Sony getting all pissy over used games, forcing purchasers of used SOCOM games to pony up for new online licenses.

Sony loves their customers. Ha, that’s a joke. Need one of many examples? Take for example people who pick up a copy of SOCOM US Navy SEALs: Fireteam Bravo 3 from a used game retailer. Said customers will find a nasty surprise when they get home — online access doesn’t work. That is, online access won’t work unless 2nd hand customers cough up $20 more bucks to Sony. The reason being Sony and other game developer companies hate used game retailers because they don’t see a single dime of the resale. But, it’s completely legal. Bonus for the consumer.

Sony’s Solution: start removing online features and then charing a “re-activation fee” for new users, regardless if it’s a used game or not.

Such a stance by Sony isn’t anything new. Over the years, they’ve become the poster child of of how not to embrace technology and increase customer loyalty. DRM has also been a staple of their constant failure ridden history as they’ve tried to obsessively control things that aren’t theirs to control. But they’ll never change.

In the end, it’s Sony being the same idiotic, backward thinking company. And these companies wonder why people are driven towards piracy…

Gizmodo > Consumerist > IGN