Used game owners collateral damage as SOCOM: U.S. NAVY SEALs attacks PSP piracy

PSP owners who buy a second-hand copy of SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 3 will be forced to pay $20 for a new voucher code if they want to play online.

Physical copes of the squad-based PlayStation Portable shooter come with a one-time voucher to link the game to a PlayStation Network account, while digital copies automatically register in the background. Should a physical copy of the game be sold second-hand, the new owner will be forced to pay roughly half the price of the original game for a new voucher code in order to access online features, reports IGN.

The introduction of the new registration procedure is a “trial run for a new initiative we are exploring for the platform,” says Sony Computer Entertainment America director of hardware marketing John Koller. According to SCEA research, the move will be “received quite positively” by PSP owners.