an Online Pass, but they will be available free of charge from the Xbox LIVE Marketplace or Playstation Store." 

EA said that it decided to remove the wall after player backlash.

"We listened to the feedback from players and decided to do away with Online Pass," EA continues. "We hope that eliminating Online Pass will allow more people to play and enjoy EA games for a long time to come."

Earlier this month, EA's senior director of corporate communications John Reseburg told VentureBeat it's Online Pass system wouldn't show up in future titles.

"Initially launched as an effort to package a full menu of online content and services, many players didn't respond to the format," said Reseburg. "We've listened to the feedback and decided to do away with it moving forward."

Publishers like EA saw it as a way to get a cut of the used game market which is dominated by the likes of GameStop. 

As the next-generation consoles start to come into play later in the year, Microsoft have their own plans to combat used games including potentially giving publishers a cut of potential profits.

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