Update: We are receiving conflicting reports saying that the discs will remain tradable. We are looking into it and will update as soon as we can.
After a discussion that started in the comments thread of our DC Universe Online review, we did some chatting and googling and came to a slightly startling discovery that we realise is not known by most gamers out there.
When I installed DC Universe Online I was asked to punch in a code. At the time I thought that it was just my free 1 month trial, but it turns out that it was a little more than that. Not only do you already have to pay for a game that asks a subscription fee (unlike other popular MMO’s like WoW), but it looks like once you have activated it, you are stuck with.
So what happens if you want to sell it, trade it or even just lend it to a friend for a bit?
Saying that the discs become locked to PSN would’t, strictly speaking, be correct but it basically means that its all about the code and nothing to do with the game itself. Once you use your code, that copy of DCUO is locked to your PSN account for good.
Let this serve as a warning to you that if you are thinking of buying the game to give it a go, don’t think that you can just merely sell it off or trader it after a month if your free trial is up and you don’t feel like playing it anymore. On that same not be careful of people who are also not aware of this fact, as some people buy second hand copies over the net and may land up paying for courier fees and a game that won’t work.
This of course, also means that renting is not an option. There is a story of a Blockbuster in the USA telling someone that they can still rent the game because the code is only needed for online play… for a game called DC Universe Online.
You have been warned, tweet the link, tell your friends and just make sure that you aren’t caught out. I personally find this whole ordeal pathetic, as the subscription fees should have been enough to begin with.
Last Updated: February 9, 2011
