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The online pass. It’s one of the increasingly common methods by which developers attempt to cut down on used game sales, which provide profit solely to the retailer. Whatever one’s feelings on used game sales, the online pass system, by which a game’s multiplayer functionality is locked away behind a one-time-use code included with new copies of the game, appears to be here to stay. Epic, however—the pioneers of new-game-only DLC—have asserted that they have chosen not to include a used-sales deterrent in Gears of War 3. When Gears of War 2 was released, it came with a code for a “flashback” map pack, with updated versions of classic maps from the original Gears. According to executive producer Rod Fergusson, however, the bonus did not have the sort of significant sales impact they’d hoped for, and so it has been nixed for Gears of War 3. 
“I’m hoping just through the success of the game,” said Fergusson, “and people wanting to hold onto it, we won’t run into the same problem.” Gears of War 3 is slated to be out exclusively on the Xbox 360 on September 20. By Shelby Reiches |