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GAMING NEWS

Kombatants Will Need An Online Pass

Posted on Wednesday, March 30 @ 07:34:58 Eastern by


No pass? NO PLAY!

Lots of publishers have started packaging single-use codes with their games. If you bought a brand new copy of Homefront, Battlefield Bad Company 2, Mass Effect 2, or Dragon Age II you know what I'm talking about. Retailers like Gamestop have been enjoying the fruits of used game sales without passing on that dough to publishers and developers alike.

Warner Bros seems to be joining THQ and EA in their upcoming, high-profile releases. We're talking Mortal Kombat in April and FEAR 3 and Batman: Arkham City in the Fall. Do we have your attention now?

An e-mail from Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment to retailers has surfaced with pretty explicit references to a registration code needed to access online modes with Mortal Kombat. Buying the game used means you'll have to shell out $10 over Xbox Live or PSN to take your mad Liu Kang skills online.

Mortal Kombat, available on April 19 for the PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system and the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, includes a one-time-use registration code that gives players access to all online modes in the game. Players who do not have a code will get a free two-day trial of the online play and then be able to purchase the online modes for 800 Microsoft Points on Xbox LIVE Marketplace and $9.99 on the PlayStation Network.

I don't know about you, but I don't have much of a problem buying games new. I actually prefer it. Let your wild, uncontrollable rage free in the comments.

[Source]
Related Games:   Mortal Kombat


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Comments
  • Lien
    Lien

    Joined: Feb 2008
    Posted: Mar 30th, 2011 at 12:08 am
    Actually, i kinda understand this... I know it cost the company loads of money to keep the multiplayer up online and buying the game used makes a huge hole in the company's wallet resulting in less support. This little strategy will at least keep the money rolling even years after the game comes out and may actually hinge the piracy world a bit and in a understandable way. I also take it people who buy this game just to play locally may get more money in trade back if they don't use the online code, so kudos to them.

    And beside, i always play game new! so what the heck should i know.
  • TheDiesel
    TheDiesel

    Joined: May 2009
    Posted: Mar 30th, 2011 at 8:00 am
    This really blows for people like me who rent games off of GameFly since you have to pay $10 to play the online of a game you're only renting. I can most certainly see where developers are coming from in order to have some safety revenue in store, but it just sucks for us who rent.
  • Rinnon
    Rinnon

    Joined: Nov 2005
    Posted: Mar 30th, 2011 at 11:31 am
    TheDiesel: They should probably offer 1 time use free trials of online play. Like, you sign up for that account they were talking about, and even without a code they let you play online for 1 week. Then after that you have to pay for it. Best of both worlds that way.

    But yeah, I don't really have an inherent problem with adding incentives to purchase something new. I do think however that this conflicts with the 360 Business Model of Gold Subscription accounts. On the PS3 it's not such a big deal, since online play is free (or at least it's handled on a per game basis). But on the 360, you're already paying a monthly fee to play online... In my opinion, that damn well better be all encompassing. If suddenly each individual game ALSO wants you to pay 10 bucks (if you buy used) there is a problem in my opinion. Double dipping into the online market. Publishers better have a chat with Microsoft about how they want to handle this, it should NOT go both ways.
  • 213EDD
    213EDD

    Joined: Sep 2007
    Posted: Mar 30th, 2011 at 11:37 am
    Why should people who have gamefly get special treatment like the rest of us buying the ****ing game does and why rent something as good as this
  • danielrbischoff
    danielrbischoff

    Joined: Nov 2009
    Posted: Mar 30th, 2011 at 12:25 pm
    @Rinnon: "this conflicts with the 360 Business Model of Gold Subscription accounts"

    This is the real problem.
  • Ivory_Soul
    Ivory_Soul

    Joined: Nov 2005
    Posted: Mar 30th, 2011 at 2:42 pm
    I don't really have a problem with this since I try to buy games new to support the developers (and not the game store). I only buy a used game if it's been out for quite some time.
  • salamandrew
    salamandrew

    Joined: Dec 2010
    Posted: Mar 30th, 2011 at 9:58 pm
    I have no real problem with it either but this, plus DLC. You'll have to pay $100 if you wanna get the whole experience and thats starting to get pricey
  • TurinAlexander
    TurinAlexander

    Joined: Sep 2006
    Posted: Mar 30th, 2011 at 10:37 pm
    Well, I do have a problem with it. Why should the publisher get paid twice for a single piece of content? Someone had to buy the game new otherwise it wouldn't be sold used. When you buy a used Corvette, Chevy doesn't get a cut before you can drive it, why is it different for games? The overall cost of keeping the servers running doesn't change when games change hands, there are still the same number of total users. Honestly, to me, it looks like pure greed.

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