Rumor: EA/GameStop weighing Season Pass to cheaper games
by Justin McElroy 
{ Nov 17th 2008 at 3:00PM }
According to a SmashPad tipster, a marketing research ad touts the EA Sports Season Pass, which would, for a $20 enrollment fee, cut 33 percent from the cost of EA Sports games purchased that year.
Sounds like it could be a good deal for sports nuts, but there's no telling if we'll ever see it in effect. Think it's something you'd be interested in?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Duke @ Nov 17th 2008 3:04PM
Looking at that list, no, not something I would be interested in.
Nick @ Nov 17th 2008 3:05PM
There is no need for this. I worked in a game store and even the poorest people would find a way to scrounge up the cash for the latest Madden or NBA Live.
mcatrage @ Nov 17th 2008 3:47PM
That doesn't mean it's a good thing. If they aren't going to stop buying the games at least giving them the ability to save money is a good thing.
NHL and FIFA fan @ Nov 17th 2008 3:06PM
This is a step in the right direction for ending the obscene practice of full price games for every year, which is a total rip off in sports games as everyone knows. They ought to all be $10-$15 off normal prices at least but this is better than nothing.
dabamf @ Nov 17th 2008 3:07PM
Save money on recycled crap? It's still crap, no?
Kevlar @ Nov 17th 2008 3:43PM
Yes, but it's 33% CHEAPER crap! It's so cheap, you can't afford NOT to buy it! Get it while it's fresh! New, cheap CRAP!
McBrick @ Nov 17th 2008 3:07PM
Considering the number of EA Sports games I've purchased in the last 5 years (0), my interest level is also 0.
I'm not their target market, however. It probably makes tons of sense to other people.
RobLink (Alex Kidd incarnate) @ Nov 17th 2008 3:08PM
Skate 3? We're not going to wait for 2 to come out first? And Facebreaker 2? Who commissioned that? Or is that poster a total fabrication?
Delgado @ Nov 17th 2008 6:00PM
It is a fabrication, though probably an accurate one.
Puli @ Nov 17th 2008 3:08PM
If you were going to buy just one sports game that year, you would end up even. 20 dollars to get a $60 for $40. Why wouldn't someone want this. (assuming they were going to buy any sports games at all)
gst @ Nov 17th 2008 8:05PM
To be blunt, someone wouldn't want this if they consider 40$ to still be a silly amount to pay for these particular games.
Granted, there are plenty of people who continue to shell out the 60$ and would every year with this deal or not... I just don't see this bringing any new consumers to the sports games or making people want to buy more of them. The people who get locked into the deal are likely the same ones who would have bought the games anyways at full price.
Scratch that. They should only enact this deal in places where football fans are dejected enough to need a discount. So in Detroit, Cincinnati, and the entire state of Missouri.
Alternate deal altogether. You pay me $20 and I will sell you last years version of every EA sports game for about $30, change out the cover on the box, and see if you can even tell the difference.
Courtney @ Nov 17th 2008 3:09PM
No, no interest in EA sports games, but this is an interesting idea.
What if EA did it for their entire library, so $50 a year to get a 33 percent discount off any EA new release? I might do that, but I would worry that this could develop into a scam. Game companies start raising the base price of games even higher, but promoting more and more of these "developers clubs" where you get a "special" price, which is probably just what the hell the game should be priced at in the first place.
Or maybe I'm just paranoid.
Titanium_Orchid @ Nov 17th 2008 3:09PM
Why is EA making a Face Breaker 2?
Spike @ Nov 17th 2008 3:43PM
its ea, even games just marketed by ea have a sequel every year
clads01 @ Nov 17th 2008 3:10PM
ummm ... it would be better if your membership was for one title/sport (e.g., nhl 20xx) and you got a discount every year if you purchased the previous year's version.
dabamf @ Nov 17th 2008 3:10PM
By the way, your *net* savings are what counts...so according to the ad you'll save $39.35 and $59.13, since the Season Pass is $20.
Chance Morgan @ Nov 17th 2008 3:11PM
No...I don't play sports games.
coil780 @ Nov 17th 2008 3:11PM
A $20 subscription gets you 1/3 off games for a year? Given that a 360 game costs $60... buy one game, and this pays for itself. For every game you buy after the first you save $20.
Not for me - I don't play sports games - but it's a potentially huge wallet-saver. Almost makes me want to shop at Gamestop. No wait, Gamestop doesn't get my business anymore ever.
Pudge @ Nov 17th 2008 3:12PM
Charging money for a discount?
Next thing you'll tell me EA makes people pay money for cheat codes!
Titanium_Orchid @ Nov 17th 2008 3:35PM
people used to do that back in the Monkey Island/Myst days...
Edge @ Nov 17th 2008 3:13PM
I have a better idea. Just update last year's game.
EA Sports games are a SCAM!
Arturo @ Nov 17th 2008 3:13PM
I only sometimes get FIFA, so no thanks.
MowDownJoe @ Nov 17th 2008 3:17PM
So, if you only buy Madden, you're pretty much just preordering... without the guarantee that location will have your game. BRILLANT!
Deeznuts420 @ Nov 17th 2008 3:18PM
meh, 2k games is where i spend my money.
Eric Yeung @ Nov 17th 2008 3:18PM
This ad is misleading. If you buy 3 games, you don't save $60, you save $40. You have to pay for the membership itself, it isn't free.
baby sea tuna @ Nov 17th 2008 3:19PM
Great, one more bullshit thing for the checkout guy at the Gamestop to try and sell me.
WiNG [Life in a Game] @ Nov 17th 2008 3:21PM
Here's a crazy idea.
You buy a sports game.
Every year they offer a large DLC patch for $10-20 that updates the game to the newest year.
Everyone wins.
E @ Nov 17th 2008 3:25PM
Try again. You think EA Sports will go for that? Why get $20 when people are willing to pay $60.
Pudge @ Nov 17th 2008 3:26PM
But then you wouldn't get awesome new features like First-Person Helmet Mode and Mascot Mud Wrestling!
Vcize @ Nov 17th 2008 4:39PM
If you think the changes between Madden 2008 and 2009 could have been done via DLC, you are a magician. They're barely even recognizeable as the same franchise they play so differently.
Now, Rock Band 1 vs. Rock Band 2 on the other hand...
defpoet1790 @ Nov 17th 2008 3:25PM
No thanks the only good offering on there is SKATE and Fight Night. Nothing really special from EA.
vidGuy @ Nov 17th 2008 3:27PM
Obviously only good if you buy more than one game at full price. Buying the discount for $20, you are even after one game, and save $20 per game after that. Interesting, but most of the people I know wait until these games are half price before buying anyway.
MarkHawk @ Nov 17th 2008 3:33PM
Extend it to all EA titles and Im in but I rather see a Gamestop edge card for ALL new titles from ALL Developers.
Papytendo @ Nov 17th 2008 3:42PM
How about no?
dsub @ Nov 17th 2008 3:46PM
Skate 3? Umm. The second one isn't even coming out till January, and it took them two years to make it. What in gods name makes these morons think that Skate 3 will be out by the end of 2010?
zuburi @ Nov 17th 2008 6:42PM
They'll release Skate 2 earlier than they would have liked, and cut a bunch of features. The extra year will give them time to put shit in that was planned for and should have been in in the first place.
Meet the new EA, same as the old EA!
ryankennemur @ Nov 17th 2008 4:10PM
Maybe we could all send $20 to EA to get them to drop their NFL exclusivity. I'd pay extra cash to get a football game that I actually enjoy playing again.
Vcize @ Nov 17th 2008 4:40PM
Perhaps you should redirect that $20 to the NFL, as they're the ones who decided they wanted to make their license exclusive.
Or, redirect that $20 towards a college fund for yourself, such that you might learn how to properly inform yourself of these things before making such statements from here on out.
mindshed @ Nov 17th 2008 4:23PM
Given what people have already pointed out (break even when you buy one game), I would do this. Only thing is... no NCAA Basketball? I assume it's only missing because this isn't a real ad yet.
Billy @ Nov 17th 2008 4:25PM
I'm not really into sports games but I think this is a good idea. Anyone who buys more than 1 EA sports title per year will save money.
Rhinosaur @ Nov 17th 2008 4:26PM
Ah, lots of EA hate here. You'd be singing a different tune if you picked up NHL 09. I guess a lot of anger because of Madden, NFL exclusivity, and a game that adds one or two bells and whistles each year to justify another $60. That's why I stopped buying Madden this year.
I like clads01's idea...a discount from year to year for the same title (Madden $20 cheaper the next year, NHL cheaper the next year, etc.).
However, I don't want to give EA the idea that since the game will cost me $20 less they can make next year's game experience $20 cheaper.
Brazell @ Nov 17th 2008 4:30PM
Very interesting and definitely something that I would consider. I usually buy at least three sports games a year, though with the MLB license being gobbled up by 2K -- and with such poor products that they've produced with that -- I am unsure of if I buy enough EA products to justify it. I almost always get the NCAA Football iteration, usually either a hockey or a basketball game, and Skate 3 or Madden could justify it.
If they had a system where you could trade in a game from one season for a game from another (so, for instance, trade in a spring sports game for say, 50% of the college game, which you can then trade for 50% of the Madden price), then I'd be all about that.
Eric @ Nov 17th 2008 5:01PM
2K doesn't have the exclusive rights for MLB. Sony makes MLB 08: The Show and it's an excellent baseball game.
ryankennemur @ Nov 17th 2008 5:52PM
Vcize -
Thanks, but I have three degrees from the University of North Carolina.
Nice try, though.
Vcize @ Nov 17th 2008 6:00PM
But still can't figure out what the word "reply" means, among the other fault from above ;)
ryankennemur @ Nov 17th 2008 8:53PM
I love you.
BLee @ Nov 17th 2008 5:45PM
this is a smart move.. I usually only buy Madden from the EA Sports catalog, I may try Live instead of my 2K series if I can get it for 45 bucks.. and I may also try my hand at ncaa games this year..
And I might actually buy Fifa instead of borrowing my friends this year.. lol
This is clearly for sports game lovers though.. so I can see if you're not interested..
Hoshin @ Nov 17th 2008 6:20PM
Oh great. You guys are the reason games are $60 and now you offer this? Ugh.
j.howlett @ Nov 17th 2008 6:10PM
if i was into sports games like used to be, i'd give it a chance. i also have to consider if my platform of choice would get a good game
clint @ Nov 17th 2008 8:43PM
Ha, wow...message board nerds who hate sports games. Way too actually discuss the topic at hand.
EA sports games certainly aren't particularly original each year, but the same could be said for most games outside of maybe a novel (and great) 6 games a year. How many J-RPGs are the same game with a different face on the big-eyed kid with the silly weapon?
As for the deal, I couldn't see EA/Gamestop actually doing this, but it'd be worth it if you even bought one game, and chances are at least one game from that list would be worth playing. That is, if you can tear yourself away from all those totally original shooters and rpgs they pump out year after year as well.