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EA has been hyping up NBA Live 09 because of a potentially game-changing new feature, known as NBA Live 365. The data for the feature, licensed by EA from Synergy Sports Technology, is the same stuff that real NBA teams use to analyze their play and prepare for games. It provides the backbone for Dynamic DNA and NBA Live Rewind, two core gameplay features that are new to the NBA Live series this year (on PS3 and 360).
It probably cost EA a pretty penny to obtain this tech from Synergy, but they’re nonetheless including it in the sixty-dollar retail cost of NBA Live 09. There’s a catch, though: you only get it for free if you buy a brand-new, shrink-wrapped copy of the game. Retail copies will come with a single-use code redeemable on Xbox Live or the PlayStation Network to download the NBA Live 365 add-on.
I’m a bit relieved to hear this, because I went into the PlayStation Store yesterday and was bemused to find NBA Live 365 available in the Store for $9.99, even though the game doesn’t come out until next Tuesday, October 7th. My main problem with this is that people who buy the game next week might unknowingly re-purchase the NBA Live 365 functionality if they just see it on XBL or the PSN.
Of course, there’s a more nefarious side to these proceedings -- follow me to the jump for an explanation.
[Editor’s note: This post originally said that NBA Live 365 would cost $19.99 on the PlayStation Store and Xbox Live Marketplace. EA has since let us know that the price is actually $9.99, not $19.99. The article has been updated to reflect this. --Samit]
This is part of a recent rash of measures from companies like EA and Epic Games to try and cull some revenue from the used games market, from which they (until now) make no money. EA has put up the for-pay NBA Live 365 add-on for people who don’t buy the game new, so if you pick up NBA Live 09 used from GameStop in January for $40, you’ll still have to pay the extra $9.99 if you want to unlock the full potential (and the principal feature) of the game.
Similarly, Epic Games is including a one-time-use code for five Gears of War multiplayer maps in the Gears of War 2 case, but again, if you don’t buy the game new, you’ll miss out on those levels. The 20 extra songs that come “free” with a purchased copy of Rock Band 2 also count as taking something away from would-be used game buyers. And according to Shacknews, the recently-announced AC/DC Live: Rock Band Track Pack will come with its own redeemable code to allow you to export the 18 songs to your hard drive for use in Rock Band and/or Rock Band 2.
Frankly, I don’t have a problem with this; here’s the explanation from Marcus Stephenson, EA Canada’s Content & Community Manager:
This information and data is very valuable and it wasn't free for us.
T-Mobile is paying for it this year for all users who buy the game new.
This is a very expensive tool to use, and if you don't buy it new, then you'll have to pay for this. It isn't greed at all my man.
Makes sense, right? As far as I’m concerned, this is a perfectly fair incentive on EA’s part to try and steer people towards buying their games new. But, since this is the Internet, and forumites are wont to make a mountain out of a molehill, this has caused quite an uproar on the forums at Operation Sports, where Stephenson posted his view. What say you, Dtoiders?
As long as it's not some sort of secret, I'm fine with it. Look at the used PC game market; buying a used PC title can be quite difficult (does your copy of Spore have any installs left? what if the guy simply burned himself a Starcraft CD, meaning that there's a chance your CD-key will already be Battle.net when you try to play). So as long as it's not a secret, I'm fine with it.
Oh, and there should be some sort of "backup". By this I mean that I can re-download the Rock Band AC/DC songs if I change hard drives. I know that Microsoft & Sony both have "re-download" options, but I'm not sure how the AC/DC bit will work, seeing as how the songs aren't actually downloaded off of the Marketplace.
It's perfectly fair and reasonable. I'm all about the used games market, but I encourage companies to try to make it worth my while to purchase their games new. Giving me extra content is the way to go. Otherwise, I see no reason why I should have to shell out more money than necessary to get what I want.
good...in order to keep us from buying used games they give us something special with new game purchases. thats the way businesses should adapt, and i like it.
Epic's DOING IT WRONG in my opinion, since apparently only those who buy new get the maps, While those that buy used won't get them. If so, then the "community" will be divided.
Honestly, I think it's awesome. Gamestop is ripping people off 95% of the time with the used games market and it's insane that they've gone so long pushing a product that gives the original developers nothing. It's about time the games industry started pushing back.
This sounds like a great idea to me. It's good to see people taking a stand against that kind of thing.
I've always seen the second-hand game market as legitimized piracy. I mean, if I'm not going to give money to the people that actually made the game, why not download a copy somehow? At least torrent sites don't charge an insane markup for the privilege of ripping off the talent.
Much better than DRM. The game is still useable second hand, die hard fans already buys this game new, and second hand buyers may still play the game without stuff they might not care, and which they paid less for.
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21 comments + 95764 views
What a bunch of ingenious cocksuckers.
As long as it's not some sort of secret, I'm fine with it. Look at the used PC game market; buying a used PC title can be quite difficult (does your copy of Spore have any installs left? what if the guy simply burned himself a Starcraft CD, meaning that there's a chance your CD-key will already be Battle.net when you try to play). So as long as it's not a secret, I'm fine with it.
Oh, and there should be some sort of "backup". By this I mean that I can re-download the Rock Band AC/DC songs if I change hard drives. I know that Microsoft & Sony both have "re-download" options, but I'm not sure how the AC/DC bit will work, seeing as how the songs aren't actually downloaded off of the Marketplace.
finally EA and other companies are taking a stand against gaystop!
It's perfectly fair and reasonable. I'm all about the used games market, but I encourage companies to try to make it worth my while to purchase their games new. Giving me extra content is the way to go. Otherwise, I see no reason why I should have to shell out more money than necessary to get what I want.
good...in order to keep us from buying used games they give us something special with new game purchases. thats the way businesses should adapt, and i like it.
Epic's DOING IT WRONG in my opinion, since apparently only those who buy new get the maps, While those that buy used won't get them. If so, then the "community" will be divided.
I have no problem with it because I hate GameStop.
Seems reasonable to me.
Very reasonable... hopefully the developers will be paid more for their hard work. If it all goes to the publisher, then fuck em.
Honestly, I think it's awesome. Gamestop is ripping people off 95% of the time with the used games market and it's insane that they've gone so long pushing a product that gives the original developers nothing. It's about time the games industry started pushing back.
Before anybody else posts.
It's either DRM, or this.
So get the fuck over it.
That's if you have a problem with it, if you don't, well then blowjobs for all!
Hmmm, I'll have to stew over this one. I'll be watching the Cblogs for others opinions.
Sounds about right to me.
This sounds like a great idea to me. It's good to see people taking a stand against that kind of thing.
I've always seen the second-hand game market as legitimized piracy. I mean, if I'm not going to give money to the people that actually made the game, why not download a copy somehow? At least torrent sites don't charge an insane markup for the privilege of ripping off the talent.
Much better than DRM. The game is still useable second hand, die hard fans already buys this game new, and second hand buyers may still play the game without stuff they might not care, and which they paid less for.
So if you buy a gutted gamestop copy you're fucked?
I like the idea, as long as it doesn't neuter the game completely things like this should be used to encourage purchasing new.
my only complaint is the cost
cynical gamer; probably
@Cynical Gamer: You're not "fucked" -- you just have to buy the service on the PSN or on XBL for an extra $19.99. Hence, it's an incentive to buy new.
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