An online pass is a
digital rights management
Digital rights management (DRM) is the management of legal access to digital content. Various tools or technological protection measures (TPM) such as access control technologies can restrict the use of proprietary hardware and copyrighted works. ...
system for restricting access to supplemental functionality in a product by using a single-use
serial number
A serial number is a unique identifier assigned incrementally or sequentially to an item, to ''uniquely'' identify it.
Serial numbers need not be strictly numerical. They may contain letters and other typographical symbols, or may consist enti ...
. Online passes are primarily intended to hinder or discourage the second-hand sale of a product, and to allow the producer of a product to still return profits from second-hand copies of the product.
These passes were first primarily used by the video game industry, requiring use of a code found in a game's manual or leaflets to access to certain online content, notably online multiplayer.
Following criticism of the practice, several major video game publishers, including
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) is an American video game company headquartered in Redwood City, California. Founded in May 1982 by Apple employee Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer game industry and promoted the d ...
and
Ubisoft
Ubisoft Entertainment SA (; ; formerly Ubi Soft Entertainment SA) is a French video game publisher headquartered in Saint-Mandé with development studios across the world. Its video game franchises include '' Assassin's Creed'', ''Far Cry'', '' ...
, began phasing out their use in 2013.
A similar tactic has surfaced in the academic
textbook
A textbook is a book containing a comprehensive compilation of content in a branch of study with the intention of explaining it. Textbooks are produced to meet the needs of educators, usually at educational institutions. Schoolbooks are textboo ...
industry, regulating use of supplemental material and other online content, with intent to prevent students from obtaining a second-hand or borrowed copy of a needed textbook. This requires them to purchase a new copy in order to use its functionality.
Video games
Usage
The use of online passes in video games are intended to counter the popularity of stores such as
GameStop
GameStop Corp. is an American video game, consumer electronics, and gaming merchandise retailer. The company is headquartered in Grapevine, Texas (a suburb of Dallas), and is the largest video game retailer worldwide. , the company operates 4,5 ...
, which buy and sell second-hand copies of video games. Online passes are traditionally used to restrict access to a game's multiplayer modes and other online content; they ship as single-use codes printed on
inserts packaged with retail copies of video games, and must be redeemed by the user in order to access the multiplayer and online modes of a particular game. If a player does not have an unused online pass (such as when buying a used game), the player can either purchase access via their console or can access a limited trial of the game's online content.
[ In some cases, a game may similarly come with a code that can be redeemed for free ]downloadable content
Downloadable content (DLC) is additional content created for an already released video game, distributed through the Internet by the game's publisher. It can either be added for no extra cost or it can be a form of video game monetization, enablin ...
and other items released upon or shortly after the game's launch, such as ''The Stone Prisoner'' DLC and the Blood Dragon armor set for ''Dragon Age Origins
''Dragon Age: Origins'' is a 2009 role-playing video game developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts. It is the first game in the ''Dragon Age'' franchise. Set in the fictional kingdom of Ferelden during a period of civil strife, th ...
'', the ''House of Valor'' quest for '' Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning'', and a package of 20 additional songs for '' Rock Band 2''.[
Alongside downloadable content, online passes add an additional ]revenue stream
A revenue stream is a source (or category of sources) of revenue of a company, other organization, or regional or national economy.
In business, a revenue stream is generally made up of either recurring revenue, transaction-based revenue, project ...
which can be used to make up for profits lost through second-hand sales, and encourage players to buy games new at retail so they do not have to pay extra to access the game's full content.[ Supporters of online passes and publishers using them argue that requiring buyers of used games to pay extra for access to online content and services is a more fair system for paying the costs required to maintain online resources.] Opponents contend that adoption of online pass systems may lead to removing more essential functionality from used games and possibly even preventing the resale of video games. 38 Studios
38 Studios, LLC, formerly Green Monster Games, LLC, was an American entertainment and intellectual property, IP development company founded in 2006 by Major League Baseball player Curt Schilling and named for his jersey number. Originally based in ...
founder Curt Schilling
Curtis Montague Schilling (born November 14, 1966) is an American former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher who is a commentator for conservative media outlet BlazeTV. He helped lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a World Series appearance ...
justified the use of an online pass to unlock the seven-part bonus quest "House of Valor" on the single-player RPG ''Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning'' (which was published by EA) as "day one DLC" intended as an incentive for early adopters. However, the decision still provoked discussion on the appropriateness of the model.
History
Among the first video games to require an online pass was '' SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs: Fireteam Bravo 3'' for the PlayStation Portable
The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PAL regions on September 1, 2005, ...
, which required the use of a one-time voucher included in retail copies of the game to access multiplayer modes, charging $20 for replacements. However, in this case, Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), formerly known as Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE), is a multinational video game and digital entertainment company wholly owned by multinational conglomerate Sony. The SIE Group is made up of two legal co ...
stated that this requirement was intended to combat piracy
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...
. In late 2009, EA began implementing online passes in its games as part of an initiative known as "Project Ten Dollar"; ''Mass Effect 2
''Mass Effect 2'' is an action role-playing video game developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 in 2010 and PlayStation 3 in 2011. It is the second installment in the ''Mass Effect'' series and a ...
'' used an online pass to allow access to bonus content through its "Cerberus Network" system, while ''Dragon Age Origins
''Dragon Age: Origins'' is a 2009 role-playing video game developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts. It is the first game in the ''Dragon Age'' franchise. Set in the fictional kingdom of Ferelden during a period of civil strife, th ...
'' came with a code that could be redeemed to download its first major DLC release, ''The Stone Prisoner'', for free, as well as an exclusive armor set. In May 2010, EA announced that beginning with ''Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10
''Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10'' is a sports video game developed by EA Tiburon for the PlayStation 3, Wii and Xbox 360 versions and HB Studios for the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable versions and published by EA Sports for PlayStation 2, P ...
'', all future EA Sports
EA Sports is a division of Electronic Arts that develops and publishes sports video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they tried to imitate real-life sports networks by calling themselves the "EA Sports Network" ...
titles would require the use of online passes to access multiplayer.
In mid-2013, many publishers began to phase out online passes; in May 2013, Electronic Arts announced it would, due to customer feedback, discontinue its future use of online passes in upcoming titles, and retroactively remove the online pass requirements from existing titles. On November 1, 2013, Ubisoft followed suit by discontinuing its Uplay Passport system for future titles, and making the pass for its recently released '' Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag'' available at no charge. A Ubisoft spokesperson stated that the system was "no longer the best approach for ensuring that all our customers have the best possible experience with all facets of our games", noting that ''Black Flag''s single-player campaign contained passive online features that would be otherwise unavailable without activating the pass. Sony
, commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...
specifically forbids the use of online passes by developers on PlayStation 4
The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 in ...
titles; as users must have a PlayStation Plus
PlayStation Network (PSN) is a digital media entertainment service provided by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Launched in November 2006, PSN was originally conceived for the PlayStation video game consoles, but soon extended to encompass smartp ...
subscription to use online multiplayer on most PS4 games, Sony did not want publishers to add additional DRM designed to charge users further.
Textbooks
A similar system has been recently used by textbook
A textbook is a book containing a comprehensive compilation of content in a branch of study with the intention of explaining it. Textbooks are produced to meet the needs of educators, usually at educational institutions. Schoolbooks are textboo ...
publishers, by requiring the use of an online pass to offer supplemental content; including an online message board, an assignment system where homework
Homework is a set of tasks assigned to students by their teachers to be completed outside the classroom. Common homework assignments may include required reading, a writing or typing project, Exercise (mathematics), mathematical exercises to b ...
may be assigned or handed in, or even an e-book
An ebook (short for electronic book), also known as an e-book or eBook, is a book publication made available in digital form, consisting of text, images, or both, readable on the flat-panel display of computers or other electronic devices. Alt ...
version of the title. It is similarly intended to discourage the second-hand re-sale or sharing of these textbooks by only allowing their online functionality to be utilized by a single student; requiring others to buy their own copy of the book or obtain an access code individually.[
]
See also
* Damaged good
* Digital rights management
Digital rights management (DRM) is the management of legal access to digital content. Various tools or technological protection measures (TPM) such as access control technologies can restrict the use of proprietary hardware and copyrighted works. ...
References
{{Reflist, 2
Digital rights management
Online games