EA set out last May to combat used game sales (or improve gamers’ experience) with the online pass system. It’s since been adopted by a number of other games: Mortal Kombat, Dirt 3, Resistance 3, and Driver: San Francisco (though that didn’t work out so well) are just a few examples. It’s been more than a year now and it’s yet to bring in a substantial amount of money for EA, though it’s not quite so simple.
“The revenues we derive from that haven’t been dramatic,” said CFO Eric Brown during the Citi 2011 Tech Conference, Gamasutra reports. “I’d say they’re in the $10-$15 million range since we initiated the program.”
Online passes are included with new copies of games and typically grant access to online multiplayer and other features. Buying a used copy in most cases means you won’t have the free code. That means anyone who wants to then play online (or access any locked content) has to purchase the online pass separately through the Xbox Live Marketplace or PlayStation Store. In other words, EA is only getting money from used game buyers who want to access the locked content.
