EA has started the process to wave off the fee for existing online passes, after they announced plans to discontinue the VIP & online pass.
“Online Pass was a unique, one-time-use code included with new EA games that allowed EA players to access online features. If the game was not purchased new, the online pass code might have been used already and the player would need to purchase a new Online Pass.”
According to EA, “The new titles won’t be included or requires Online Pass, they are in process of eliminating Online Pass requirements from existing games. This will take several weeks.
For some games, the prompt to enter an Online Pass code will no longer appear; for others, you will still need to download and install an Online Pass, but they will be available free of charge from the Xbox LIVE Marketplace or PlayStation Store.”
We will see it first with some EA Sports titles, where a prompt to enter an Online Pass code will no longer appear in-game; with other titles they are simply making Online Passes available free of charge online.
The following titles doesn’t carry a price tag (was 800 MSP):
- Battlefield Bad Company 2′s VIP Pass
- Skate 3′s Skate Share Pack
- Bulletstorm Online Pass
- Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning Online Pass
- Medal of Honor Online Pass
- Shift 2 Unleashed Online Pass
“We listened to the feedback from players, and decided to do away with Online Pass. We hope that eliminating Online Pass will allow more people to play and enjoy EA games for a long time to come.”
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Source: NeoGAF
At least even EA is starting to learn that DRM isn't helpful for anyone.