From The Editor's Desk

By: Mox Born Again (Joe Dodson)

May, 2011

Well this is our first month stepping away from the Monthly Newsletter. It does feel good to get away from that slightly outdated format. Not to mention our blog is going to be banging with all kinds of new content! So here we are, May 2011, not much to talk about this month except for a little thing called "Online Gaming Pass.” I'm not sure if you've heard of these little tools of joy, and that's exactly what they are: "TOOLS". An Online Gaming Pass, or from here on out will be referred to as OGP, is a security action that game publishers/developers do to prevent users from buying games used. How it works is when you purchase a game new, you then take it home and put it into your console. Your system will ask you for a redemption code from your booklet. You have to type this code into your system and then you are off and running and everything is unlocked: single player, multiplayer, options, the works. But if you purchase the game used, and one of the previous owner(s) used the redemption code you can no longer use that code. So now you have to pay (normally $10-$15) to unlock portions of the game. In most cases this is the multiplayer portion of the game, or some part of it.

This has to stop, right now. If publishers are so worried about their games being sold to 2nd hand stores and passed between users, then they should embrace the fact that maybe they should invest in a different option. One that isn't so much of a slap in the face to the end user, us! Here's a good alternative to the problem. We know that the multiplayer portions are only worth $10-$15 to these publishers/developers, because that's how much money they are charging to use the online multiplayer part of the game. (If you buy the game for $50 used then publisher X is not receiving any money from the $50, and thus they are using the $10-$15 to help cover costs lost by you purchasing a used game). Here is your solution: release the single player/co-op on disk $45-$50 & release the online multiplayer (deathmatch, ctf, ect.) online for a $10-$15 download. This will keep everyone happy; publishers get full price for both the multiplayer and single player & gamers get to choose what way to purchase the game. Not to mention how many people would pick up a $45-$50 single player / co-op game that they would have skipped over because they didn't want the multiplayer portion.

I've run across 2 games that are supporting this feature, EA's Dead Space 2 & THQ's Home Front! We will be talking about both of these games on this week’s podcast so make sure you tune in. As of right now we are still on for Tuesday night at 9pm, but there might be a schedule switch to Thursday night at 9pm. We'll keep you posted! Either way you can watch us live at www.72dpionline.com

Until next month guys & gals, I want to see some comments on our blog so make sure to tell us what you think of the switch from the Monthly Newsletter system to our Blog system!! Let’s hear it good, bad & ugly....BRING IT ON...