Game publishers have been competing against used game sales by restricting online play or adding bonus contest that is only acceptable through unique codes packaged with new copies. But according to game publishing giant Electronic Arts, those codes that provide the backhanded bonuses could potentially expire, although they’re usually not expected to.

Following up on a NeoGAF forum post by a user with an expired code, Joystiq got EA to confirm a clause in its end user license agreement that says the codes can expire.

Paraphrasing a statement from EA, Joystiq wrote “As a rule, no Online Pass should expire, but a few titles will have a time limit on their use, even for new purchases.”

The bit about the time limit is sobering news that seems to defeat the purpose of an online pass existing in the first place.

EA: Online Pass can expire for new-game purchases, but it shouldn’t [Joystiq]

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