EA discontinues Online Pass

EA is planning to discontinue its Online Pass requirement for future games.

The controversial pass, which players would have to pay an additional fee for to play certain games online, was initially used to combat second-hand sales.

However many consumers were turned off by the feature so EA has decided to scrap it.

"We're discontinuing Online Pass," EA's John Reseburg told VentureBeat. "None of our new EA titles will include that feature.

"Initially launched as an effort to package a full menu of online content and services, many players didn't respond to the format. We've listened to the feedback and decided to do away with it moving forward."

It remains to be seen whether other big publishers such as Ubisoft will follow EA's example by scrapping the Online Pass.