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Sony Introduces 'PSN Pass' To Fight Used Game Sales

Posted by Soulskill on from the greedy-for-negative-pr dept.

Gamasutra reports that Sony has introduced "PSN Pass" — one-time codes that will unlock complete online access for certain games. "The company didn't offer details on how used and rental players would access online features in these titles, but did clarify that first-party use of the passes will be decided on a game-by-game basis." The initiative is similar to the "Online Pass" that EA rolled out last year, and to Sony's own experiment with SOCOM 4. Sony's explanation for the Pass will probably leave you wishing Google Translate supported marketing-speak: "This is an important initiative as it allows us to accelerate our commitment to enhancing premium online services across our first party game portfolio."

5 of 291 comments (clear)

  1. online games by cgeys · · Score: 0, Troll

    I know such always get critized by customers and it's Sony here... But lets try to look at it objectively. Running online services costs money. Running online services that are constantly improved, have new items or classes or whatever rolled out and the game being balanced all the time cost a lot more money. These games don't have monthly subscriptions because that only works with mmo games. This means the game company is fully dependant on the income from game sales. When people resell their game the game developers get nothing, so they also have less incentive to support online games.

    Now this leaves a few options for the game company. Valve is currently experiencing with the another one - make the game free to play and have a store where gamers can buy items or decoration (hats, different colors). This is also how Facebook games and the like work, and this has been the standard in Asian markets for a long time. This also gets criticized here on slashdot, but I think it works pretty well with TF2. Players get a truly awesome game for free and theres incentive for the players to buy from store (I want this item now), but they can also unlock them via achievements and playing the game. I bought TF2 (Orange Box) when it came out, but I've also bought a few items from the store after I started playing it again now. Items I felt would make my gaming nicer as I could customize my classes as I wanted to. Items I just got a little bit earlier.

    The other one sadly is either monthly fees or things like this PSN Pass. As I've personally never resold a game (and I don't think it's so huge market with PC games, consoles yes) I really don't feel like paying a monthly fee to play some shooter game. Microsoft handles this by collectively collecting a monthly feel for the whole 360 service. But the truth is, somehow the company needs to get money to run the online services. I spend a lot for the game, so I don't like to subsidize freeloaders. It's only fair that they also pay a little to get online access, which is a recurring cost for the game company.

    1. Re:online games by somersault · · Score: -1, Troll

      The difference is that that guy submitted that (rather large) first post on a new account in the same minute as the story was submitted, ie he's a marketing shill. His language is better than that of the ones I've seen before, but look at all his posts and they're all very pro Facebook, pro MS, anti-open source.. there have a been a spate of these marketing guys for the last few months. I can't remember the name of the company that does them, but someone slightly more interested than I am was documenting it in their journal.

      --
      which is totally what she said
    2. Re:online games by hlavac · · Score: -1, Troll

      Used games are like selling your movie ticket after you have seen the movie, and the person you sold it to demanding to see the movie too. It hurts the game developers by denying them a fair share of profit. It's the same as for-profit piracy. Disclosure: I work for a game development company.

    3. Re:online games by hlavac · · Score: -1, Troll

      In fact, yes, I think that is as bad. You can't unsee the movie can you? You don't pay for the DVD disk, you pay to see the movie. In case of DVD, as many times as you like. Don't mix game creators with game distributors into the same bag. Game creators don't create games to sell DVD media thay are on. They sell you the experience of the game, and that is what they should be paid for. In that regard, only the first sale pays. Used game shops make money on each sale. But they didn't make the game. Game authors get nothing. That is why it's bad. Keep that up, and soon nobody will create anything anymore. Why feed the leeches? Can't you see that?

    4. Re:online games by hlavac · · Score: -1, Troll

      With this attitude, you will be back to watching TV soon, hero. There will be nothing to play :)