Sony to Start Using Their Own "Online Pass," Starting With Resistance 3

There had been talk over this past holiday weekend that Sony would start to use an "Online Pass" program which would be used to combat used game sales, it was also rumored that this program would be titled the "PSN Pass."

For those unfamiliar with the current Online Pass trend, what this basically does is lock some (or all) of a games online content behind a code. If you buy a game new, then a code is yours free-of-charge, however if you buy a copy of that game used-say from a Gamestop or Amazon-then you'll need to purchase a code separately. The standard price for one of these codes has been $10.

Sony has confirmed that, starting with Resistance 3, the company will have their own version of this system. The original which gave the name "PSN Pass" was based on some leaked packaging from overseas, however Sony made no mention of that name in their statement.

"We are always evaluating new programs for our online offering," said Sony, "and starting with Resistance 3 this September, we will be instituting a network pass program for PS3 games with online capabilities. This program will be game-specific. Games that are a part of this program will include a single-use registration code that grants the account holder redeeming the code full online access for that title. This is an important initiative as it allows us to accelerate our commitment to enhancing premium online services across our first party game portfolio."

Let's parse that statement a bit, first off the phrase "game-specific." Sony isn't saying if this online pass of theirs will be used with all of their upcoming games, but with heavily multiplayer-centric games such as Twisted Metal coming up it's safe to assume that we'll be seeing it implemented in future games. 

Another interesting point is the term "full online access," what that means as of right now is unclear.

Some more things we still don't know are the name of this system, or what the pricing for a code will be like. We'll be sure to update you as more info becomes available.

SOCOM 4 to Include Resistance 3 Beta Vouchers

SOCOM and Resistance fanatics are in for a treat! Announced on Sony's Official Playtation Blog, any and every specially marked box of SOCOM 4: US Navy Seals will include a download voucher for Insomniac's upcoming game (and 3rd installment I may add) for Resistance 3.

With the SOCOM 4 Beta underway for all PSN Users, there's no doubt that players on the beta are gearing up for the full retail release, so it's bound to get even more people to get Resistance 3 as well!

Your First Look at Resistance 3 Multiplayer

Insomniac Games, the developer behind Resistance and the Ratchet & Clank games have showcased how multiplayer is gonna play this time around in their next installment of the Resistance franchise.

We still get the normal thing: Humans Vs. Chimera, but the biggest change is the amount of players in a match. It's been downsized to only 16 players now; 8 vs. 8. Not that I'm complaining, but others may. I played the original Resistance online and sure, it was a massive "frag fest" but this may be good for a certain audience who doesn't want a major craze like the previous games.

Joystiq and G4TV have gotten their hands-on impressions from GDC and Joystiq tried out the "passive and active" abilities that players are able to use in-game.

This is what Joystiq has to say:

Insomniac revealed -- and we tried -- some active and passive multiplayer abilities, the former represented by health/ammo drops and an electrified shield; the latter are always-active "stat buffs," such as making yourself more accurate when shooting while running. The final element we saw was the Berserk, which is rewarded for kill streaks and made our Chimeran character temporarily invisible.

G4TV also has the liking of how the control scheme feels just about right:

"The longer I played, the more I realized that the only thing surpassing the stellar visuals and presentation elements were the tightness and satisfaction of the controls. The weapons also pack serious and unique punches, and you can customize your loadout (or pick one of the four preset loadouts) to fit your play style. Helping with this are the new active and passive abilities."

As much as I think that multiplayer isn't what I think SHOULD be included in every game, Insomniac always has a unique take on multiplayer modes, so check it out and keep this on your radar!