Sony Network Pass? What the crap?

Hey PS3 owners, are you looking forward to getting Online Pass codes in your games?  Well, looks like it's going to happen.  Later this year (with the release of Resistance 3) games part of the Online Pass program will include a code that will grant you access for the online components of the games you buy.  If you buy new games, no big deal.

But if you are buying a used game, get ready to pony up around $10.00 for the online code to let you play the rest of the game you just bought.  Much like they did with Mortal Kombat (which included an online pass code for online play).  If you bought it as Used, visit the PSN Store and purchase the access pack for $10 (USD).

So why the drive for this Online Pass crap?  Simple, game publisher's get no money from the sale of a preowned (used) game.  So while your local Gamestop is pressing for preowned game sales, the publisher's are smacking gamer's on the hand when the buy a used game.  So look at it this way, 2 years into the future, Mortal Kombat may be marked down used to $15.00 (purely for example).  So you buy preowned and wanted to play online, so you'll spend another $10 for the code.  You just spent $25 on the game.

Now look at this way, you buy a preowned copy of Resistance 3 with your Christmas money later this year for $49.99 (marked down from $59.99 new) from Gamestop.  But in order to play online against your friends, you have to visit the PSN Store and purchase the Online Pass code for $10.  Guess what?  You just paid the same amount as compared to buying it as New.  And let's face it, with online play being such a big deal with many of the current gen games.  If you are looking to get the total value from your games, than you need online play to do so.

Publishers have been trying to circumvent used game sales for some time.  Most recently Capcom decided to lock game save data in one of their new Resident Evil titles for the Nintendo DS so you can't restart the game.  Meaning, if you buy it as preowned; you also get the previous owner's game state.  Better hope they saved before that last boss.  LOL

And it will be seen how this will affect game sales at preowned game stores like Gamestop.  But it's clear that the world is changing in all aspects (business, economic, and video games to name a few).  This will make cloud based options like OnLive look all that much better.