Sony will be rolling out its PSN Pass for the multiplayer aspects of its upcoming game Uncharted 3. As it did earlier this year with Resistance 3, Sony will implement a "PSN Pass" code on Uncharted 3. This means that when you buy a copy of the game brand new at retail it will come with a special code specifically for multiplayer that you will have to activate the first time you play online. Should you sell the game the next person that buys it will have to turn around and pay $10 to get access to multiplayer.
Online pass schemes are proving to be popular among publishers such as Electronic Arts, THQ and others, as a way to squeeze money from used games sales. Sadly these Online Pass systems only squeeze the money out of consumers- many of whom bought the game used because they either wanted to save some money or couldn't afford a brand new copy of the game...
The confirmation on the Uncharted 3 Online Pass comes from Juan Jimenez, Software Manager of Sony Spain. He confirmed the new in this interview.
Source: Kotaku
Comments
Re: PSN Pass Code Required for Uncharted 3 Multiplayer
Et tu, Sony?
This has gotten out of hand. Developers need to stop punishing the consumers simply because they want to make money on the same game twice.
Atlanta Video Games Examiner for examiner.com
Re: PSN Pass Code Required for Uncharted 3 Multiplayer
correction, publishers.
the publishers are the ones that get to make these decisions not the developers. More oft that not the developers are on a tight leash that forbids them from saying what they truly feel about this sort of thing, and end up given bad credit because they were told to say only good things.
Re: PSN Pass Code Required for Uncharted 3 Multiplayer
Right, my bad. Wrong term. I need to stop posting on sleep deprivation. -.-
Atlanta Video Games Examiner for examiner.com
Re: PSN Pass Code Required for Uncharted 3 Multiplayer
I chose not to buy Homefront because of this stuff, so they lost me. I have to agree with Jim Sterling on this subject.
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Managing Editor at TheBestGameSiteEver.com
Re: PSN Pass Code Required for Uncharted 3 Multiplayer
"Sadly these Online Pass systems only squeeze the money out of consumers- many of whom bought the game used because they either wanted to save some money or couldn't afford a brand new copy of the game..."
Wow, this is quite the agenda laden statement from GP. I wholeheartedly disagree, and you can still play the game single player used, so you pay less, and get less game. This seems like a pretty fair way for the company to generate revenue from used game sales, and doesn't infringe on consumer rights. It's too bad you cant sell your passcode to the new owner once it's been used, but seriously, the game does not become worthless without multiplayer.
Any way we can keep the snarky asides to JT articles?
-Austin from Oregon
Feel free to check out my blog.
Re: PSN Pass Code Required for Uncharted 3 Multiplayer
"so you pay less, and get less game"
Man, wouldn't the RIAA have loved this?
You sell a CD used, the next buyer randomly can't play one of the tracks simply because a record company decided it should be that way.
Whether you buy new or used, you rightfully have the expectation of buying a *complete* game. Not one where some functionality may be disabled because you bought it used.
And, yes, this is 2011: multiplayer is expected, not an exception.
Re: PSN Pass Code Required for Uncharted 3 Multiplayer
It's too bad you cant sell your passcode to the new owner once it's been used,
It used to be that way. But rather than having to transfer some activation code, it was just built into the games.
There are other ways to make money off of buyers of used games that do not require stripping out content that used to come with it. Traditional DLC is one way.
I still think these online codes are a bad idea and I don't believe for a second that they are making any serious money off of them.
E. Zachary Knight
Divine Knight Gaming
Random Tower: Game News and Commentary