EA started it, and nearly every other publisher did monkey see, monkey do, all while having dollar signs in their eyes and hearing cash registers cha-chinging. I really can't blame them, though. EA took the risky plunge, and it didn't hurt their sales, only added to their bottom line by forcing used game purchasers to pony up an additional $10 to access a title's online modes.
Daniel pointed that this could be coming in last night's edition of The News and already today we have confirmation. The latest to reveal their "pass" is Sony, who is calling it a "PSN Pass". The first title to feature this one-time registration code will be their upcoming shooter, Resistance 3.
Here's are a few excerpts from Sony's official statement:
We are always evaluating new programs for our online offering, 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.
On the bright side, they say it's game-specific. And this could make for a more stable online multiplayer experience on the PSN – something that is very much needed.
It's important to note that this is only confirmed for Europe at the time of this writing. However, we've reached out to SCEA to see if this program will be coming to North America as well. We'll update when we get some clarification.
[Update] This is confirmed for North America as well. SCEA replied to our incessant emails with a statement that echos the one above.
So that's another major publisher down… who's next?
[Via]
