EA's Strategy to Counter Used Games Sales

[Twistedpixel]

Kasz216 said:

Twistedpixel said:

Expansion packs for the PC. They have been around for ages, probably almost 25 years as im thinking something like the old shareware model and episodic games.

How exactly is it infringing on consumer rights? The consumer who buys new gets access to all the content provided. The consumer buying used has no warranty and no obligation of customer service from the publisher. The consumer who cannot go online cannot take advantage of the offer but is in no way infringed upon.

Expansion packs are large ass things that are practically entire games.  It's not remotely similiar.

As for how it's infringing on consumer rights?  As has already been stated... dozens of times it's devaluing the NEW buyers purchase by hurting it's resell value for no good reason.

It'd be as if Ford made it so their car had a computer which only let your car go 55 and under unless you were the new buyer.

It'd be more like if Ford made it so the fancy key ring with the cool door unlocker only worked with the fingerprints of the first buyer. Thats a closer analogy.

Its increasing the value of the new purchase for everyone who buys the game and it only decreases the value on resale for those who intend to sell the game back because a part of the value of the item is 'used up'. Which actually brings the game market in line with other markets where the value of the product declines with use and its utility is lower as a 2nd hand good.