Jason Wilson, VentureBeat:

EA is doing away with its Online Pass program from this point forward, a decision the video game publisher says is partially based on player response.

“Yes, we’re discontinuing Online Pass,” EA senior director of corporate communications John Reseburg confirmed to GamesBeat in an e-mail. “None of our new EA titles will include that feature.”

Online Pass was EA’s attempt to short circuit the used game market. New console games included an “online pass” code that players needed to input in order to play their games online. Games purchased second-hand from GameStop and elsewhere required users to purchase an additional code in order to play.

With all the bad press that EA’s getting this year over SimCity and other fumbles, it’s no wonder they did away with this program. It was as welcome as a turd in a punchbowl.