Missing features for pre-owned Sims 3

The Sims 3 will be the latest title to penalise those who buy the pre-owned version of the game when it arrives on Xbox 360 and PS3 later this year.

Those hoping to use the new Facebook functionality that allows players to share achievements and other in-game features with friends online will have to use the single-use serial code enclosed with the new, full retail purchase”.

The code is tied to a single EA account and cannot be transferred.

As with other games adopting similar policies, anyone who buys a second hand version of the game will presumably still get the chance to access the features – as long as they’re willing to pay EA a one-off fee in order to receive a new code.

The penalty is seen as both an incentive for consumers to buy new copies of games and for EA to help monetise pre-owned sales – a sector of the market that traditionally offers no returns for publishers.

The same penalties won’t apply to the Wii and DS versions, which don’t offer Facebook connectivity.

Existing EA titles that require in-the-box serial codes to access additional features include Dragon Age: Origins, Mass Effect 2 and Battlefield: Bad Company 2.

UK retailer GAME recently announced that it has started labelling copies of pre-owned titles that do not include DLC obtained via the use of a code.