No Online Pass for Syndicate

Written by Eric Yee Thursday, 02 February 2012 13:48

On February 21 no long alpha numeric codes will need to be entered to unlock a portion of Syndicate as the game will have no online pass. EA Partners Executive producer Jeff Gomon confirmed the lack of an online pass to Eurogamer.

"We want as little resistance or barriers to entry as possible," he said. "The co-op is equal billing in this. We wanted everyone who owns a copy of the game to have access to the entire product."

"Under normal circumstances it would have had an online pass, but because it didn't have competitive multiplayer and because we wanted as many people as possible to be playing co-op, we got away with it," he said.

Syndicate is one of a few EA partner games not to use an online pass. Both Crytek's Crysis 2 and Valve's Portal 2 shipped without using an online pass, unlike most EA developed titles.Gamon believes that the length of Syndicate's multiplayer component is another reason why EA didn't insist on an online pass.

"There are nine maps. It's hard to say, but just to play through the maps once on normal is a good six, seven hours. To progress your character and upgrade a few weapons is a heap of content. That and the single-player campaign means hopefully we won't see much in the way of early second hand sales and rentals."