PSN Pass Comes Off as Cheap Money Grab, Especially After Sony Outage

I dont get it either, you buy a used game for $54.99 at Gamestop, but for $6 more you can get a brand new game. I think this is what Sony and other developers are trying to push. They want you to buy the new games because in the end you will save money because you dont have to pay for the PSN Pass or Online pass. People should have the rights to be pissed but they should be pissed at the retailers like Gamestop. They buy the game back for $15 and have the balls to resale it back for $54.99. You buy a used game for $54.99 you are pretty much getting ripped off.

This is marked as an editorial...so I guess he can technically write whatever the hell he wants. But I have to say that doesn't make it any less lame.

Why post articles containing false info? Some of this is complete garbage, Capcom have not used an online pass system, the free downloads from PSN never expire either like is stated and so forth. Just because you're quoting someone else saying this doesn't mean you should blindly copy and paste the quote without pointing out where it is completely false. That makes you even worse.

Theres a lot of errors in this article, I don't like onlines passes but they work. At least PSN is free it would really suck if you had to pay $50 a year for PSN and $10 for an online pass in a used game.

I think its a good idea. Used games are taking away monies from the industry, and this will encourage people to spend the extra $5 and support the industry.

how exactly is it a cheap money grab when the cost of the new game is exactly the same ?

whine whine whine, blah blah, I guess anyone can write a news article these days.... I still don't get why people bitch like crazy. The cost is the same for people buying their games new. In practice the used game resales price will drop due to people having to buy the pass so the only people affected are those renting..

In the long run, I don't think this will really change all that much. The only change, from the consumer perspective, might be that people wait longer for a price drop before buying a game. If the wait is long enough, they might decide to never get it at all.

Is this a opinion piece? It looks more like flamebait, and it doesn't charge to online multiplayer. PSN still free for all games, and PSN Pass haven't even been explained yet, it could be a scheme like PSN+ were people with the Pass receive free DLC and/or themes... wait until release to badmouth it.

I don't see the big deal with this. The retailers will have to charge less for the used games, which are already way too expensive, especially in gamestop. I buy most of my games new and pay up to £7 for used ones, so it doesn't bother me at all.

Horrible article. Geez

"Cheap money grab?" PSN is still a free access service. This only effects consumers who buy used copies of games that will use PSN Pass. It's also the same system currently implemented by high profile games like Mass Effect 2 ("Cerberus Network"). This benefits developers more than anyone else, which matters even more for developers who pay for dedicated servers for online play. Buying used doesn't entitle a gamer to anything but a working game from the retailer or individual who sold it to them, not the original publisher.

Well, if you truly want to support the games industry, buy the games itself. By buying used games, you're just supporting the game store that you bought it from.

this article sounds like a lot of speculation , wait til more info is released before you make judgement ,

@ tripleb2k Nobody visits Blockbuster anymore or else they'd still be in business lol

This is a dumb article, because one who rents a game for multiplayer for like a week or 2, that's just dumb. And 2, if someone buys used and its 5-10 dollars less and the pass is 5-10 then just buy new. Also wouldn't the money people use on the pass go to the developers and not sony. People just need to calm down and use some common sense.

@kyliedog I think he referencing the locked save data on the new res evil game I have no problem with the PSN Pass or any of the other schemes to access online play it was either things like this or the price of our games goes up, with dev costs going through the roof and the price of games staying consistent there has to be some give somewhere

stupid idea. how can they cry about money when gaming has never made so much money for companies? weak argument for the companies. I will just wait longer for it to be in the bargan bin.. of course by then they will prob shut down the servers, so it is the consumer which is YOU that gets screwed. Remember at first the excuse was development costs for raising prices $10 to make it $60? here is another round of bend over and take some.

It's only a cheap money grab to cheap arse gamers who want to play online using rented or used games. SO like Forest Gump says... sort of Cheap is as cheap does. Boo hoo go cry somewhere else. But Pachter does have a good branding point. It's really not PSN pass, it's a game specific online gaming pass. Though what would be cunning is to give PSNplus users a universal PSN pass which means they can play any PSN pass game without having to input any individual game's PSN pass code.

"Make it $60 worth. Make your game truly worth the $60 and make it good. Put your love and passion into it and people are going to want to own your game. I mean, do people really rent Call of Duty?" Yeah. Uncharted 3 definitely isn't a day one purchase. /sarcasm. I don't really see the problem with the online passes. It's pushing for people to buy new, and if they don't they pay an additional five dollars for online pay, basically making that $5 they saved in buying used go away. The single player content is still there and not everyone buys games to play online so they're safe. In addition, this might be a good thing for people who don't play online regardless. Let's say "random game" has an online pass so Gamestop marks it $10 off instead of the original $5 off used. You saved an additional $5 off if you only play single player. Not quite sure if Gamestop might follow this, but it's better for consumers if it turns out like this.

Honestly I think the PSN Pass is a great idea and a nice charitable mental pick me up for all the retards that buy games used.

I'm sorry to burst some people's bubbles, but this is something that all major publishers and game developers will adopt in the near future. It only makes sense to do so, look at it this way, how many copies of Killzone 3 have been sold new, and how many units have been sold used? Don't you think that the developers and the publishers want a slice of that? Besides, like the guy below me noted, GameStop sale the used games for 54.99, five bucks less than the new copy costs, so your getting ripped off anyway by GameStop/ I only buy games used if they have been out for a while, like a year or so, or if they are games that I missed at launch and now I am interested in it.

"I mean, do people really rent Call of Duty?"... someone doesn't visit their Blockbuster store often.

I agree. Stupid Idea, and it defiantly should not be called PSN anything. If anything, the bigger selling PS3 games should be the games who don't have this. When you start charging people to play the more popular games online (used game buyers), where will you draw the line?

Boberman wrote: "Used games are taking away monies from the industry, and this will encourage people to spend the extra $5 and support the industry" Really? I'm wondering how you feel about 'used cars' or 'used homes' or the Salvation Army clothing store. Let's be serious. I like playing games a lot but the business of selling games is not THAT special or fragile. Game developers are entitled to a fair reward for their effort and creativity but no one should encourage them weird nickel and diming schemes.

What's this? Another stupid editorial on gamrFeed? How am I not surprised?

"Cheap money grab?" PSN is still a free access service. This only effects consumers who buy used copies of games that will use PSN Pass. It's also the same system currently implemented by high profile games like Mass Effect 2 ("Cerberus Network"). This benefits developers more than anyone else, which matters even more for developers who pay for dedicated servers for online play. Buying used doesn't entitle a gamer to anything but a working game from the retailer or individual who sold it to them, not the original publisher.

I'm calling BS on this one. Sony offers it's PSN for free to everyone who owns a PS3. On other platforms, you have to pay a $60 fee to play any game online. So why is it that when Sony, who is uniquely exposed to the second hand market since they develop games and owns the platform, tries to limit thier exposure, they are called greedy? Why isn't Gamestop, who routinely gouges their customers greedy? Why isn't the used game buyer who saves only $5 not considered greedy?

I think this is just the beginning of Sony eventually going the Xbox Live route, and charging gamers to play online, or at least to have access to the majority of PSN's features. I think PlayStation Plus will eventually be the de-facto.

PSN is still free so I don't see the trouble. Sony's competition charges for that already. Monthly.

Gamestop will have to charge less, otherwise people will be more tempted to buy the full retail versions. Gamestop wants to sell used games, so they will charge less, and in the end, the prices will come to about the same as they are now, just that Sony will be making more profit. It makes sense to me. Secondly, this article is riddled with inaccuracies

don't be surprise when next gen new games will be the same price but you'll need to pay 10$ extra for online

I think this is just the beginning of Sony eventually going the Xbox Live route, and charging gamers to play online, or at least to have access to the majority of PSN's features. I think PlayStation Plus will eventually be the de-facto.

Funny you mention gears of war. I remember when I got Gears 2 it came with a pass to download the flashback map pack for free. Do people prefer that sort of new sale incentive?

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Sony making use of cheap money grabs could mean that they are the next Nintendo after all.

Its funny seeing how many people complain about the articles on this website get over it they can write what they want when they want.

I dont see why SONY a Heavy hitter and major influence in the games market just throw there weight around with the retailers and set up a "Buffer" for new games were used games can not be sold or else the retailers miss out. An being a Manufacture no doubt they could get EA, Ubisoft, a array of japanese publishers and hell even Microsoft and Nintendo to say "enough is enough" and force gamestop/ebgames used game scheme to stop for the initial launch of games starting from this hoildays for all new releases and remove all online passes. If that cant happen EA and Dice with there VIP for BFBC2 was the best way with the map redesigns, extra content not lock out of online completely. I believe EA and DICE are doing this again but with the Back to Karland Maps being for those who buy new.

They should do more than just require the pass for Online gameplay. Have 1 time use DLC to go with it (like EA has done). If they want to do this right, make the pass cost $5 or less.