FIFA Head Defends Online Pass

10 Sep 2010 at 17:23:19 by James Chalmers

David Rutter, producer of FIFA 11 has defended the inclusion of the Online Pass.

For those unaware, Online Pass requires players to input a one use only code, which can be found in brand new copies of the game, to take the game online. For those who pick up the copy of the game used will have to pay a $10 USD fee to take the game online.

But the reasoning for including the Online Pass according to David Rutter? Costs of keeping the multiplayer experience alive.

While talking to VG247 Rutter stated, “From the day it goes live to six weeks after, we’re all on 24 hours a day, seven days a week call, to try to fix anything that happens on the servers or game that people are reporting. On a personal level, that’s going to cost me part of my life. I don’t get paid overtime.”

He added, “There’s a company cost for maintaining this kind of stuff, and we’ve always done it [at no extra charge].”

He then goes onto say that maintaining the online element is “ridiculously expensive” but the team that works on FIFA “want to continue to make it better and better.” However for that to happen the game needs to use the Online Pass charge.

This mimics the same explanation that EA Sports head Peter Moore gave earlier this year when the Online Pass was originally revealed.

Rutter did point out that, “For the vast majority of people that buy the game, they’re not seeing any additional cost. The only thing they are see the hindrance of having to put in a small code at the beginning of the game, which will ensure that their online experience is unparalleled.”

Be sure to check out our hands-on preview of FIFA 11 which went live today here.

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