EA has told consumers in possession of unredeemable Battlefield 3 online pass codes to approach retailers for a replacement.
A post on the help section of EA's website reads: "We are aware of the invalid code issue and we apologize for the inconvenience.
"Since certain retailers are affected by this issue, please check with the retailer where you purchased Battlefield 3 in order to receive a replacement code."
Speaking last night, EA Labels president Frank Gibeau claimed the company is getting to grips with unprecedented online demand for Battlefield 3, which it has blamed for network outages and server problems over the past few days.
Ten million copies of Battlefield 3 have already been shipped to retail.
Comments
34 comments so far...
zombiesinmyhead on 28 Oct '11 said:
Wow. I mean wow. EA just seem to be going all out to bankrupt their reputation with this game. Sucks for the BF fans.
billysastard on 28 Oct '11 said:
serves them right and lets hope it teaches a few customers the lesson that all this online pass crap shouldnt be supported because its only there to give greedy publisher extra profits.
online passes are a rip off and the only cure is not to buy games that use them (or piracy).
Mmmmgrolsch on 28 Oct '11 said:
This is why online passes are f**king bulls**t. It serves only to punish new buyers.
runadumb on 28 Oct '11 said:
Loyal customers screwed over so anyone that sells their game on at some point leaves the new buyer having to pay EA extra to access the online portion (ie the real portion) of the game. This is affecting people that pre-ordered or paid full price on DAY 1.
Look at that sentence EA. Think about it. Online pass is total BS and you know it.
Drusus on 28 Oct '11 said:
How can you tell it's not working when Origin won't let you activate your codes in any case. Origin sucks! I want to play the game I've bought.
My friend is playing a pirated copy now on PC and I am looking at an Origin activation screen that won't work!
RustySpoon80 on 28 Oct '11 said:
While I dont agree about Online passes. I just have to add that all those users with problem would have bought the game and thus get the pass included. Therefore they haven't been ripped off.
Flamestrike on 28 Oct '11 said:
That's not exactly true is it.
Jensonjet on 28 Oct '11 said:
Gotta love the online pass!
In future if any game won't let you play online, for whatever reason, you can call it "doing an EA".
kimoak on 28 Oct '11 said:
Which version is affected? It doesn't seem to say in the article.
Flamestrike on 28 Oct '11 said:
Playing devils advocate here, but mistakes happen. It's not the end of the world and is easily rectified.
The Bossman on 28 Oct '11 said:
Mine worked first time, wouldn't be surprised if it's the 360 version after the texture install debacle.
runadumb on 28 Oct '11 said:
I agree and I was going to go down that path as well. Then I thought "NO!", its completely unnecessary. You are hurting your day 1 customers. The people that aren't buying it 2nd hand. The ones that ARE supporting the game, and for what? So if they ever sell the thing they bought, paid full price for and decided to get rid of at some point EA can get a little extra cash. f**k off.
Reminds me of the whole limited activation crap on PC. Even games that are 4 years old have it. Why punish your customers!?
Flamestrike on 28 Oct '11 said:
A bit of looking around reveals its only the xbox version effected.
dicky1993 on 28 Oct '11 said:
thankyou for saying what retailers you wankers
_Marty_ on 28 Oct '11 said:
Wow, there's a lot of anger here. I can completely understand why they have introduced online passes - 4 people playing one copy of the game, with only a portion of the first lot of money going to them? No wonder they've brought out online passes. Hell, I fully expect more to jump on this bandwagon.
I still don't understand why people trade in games. I stood behind someone in Game a few weeks back trading in a stack of games - was offered 2 quid for an 8 month old game, 12 for a brand new game, and anything older than a year was 50p-£1. It's the retailers ripping people off. STOP THE TRADE INS!
Mmmmgrolsch on 28 Oct '11 said:
No but the game that should be worth X amount is Now worth less. I don't see why me as a new buyer should have to have my games devalued because of greedy fat wankers.
jim2wheels on 28 Oct '11 said:
Or, be less of an idiot and use ebay. Just sold dead Island for £26, that's why I sell my games.
I'm hugely against DLC and some passes, but online focused games seem acceptable. Unlike certain off-line games...
gmcb007 on 28 Oct '11 said:
Well EA, your online pass has caused you to get a bad press. Thats karma.
cburch on 28 Oct '11 said:
Good one idiot.
For me the online pass can be an issue for games that I rent,as I will probably rent rather than buy Battlefield 3 it looks like I wont be experiencing the multiplayer.
A disturbing trend is single player content being locked out without a pass such as what Arkham city and Rage have done,this war against the pre-owned market will only get worse instead of punishing the gamers why arent the retailers targeted instead after all they are the ones reaping the benefits of the pre-owned market if the games companies were to take a hefty % of the store profit from trade ins perhaps less stores would be inclined to offer a trade in service thus helping to eliminate the second hand market.
MPH on 28 Oct '11 said:
You never know, they may have done it on purpose. There are bound to be a fair few people out there desperate to play online and they've ended up paying out for the pass instead of waiting to take the game back to the store for a replacement.
CraigoCorleone on 28 Oct '11 said:
To everyone here, please read this comment as this guy has summed up exactly why these companies will all eventually do this. If I spent a fortune making something and 1 person bought it then shared it with everyone else I would be p*ssed off!
Read this comment and shut the hell up, bunch of whinging girls!
Mmmmgrolsch on 28 Oct '11 said:
The comments sections do bring out the village idiots. As RBT would put it
KK-Headcharge78 on 28 Oct '11 said:
Apparently the affected copies are bought from Game (and maybe Gamestation) (it could actually affect any ltd. edition ones)it only effects the special edition not the standard on both PS3 and Xbox apparently. I have just bought it and have a mate who works for game and another for gamestation, their staff (at game) have been told to tell all customers who buy the Limited Edition to call EA if their codes don't work. If you are affected it will not allow you to download the online pass or any other dlc. The number for EA is as follows, this is a special hotline just for this issue though it's not clear if it will work over the weekend or after 5pm today;
08712 003 068 or visit http://www.help.ea.com/uk
Hope it helps
Flamestrike on 28 Oct '11 said:
http://niceshoesbitch.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/jesse.jpg
"Nothing but a bunch of slack-jawed faggots 'round here"
billysastard on 28 Oct '11 said:
this is exactly why these greedy bastard publishers will continue to get away with their blatant ripping off tactics.
the blind idiots who fail to understand that when someone buys a new game they pay for the use of the online service for as long as it lasts so if they decide the game isnt worth keeping they can trade it in and the pre-owned buyer can then continue to use the same service the original buyer has already paid for.
as a side note do these idiots and the greedy publishers not realise that people with families wont fork out £80 for their online game especially when the resale value is going to be so degraded, thats the point when piracy wins and its these greedy publishers and their supporters who are helping the push to piracy.
Imaduck on 28 Oct '11 said:
What a f**king mess EA. I'll be passing on BF3 due to this bolox (sadly) and will reconsider all future EA purchases. What the hell were they thinking? Yet more f**king "anti-piracy" bs that p**ses all over the legitimate consumers!
Headsrinker on 28 Oct '11 said:
I had a bit of a problem last night, i was left waiting trying to activate game for an hour. No biggie i guess, although it was frustrating at the time. I have not played a game in over 3 years that didn't have a problem of some kind on release, this in comparison to some, been very minor. (BLOPS was a mess for over a month).
After the hour i was left waiting last night i finally managed to activate the game. I can tell you that it was more than worth the wait. Its the best most rounded FPS warfare game i have ever played. On top of that its the best looking FPS warfare game i've played. Well done DICE.
I pre-ordered MW3 aswell, but i really cant see myself being able to go back to a COD game after this. Some may say well you haven't played MW3 yet, thats true, but i've seen hours of video footage, and its pretty much the same as the previous COD's, which incidentally, dont come near to touching BF3.
KK-Headcharge78 on 28 Oct '11 said:
You can tell if you are buggered because the 2 codes will be the same on the leaflet for the Ltd Edition dlc. Looking forward to playing it and also playing MW3
MANYOO4EVA on 29 Oct '11 said:
^^
Well I had no problems with my limited edition dlc card with both codes on the same leaflet. It worked first time and joined a game immediately and played 3 squad deathmatch games without one issue.
The only issues i had was:
1. the 167 mb update when first starting the game stopped and I had to reboot it, but does take about 5 minutes when in theory it should take 5 seconds.
2. the hd install for optimum visual quality stopped part way through, but all you do is press A again and it will start over again and install straight away.
I initially wasn't gonna buy this game, as I'm normally a run n gun gamer a la COD and didn't like the beta, but I got it anyway and am pleasantly surprised how good it (the MP) is.
TheLastDodo on 29 Oct '11 said:
Where the feck are video games selling for £80?
I hope this is an overseas thing you're talking about because if you pay £80 for a game in the UK,well sorry but you deserve to be screwed for being such a big mug.
KK-Headcharge78 on 29 Oct '11 said:
No mate I meant if you had 2 codes which were identical on the leaflet, like you mine were both different but Game were reporting that several thousand had duplicate codes. I'm loving the game but I knew I would as it is a hybrid of BF2, BFBC and MOH and I like all those.
sak72 on 30 Oct '11 said:
I got the game stopped over at a friends on the way home and we decided to try the game so tried online used the online access code on his ps3, now im home with the game finished the campaign, and do not have online multiplayer. Whenever i put my online access code on my Ps3 it says invalid, can anyone please help with this issue??
gmcb007 on 30 Oct '11 said:
Did you use the code on his user account?
Because if you did then unfortunately you will have to buy the online pass for your account.
Nomad67 on 20 Mar '12 said:
A lot of people in here seem to be worried about the poor company making millions and that there shouldn't be resold as it will somehow hurt them. I wonder and have to ask, have you've ever bought a used car? Every time you buy a used car, bike, TV or computer, should you have to kick back $$$$ to GM or Ford, Sony or Samsung?? Give your head a shake people!
EA needs to give its head a shake. It devalues the game and once customers figure this out, no one will want to buy their product. The Single player modes content is reducing, easy to beat, then move on or trade, I will be looking for the other games that do not have this pass code garbage. This is a bad move on EA's part, and in the long run will hurt them, its just a matter of time, bad press from users will be unforgiving in this market, these games are expensive. Trying to squeeze or nickel and dime the consumer will be EA's Death!