With sales of console games waning, publishers are calling new plays to get customers to open their wallets.
EA Sports’ Madden NFL 11 (out today, $60, all ages, PS3 and Xbox 360) expands online head-to-head matches to three players on a side. Only new copies of the game, however, are guaranteed to come with an Online Pass to connect and play over the Internet free. Those who buy a secondhand copy in which the online code has been used must pay $10 for online play.
Used games are just one culprit in this year’s 8 percent decline in console game sales reported by market tracker NPD Group. That trend continues from 2009, when game and system sales fell 8 percent below 2008’s record $21 billion.
Another factor: Downloadable updates let games such as EA’s Madden NFL (also available for Wii and other platforms) and Activision’s Call of Duty be playable far longer after their release.
“It lengthens the game experience and keeps consumers engaged in our franchises, but there’s obviously a cost that comes with that,” says Jordan Edelstein of EA Canada, which develops the NBA Elite, Fight Night and NHL franchises. “For the person who buys a used product, we ask for $10 to help provide the premium experience. … If someone goes out and buys a used copy of Madden, they play their share.”
Though overall consumer spending on games is rising thanks to the growth of social and mobile platforms, publishers consider console games their core business. So they’re seeking to spur sales and increase income:
*THQ’s UFC Undisputed 2010, released in May, included a one-time-use online play code. Used-game buyers were required to pay $5 to play online.
*Sony’s new PlayStation Plus tier (about $50 a year) on its free-to-access PlayStation Network offers free downloadable games, trial versions and discounts.
*EA Sports’ NBA Elite…