Over the holiday weekend, there was growing evidence Sony would be starting an "Online Pass" program, a way of combating the rise of used game sales, with a similarly titled "PSN Pass."

The basic idea is locking some (or all) online content behind a code included with new copies of a game. When redeemed, that code's useless. If a consumer turns in that game to GameStop, whoever purchases it used will have to purchase another code to access the locked content. In general, purchasing a new Online Pass has cost $10.

Beginning with Resistance 3, Sony will have their own variation of this, the company has confirmed. The original rumor, based on some leaked packaging from overseas, dubbed it PSN Pass, but Sony made no reference to that name in today's statement.

"We are always evaluating new programs for our online offering," said the company, "and starting with Resistance 3 this September, we will be instituting a network pass program for PS3 games with online capabilities. This program will be game-specific. Games that are a part of this program will include a single-use registration code that grants the account holder redeeming the code full online access for that title. This is an important initiative as it allows us to accelerate our commitment to enhancing premium online services across our first party game portfolio."

There are some key phrases in this statement.

One, "game-specific." Right now, Sony's not willing to say this will extend to all of its upcoming releases, which include a multitude of multiplayer-centric games, like Twisted Metal and Uncharted 3. However, "instituting a network pass program for PS3 games with online capabilities" suggests it's definitely on the table.

Two, "full online access." That doesn't exactly detail what will or won't be locked away.

Three, "network pass program." Sounds like "PSN Pass" may not be the final name.

We also don't know how much a new code will cost, but given how this statement is reactionary, caused by an oversight on Sony's part, the lack of details is hardly surprising. If the company's willing to say something is in the works today, though, an official announcement should be coming soon.

Over the holiday weekend, there was growing evidence Sony would be starting an "Online Pass" program, a way of combating the rise of used game sales, with a similarly titled "PSN Pass."

The basic idea is locking some (or all) online content behind a code included with new copies of a game. When redeemed, that code's useless. If a consumer turns in that game to GameStop, whoever purchases it used will have to purchase another code to access the locked content. In general, purchasing a new Online Pass has cost $10.

Beginning with Resistance 3, Sony will have their own variation of this, the company has confirmed. The original rumor, based on some leaked packaging from overseas, dubbed it PSN Pass, but Sony made no reference to that name in today's statement.

"We are always evaluating new programs for our online offering," said the company, "and starting with Resistance 3 this September, we will be instituting a network pass program for PS3 games with online capabilities. This program will be game-specific. Games that are a part of this program will include a single-use registration code that grants the account holder redeeming the code full online access for that title. This is an important initiative as it allows us to accelerate our commitment to enhancing premium online services across our first party game portfolio."

There are some key phrases in this statement.

One, "game-specific." Right now, Sony's not willing to say this will extend to all of its upcoming releases, which include a multitude of multiplayer-centric games, like Twisted Metal and Uncharted 3. However, "instituting a network pass program for PS3 games with online capabilities" suggests it's definitely on the table.

Two, "full online access." That doesn't exactly detail what will or won't be locked away.

Three, "network pass program." Sounds like "PSN Pass" may not be the final name.

We also don't know how much a new code will cost, but given how this statement is reactionary, caused by an oversight on Sony's part, the lack of details is hardly surprising. If the company's willing to say something is in the works today, though, an official announcement should be coming soon.

Not that surprising really.

Completely gross. There goes another reason to tout the PS3 over the 360.

As expected.

@Oscrix said:

Completely gross. There goes another reason to tout the PS3 over the 360.

Hope you're wearing flame-proof clothes, soon the blue names will arrive. :(

More penny pinching from the industry :(

Haha, and people bitched about friend codes on the Wii.

@Oscrix said:

Completely gross. There goes another reason to tout the PS3 over the 360.

At least you don't have to pay $60 a year to be able to play online.

after the recent troubles im sure some of the money from this will go back into innovating new security measures and ensuring that your playstation experience is everything it could be. 

Haha, and people bitched about friend codes on the Wii.

They already did this with the last Socom for PSP, though, and I'm pretty sure ModNation PSP had something similar. It's not exactly new, just something they haven't done on consoles before.

Oh no, I hate buying games that haven't been scratched up and shat on that comes with an instruction manual that's always been dunked in fruit punch.

Great!
 
Everyone loves online passes!

I buy all my games new, so this doesn't really bother me.

w/e

More "fuck the consumer" innovation. Have more than one gamer in the household? You get to pay us more money! You know, the same way you have to pay extra money for cable if you have two viewers in the household. Or how you have to pay double for a music CD or DVD if there is more than one person in the household.

@Kyle said:

I AM COMPLETELY SHOCKED AND ALSO OUTRAGED! RAAAAAAH! I will also now sit here in this comment section for the rest of the day, furiously arguing idiotic points with other idiots until we all pass out! Seriously though, whatever. People who make things and maintain them want to get payed for them. Go figure.

I don't give a fuck what they want. I already bought the game. I shouldn't have to pay $10 more so my roommate can play the game, too. The same way I shouldn't have to buy another copy of a book, movie, CD, cable subscription, internet subscription, or other service or consumable just because there might be more than one person in my household who might utilize it.

Kinda lame

I buy all my games new, so this doesn't really bother me.

@hollitz said:

Oh no, I hate buying games that haven't been scratched up and shat on that comes with an instruction manual that's always been dunked in fruit punch.

You should change the place you buy used games from ASAP. I've never had any problems like those you mention.

Also, pro tip: before giving your money to the store clerk, check the back of the DVD to see if it's scratched and the manual (oh, so important manual) to look for fruit punch stains. If any of those two conditions apply, don't buy it.

@DivineCC said:

@Oscrix said:

Completely gross. There goes another reason to tout the PS3 over the 360.

At least you don't have to pay $60 a year to be able to play online.

No, but if you're one of the many folks who buy their games used all the time, you're now forced to either buy the games you want to play online at a premium new or buy these passes alongside each used copy of the games.

This won't apply to all PS3 games, of course, and Sony is just testing the waters... but this is the shape of things to come.

Seeing this as "fuck the consumer" is so black-and-white...

If piracy wasn't so rampant (across several platforms, not just Sony) and if the Used Game market wasn't so lucrative, online passes wouldn't exist. This idea exists to plug a hole, not purely to add a new revenue stream.

The Sony published SOCOM 4 already had something very similar to this, it was called SOCOM Pro. If you bought the game new you got a code that allowed you access to the Custom room playlists, and the first DLC pack that came out (3 new maps and some weapons) free.

Yep more Sony bullshit.

@Branthog said:

@Kyle said:

I AM COMPLETELY SHOCKED AND ALSO OUTRAGED! RAAAAAAH! I will also now sit here in this comment section for the rest of the day, furiously arguing idiotic points with other idiots until we all pass out! Seriously though, whatever. People who make things and maintain them want to get payed for them. Go figure.

I don't give a fuck what they want. I already bought the game. I shouldn't have to pay $10 more so my roommate can play the game, too. The same way I shouldn't have to buy another copy of a book, movie, CD, cable subscription, internet subscription, or other service or consumable just because there might be more than one person in my household who might utilize it.

The company brown noses like being fucked in the ass.

I've been used to this on the PC for like 15 years now. I don't have an issue with it, online services and maintenance are exactly the things companies should make sure they get paid for. DRM on an online title is also not an issue, since being online is an inherent part of playing an online game in the first place.

I am totally against DRM and this kind of stuff on singleplayer titles though.

My god, all of you people are fucking jaded and rude.

This is good for publishers and game makers, it means their work is actually making them some money and they won't be destroyed by the used market. Is it really going to kill you if you pick up a used game to pay $5 extra to support the people who made the game?!

I seriously don't get why you all are being so vehemently against this! I'm 100% fine with it and think it makes perfect sense.

@Kyle said:

@Claude said:

Haha, and people bitched about friend codes on the Wii.

Right... Because friend codes are fucking horrible. ............. (??????)

Sure they are, but almost every game you buy today has some long ass code involved. Now when people buy a game, they'll have to enter their online pass code and some form of DLC code. I never understood how people could be so anal about friend codes when codes are everywhere.

It was only a matter of time for this to happen. I don't blame Sony for trying to make up or lost sales.  As long as they are around and continue to offer better products than Microsoft at about the same price then I am happy.

Pre-owned games have been around for how long now? 
This is absurd, an ugly swipe at a benign aspect of the games industry.

If you're willing to be cheap and wait for a game to be pre-owned price to play the game, then you deserve to be paying $5-$10 extra to access the online functionality. Buying a game new, means you don't pay anything extra on top of that new game price. It's fair.

It is basically because of the used games market. 
Don't really mind tbh.

@Oscrix said:

Completely gross. There goes another reason to tout the PS3 over the 360.

At least you don't have to pay $60 a year to be able to play online.

Makes good business sense to me.

@Branthog said:

More "fuck the consumer" innovation. Have more than one gamer in the household? You get to pay us more money! You know, the same way you have to pay extra money for cable if you have two viewers in the household. Or how you have to pay double for a music CD or DVD if there is more than one person in the household.

Part of your initial investment pays for the online servers for your expected online play time. That doesn't mean that everyone else can use it for free. A DVD, CD, Book, etc don't cause the producers of that content more when your friend borrows it. Here there's an additional cost. Key difference. Oh, and yeah, anyone can play the game all they want. Just not the online. But, hey, rage on internet!

I buy all my games new, so this doesn't really bother me.

Sweet, thanks for making this happen GameStop who turned used game sales into their greatest source of income.

Sony, stop making these so goddamned complicated. Make PSN+ mandatory to play online, one price one service, for all games. Keep it simple, stupid.

I don't give a fuck what they want. I already bought the game. I shouldn't have to pay $10 more so my roommate can play the game, too. The same way I shouldn't have to buy another copy of a book, movie, CD, cable subscription, internet subscription, or other service or consumable just because there might be more than one person in my household who might utilize it.

This doesn't really surprise me, given the relative acceptance EA's own online pass program has seen. And if anyone's to be blamed for the rise of online passes, it's Gamestop and the publishers. Gamestop pushes used games so hard that online passes became inevitable and publishers keep pricing at or near $60 for so long that consumers gravitate towards any used copies. 
 
But for Sony's part, an online pass program is probably more of an attempt to give themselves another revenue stream for PSN. Bandwidth ain't cheap, folks, and the games need to keep playing.

Sony, stop making these so goddamned complicated. Make PSN+ mandatory to play online, one price one service, for all games. Keep it simple, stupid.

I don't really play games online, so whatever.

If I do buy a game used it's always like a year or more after it came out. 90% of the time there is no one even playing the game online anymore anyways so this makes no difference to me. The only thing that sucks about it is having to put in a code every time you buy a game which really isn't a big deal.

I feel like people over react or misunderstand things like this a lot. If you buy the game new it will not change your experience at all. If you buy it used, then ~$10 for multiplayer isn't that big of a deal if the used price was low enough.

These passes don't bother me. I buy my games new all the time, at full price or on sale, so this pass, the MK pass or EA's passes don't effect me.

Welcome back CD keys, you've been less than everywhere for too long.

Sony, stop making these so goddamned complicated. Make PSN+ mandatory to play online, one price one service, for all games. Keep it simple, stupid.

I buy all my games new, so this doesn't really bother me.

@Branthog said:

I don't give a fuck what they want. I already bought the game. I shouldn't have to pay $10 more so my roommate can play the game, too. The same way I shouldn't have to buy another copy of a book, movie, CD, cable subscription, internet subscription, or other service or consumable just because there might be more than one person in my household who might utilize it.

 if you mean you'd just lend the game to him and he's your roommate it means he can play the game on your PS3 meaning another online pass won't be required, simple.