Homefront uses THQ Online Pass

By Robert Purchese Published 6 January, 2011

Multiplayer progression limited without it.

Homefront will be the second game by THQ to feature an Online Pass - a system designed to act as a deterrent to second-hand buyers.

Online Pass codes are given for free to gamers buying Homefront new, first-hand. Those mopping up traded copies of the game, however, will inevitably discover that the one-time-use code has gone or has already been redeemed.

And what does no code equal? Access to only five character levels of Homefront's online multiplayer progression system, according to Shacknews. An Online Pass grants the full 75-level compliment.

Those without an Online Pass can of course buy one, but at a price of $10.

THQ first tried this tactic with UFC Undisputed 2010 last year, a game that restricted online play unless an Online Pass code was entered. Back then this cost only $5/400 Microsoft Points.

Homefront is, in a nutshell, THQ's answer to Medal of Honor or Call of Duty - a blockbuster FPS that will run and run and run.

The game uses a fictional setting where North Korea has invaded North America - a vision of the future that came startlingly close to reality late last year.

As well as that unique setting, Homefront developer Kaos also has some bright ideas about how to shake up multiplayer. Christian Donlan investigated for Eurogamer.

You'll need a brave heart.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds. @Clert on Twitter.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (33) Latest comment 1 year ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • bad09 #1 1 year ago

    Well like EA this online pass nonsense shows it's cracks when you find you are paying more on one game just for one console if you have someone in your home who wants to play the same game as you, but at least THQ give you some online I guess. Still another blow to consumers (do we have any rights when buying their precious bloody games any more? I think something needs to be done to protect us the customers soon), and another sample of the current mentality of this industry.

    As for the game it looks interesting but I'm finding I buy many of these FPS (MOH, BF:BC2 etc) but only end up going back to COD so I'm not buying any FPS full price this year outside of Crysis 2. Bargain bin I'm afraid THQ, nothing against the game it's just FPS so saturated and...well a little boring now. Next time do me some nice horror games, not many of them about.
    Edited by bad09 at 06/01/11 @ 09:19

  • devil_badger #2 1 year ago

    It would be the 3rd game, not the 2nd. Smackdown Vs Raw 2011 used it too. If you have to buy the Online Pass for that game its 800 Microsoft points
    Edited by devil_badger at 06/01/11 @ 09:30

  • TheRealBadabing #3 1 year ago

    Surely if you are trying to create a franchise, the idea is to get as many people playing your game as possible?

    Really arrogant to assume that customers will pay the fee for an unproven product.

  • DefendoCroc #4 1 year ago

    Wow, highway to insta-fail.

  • Cronan #5 1 year ago

    Pre-order cancelled.

  • Kremlik Verified Co-Founder, Crash To Desktop #6 1 year ago

    I've owned most of the 'online pass' games and as I keep saying even tho sometimes the pass price if preowned can be a little bit steap (BFBC2 is 800MS points 'discounted') the THQ ones have been more fairly priced, 9 times out of ten people wanting the games will buy new within the first few months and with the pre-owned prices only £2/£3 cheaper it's still worth buying new (I mean who would really want to still buy a used copy of Blops for £43?), it's only pritty far down the line when it hits the £20 or lower and really £4 extra is next to nothing.

    Project 10 dollor and the online pass methords to stop the pre-owned market from keeping a lot of the income from the industry is still the much lesser evil of the 'always online' DRM or limited installs PC users still have to put up with

  • bad09 #7 1 year ago

    @TSB

    Oh really well that's different to the EA method at least, it's still denying a consumer the right to sell on a fully working game but at least THQ are doing it in a better way.

  • bad09 #8 1 year ago

    "Project 10 dollor and the online pass methords to stop the pre-owned market from keeping a lot of the income from the industry is still the much lesser evil of the 'always online' DRM or limited installs PC users still have to put up with "

    Agreed. Depressing that's where we are as consumers but agreed.

  • arcam #9 1 year ago

    Project 10 dollor and the online pass methords to stop the pre-owned market from keeping a lot of the income from the industry is still the much lesser evil of the 'always online' DRM or limited installs PC users still have to put up with

    It is, but as a PC gamer, I'm advising you to look at the DRM mess of PC gaming as a warning for the future of consoles.

    Publisher "management" of your rights to play and own their games are getting more and more restrictive on both PC and console, that can't be denied, and I wholeheartedly advise any console players to start registering your objections now (if you have any), or you will soon find yourself in a similar position to PC gamers where you can't play games if your internet goes down, can't lend games to friends and can't sell them when you're finished.

    Don't just say "at least it's not as bad as the PC", or soon it will be and the PC will be even worse. Then it will be too late to protest.

  • bad09 #10 1 year ago

    @TSB

    Ah, I think it's different to each game then as someone was saying the Autolog thingy on NFS was per person. They love confusing things don't they, oh the glorious days of just buying a video game and playing it. :)

    Internet was supposedly a good thing for gaming....

  • homerramone #11 1 year ago

    Well its certainly working as a second hand deterrent for me. I wont buy a second hand copy or a new one :-)

  • BuffoonBassoon #12 1 year ago

    why are people cancelling pre orders? were they preordering second hand copies of the game or something?

  • TheApologist #13 1 year ago

    @Arcam

    I agree with your general point, but PC is not quite as bad as all that. Ubisoft seem to be retreating from the worst excesses of their system, and Steam's offline mode is pretty functional now.

    In fact, might it not be argued that on PC companies like Valve are learning to develop DRM systems that make my time with games better, Steam being the best example. It is DRM, but it's pretty unobtrusive and adds in all the community, multiplayer and achievement functionality of Xbox Live without the subscription, and even goes further with stuff like cloud saves etc.

    Just a thought.

  • weejok #14 1 year ago

    Not too bothered about these online passes, new release games come down in price so quickly at online retailers that you can afford to wait a month and pick it up new for £17.99 anyway ;)

  • Kremlik Verified Co-Founder, Crash To Desktop #15 1 year ago

    @arcam - agreed PC as far as DRM is conserned is a mess at times but most of that issue stems from Ubisoft and 2k's heavy handedness with 'trying to prevent torrent versions' which every turn has been countered and the legit user ended up the loser in the end which ended with huge losses in sales with the pc versions of games which carried such DRM - hence the reason for Ubi's start with the backtracking of the 'always on' DRM.

    Online Pass/P10D even tho it's frowned apon by players hasn't had that big of negitive impact the above methords had as it's not being done for the same reason - like I said before it just needs tweeking, games without the pass or the added extras P10D (outside of THQs first attempt at passing by limiting online play totally with UFC) havn't left the games unplayable by either pass or nonpass players, all that needs to be agreed apon is the pricetag on the pass - Homefront TBH has hit the sweet spot by offering enought to allow the 'full game experience' but at least offers a desent price for those who wish to go futher without seeming like it's dobling the cost of the game (ie BFBC2 again)

  • INSOMANiAC #16 1 year ago

    Morons.

  • Kremlik Verified Co-Founder, Crash To Desktop #17 1 year ago

    @TSB - although I agree with you that people don't want these online passes at all, it would be helpful if more people would actally understand by waiting for a 'game to go cheaper' in the preowned sales they aren't actally supporting the indrustry but just supporting more retailers to keep only discounting only a few pounds on preowned games to keep as much as the profits as they can (aka Gamestops record profits again).

    Online pass is only a way to encouage more new sales so the money goes back into the indrusty, once more players buy much more new, both online pass and P10D wouldn't be required anymore - if you really want a indrustry without these and DRM, just buy new.
    Edited by Kremlik at 06/01/11 @ 10:15

  • arcam #18 1 year ago

    @TheApologist, Kremlik

    Agreed that there are some positive signs with the scaling back of PC DRM (certainly not all positive though), particularly with Ubisoft, but I would argue that it is mainly the backlash from gamers (bad press, low sales) that has forced their hand. So again, I would say to console gamers, make your voices of opposition heard, and vote with your wallets, because you can't rely on publishers to do the right thing 'just because'.

  • Apostle #19 1 year ago

    Can't imagine Kaos studios were very happy about this.

  • stepneg #20 1 year ago

    Great way to kill of your online before it's even got going, how do they expect it to compete with the likes of COD when half the players will try it and then not bother. With so many similar games competing for a slice of the action I would have thought they would want to encourage more players not the opposite. If I buy new I would most likely not use the code to increase the resell value and if I buy second hand it's highly unlikely I would bother to buy an online pass.

  • octo #21 1 year ago

    The only way to change the behaviour of publishers is to not buy their games. Which frankly, if you love games, is difficult. If you disagree with the separate charges for online play then simply stop playing online. I have to be honest, when I owned a first generation xbox 360 I played online games a lot. But I was a bit younger and had the time and the inclination. Now I'm a little older, I care less for the online portion of games. I know it's fun, I know people enjoy it, but I am just more into my single player stories. This year Mass Effect 2, Fable 2 and Red Dead Redemption have provided me with well over seventy hours of single player game. That is a lot of bang for my buck. I have no desire to extend the playtime online.

    But other people do and that means you're going to have to pay for it. For me, I wonder just how far they can go. It's a bit like a low cost airline. "Okay, customers are now paying for speedy boarding, luggage in the hold and going to the toilet - how else can we shake money out of their pockets?".

  • mc_mclovin #22 1 year ago

    While i dont agree with the whole online pass/P10D thing, i dont really think it has much impact on anything really, i mean, game/gamestation and now places like tesco/asda/HMV all seem to be selling games at the same 2nd hand price......i would imagine most people have no idea about it until they get home and boot the online section of the game up.....so i'd argue its not really having the desired effect.

    Kinda the same as the "Kotick sucks" brigade on here and other websites, these people spend all year shouting to anyone that'd listen that they would never buy another activison game.....did it matter/have any effect? NO!! COD:BO smashed records everywhere.

    I'd argue that 90%+ of the game buying public never read websites like this, so have no idea online pass/P10D even exists! its certainly not something any of the 2nd hand retailers inform you about!

  • icematt12 #23 1 year ago

    Might have spotted an error, wouldn't SvR 2011 have made Homefront after the 2nd game to use an Onlne Pass? Still, at least pre-owned players get some online access with this.

  • metalangel #24 1 year ago

    I wonder how that "other 90% of the game buying public" felt when they first started NFS:HP and it demanded the code. Especially if said code then didn't work (either due to their typing error or it having already been used)

    While I will not buy another EA game new while their policies of switching servers off and Project Ten Dollar exist, THQ are getting the benefit of the doubt, for now.

  • TheApologist #25 1 year ago

    @arcam

    Yep - certainly agree people should make their voices heard now, and take care with their buying decisions.

    As you say, the progress there has been on PC is because people made their voices known, and developers responded. Also, I guess there was good competition from indies who could try out different ways of doing things that generated more good will from buyers.

    Just think PC gets an overly negative representation sometimes in comparison to consoles which I think are often worse.
    Edited by TheApologist at 06/01/11 @ 12:54

  • Eraysor #26 1 year ago

    Good reason for me not to bother purchasing this one, thanks THQ!

  • obidanshinobi #27 1 year ago

    Meh
    Was really looking forward to this game but based on in game footage I saw last night it looks pretty shit. Expecting scores of around 7/10 IMO.
    Bulletstorm over this at the end of Feb me thinks.

  • arcam #28 1 year ago

    Just think PC gets an overly negative representation sometimes in comparison to consoles which I think are often worse.

    I'd agree, the main reason I'm a PC gamer is because of the restrictions and tight controls on the consoles. However, unless you've been in the PC scene with mods, online multiplayer servers and all that jazz you might not notice that so much. Online only single-player and restrictions on second-hand sales are things that will definitely make console gamers sit up and take notice, and the online pass is clearly already having some of that effect.

    Also agree that the healthy indie scene on PC is one of the big reasons people haved moved away from big publisher releases. With the success and quality of XBLA, maybe that will have an effect on console publishers too, although again the tight control MS has over XBLA makes the indie tag something of a misnomer IMO, at least on the Xbox.
    Edited by arcam at 06/01/11 @ 13:35

  • kosigan #29 1 year ago

    Wow, what a surprise: online pass getting added to more games. It'll be standard on all games within 2 years, I reckon. The only benefit is more money to the publisher, so why wouldn't they?

  • governmentyard #30 1 year ago

    Cool, one less game to buy.

  • RobotRocker #31 1 year ago

    Does the online pass include extra xenophobia and borderline racism too?

  • jebus #32 1 year ago

    @TheRealBadabing
    06/01/11 @ 09:22 "Really arrogant to assume that customers will pay the fee for an unproven product."

    Yeah but you don't have to pay the fee when you buy it first hand

  • TheRealBadabing #33 1 year ago

    Of course but the fact is that, for better or worse, 2nd hand is a reality and in that climate this is a mistake.

    By restricting the player base to just the original purchaser, multiplayer is very unlikely to gain any sort of foothold in the most competitive sector. Remember, they want to develop a franchise.

    It's a tough decision; take a hit at first and gamble that the game will be popular and the sequel will pay off - or try to get as much revenue as possible from day one, potentially alienating a big chunk the sequel's future market.