Zipper Interactive is calling the system “SOCOM Pro”, and try to make it sound like a feature rather than a $14.99 fee levied against used game buyers. promising “a whole bunch of super-cool things, really”, like online “Pro” leaderboards, specially marked maps, and two weapons (M-16 and AK-47).
We’ll see how the reception is to the online multiplayer activation fee. The difference between a sports game like FIFA and a shooter like SOCOM 4 is that SOCOM 4 is primarily an online shooter. Zipper and Sony may think they’re not losing sales from people who would only pick up a copy that was already purchased, but used games are basically advertising for the next game. Just ask Valve when they gave Portal away for free.
Gamers might decide they’ll wait til the price of new copies of SOCOM 4 drop to used game levels.
