14 DAY TRIAL // Video game hardware developer and publisher Sony has announced that it plans to include a PSN Pass in new copies of some of its first party titles starting with the launch of Resistance 3 in September.
The company says that the Pass will be needed by players in order to get “full online access” for the games they buy.
This means that the online features of some games, which might include exclusive downloadable content or multiplayer games, will probably not be available to those who will pick up the first party titles on the used-games market.
Sony has not specified whether it plans to also sell the PCN Pass on the PlayStation Network or even in physical form in brick and mortar stores in order to allow those who have second-hand copies of titles like Resistance 3 to get access to all the online features.
A statement that Sony released after images of the bundle that includes the PSN Pass alongside a PlayStation 3 home console and a copy of Resistance 3 says, “This is an important initiative as it allows us to accelerate our commitment to enhancing premium online services across our first party game portfolio.”
It's not clear what premium online services means for Sony as the company has always prided itself on the fact that it offers multiplayer gaming for free via the PSN, in contrast with rival Microsoft, a company that charges in order to allow multiplayer through Xbox Live Gold.
Sony has expressed some interest in creating an online pass for its first party games since last year, probably because of the success registered by the similar initiatives coming mainly from Electronic Arts but also from THQ and Codemasters.
Sony has not yet released a complete list of the games that will use the PSN Pass and will probably decide where it will be used based on public reaction after the Resistance 3 launch.