PSN Pass Spotted In German Resistance 3 Bundle

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It seems like Sony is getting ready to jump on the online pass bandwagon, as a reference to what’s being called the PSN Pass has been spotted on the packaging for the German Resistance 3 bundle. While we don’t know for sure if this PSN Pass actually is Sony’s own version of the infamous online pass, there seems to be a pretty good chance you’ll be paying extra for full access to Sony’s games sometime in the not-too-distant future.

The devil’s in the details with this one, with a disclaimer that reads, “PSN Pass Network features only available in countries that have PlayStation Store.” You know what that means: codes. More God-forsaken codes for you to redeem.

We all know how online pass works by now: it’s a way for publishers to make some extra money off used game sales, by requiring that players enter in a code to unlock certain features – typically multiplayer – of a game. New copies come with a code packed in, but those who buy it used have to pay extra in order to buy a new code.

It’s a system that’s been catching on with publishers like EA and THQ lately, and even though it seems like a great idea to them, it usually ends up causing more problems for the end user beyond just having to shell out more cash. The problems arise when users have to create and maintain separate account for each publisher, or when, say, the platform used to redeem the code is down for an entire month because some companies may not be keeping their networks as secure as they should be. It’s a flawed system, and has been met with considerable backlash from the gaming community, but those factors haven’t dissuaded Sony from giving it a go, it seems.

Resistance 3 has a launch date of September 9th, and it’s unknown whether Resistance 3 will be the first Sony game to use PSN Pass. Regardless of whether it’s the first or not, it looks like you’ll be paying a little bit extra if you want to play Resistance 3′s multiplayer and happen to buy it used.

We’ll have more details on this PSN Pass as they’re made available. In the meantime, feel free to head down to the comments section and deride (or defend) the implantation of online pass.