Secret EA promotion code compromised

31 Comments by James Ransom-Wiley Feb 24th 2006 12:00PM
Filed under: Culture, Sony PlayStation 2, Microsoft Xbox, Action, First Person Shooters, Online

EA has been giving away a secret promotion code to customers that pre-order Black. The code unlocks the BFG, which, well... we all know what that means (if you don't, just use your imagination). One upstanding citizen, in the name of Freedom of Information, has decompiled EA's Black website, and uncovered the URL where the code is posted, thus bypassing the restricted access login. So now, even if you don't pre-order the game, you can still enjoy the BFG:

5SQQ-STHA-ZFFV-7XEV

Source

(Page 1) Reader Comments

neale: Feb 24th 2006; 12:05PM

cheers

bl4xc0d3: Feb 24th 2006; 12:12PM

OK OK OK ... thats great and all...but i work at a rental/retail store, and we have sheets apon sheets of stupid cards that have those codes already... so the whole point of that BFG thing to be super secret is bull crap... just go to a store that is preselling it and you get the "restricted access" with the code on the back and you also get a pretty cool mini gun/paper thing.... it minght not be worth the 5$ to preorder, but if you are going to buy it anyways... it dosnt hurt to spend the money now and a few bucks later, just for that LEGIT promo code, but hey... thats just my opinion

2Kings: Feb 24th 2006; 12:12PM

OMG HAX!!!

haha sick find ill be sure to try it if i get this game

Sharbaz: Feb 24th 2006; 12:14PM

This is a pre-order incentive - since the game's coming out next week in the states, I kinda doubt EA cares...

Superzapper2000: Feb 24th 2006; 12:15PM

Cool .I hate EA.

Crazylink: Feb 24th 2006; 12:29PM

I'm guessing it's an acronym for Big Freakin Gun.

Fooley: Feb 24th 2006; 12:31PM

these are the worst kind of incentives

Scythe: Feb 24th 2006; 12:31PM

I was waiting for this I had a few friends preorder just to get the special gun and I told them this would happen. Now I just need to walk into any wal-mart suncoast and get a copy because it's not going to be sold out.

Vader582: Feb 24th 2006; 12:33PM

Hmmm...how interesting that this comes out now a week before the game is to go on sale...my guess...EA is not seeing much pre-order action on this bad boy and are banking that this "exclusive" code will pick up some rubberneckers to the game...so I'm guessing we won't see much complaining from the tiny company that is EA...yeah I'm saying there's a conspiracy...(btw EA if you're reading this...howzabout fixing BF2 for PC? yeah i didn't think so...)

Levi: Feb 24th 2006; 12:44PM

BFG: Big Friendly Giant? Any Roald Dahl fans out there?

Michael May: Feb 24th 2006; 12:49PM

How can so many people be ignorant of Doom, the daddy of FPS?

(BFG was ? gun in that)

C. Grant: Feb 24th 2006; 1:09PM

For the uninitiated:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BFG9000

And Levi: hell yes!

GlitchCog: Feb 24th 2006; 1:11PM

"BFG Gun" is redundant.

James: Feb 24th 2006; 1:20PM

"'BFG Gun' is redundant."

GlitchCog, good point. Post amended.

Bloo: Feb 24th 2006; 1:55PM

The big geal here is that this time BFG stands for Bushy French Girl. Yikes!

Grudge: Feb 24th 2006; 2:06PM

I can't believe you guys posted this code. where is your sense of respect and morals? Another nail in the coffin. Nice work.

AX: Feb 24th 2006; 2:41PM

BFG = Bonus Frying Grill

Pixelantes Anonymous: Feb 24th 2006; 3:01PM

Grudge needs a BFG blast up his ...

Grudge: Feb 24th 2006; 4:00PM

I'm sorry, what was that, PA?

For a site supposedly trying to grow, perhaps one day getting interviews from important people in the business, alienating a whole segment of the industry by blowin out their marketing strategy is not away to make friends and get respect. What do you people want this site to be, a rumor mill/child's playground? Or an actual thought-provoking resource?

Joystiq has identity issues, but I still love it. This kind of crap, however, is going to drive respctable people away. Not that there are many of us to begin with around these parts.

Singe: Feb 24th 2006; 4:00PM

This news isn't amazing or anything. My local Best Buy just put the pre-order cards with the code on them out on the shelf for anyone to pick up,

Scythe: Feb 24th 2006; 4:12PM

Grudge needs to remove his head from his @ss and take a few laxitives and clear the crap out. There isn't anything wrong with posting that code it would have been up on any cheat code site I'm sure it is already. If people are going to preorder the game that code isn't going to be the only reason. Your the only one here that seems to have a problem..... Wait let me guess you preorder it and now your made that your not the only one with the special hidden weapon? Yeah looks like someone is being a little child-ish.

Grow up man geeze it's just a game..

Grudge: Feb 24th 2006; 4:28PM

I'm sorry, you're all wrong, and this is the last I'll say on it.

1. I could care less who gets a pre-order weapon from a game. It's principle.

2. I'm the only one complaining, yes. Generally, the listof comments aroundhere are filled with nonsense, console bashing and the like. So I don't feel too bad being the odd man out in the comments section.

3. Two wrongs, blah blah blah. I keep hearing what evgeryone else has done, and why that makes this okay. Ask the publishers if that's how they feel.

4. Just another example of culture these days. Selfish and illogical.

Carry on.

DCSimian: Feb 24th 2006; 5:16PM

Respect and Morals to EA? Ha!

In my opinion, I don't think it's a big deal that the code is posted here. Who knows? It may just push a few more copies off the shelves and into homes. What's the difference between this and getting the code from a friend or another website? We'll see if EA makes a fuss about it, but I doubt it.

Do you find this dishonorable or something? I'm genuinely curious. Personally, I think it's a decent thing to do because it gives whoever didn't preorder the game a little extra value in an already short game. 6 to 7 hours of gameplay for $39.99? That, to me, seems selfish and illogical.

http://xbox.ign.com/articles/690/690732p5.html

All of this, of course, is just my opinion.

Grudge: Feb 24th 2006; 5:43PM

Thanks for being civil, DCSimian.

Yes, I do find it dishonorable. Everything you said makes sense (short game, code available elsewhere), but doesn't make it right, in my opinion.

Matt: Feb 24th 2006; 9:45PM

Grudge,
Posting that code is akin to posting a movie spoiler. Movie sites do it all the time and still score the interview. It appears you are just being a tad too touchy.

refinedsugar: Feb 25th 2006; 12:00AM

I'm not going to add to the code argument, but there is a serious hate-on for EA vibes here.

Christian: Feb 25th 2006; 11:54AM

No matter what, it's a good marketing strategy. You either get people to buy the game for the gun, or you get the internet buzzing with discussion about how the secret has been breached...in either case, it's gets people talking about the game: mission accomplished for PR...

Spyke: Feb 25th 2006; 4:28PM

Based on reviews I have read, the game doesn't appear that good anyways. Besides, this is no different than magazines and websites printing cheat codes, and there's nothing wrong with that.

diggersf: Feb 26th 2006; 3:25PM

For all we know, EA brainwashed the Joystiq guys and forced them to post the code, creating a this heated discussion about Black and morals and all that noise.

Pradeep Aggarwal: Feb 27th 2006; 4:53AM

Nice blog with good information on articles.

Thank you for providing relevant information. I�ll keep visiting it for updated information.

Keep it up

lihaisong: May 13th 2006; 12:53PM

This password how to use????

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