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Twisted Metal's PSN Pass, demo, and day-one patch: Jaffe explains
Yes, Twisted Metal will use a PSN Pass, creator David Jaffe confirmed in a half-hour-long video blog. Skip to about 15 minutes in if you want to hear all of his thoughts on it, but to summarize he's "torn" on online passes in general. He supports them for most games, but opposed its inclusion in Twisted Metal, as he wanted there to be a low barrier of entry for as many players as possible, to let them all experience online play and get back into the series. In the end, "It wasn't my call," Jaffe said. "It's Sony's game, and they funded it, and I respect their decision."Other news for the car combat game include confirmation of an upcoming demo, and a day-one patch. Jaffe explained that ramming was doing too much damage, especially ramming from a shake-activated move he calls the "SIXAXIS Slam," so the team is fixing that and other balance tweaks in a small patch. There are things he'd like to change about the levels, but that won't be in the initial patch out of concern for long, annoying download times. "We'd love to do future tweaks and adjustments to the game," he said, "and some of those hopefully will be level-based, and those might be a little longer. Key balance issues and some of the bugs."
Sony implies all first-party titles to use Online Pass
We hope you like using that on-screen keyboard on your PS3. Sony confirmed in a statement today that Uncharted 3 will use the Online Pass system introduced earlier this year with Resistance 3. However, the same statement also specified that "Online Pass will be incorporated into... future Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios games with online functionality." Similar to EA's Project Ten Dollar and other single-use code programs from other developers, Sony's Online Pass ties multiplayer functionality to the use of, er, a single-use code. While Sony didn't actually spell out Online Pass use "forever and ever," they did include a portentious "We will provide further information in the future." We recommend a USB keyboard.
Uncharted 3 will use PSN Pass to combat piracy, make money on used games
Uncharted 3 will use Sony's online pass system, much like we saw with Resistance 3, Sony España Software Manager Juan Jiménez told The Vault. Sony's PSN Pass features a one-time-use code for accessing content on PSN; the code can later be bought for $10 in used games. Jiménez said the pass system is a buffer against piracy, although we bet the added revenue from previously barren used-game sales doesn't exactly make Sony's decision harder. Uncharted 3 is the second Sony title to use the PSN Pass, but we expect to see it in all of Sony's future mainstream releases, as does Jiménez.
Sony introducing one-time-use online codes with Resistance 3
When an image of a European Resistance 3 hardware bundle surfaced yesterday, the mention of something called "PSN Pass" suggested that some kind of new online program was on the way. SCEE confirmed the program, revealing it as Sony's take on the "Online Pass" or "Project Ten Dollar" initiatives enacted by third parties -- a one-time-use code that enables online play, bundled with new copies of games and sold separately otherwise. "This program will be game-specific," a Sony rep said. "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." The initiative is intended to "accelerate our commitment to enhancing premium online services across our first party game portfolio." Sony has clarified to Joystiq that the statement was "a joint SCEE/SCEA statement" and thus covers North America as well. Find the whole statement after the break.
