No witty italicized subtitle today, kids. It's ALL business this week.

I'm going to be honest with you guys here; this blog may or may not make any sense. I think it conveys my views on the topic, I can't honestly tell if I'm just reading the words and my brain is quietly filling in the blanks for me, or I manage to get my opinion across - but I wrote this while still drunk on very little sleep and next to no food - which is not a situation that is very conducive to moments of clarity. Which is why I write like I'm actually talking out loud and there are something like 800 paragraphs. In any case, it seems to be mostly sound as far as grammar and spelling go, although at one point I skew off on a short story about a girl who wants to race cars and then I pretty much accuse EA of being cash grubbing meth addicts.

Enjoy!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So, EA. I always knew it would end like this: Me whining about some stupid decision you make, and you never knowing who I am. You're just like all the others! Including Elizabeth Hurley, Scarlett Johansson, Pre-Preggo'd Jessica Alba, Pre-Beckam'd Posh Spice for about 9 weeks a few years ago, and more recently, Meagan Fox. Why won't any of you learn!?

So this year's "let's see what we can get away with" ploy from EA is "Project Ten Dollar" – I can't fully comprehend the reasoning behind this without making the assumption of blind greed. Maybe that is preachy, or anti-capitalist, or… or some other more appropriate word on my part, but here's the thing: As I understand it, this is to deter not just piracy, but the used game market as well. I'm sorry, what? Look, I am not Gamestop's #1 fan by a long shot. I loathe having to go there hoping they'll have some game I've been looking for and fight off magazine subscription pushers and pre-sale artists. It always strikes me as odd that a lot of the people that work there are younger people, almost assuredly gamers themselves and should know better than to try that kind of bul….

ANYWAYS, we're talking about EA. Focus, damnit.

Okay, deter piracy, gotcha. I admit, I don't know what the solution is here – and I don't think there is any real way around it. The more blocks these companies put up, the bigger the collective middle finger of the pirate community gives. The average paying customer suffers in the middle, jumping through hoops to use a product that has been acquired legally. There will always be jackasses, EA. You're in a digital medium and it is an unfortunate side of it. Get over it.

This not so subtle jab at the used game market though is something I find quite alarming. Used games got me through college… (also a lot of booze) the sale of my PS2 and my games helped me pay for some of my ridiculous tuition. Not MUCH mind you, but back then when I found a dollar bill in a drawer or a pair of pants; that was a life altering event. I can't imagine that EA's production plans included the thoughts of what happens to their games after they leave their warehouses. Do they assume that each game will be purchased and that will be the end of the line? You make a copy of a game, you sell it to retailers for X, the retailers sell it for Y, the end. The money is made, the transaction is done. That disc has now served its full purpose and is now in the hands of a gamer. If the game sells well, retailers will re-order, the cycle begins anew, and EA can now begin on the 90th Sims expansion pack, or incremental upgrade to the players sock colors for Madden 2011. What happens to that game after the gamer purchases it is not any of their concern.

So now the gamer has decided that his copy of Need For Speed : OuttaIdeas has become old news. Time for new blood! New blood costs money, and depending on the gamer, that money may not be particularly plentiful, or they're just thrifty. Economy is down – being cheap is trendy. To the used game store! So the game gets traded in for, let's call it 20 bucks. Gamest……. The UNNAMED shop puts it back on the shelves and labels it used for 30 dollars. Enter another gamer. She has the intense desire for high rates of movement, but has no idea what to get. "I have just the game for you!" says the well informed and not at all pushy salesman… Customer Service Representative.. whatever they're calling themselves these days.

He begins to ring up Need for Speed : OuttaIdeas, and offer a magazine subscription, she is ready to pay her $30 and ignore any further offers, when in stomps an EA special operative. "You must pay $60.00 for this game!" He states rather matter-of-factly, his lazy eye, red from EA mandated meth injections hidden by dark tinted sunglasses.

"This is a USED game!" exclaims the magazine salesman with every ounce of insincere excitement in his filthy, filthy body. "Plus, you can totally get this magazine and we can reserve you a copy of "Generic Sport Franchise Game + Year" he adds meekly, having sapped all his strength on the used game line.

The EA special ops man appears taken aback momentarily, "This stuff is way awesome" he whispers to himself while observing his hand. "I'm sorry, what? Kind of spaced out there for a second, sounded intense though… Anyhow.. ma'am you can't have that game unless you pay full price."

"But it's used, why would I pay full price when it's a second hand purchase?" she replies.

"FINE." Says the special ops man. "I don't have time for you and your insane circular logic, I am SUPER hungry and I'm getting a little hyper so I need to get some fourth meal and a mountain dew in me stat. You pay your $30 bucks for your smelly game, and I'm going to come by your place later and get the other $30 from you. Deal?"

"NO. I'm not paying full price, forget it. I don't even want the game anymore, I'll get something else."

"Wait wait wait! How about $20? C'mon baby I need my fix!"

"Oh my god, what is wrong with you?" she says, tears welling in her eyes from genuine alarm and a building desire to flee.

"Okay! I'll come by later and we'll make it an even $10 and we're square, you don't pay full price and I get another $10 bucks off that game. Cool?"

No, EA. It is NOT cool. What they want here is to "drive" the market to purchase only new games. I get it, more money in their pockets… but this is not the solution. Locking out a chunk of the game because you don't have the one-time use code seems completely unethical to me. They're looking to get paid every time each game changes hands, until the middleman gets cut out completely. Right now I think they're just trying this out on a few titles and it's locking out just multiplayer/online aspects and DLC. Its current form doesn't affect me because I hate playing online, and it's mostly on their sports games, which they want everyone to re-buy every year anyway. My concern is what it will mutate to. Suppose this begins to apply to all their games? What if it cuts out not just the multiplayer, but a chunk of the main game itself? Maybe not that extreme, but there's potential for some serious consumer screwing here – especially if it spreads. Before you know it, game rentals are a thing of the past, Gamefly has flown out the window, and then all we can do is wait for price drops.

I suppose it's not all bad. EA would have to up its quality control if they want gamers to keep dropping cash on them for new games.

Aside from that, I am rather shocked that a LOT of gamers seem to back this up. "Oh they're just protecting their IP!" – their "IP" is NOT in any danger. They made a game, they sold the game. Their part is done. "Yeah this will help stamp out those dirty pirates!" – NO. No it will not. There are way more pirates than there are game companies, and they will always be a step ahead, because they're a hive mind that is constantly working on perfecting its methods and/or destroying cheetos.It is a basic fundamental truth. I'm not saying give up the fight, but don't screw over the one's that paid their money. It's disheartening to see so many acquiesce to this so willingly. Like EA is perusing blog comments and saying "Ah they AGREE! They will make a fine addition to our army of darkness! Bring EA the goat skull filled with infant blood! We thirst!"

Whatever, I for one do not submit to our new overlords.