EA’s chief financial officer, Eric Brown, has said so far there hasn’t been any “significant” backlash directed at the company since it implemented its Online Pass system.
Speaking at the Deutsche Bank 2010 Technology Conference, Brown said the company’s also exploring other avenues besides Online Pass in the downloadable market to help earn back money spent on developing high-definition games.
“There’s been no significant pushback from the user,” said Brown. “People know bandwidth isn’t free, so the fact that we’re diffusing online costs isn’t seen as unreasonable.
“To the extent people purchase [the Online Pass], it is found revenue in the secondary market that we and other publishers have not traditionally participated in.”
Brown sees Online Pass and DLC as “consumer-customizable price discriminators”, which allow some to get in for $60, while others could end up handing over hundreds for DLC. He even expects retail stores to eventually start explaining online options to customers.
“A consumer walking into a store wants to know what’s available,” he said. “There could be half a dozen DLC packs. GameStop is in a good position to tell you what DLC is out there, what [the packs] provide. They have a service and staffing model geared towards games, so we see them as an important partner going forward.
“We don’t expect to attach $10 to every used purchaser,” he said.
Via Gamasutra.
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