Though the nature of a business always entails profit, EA are a company known for their extreme business practices for the sake of a few extra bucks. Their newest profitmaking idea takes the proverbial cake.

Electronic Arts have always put cheats in their games in regular abudance, for those who simply want to enjoy the game instead of spending months trying to get everything. For games who want to simply enjoy a game, this is perfectly fine, but it seems that EA wants to start msking you pay for that choice.

Released yesterday, the company has made available a number of downloadable add-ons for Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2007 on the Xbox Live Marketplace. These "add-ons", rather suprisingly, are nothing more than a series of shortcut cheats for the game.

Which you have to pay for.

Cheat codes which previously could have simply be imputted into the game are not going to require you shell out money, using Microsoft's usual Xbox Live Marketplace points system. Want your max-out your golfers stats? Hand over 200 points ($2.50). Want all the gear from the in-game stores? Pay up 300 points ($3.75). There are number of other downloads available on top of these too, all of them just as ludicrous and pointless.

What's next? Pay-per-play offline gaming?

Tags : cheats : electronic arts : profit scheme : Xbox 360

Comments

By: candycab

On: 02:03 Oct 19th, 2006
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I cant say this really suprises me coming from EA ,look at crap like Motor City online where they ream you $50.00 for the game then make you pay $10.00 a month to have the pleasure of playing it.

Ok so that business model is nothing really new [ one I wont support in any way ] it seems to me that if EA can find a way to squeeze another few bucks out of gamers they will do it no matter how ridiculas or brash.

Look at the majority of their franchise games that are for the most part an updated player roster for the new season of whatever sport it may be based on and very little else if anything added and all for a great low price of $50.00.

So no this really doesnt suprise me... EA = How much can we bilk people out of and give them a half ass product in the process.

I read that Sony did the same sort of thing with Granturismo HD where you have to buy new cars and upgrades for .50 cents each or you are stuck with what ever is open in the game from the begining.

I say no thanks to either of those Tactics

By: Marty Chimpants

On: 05:36 Oct 19th, 2006
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There will always be a way to hack them for free. There are people out there who live for that kind of stuff. Who knows what I could be capable of if I were one. -_-

Is EA losing money or something? Is this REALLY nessacary?

By: Froasier

On: 04:53 Feb 13th, 2007
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Just like Microsoft, the RIAA/MPAA, etc. they are always greedy for more revenue. Pay to keep your Windows license after upgrading your hardware a few times, pay for each device you want to play your music on, pay, pay, pay... They want your money, now matter how they squeeze it from you. Luckily this seems to be dying down for music, and Windows Vista is getting a lot of bad press leading to more interest in GNU/Linux, but we still have a long way to go and a lot of greedy corporations out there. Don't buy in and show them you're not going to fuel their greed and we'll win this eventually!

By: Dragonfly

Video Game Chat Member Avatar

On: 04:55 Feb 13th, 2007
Online

Froasier;15369

Don't buy in and show them you're not going to fuel their greed and we'll win this eventually!

You've convinced us. Just try to convince the other.... 2 millions people who buy each of their games... :o

By: Sρεсτяυм

On: 08:01 Feb 13th, 2007
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Whatever happened to: 'If you can't hack the game, don't play it?'

Paying for cheats is a horrible idea, if only because using them cheats yourself out of the design of the game and its gameplay.

By: fsck!

On: 08:34 Feb 15th, 2007
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Boom Chim Boom;5544

There will always be a way to hack them for free. There are people out there who live for that kind of stuff. Who knows what I could be capable of if I were one. -_-

Is EA losing money or something? Is this REALLY nessacary?

I've been working on that for a while now, but I can't come up with anything x_x