KoA: Reckoning, SSX Will Adopt Online Passes

EA are no strangers when it comes to the somewhat unpopular online pass. If you’ve been absent from the gaming scene for the last few years, these are one-use codes bundled with new copies of selected games that usually allowing access to online multiplayer, hence barring pre-owned buyers from certain portions of their second-hand purchase.

Despite EA being seen as the frontrunner for the scheme, it’s become near enough commonplace, even in games which have little or no online connectivity whatsoever.

One such game is EA’s upcoming RPG, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, developed by 38 Studios and Big Huge Games. Those who grab a new copy of the game will have access to an exclusive quest line which is tied to the one-use code included. Though some will argue that it’s a portion of the game that has been hewn from the final product, 38 Studios boss Curt Schilling is insisting that the House of Valor quest line is day-one DLC included to reward early adopters.

SSX will also be getting the online pass treatment, with EA Sports changing up the formula somewhat. Those who pick up a second-hand copy will be able to access the game in its entirety, both online and off, including the Explore and Global Events modes.

However there is still a catch; until players activate their one-use code, any experience earned through online play won’t be wired into their virtual accounts. That said, upon activation you will be retrospectively entitled to any rewards accumulated.

Source: Game Informer 

15 Comments

  1. There’s no point worrying about online passes as they’re only here in the short-term. As soon as digital distribution takes over there’ll be no need for online passes as the used games market will be wiped out.

    • Just need to worry about getting about a 5-10 terabyte hdd then.

      • This is why im not a fan of digital releases, buying a new shelf or drawer is much cheaper!

      • I don’t think anyone in the video game market is worried about HDDs not being big enough in the future. I bought a 60GB HDD for £60 in 2001 and that was pretty big at the time. Last year, I bought a 1,000GB HDD for £40. Tied inextricably to digital distribution, HDDs will only continue to increase in size and decrease in price.

      • I have a 500gb nearly full with updates & installs, the odd small game. I have about 50 games on disk, with some around 50gb. It wont take long to fill a terrobyte & developers wouldn’t be restricted to disk size constraints. The next-gen consoles 720/ps4, are rumoured by analysists, to be the last to use disks for games. Manufactures will need to incl a hefty hdd imo & a terrobyte would be the new 60gb hdd, which fills up before your coffee gets cold.

  2. Glad I’m not an avid multiplayer fan as this online pass stuff would murder my enjoyment of video gaming. Thank god for Steam (when I do play online with friends) and wonderful single player campaign titles.

  3. Presumably there’ll be XP related trophies in SSX … Oh well, I have no intention of paying $60 for it so I’ll just wait until I see it sub $20.

    • I just had the same thought. With any luck the game can be ENJOYED in its entirity without an online pass!
      Lucky for me I have exams all this year so I won’t have any choice but to wait until Christmas to pick this up, hopefully for pennies.

  4. KoA doesn’t have multiplayer though does it?

    they can’t lock off the multiplayer so they cut out single player content, and no matter what they say i have no doubt it was something cut out from the game not something they added later.

    i wonder if there’ll be an npc in game that keeps asking you to buy the content if you don’t have it.
    that seems to be ea’s style.

  5. I thought this would be troubling news for me (as anything about online passes generally is!), but it seems that this news is inconsequential due to the fact that I am not massively into RPG’s (so Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning isn’t going to bother me) & SSX played like a bag ‘o pants when I played it at eurogamer, so really not bothered about that either!

    Not good news for those concerned of course, but not bad news for me at least! :)

  6. I don’t mind it when they add extra content with every new copy but most of the time, it tends to get cut out of the main game. I really hope there won’t be an NPC that refuses to give you a quest untill you buy the content if preowned.

    I’m glad that they haven’t marketed it as an important part of the game then just before release annouced an online pass for it. Like a certain Bat game did. Although, knowing me, if i do get this and i’ll enjoy it, i would end up getting the DLC if i buy it preowned. I did it with DAO.

    Seeing as SXX has a MP i’m not surprised. But online passes are not the best way to combat the “evil that is” preowned games. Just negoate a deal with the retailers. If they refuse, threaten to stop allowing them to sell your games. Tis common sense.

    I wonder if they will stop calling it an online pass and instead call it a reward pass? As Online pass implies that it’s there to help with the cost of online servers.

  7. Im all for online passes myself. Gaming is a business and companies need to make money to a) stay open b) make great games.
    Online passes help to shift units of new games so companies make mo’ money. Companies make mo’ money, more games get made with a higher degree of quality. Simple.

  8. That actually doesn’t sound too bad and i usually decline EA’s ToS anyway, even when i buy the game new. ME will be an exception as i’ll probably have to accept in order to get any expansion DLC. Just need to wait and see if SSX is any good first.

  9. Maybe if loads of online gaming people moan about online passes(they seem to be good at moaning, LOL)the game companies will drop them. But i doubt it, so just forget these News stories now i think because all games will do it 1 day.

  10. At least you can still play online with SSX, I guess remaining rank 1 wouldn’t bother me too much.

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