38 Studios has attempted to justify the content being gated behind an online pass in Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. When asked why an entire quest line was being held to ransom in exchange for new sales, the developer said it was originally...

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is a single-player game, but that hasn't stopped Electronic Arts from cramming an online pass into the game. We knew the pass was going to hide the game's Mass Effect tie-in armor, but now we know that it's hol...

Despite David Jaffe stating he didn't want one, Twisted Metal is getting itself a lovely, shiny, pretty little online pass. Because inconveniencing all your customers is what gaming is all about.  It's absolutely not suprising, because...

A number of retailers across the United Kingdom have said that, if publishers were to drop online passes and start offering better business terms, they'd be happy to offer a slice of pre-owned sales profits.  "As a retail store we woul...

[Update: Some that have bought the PSN version tell us that they did not need to buy the online pass to play online, and that it was included in the original price. Our apologies!] Minna no Golf 6, or what will be called Hot Shots Golf: Wor...

Twisted Metal director David Jaffe would rather not have an online pass in Twisted Metal, declaring that any lost sales due to used games would be acceptable if it generated new fans. He did, however, admit that it's ultimately up to Sony.&...

Just when you thought that online passes couldn't get more amazing, it's been discovered that they can expire, locking brand new copies of games out of various multiplayer modes. What a brilliant new feature.  Attention was called to t...

Blockbuster has said that it's seen a lot of support from game publishers over its increased game rental plans, because they help erode the impact of used games. Apparently, companies receive quite the kickback from rentals, whereas they ge...

In news that should surprise very few people, THQ has found a way to make sure that an online pass is required for Saints Row: The Third, even with competitive multiplayer being scrapped. The online co-op for both campaign and Whored Mode w...

Electronic Arts has admitted that a number of consumers who bought Battlefield 3 on the Xbox 360 are unable to play the game online because the included online pass does not work. This news comes on top of a problematic launch filled with r...

Battlefield 3's online pass printout brings more to consumers than just an inconvenient input code -- printed on the reverse is an image that seems to be teasing another Medal of Honor game. It features the game's official site, as well as ...

Warner Brothers has commented on the issue of broken DLC codes shipping with copies of Batman: Arkham City, insisting that only a small percentage of consumers were affected, but that it will resolve the issues concerning an otherwise "succ...

Customers buying Batman: Arkham City are in for potential disappointment, with reports that a number of copies are missing the scrap of paper containing Catwoman's unlock code. Rocksteady's mutation of the Online Pass locks out four campaig...

Naughty Dog has defended its use of Sony's "PSN Pass" by claiming that, without it, Uncharted 3's multiplayer would need to be released as its own game. Wait ... that doesn't make any sense.  Director Justin Richmond said that either h...

DICE confirmed in a rather casual manner yesterday that Battlefield 3 would rock an online pass, having previously only hinted at it. Considering Mass Effect 3 has found a way to toss one in, it's hardly surprising EA's biggest online title...

Yesterday it was revealed that Batman: Arkham City was gating its Catwoman levels behind an online passcode, locking used and offline gamers out of four campaign chapters. That doesn't sit well with GameStop, and the retailer has pledged to...

If you're looking forward to playing Gotham City's feline femme fatale in the upcoming Batman: Arkham City, plan on dealing with an online pass. Warner Bros. has confirmed that the kitty's content is locked away unless you have the code inc...

Well, what a surprise. No sooner is it confirmed that online multiplayer has been shoehorned into Mass Effect 3 do we get the real reason for the mode's existence ... an online pass. Yep, a redeemable code will be included with every new co...

It looks like from here on out, Sony-published PS3 games will require players to enter a single-use code in order to play online. People who buy their games used will likely have to purchase a code separately to get online. Some say it's b...

[The Destructoid Show gives a rundown of all the top news from Destructoid.com every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Subscribe to us on YouTube, follow us on Twitter, and like us on Facebook.] Hey gang! Her...

Following an earlier statement from a Spanish Sony representative, Sony Computer Entertainment America has confirmed that an online pass will be included with Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception. Furthermore, we've been told that ALL upcoming So...

For the past two episodes, I have railed against publishers and their war on used games. In the concluding part, I praise those tactics that I do not find obnoxious, and would like to see further encouraged. Rather than punish used gamers,...

A flyer advertising Mass Effect 3 has been spotted, and it reveals potentially grievous news for those averse to the increasingly popular "online pass" scheme. Yep, it would appear that Mass Effect 3 is getting one too! The wider reaching i...

It looks like Sony has fully embraced the seedy world of online passes, with news that Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception will follow in Resistance 3's footsteps and require a code to be input before multiplayer access is granted. Classy.&...

Earlier this week, our very own Jim Sterling railed against the continued use of multiplayer online passes by game publishers in his Jimquisition series, stating that online passes are "bad for everyone." He makes a very compelling argument...