EA canceled their online-pass because they didn't need it anymore... it's built in to every game on Xbox, through the console. Here is the article that talks about it briefly.

Microsoft did say that if a disc was used with a second account, that owner would be given the option to pay a fee and install the game from the disc, which would then mean that the new account would also own the game and could play it without the disc

So no more swapping disks? And wont this lead to "Buying a game installing it and re selling it right away?" To get the full refund?

Was that ever a problem? Even on the 360, installing a game to the hard disk still required the disk in the drive to check the keys.

This feature seems like it is solving a problem that doesn't exist. Used games are a reflection of the market being expensive but the value is short. The fix isn't to force the buyer to keep a disk they don't want.

Cool! Well GameStop be a better shopping experience? Pff..

I'm a little confused. It still works with no additional costs if you decide not to install a game onto a hard drive, correct?

Appears so.

It just seems to be to stop people installing it, then passing it on to other people to install and so on, without anyone seeing any money from it. Seems pretty fair to be honest.

@turboman:

They didn't comment on that... no confirmation either way.

R.I.P. gamefly

Except all games must be installed to play.

http://kotaku.com/the-xbox-is-not-always-online-but-seems-to-block-used-509077987

With EA cancelling their online pass, I bet the PS4 will have the same feature. Depending on the price of the fee, this could be really awesome for people like me.

Except the Wired article said that all games require a mandatory install. No games will be played off of the disc.

Yeah i was going to say i thought all games required an install.

Wow... so no more used games, or swapping discs with friends. Also, what about my son playing the game on his account (for his own achievements and such)? Would we have to pay the fee to play on his account?

From what I've read, install is required, but it's whether or not the disk is in the console that matters in this case. I

f you want to play the game without the disk, and you didn't pay for it, then you have to pay some kind of fee.

At least that's how I've read it :S

killing the used game market could also snuff out a large section of the hardcore gamer market. ive been saying for a couple yars now that the major companies should THREATEN this in an attempt to work out a deal with Gamestop and the like. But this could be bad. If the secondary fee is like 20 bucks, and stores like GAmestop dont remove that from THEIR prices, you are looking at paying nearly full price for a game 8 months after the fact.

idk. this is all good for the companies... but it has the potential to crippled the gaming-life of the customer.

R.I.P. Xbox

How dare they put something in to try and prevent people from screwing game publishers over.

Oh no. Those poor publishers :(

@leftie68: Good point, so much for discovering new games though the medium of a mate handing me a game he's bought and saying 'here have a lend of this, you'll love it'.

I'm okay with it because of the 'every disk installed to HDD' thing. The problem is the 500 GB and the size of Blu Ray games. I wish we were at a point where it could have been a couple of TB of hard drive space.

@ez123: Do you not buy used games or borrow games from friends? Because if so I've got some bad news for you.

@jeff called it on his pre-stream Q&A session. he said MSFT might not have always online functionality but that that doesn't mean there might not be a surcharge for pre-owned games. or something to that effect, anyway

So... if you're the first owner, you get to install the game and play it without the disc; but if you're the second owner, you need the disc in the drive, just like you do on the 360?

That seems... like a remarkably evenhanded compromise to an age-old problem. I'm pleasantly surprised!

Especially considering that the predominant rumor leading up to the reveal was "forced-online 1984 video game dystopia"

Im sure they will learn that trick quickly ;)

Its the third person that uses it that im interested in.

Presumably we aren't talking about a low fee here, otherwise one person would just buy a copy and then give it to all of their friends to install? Unless it needs to be deactivated on one console before being activated on another... or something?

Yes, both. But not a ton. What I'm saying is that I'm okay with trading those for no longer needing to switch disks.

So what happens when your console inevitably breaks or you buy a new model? Are you able to move the install license to another console?

I'm all for destroying the used games industry and Gamestop.

Better have it backed up on the cloud or you're done. What happens when you PC crashes and you haven't backed up your HD and you don't have your software disc anymore? You buy them again or re-download them.

So let me get this straight, a 2nd owner can still play the game but has to pay a fee if he wants to install it on his system?

Naaah, Microsoft doesn't nickle and dime people right? But in all seriousness, i would not be surprised. Unless it uses a Master account/Sub account system. Where you as the parent would have a master account to play it on and you're children would play on a sub account. But im just guessing here.

@kishinfoulux

I'm all for destroying the used games industry and Gamestop.

That may be a good thing in the US, but in parts of Europe its a very different system. Its kind of like craigslist i guess, but more local. And its not something people want to lose. Not because of the business aspect of it, we dont have stores buying and selling second hand games as much. Because we want to retain the right to sell something we bought and therefore own, or trade. It would suck if my games would immediatly lose all value the second i use it.

One of the reasons that people are willing to pay $60 for a game is the trade in value. Take that away and you are going to see people really thinking twice about those day 1 purchases of the latest 5-8 hour games. Of course, I'm sure the developers will be blamed for the poorer sales instead of the realities of economics.

But you would have to install it no matter what which means you would have to pay a fee to play a game if your not the first to install it. The not playing without the disk just seems like a bonus if you install if I understand it. Still seems a bit confusing because i wonder what the fee will be and if the second owner would keep the download forever or not.

You know, Microsoft never confirmed there would be a fee for pre-owned games. They only said there would be a fee if you give the disc to your friends and they try to install.

For all we know, places like Gamestop could have a program that wipes ownership of a game disc and allows them to sell them used again without the first fee. For instance, if I buy a game, install it, sell it to Gamestop, they wipe it, the next time I go online I will have to pay the fee or just delete the game. Whoever buys my disc used won't have to.

You can probably also transfer the license to another console once per year, similar to how all your XBL purchases now. You can transfer the ownership to a different console once per year.

If they can back this up with Steam style sales, and updated pricing (i.e. a five year old game isn't still priced at $40-$60), then I am okay with this.

As I see it: Yes, you have have to install no matter what, but you only have to pay if you want to play without the disk in (as it uses the game to authenticate the install, as the 360 does now).

Microsoft really need to start clarifying this stuff quickly before it gets too ahead of them.

Because fuck consumer rights?

I don't think it would work that way and if a second owner has to install it then it will require a fee. Not blocking used games just seems like online pass 2.0, but i could see game stop writing off the fee for all their games. It does depends on what the fee will be and if the second owners keep it for good or rents it out if you will.

That seems a bit strange to me because how would you price that and is there a cap on how many user install the game. Is it a solid $60 or $70 fee and you keep the game forever or is it a $10 or $20 fee and you keep it forever or have it for two weeks and it expires.

This absolutely pushed me over to wanting a PS4 at launch instead. I collect physical games from all the way back to Atari and Commodore and do not like this one bit. Buying games used is the ONLY way to buy some of these games, even on the 360 and PS3, I don't want to now have to pay twice just to play an old game.

I knew EA wasn't being the good guys! Ok.. 2 questions. If anyone knows the answer please answer.

1. You have to install the game and if someone else installs the game you bought, they have to pay a fee. Will the game be tied to the xbox and let any one who plays on that xbox play the game or will it be tied to the gamertag? My fiancee and I share the 360 and play games on it. I am scared this would force her to pay a fee just to play a game that we already own and have on our console. Tied to gamertag = no buy. Tied to the xbox = it will suck but I can live with it..

2. Will it be the full game being installed? or important files? The whole games would take up too much space and I feel that would be an idiotic decision.

Xbox Live sales were pretty great this year, picked up Max Payne 3 for $5 and Tekken Tag 2 for $10

My buddy owns an EB Games franchise (it's where I buy most if not all my games) and he is going to hit the fucking roof if this turns out to be true.

I'd say this is a Sony\MS deal behind the scenes.

Not that complicated people, it will most likely work exactly like Steam does.

And just like it if you buy a physical PC game that requires Steam, that disk will come with one license that will and is required to be tied to your account before you can play it.

(or any recent Blizzard game, or Origin tied games on PC)

If someone wants to play it on the same Xbox, they can do so using your account. (altho guests for couch co-op will prolly still be supported)

@the_laughing_man: My guess would be that until someone bought the copy you returned your game would work. Once resld though It would get de-activated.

Here is how I see this working (just my thoughts). This Fee will probably be whatever the current new cost of the game is. This is a way to cut out Gamestop and disincentive them from selling games used at all. Also, It's a way to say "watch your friend play it on his machine, borrow it from him, purchase a CD key, and install on your machine. Now you're BOTH in the game!". However, it would be extremely (read: EXTREMELY) naive to think that the 'fee' would be anything less than what the digital download price of the game is directly from M$. Anyone care to bet me on this?

Also: this isn't Steam with their insane steam sales. This movie frustrates someone like me who waits to buy games that are not day 1 purchases, until they come down in price, else i wouldn't buy them at all. There are plenty of games I own that I would not otherwise own (and many turned out to be fantastic) were it not for them being under 10 dollars used at Gamestop. It's a shame that I won't be able to get them because I cannot afford a bunch of 30 dollar games.

@deavyin: That is part of the problem. Look at how much some of the older games cost digitally on the 360 right now compared to their disc counterparts. Games that are $5 or less for a disc copy still cost $20-$30 on Games on Demand.

I honestly dont see big problem with it. Its just like steam. I think this is a kneejerk reaction and people wont care anymore once its out.