After the logo for a “PSN Pass” was spotted on the Resistance 3 bundle advert in Europe, speculation grew rampant as to what exactly the pass gave access to. Sony have now confirmed the network pass, and detailed what it entails.
Don’t worry, it isn’t a Xbox Live-style attempt at forcing you to pay a subscription to play online, the PSN Pass will force gamers to pay a one off fee to go online with a second-hand title published by Sony.
Speaking to VG247, Sony said that the program will “accelerate its commitment to enhancing premium online services” for its first-party games, with SCEE continuing:
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.
So far, the pass has only been confirmed for Europe, with no mention of other regions, so we’ve contacted SCEA for a comment. Update: SCEA have confirmed to PSLS that it will also be coming to the US.
The aim of the pass is to monetize the used games market, which is hated by game publishers worldwide. With no mention of a price for the pass, how much would you be willing to pay for the ability to play online with a used game?
