Second-hand copies of DC Universe Online won't work

Sony has confirmed that anyone buying a second hand copy of its recent MMO DC Universe Online will find that they have to purchase a new subscription account alongside it, making second-hand purchases essentially pointless.

The discs are linked to one-time PSN activation codes, which means that once entered, that disc is attached inextricably to that account. Any use on a separate PSN ID would require the purchase of a second subscription from Sony.

"Once the PSN key has been consumed with a disk it cannot be resold/replayed with the second user adding a sub - only the original consumer can use that acct," Sony said in an email to LazyGamer, adding that "Disk and account are one."

This also means that a shared PS3 console, with separate PSN IDs on it, would require separate discs in order for multiple accounts to play the game, even on the same machine.