Attempting to make a profit from gamers purchasing “used” games, Ubisoft has decided to include codes required to access multiplayer features on it’s “popular core games”.
In what was supposed to begin with Driver: San Francisco, the title was supposed to ship with a valid-one time code unlocking online multiplayer features. Ubisoft might have predicted some backlash from fans, but they probably didn’t foresee incorrectly printed Uplay Passport codes in some copies of the game.
Ubisoft isn’t the first to make second-hand buyers have to pay to unlock online features, but the the lastest blunder with Driver: San Francisco has made Ubisoft rethink it’s strategy. The content is now free worldwide, “doesn’t expire and is available on Xbox and PS3”, a spokesperson said.
“We wanted to make you aware of an issue with copies of Driver: San Francisco,” Ubisoft added in a statement. “Due to a printing error on the insert of some copies of Driver: San Francisco in North America, Ubisoft has elected to provide the Driver Uplay Passport content for free.
“Although this problem does not affect players outside of North America, we have decided to mirror this offer to everyone in the world in order to be fair to all our players.”
Second-hand buyers may have won the battle with Ubisoft’s Driver: San Francisco, but they haven’t won the war.
