EA's discount code led to free games

Electronic Arts recently had a campaign where answering a survey about their company led to a discount code for $20 worth of content from their online store. Over the weekend though, this promotional campaign backfired, as the code was released in a post on Reddit.

Unfortunately for EA, the code wasnt unique; it could be used multiple times, and by multiple users. As a result, over the next 18 hours, hundreds of users downloaded games with a big discount, or in some cases, for free. In total, 44 games, including Mass Effect 1 and FIFA Soccer 12, were available for free by using the code.

EAs button logo

The code was only meant for use within the US and Canada, though a fake US address in the billing section, though breaching the terms of service for EAs store, allowed users worldwide to make use of the code. It is unknown how much money EA lost as a result of the discount code, but one can assume it was enough to cause a bit of frustration.

After the coupon code was disabled, the Reddit post which had originally spread it, instead began showcasing the spoils of what its users had acquired. It is a shame though, that the people who originally took the survey in order to get the code legitimately, will no longer be able to use it.