Playstation Plus

[Hiryo]

PlayStation Nation — First off, thank you for all of your feedback regarding PlayStation Plus. There have been a lot of comments and questions surrounding some of the details of the new subscription service so we wanted to provide a little clarification leading up to its availability on June 29th. It’s a lot of info, but hopefully this helps answer most of your questions.

PlayStation Plus

First off, at launch, PlayStation Plus will offer subscribers the full PlayStation Network game, WipEout HD, PSP minis and PS One Classics such as Fieldrunners, Age of Zombies and Rally Cross, full game trial of inFAMOUS, as well as free monthly episodes of Qore – our high-definition, interactive gaming lifestyle show.

With that, here are the basics of the new subscription service that lives on top of the current PlayStation Network:

* The current PSN features will remain free. We are still very committed to PSN as a free comprehensive entertainment service and are certainly not planning on reducing this service following the launch of PlayStation Plus.
* PlayStation Plus is an evolving service and the features included at launch will be:
o Games
o PS Store Discounts
o Exclusive offers on select demos, betas and early purchases
o Full Game Trial
o Automatic Downloads
* PlayStation Plus can be purchased through PlayStation Store on PS3 as a one-year package or a three-month package. The three-month package is available for $17.99 and the one-year package will be available for $49.99. We will also be offering three additional bonus months for free if you purchase the 1-year package — that’s 15 months total for $49.99.
* Payment is a one-time fee for either package and can be purchased with any of the current PSN Store payment methods – credit card or PSN Cards.


Here are more details on the features of PlayStation Plus:

Games & Special Offers: As a subscriber, you can expect to get your hands on free monthly PSN games, minis and PS One Classics from the PSN Store. You will be able to download these games during the month they are available until the new selection replaces them.

Once downloaded, the games are yours to keep and play as long as you are a member of PlayStation Plus. If your subscription lapses and then you re-subscribe, the games you have already downloaded will reactivate, so you still have access to them. Additionally, if you delete one of the titles from your PS3, but decide you want to get it back, then you can re-download from the PlayStation Plus section of the PSN Store if the game is still there, or, if the game has expired from the PlayStation Plus section of the PSN Store, you can simply search for it on PS Store and download it again at no extra cost.

Each month there will be dynamic themes, premium avatars and premium game elements/add-ons for you to download and many will be exclusive to PlayStation Plus members only. These are yours to keep forever once you have downloaded them.

PlayStation Plus subscribers will also be given exclusive PlayStation Store discounts each month that are above and beyond the current PSN Store discounts available to everyone. These discounts will range from 20% to 50%, and anything you buy with these is yours to keep and enjoy forever.

Finally, wherever possible we’ll be making sure that members are included in selected demos and beta trials before they go live to everyone else, so you can be the one to tell all your friends about the next big game they ‘must’ get.

Subscribers will get hundreds of dollars of value through the year and, in the first month alone, will receive more than $50 worth of content.

Full Game Trial: Each month we will be offering members the chance to download full games and try them out for a period of time (one hour, unless otherwise stated). After the game trial is complete, simply purchase the game to carry on where you left off. This is a unique way to trial the full game experience and means you don’t have to be restricted to certain levels/game modes when you test out a game.

The games in Full Game Trial will become available to all PS Store users to purchase, but only PlayStation Plus members will have the chance to ‘try before you buy’.

The other great thing about this feature is that you can continue from where you were at the end of the trial period if you decide to buy the game. All game saves and trophies earned during the trial will be unlocked and will show up on your trophy list and your trophy level when you purchase the game. You don’t even have to re-download the game, just purchase and go back to the XMB to access the game.

Automatic Download: Subscribers will be able to set their PS3 to wake up from standby at any time of the day or night, download and install any game updates for the games you have been playing so you don’t have to think about it. Also, select demos and videos will be pushed to your PS3 ready to go. System software updates will also download automatically (manual install still required) and then the PS3 will turn itself off again.

Game updates and demos will also automatically install and the next time you turn on your PS3 you will see a brief on-screen message letting you know what has been downloaded and updated.

Here are some more answers to frequently asked questions from the last blog post:

* Cross-game voice chat is a feature we know our passionate user base has asked for and we’ll continue to look at as a viable offering for the PlayStation Network.
* You need to be the master account holder on the PS3 and be over 18 to purchase PlayStation Plus, but other accounts on that PS3 will be able to play the games you download for as long as you are a subscriber.
* The “free” games you can download each month are yours to keep for as long as you are a subscriber.
* PlayStation Plus is for PS3 owners as subscribership can only be purchased on the PSN Store. However, some of the content – minis and PS One Classics – available each month will also be playable on your PSP if you have one. Download them on the PS3 and transfer to your PSP, or download directly from the PSP Store or Media Go for PSP.

PlayStation Plus is a continually evolving service and we are always working on identifying new partnerships, developing new features and providing new content that our users want. So thanks again for all your comments and questions and please continue to offer more ideas at PlayStation.Blog Share.

July 29th - August 3rd
Free For PlayStation Plus Subscribers:

Wipeout HD (Regularly $19.99)
Rally Cross PS1 Classic ($5.99)
Age of Zombies mini ($4.99)
Warhawk Fallen Star Pack ($1.99)
Collision PS3 Premium Theme
Fat Princess Red and Blue Premium Avatars

Discounted for PlayStation Plus Subscribers
Fat Princess Roles Expansion $3.99 (regularly $4.99)

Midway Discounts:
Gauntlet II $2.50 ($4.99)
Mortal Kombat II $2.50 ($4.99)
Rampage $2.50 ($4.99)
Rampart $2.50 ($4.99)

Tik Games-Creat Studios Discounts:
Cuboid Full Game - $7.99 ($9.99)
Cuboid Booster Pack - Free ($2.99)
Cuboid Bundle Pack - Free ($4.99)
Cuboid Level Editor - Free ($3.99)
Hamster Ball - $7.99 ($9.99)
Interpol: The Trail of Dr. Chaos - $7.99 ($9.99)
Magic Orbz $7.99 - ($9.99)
Magic Orbz Booster Pack - Free ($2.99)
Magic Orbz Jungle Pack - Free ($2.99)
Mahjong Tale: Ancient Wisdom - $7.99 ($9.99)
Mahjong Tale Booster Pack - Free ($4.99)
Smash Cars - $11.99 ($14.99)
Smash Cars Virus Run Addon - Free ($2.99)
Wakeboarding HD - $11.99 ($14.99)

[Kaisha]

Only thing that interests me are the discounts, but uh......we already get sales from time to time on PSN, unless they plan on removing that for non-subscribers. I just don't see the point in paying monthly for something to play that I lose when I decide to stop subscribing to also in the case of 'free' games. Would rather take the $34 I save by not signing up and putting it towards games instead.


And still no crossgame voice chat, thanks Sony.

Granted, getting more bang for your buck then XBL offers. All I could really ask for is crossgame chat, and making demos mandatory, or at least for PSN+ users, as it's stupid seeing a new $15 game pop up and no reviews or anything are out to see if it's any good.
(yes I'm aware Sony charges the publishers for the bandwidth users consume on their products. PSN+ would at least 'pay' for that bandwidth)

[AoE]

Hrm. 50 bucks for a year isn't bad. >BO

[Shojin]

No.

[Hiryo]

I think it depends on how often the sales come up and on what kind of items it is. If you're a COD fan and you can get the majority of your content for cheaper, in about a year you may break even.

If your'e the kind of person who will buy just about any stand-alone off the PSN because you like getting those short pick-up-and-play games, then you will definently save over the course of a year.

If you're like me and just wants stuff for "free" in order to stop you from having to buy another PSN game again, you may save or at least break even in a year.

Essentially I'm paying $50 for one year of free "throw at me" games, 1 hour try-me trials of the hot new game of the month i'll probably never buy, WipeOut HD, and discounts on downloads so I can procrastinate on upgrading my games.

[Insanecyclone]

Beta access and discounts is all I care about. Sign me up.

[Tyrath]

I would consider getting this if it wasn't for the "You lose all your games if you end subscription"

[Shenrien]

I would consider getting this if it wasn't for the "You lose all your games if you end subscription"

if you've downloaded any PSN game and looked through its detail you'll see it has a 'time of expire' on it. its been there for as long as I can remember.

[Hiryo]

I'm not sure I understand. If you buy a year subscription, whats wrong with losing the game if you dont get the next year? What are the chances you'll even still be playing it after 1 year AND refuse to get another year added on.

Unless everyone was planning to get 3 months or cheaper just to get a couple free games then bolt lol

Edit: and to everyone that planned to do the latter, then whats the point of even getting PS+? Might as well put your 17.99 towards the DLC itself rather than trying to sneak a "free game" with the 3 months o.O

[Darus Grey]

I like this approach, give me real incentive to purchase a premium service.

As opposed to forcing me to payup if I want to host multiplayers games from my own fucking console.

[Charismatic]

Just add cross-game chat and that's a fucking solid setup.
Actually, it already is... but cross-game chat is icing on the cake.

[Odesseiron]

Not attempting to start any sort of shit here, but I'm curious of something. All of you signing up for PS+, did you think that paying $50 for xbox live was a rip off? Granted you could always play games on PS3 for free, but Live is more than the PS store in terms of content. Just curious about what you think of both. I personally love my XBL subscription, but can't see myself plunking down another $50.

[Insanecyclone]

I use pre-paid cards for xbox, given buying those are somewhat equal to monthly payment, doesn't bother me. You can use PSN cards for plus too.

[Kaisha]

What exactly does XBL have going for it that your $50 is going towards that is related to gaming aside from leaderboards, party chats, and mandatory game demos?

All the other shit they keep packing onto Gold subscription idgaf about because it's all crap I can already do on my PC for free, or watch on my TV.


If PSN+ games didn't expire I'd consider it. I'm not a fan of 'owning' stuff as long as I continue giving them money.

[Shenrien]

:/ I don't like Microsoft not allowing people to play games online without having to pay monthly for it, that's kind of a major let down, plus I hardly see any free games up on Xbox Lives market but there are a few floating around on PSN.

I think this is a great service because they're offering reduced prices on the content of the PSN, and from the sounds of it the way they are handling trial games is completly different from how live has it setup.

Also I've never heard of Microsoft offering free time if you purchase a year from them, and the price of the content they sell on their service seems kinda messed up, but that's just what I've got to say about it I'll give it a year trial and see how it goes if it fails as badly as live, then wont purchase another year or 3 months.

[izembo]

ms used to give 1 free month when you bought a year, they stopped like 2 years ago

[Darus Grey]

Not attempting to start any sort of shit here, but I'm curious of something. All of you signing up for PS+, did you think that paying $50 for xbox live was a rip off?

I see it as less of a rip-off and more of an extortion, they've spent a lot of money getting people to believe you somehow magically get better connections and games on XBL, when it in reality uses the same peer-to-peer system as most games have for decades now(excluding some FPSs which use dedicated servers, which are frequently user owned/operated anyways).

They basically put a padlock on multiplayer in exchange for cash, when they don't actually provide the multiplayer service they allude to(there's a host console like every other system/PC).

I frankly see it as straight up fraud the way they market it.

[shidobu]

They basically put a padlock on multiplayer in exchange for cash, when they don't actually provide the multiplayer service they allude to(there's a host console like every other system/PC).

I frankly see it as straight up fraud the way they market it.

agreed, they pretty much fuck you outa the box
"ooh hey you just bought this $64 game thx for the cash. But if you wanna play this bad boy online go ahead and cough up another 50 bucks"

fuck that noise

[Hiryo]

Not attempting to start any sort of shit here, but I'm curious of something. All of you signing up for PS+, did you think that paying $50 for xbox live was a rip off? Granted you could always play games on PS3 for free, but Live is more than the PS store in terms of content. Just curious about what you think of both. I personally love my XBL subscription, but can't see myself plunking down another $50.

i must say i used to hate all day on Live's subscription, and truth be told, i still do. But its really for the reasons the others stated. So until Sony comes out with something on PS+ thats a damn-near necessity for everyone with a ps3 to have, then the 2 subscription services have a pretty big difference in comparison.

[Kaisha]

On a side note, anyone a bit miffed how Sony said they would not be putting any more PS3 games on PSN for sale due to their filesize being 'too large', and how they turn around and decide to do just that for PSN+ users for the full-trials and what not?
(not to mention how Record of Agarest War was on PSN and requires a whopping 18gb free to download/install)

European users are getting LBP for the first month, and not only that, they get to keep it even after subscription.


Maybe I just bitch too much.....