It looks like Sony is about to launch something called the PSN Pass later this year but the question on everyone’s lips is “What is it?â€
The image above was found by the guys over at a German gaming forum and appears to show the Resistance 3 console packaging with the unique PSN Pass logo on it.
My best guess is that it’s going to be a onetime online multiplayer pass that you will receive with the game but if you get the game second hand then you will need to pay extra to get another one.
This idea isn’t unique and has already been used extensively by EA games and others including the latest Mortal Kombat title.
What makes this different though is that the name implies it is a Sony initiative and not related to the developer, whether this means that second hand EA titles could soon require us to fork out once for the PSN Pass and once for the EA online pass is still not clear.
I personally don’t mind this one time pass idea as a second hand game is different from a car when the developers are required to pay for servers and infrastructure to keep the online side going and second hand purchasers aren’t sending any of the purchase costs their way.
But if I’m right about what a PSN Pass is then Sony are about to start charging for online multiplayer and that is something they promised they would never do on the PS3.
Last Updated: July 6, 2011