Continuing what's become something of a worrying trend for the games industry, English publisher Codemasters have decided to include a single use code with every copy of DiRT 3, without which, you won't be able to access a number of the game's modes - including online play.
In a move which is designed to harm pre-owned sales, and encourage people to buy new, as Codemasters presume that most people who bought the game first hand will have redeemed the code, you'll either have to buy the game brand new, or pay 800 Microsoft Points (around £6.80) if you've bought it second hand.
Buy pre-owned, and it'll cost you an extra £6.80 to play online.
The code allows players to access the online mode of the game, five bonus cars, and the YouTube replay upload features, which we discussed in our recent preview.
While it's a somewhat understandable move, as game developers and publishers don't get any revenue at all from second hand sales - which now make up a huge chunk of the market - it's a lose lose situation for the consumer. The war on pre-owned is a war that needs to be fought from both sides. There's no denying that games are an expensive commodity, and with pre-owned often offering substantially cheaper prices, while new copies stay at £39.99 (thanks to the retailers wanting to make their second hand stock seem even more appealing), it's not surprising that many people prefer to buy second hand. £39.99 is simply too much to ask for a brand new game. Had DiRT 3 retailed for £29.99, and reduced in price gradually in a natural curve, the argument for including an online pass would have been much greater. As it stands, the war between the retailers and the publishers continues - and it's us who're still losing out.
If you do buy pre-owned, although you'll feel pained to have to pay for the online pass, it is still worth it - the YouTube replay functions on their own are worth the asking price. Just take a look at our recent highlight clip we uploaded, and see what you think.
