EA: Syndicate has no online pass because co-op is half the game

EA Partners boss Jeff Gamon has confirmed Starbreeze's anticipated shooter, Syndicate, will not utilise an online pass system.

Gamon gave a couple of reasons for the decision to give an online pass a miss.

"We want as little resistance or barriers to entry as possible. The co-op is equal billing in this," he told Eurogamer.

"We wanted everyone who owns a copy of the game to have access to the entire product.

"Maybe another reason for not having the Online Pass is we were confident in the scope of the online game," he added.

"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."

The primary purpose of online pass systems is to generate found revenue on second-hand sales, which would otherwise not benefit the publisher in any way. EA has indicated it's pretty keen on the idea, and while not every game published through EA Partners is required to use one, Syndicate's exception is still unusual.

"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," Gamon explained.

Syndicate is due for release in late February, for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

Thanks, Joystiq