There are still plenty of ways to cheat though, even if there are no cheat codes explicitly coded into the game, including plenty of methods that don't involve you having to pay EA any sum of cash. ;) And EA isn't the only company that does this either. Another notable is Namco (i.e. Tales of Vesperia). In truth though, as much as this may suck, as others have said, it's completely optional and only designed for people who don't want to play the game normally. Believe it or not, not everyone wants to spend hours unlocking everything in a game.

I haven't experienced games including cheats for DLC (maybe I'm just not playing those games that are). Why cheat codes have been taken out is an interesting question. I'm really not sure. Compare GTA IV to the five PS2 GTA games, which have, like, an order of magnitude more cheat codes. Are the game engines too complicated these days? Like, would GTA IV just straight up crash if you pumped the "Armageddon" list of cheat codes from GTA:SA into it? I'm not sure; I'd think not, but I'm not a programmer.
 
I prefer cheat codes that act as an assist. I'm not really interesting in a big heads mode, but a cheat that gives you 25% of your health back in FPS games can be quite useful, because it's an optional use, and sometimes you just hit those hard spots where you can't get past.
 
The worst example of cheats I saw was this: in Resistance 2 single player mode cheats unlock when you unlock trophies; silver trophies to be precise. But most of the silver trophies are only unlockable in multiplayer. So, to unlock these cheats, you need to play multiplayer, and if you're a person like me that doesn't play multiplayer, this is impossible to do. What the hell is the point of making single player cheats only unlockable in multiplayer? Ask Insomniac, I guess.

Plenty of companies still put them in, the problem is plenty are taking them out, so they can sell them to you.

can I ask a question? When did the industry start removing cheat codes? It feels to me like they were already being removed before DLC was even a thing, but I might be wrong on that.

I don't mind them putting things like that up for money, but only when they include a way to unlock it within the game itself.  That way, if you really like the game, you can get it just by playing well enough or whatever, but if you just play every now and then and don't want to bother, then you can shell out a few bucks.

 EA has been doing this for a while now. it is nothing new for them to do that. it is sad that they are removing cheats and are selling them instead. cheats codes have also kind of stopped for a while now, also.

I remember the first time this happened it was with Crackdown and the "Keys to the city" DLC. That was free however if I remember rightly

" @Scooper: Thats my other problem, the crap that gets released as DLC, for example the costume pack for Mass Effect, what a total load of crap, and this is where I take biggest issue, MS, because they allow this to happen. "

" @Scooper: Then I guess a better question is what the hell happened that made gamers want to buy this, what is wrong that we have to do this? is it us or is it the games? "

Yeah but at least Dice waited a few months, EA do it when the game hits the shelf

They started charging for it when people started paying for it. Money talks. It's a horrible practice, selling cheats, but these are big businesses in big business suits and they look at a chart that says more $$$ and they like it.

I miss the days of cheat codes.

Dice is doing the same with BFBC2. You can buy all the items for a class. 

Okay so I know this is nothing new but it still bugs me just the same. While checking out the Playstation store I see a Tiger Woods 11 section, so I look and see that for a small fee you can unlock 11 courses, or some clothes, or some clubs, the game isn't even out in Europe till tomorrow. I know this isn't the first time EA have done this but it does seem to me to be just EA doing it, and doing it for all the big games. Christ I can remember when you had to have 3 thumbs and move the sticks while pushing buttons and singing songs just to unlock a stupid 'big head' mode but at least it was free, now you have to pay for it, I dread to think where this will all end.