In a day and age where developer and publishers are trying to fight against the used game market, an increasing number of games are including some way to withhold content or privileges from second hand buyers, and Id Software’s Rage will be no different. The company has revealed that Rage will feature its own version of the online pass, which will block those playing second-hand copies from accessing sewer content in the single player campaign.
Speaking to Eurogamer, id creative director Tim Willits, had the following to say:
We have the first-time buyer stuff with all the sewers. If you bought the game new, that would be open for you. You still have to download it, but you don’t have to pay for it. Those [sewer] hatches are all over. Most people never find them. But as soon as you do, you’re like, oh. And then you start to look for it. That’s our first-time buyer incentive.
Willits further went on to explain that Rage‘s single player is so large and in-depth, that even first-time buyers of the game may not end up playing the sewer content that comes with the game.
Most people never even see it. I can tell you, some people will buy Rage, download that, and still never set foot in those things. They just won’t. I think that’s fair. It’s cool. It’s outside the main path. We’re not detracting from anything. But I know some consumers, when you can’t avoid it, then you get a little touchy subject.
Rage is set to release October 4th on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC. Please let us know in the comments what you think about this “online pass.”
