SOCOM 4 Holds Features Back from Pre-Owned Purchasers

[Logan Westbrook]

SOCOM 4 Holds Features Back from Pre-Owned Purchasers

If you want the full SOCOM 4 experience, you're going to have to pay for it, one way or another.

Zipper Interactive, the developer behind the SOCOM series, has revealed a incentive scheme to encourage people to buy a new copy of the latest game in the series, SOCOM 4: US Navy SEALs [http://www.amazon.com/SOCOM-4-U-S-Seals-Playstation-3/dp/B002ELCV00/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1303119149&sr=8-2 ], rather than pre-owned one. This schemed is called "SOCOM Pro," and bears a rather striking resemblance to EA's project ten dollar and online pass initiatives.

SOCOM Pro allows access to a number of custom online game queues, including several that were part of the game's beta. The games are ranked, and will be regularly updated over the course of the game's lifespan. The pass also grants access to two new weapons: the M-16 for Navy SEALs players and the AK-47 for Insurgent players. According to Zipper, these are weapons that fans have been clamoring for, and SOCOM Pro users can expect to have them within 30 days of the game's release. The studio said that the Pro members would also receive new content further down the line, like exclusive multiplayer maps, co-op options and dedicated leaderboards.

Anyone who buys a new copy of the game gets all the Pro content as part of their purchase, while anyone who picks up a pre-owned copy will be able to purchase a Pro membership through PSN for $15. Unfortunately for the pre-owned players, these memberships won't be available until April 26th, a full week after the game comes out. It's hard to know if the Pro membership is worth the money, however, as so much of the content associated with it is yet to come. As it stands, a few custom game queues and a pair of new guns doesn't really sound like a must-have purchase, especially as it doesn't seem that pre-owned purchasers are actually barred from playing online.

SOCOM 4: US Navy Seals - or Special Forces if you're in the PAL territories - comes out for PS3 on April 19th in North America, April 20th in Europe, and April 21st in Australia, New Zealand and the UK.

Source: US PlayStation Blog [http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/04/15/introducing-socom-pro-special-game-types-new-weapons-included/]


Permalink

 

[Frankydee]

They pulled this crap with FTB3 so I'm somehow not surprised. Keeps the online features locked until you pay a premium for the content.

Well whatever, I'll pick this game up eventually.

 

[Layzor]

Good thing nobody does want the SOCOM4 experience.

 

[Exocet]

They pulled this crap with FTB3 so I'm somehow not surprised. Keeps the online features locked until you pay a premium for the content.

But you don't pay for any premium content if you buy the game new.That's the point.You only pay the $15 if you buy the game used,which is pretty fair,to be honest.
Hosting server costs money,and piggybacking on their servers after buying a used game can be costly.

 

[teebeeohh]

wait, why would you want to have the m16 and ak 47 of all things in a game?
those guns are literally in every shooter set after ww2 and before the advent of pew pew laserguns(and in the case of fallout even laserguns did not stop the ak from appearing)

 

[MattRooney06]

The studio said that the Pro members would also receive new content further down the line, like exclusive multiplayer maps, co-op options and dedicated leaderboards

Knowing todays video game market, we'll still have to pay for them

 

[MacCleric]

It says the pro items won't be available until a week after the release of the game. To me that is not that big of a deal since how many used copies are you going to get a week from release.

Still it doesn't sound as crazy as EA's new purchase ideas. But I can see this becoming the wave of the future

 

[DeepComet5581]

The studio said that the Pro members would also receive new content further down the line, like exclusive multiplayer maps, co-op options and dedicated leaderboards

Knowing todays video game market, we'll still have to pay for them

And let's face it, if anyone's going to play multiplayer on an FPS, they are going to play Black Ops.

 

[Snotnarok]

Modern Warfare 3: Buy it new and get instant access to primary weapons. Preowned will only get handguns and spitballs.

 

[killamanhunter]

I thought that said 'pre ordered' for a second and I was like: this is the stupidest fucking idea I've ever heard of.

but...yeah.

Good I wasn't alone

OT: Everyone's trying to be EA aren't they? Pretty soon Activision is going to be doing this stuff

 

[Harbinger_]

Well thats one company I'm going to refuse to be games from now. Doesn't hurt me much because I've always hated the SOCOM series.

 

[Xannieros]

Platform: PS3. Deal breaker right there.

I wouldn't buy a game that would remove features for being used. The principal of the matter is they want more money. I frown on greed on matters like this. Like with paying for DLC minor changes to characters appearances.

 

[Ren3004]

Hosting server costs money,and piggybacking on their servers after buying a used game can be costly.

Except there's the exact same number of people playing the game online because the person who sold it can't play it anymore.

 

[ThisIsSnake]

Buy pre-owned games = The developers that work their asses off get nothing
£10 for full content is fair.

 

[ThisIsSnake]

Platform: PS3. Deal breaker right there.

I wouldn't buy a game that would remove features for being used. The principal of the matter is they want more money. I frown on greed on matters like this. Like with paying for DLC minor changes to characters appearances.

Lol? more money? They get none from you so don't expect to be able to use their maintained servers for free.

 

[ryo02]

if I buy a game new and there are codes in it I dont want I usually get online and give them away (to buyers of the used game) so the used game market can live.

recently I gave away my bulletstorm code someone out there who bought it used still gets the gears of war beta.

on that note I know most people got it but does anyone need the limited edition bonus content code for crysis 2?. (am I allowed to offer stuff like that on this site? when I say offer I mean free no money)(dunno if its platform specific but this is the xbox 360 version).

 

[Nerf Ninja]

Buy pre-owned games = The developers that work their asses off get nothing
£10 for full content is fair.

They already got the money from the guy who bought it originally.

If they want to sell more new stock they need to reduce the cost to a price people are willing to pay.

 

[ThisIsSnake]

Buy pre-owned games = The developers that work their asses off get nothing
£10 for full content is fair.

They already got the money from the guy who bought it originally.

If they want to sell more new stock they need to reduce the cost to a price people are willing to pay.

Last time I checked game prices go down over time. Your choice is wait, buy new or pay for additional content. It's as simple as that.

 

[StriderShinryu]

Buy pre-owned games = The developers that work their asses off get nothing
£10 for full content is fair.

They already got the money from the guy who bought it originally.

If they want to sell more new stock they need to reduce the cost to a price people are willing to pay.

Not a bad point, but at the same time the reality is we're not talking huge savings here. We're talking losing sales to companies selling used copies for $5 or, at most, $10 less than a new copy. I may be wrong, and I know everyone likes a deal, but I would imagine most people willing and able to spend $55 on a game would be able to spend $60 on it too.