Codemasters are masters of cash.
Codemasters have chosen to punish those who cannot afford to buy their games brand new, to play Dirt3 online you will need either the VIP pass (included in your new copy) or purchase an online pass code to play your second hand title online. The box did not indicate that this was the case and I for one am refusing to support any developer/publisher who uses these underhanded money grubbing tactics. It shows that Codemasters only have eyes for our cash, we are a bottom line quarterly report to them and nothing more, why punish those who can't afford to buy brand new? The game has to be purchased brand new in order for it to make the second hand game table doesn't it? This "second helping" from Codemasters leaves a bad taste in my mouth and it's only just begun. I returned my copy for a refund and have added Codemasters to the list of developers who do not value their clientele. The money these companies have has come from our wallets/purses and how do they repay us? By ripping the gaming community off blind with these cash hungry methods.
Make a stand gamers and don't let these unscrupulous developers get away with this, this is only the beginning and you can bet they have more dirty tricks up their sleeves in order to wring the most amount of cash out of the very public that supported their rise. BE WARNED, CODEMASTERS ARE SETTING A DANGEROUS PRECEDENT HERE AND I GUARANTEE THAT OTHER DEVELOPERS WILL FOLLOW SUIT. SAVE OUR WIDER GAMING COMMUNITY AND SEND A MESSAGE THAT WE WILL NOT STAND FOR THESE MONEY HUNGRY METHODS. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.