SOCOM 4 To Charge Used Buyers $15 For Certain Game Types, Weapons

Sony has announced that players who purchase a used copy of this month's SOCOM 4 will have to pay $14.99 for certain multiplayer game types and weapons that are included with new copies of the game. The "SOCOM Pro" DLC includes access to four Custom Game types and two exclusive weapons, and will be included as a free redemption code in all new copies of the title. The DLC will also provide access to regular updates including "exclusive multiplayer maps, various co-op additions, dedicated leaderboards, and lots more," according to a post on the PlayStation blog. Used purchasers will still have access to certain freely available online multiplayer content, as well as the entire single-player campaign. Publishers including EA and THQ have experimented with similar Online Pass systems in some titles, charging used purchasers $5 to $10 for access to certain online features in an effort to recover lost revenue from second-hand sales. SCEE president Andrew House said last August the company was considering a similar Online Pass system for its first-party titles. BioWare charged used purchasers of last year's Mass Effect 2 $15 for "Cerberus Pack" DLC that came included with new copies of the title.