In a move to fight piracy, and seemingly in an attempt to cultivate a culture of people who desire to buy their SCEA games new, Sony is bundling a PSN registration voucher for all UMD-based copies of SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3.
This afternoon, IGN is reported that this voucher must be redeemed through PSN if players want to take the fight online in the competitive and cooperative components. Users who download the game via PSN will skip the process, as it happens in the background. On the flipside, people who buy a UMD copy without the voucher will have to front 20 bucks to the publisher in order to get in the online mix.
In a recent interview launching alongside this news, director of hardware and marketing at SCEA, John Koller, shed some light on the decision.
"Today's consumers are more tech savvy and better connected to the internet than ever before," Koller told IGN. "Piracy continues to be an issue of concern for the PSP platform. SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 3 is a trial run for a new initiative we are exploring for the platform. We will continue to explore this as an opportunity for the platform going forward, but we have no announcements to make on future iterations at this time."
EA has been making waves with this registration technique, but it appears as if EA is focusing much more on keeping new games off "used" shelves as opposed to curbing piracy -- something of a bugbear for SCEA in regards to the PSP since the handheld launched.
Dragon Age: Origins launched with an EA Portal that verifies downloadable content. Mass Effect 2 launched with a full-fledged delivery service, Cerberus Network, something closer to what SCEA is doing with SOCOM. People who buy either games "used" will have to shell out additional cash if they plan to enjoy what online offers. For Mass Effect 2, though, it's access to downloadable content.
As odd as it is, don't let copy protection ruin your idea of the latest SOCOM on the PSP. It’s a great game. The fluid shooting makes up for the one-nub handicap of the handheld, while the AI and the diverse environments keeps the experience interesting -- and that's not to mention the robust MP components, which is exactly what SCEA is locking out if you steal the game.
SOCOM fights piracy on the PSP [IGN]
Contest:
11:00 PM on 02.17.2010
| 
Now, if they didn't...actually put cd keys in most copies of the game, that's utter bullshit and possibly the worst thing I've ever heard. But CD keys, for online games, make sense, especially on platforms where piracy is a major thing (PC, PSP, D oh wait the DS doesn't have online multiplayer).
If you bought the game used, then paid the 20 dollar fee to play online then you just paid full price for a used game. Ridiculous. Retailers need to start giving cuts of the money received to the developers NOW. This needs to stop.
$5 would still be a bitch, but that would be at least somewhat reasonable. This is fucking ridiculous.
Sure, we all read videogame blogs, so we are armed with this knowledge ahead of time, but, like others have said, Little Johnny is going to be fucked when he saves up his allowance and goes to the register at GameStop with a new copy in his hand and they feed him that, "you know, you can save $5 if you buy this used" bullshit...
And just like that, Little Johnny gets Big Fucked.
Game developers need to protect their products.
Sure, your used car didn't come with a missing wheel - however, your used car also didn't come with much of a warranty, did it?
Companies don't like their products being sold as used as is. you can't sell your STEAM games, and I don't hear many people bitching about that. Don't like the product, don't buy.
It's a great game, nonetheless. I'll continue to support it. :)
You wanna buy it pre-owned, then just play the single player. You wanna play online, buy new, do the dev a favour, it's not like PSP games are expensive.
Thats kind of shit, oh well not like portables are any good for online play anyway.
----------------
You must be playing on the wrong portable my friend, Socom 2 on PSP was fan-fucking-tastic online, as is Monster Hunter Freedom Unite (so long as you're running adhoc party) ooh ooh, also MGS Portable Ops was jolly good online fun too.
Basically you end up playing online games on portables at home, plugged into a wall socket which defeats the purpose in my opinion, the simple fact of being portable and being limited to a battery means you can never really have a proper network on portables, you will always have to sign off.
because pirates don't sell pirated games.
gamestop sells used games and profits off them but don't give any of that money to the publisher.
i'm not saying i'm against either, i'm just saying.
how to grow business
Games for boys
Free Online Games
Utter BS. I buy most of my games used as I have a family to feed and simply can't justify shelling out top dollar for every game that hits the market. And before someone says then "if you can't afford it, don't play games" I say eat it. You try cutting your favorite hobby out completely. Buyers shouldn't be punished for buying used games. When I purchase a used car it isn't missing a steering wheel.