Sony explains PlayStation Plus: here's what your $50 annually buys (update)
By Sean Hollister 
posted June 25th 2010 1:50AM
posted June 25th 2010 1:50AM
Furthermore, PSN titles will be discounted up to 50 percent by the sheer power of your will, you'll get early access to betas, and you can try certain full games for an hour (not just a demo) before you buy them. You can also turn on an automatic update feature that will download patches and the like automatically, and the company hints it may even (finally) bring us cross-game voice chat. Without knowing which games are included, we still don't know if it's worth our annual Ulysses S. Grant, but at least now the service sounds like it's worthy of consideration.
Update: Looks like the US will get a free copy of Wipeout HD at launch, and European gamers will get LittleBigPlanet as well -- see our more coverage link for the full EU slate. Now that's more like it.
rip off!
@pinktacoyummm you pay for nothing really its worser than xbox live gold cause if you dont pay on psn you can still play for free
@pinktacoyummm
so you pay $50 for inter-game chat? lmao fail. xbox live is where its at. 25 million gamers. noone is on psn. did i mention ps3 has no games?
@kid300 Just admit androids ugly Yeah, 25 Million gamers. 100,000 of which who AREN'T 12 years old.
@big nazty yea know right. lol
I know PS3 and Xbox.
Why should I pay 50$ a year when I can play games on psn for free. lol
@kid300 Just admit androids ugly
Judging your username and typing patterns, you're better suited to XBL. At least I won't hear as much whiny cuss-flinging jerks on PSN.
@big nazty not really, PSN+ doesn't add many new features, it's more like a loyalty programme. It's worth it for people who spend a lot of money on PSN.
@big nazty Even though you have to pay for Xbox Live I've had a rather reliable service with Microsoft. unfortunately Sony hasn't been so lucky and I've had several terrible issues with my PS3 and online play. The $50 per year is tempting for the free games alone, but you don't keep them forever unless you keep paying. Plus there aren't many good games on PSN that I'd like to own even on discount. I'd much rather stick with Xbox Live and all the fantastic little goodies that come along with it!
@MrFluffyThing Ummm Steam FTW....you guys don't get it...PC gaming kicks ass.
@pinktacoyummm
??? 4 games a month for free (48 games a year) for $50, AND discounts on other purchases upto 50%, exclusive content, access to betas, auto-update service.
Are you nuts? Microsoft offer FA for $50 a year. (well online gaming, which Sony offer for free, and is better due to dedicated servers)
@Teslanaut
Just like PSN? 40 million accounts, 20 million of which are accounts for the Sony website, and another 10 million for duplicate accounts? Leaving what, about 20 people who aren't 12?
@pinktacoyummm You can play online for free, for now. I bet later on down the road Sony will charge you to play online.
And don't say it will never happen. I remember Playstation fanboys saying that Sony will never ever charge you monthly for anything.
Never say never.
@Aguiluz You don't hear as many because most PSN users don't have a mic.
@Massive Poop Actually I'm a happy PC gamer first and an Xbox live gamer second. I just happen to have a PS3 in the corner that I use for Blu Ray movies on my TV since I have trouble using it for much else good with the PC around.
@kid300 Just admit androids ugly
Who cares?
@pinktacoyummm I agree, I have a PS3 and you are basically paying for nothing.
@MrFluffyThing
Ever bothered to look at the PS3's catalogue? I have a PS3, a flashed 360 and a good gaming computer, and whilst the gaming computer is best, I find myself playing my PS3 most simply because it has more good exclusives; the only 360 exclusives I like are Halo 3 and ODST, Alan Wake, Fable 2, Forza 3 and Rez HD.
@Happy oh really? they'll charge LATER? LATER? when later? the console cycle is almost fucking ending and you say they may charge LATER?
@drkztan we r only halfway through both companies said 10 years......
@zMastaa
yeah they said the life of the console would be 10 years, just like the ps2 has been out for 10 years, but they didn't say that another console wouldn't come out before the 10 years...
@Zoidbot2010
There are 52 weeks in the year BTW.
They have to throw in the free games because it puts it on par with XBL Gold.
With XBL, party and chatting and marketplace is built into Silver. With Gold, you pay for online gaming and some exclusive demos, etc as well as get offers for weekly discounted games and add-ons.
Considering with PSN you already get online gaming, without the free games part would it really be worth the $50 for PSN+?
BTW, I have Wii, Xbox 360 S, and PS3 80GB. Originally bought PS3 for MGS4, FF XIII, and RE5 (before the E3 announcement that FF and RE5 was coming to Xbox as well). I usually get games on 360 because of the online and most of my friends have 360 for multiplayer. The most use my PS3 had was for MGS 1,2,3 and 4 as well as when I finally had a broken box (almost made it the full 3 years of warranty on my old 360 Elite) and what I have played in online has not come close to 360 for community type environment. PSN feels like XBL from the original Xbox days and Halo 2.
You sure you got the name right?
Sony, not Steam?
Because:
I get discounts (bought Mass Effect for $5 few days ago, 75% discount)
I get patches downloaded and applied automatically
I get early demos, betas ect
Sometimes I get a whole WEEKEND (thats 48 times Sony's offer) of free play (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 had this promo recently, after that it was Shattered Horizons)
I get in-game chat (overlay menu with browser, friends ect)
and I get it all for $0 per year.
Oh, wait, I get it. Sony Style - pay extra for everything. Including free stuff xD
@kid300 Just admit androids ugly
Yeah, the PS3 has no games... no games you've ever played before typing that stupid comment!
@Teslanaut
That's not true. There has to be a few million that are younger. Has to be.
@Shokz Of all of the exclusives that PS3 has, not many of them appeal to me. I've noticed a large shift in the Sony catalog for making games look pretty first, and making them play well second in the list of priorities. Of the exclusives that I keep my PS3 around for, Little Big Planet and Uncharted 2 are probably the only two. God of War 3 was too short and was nothing new, Killzone 2 while looked pretty only ran at 30FPS and had such a wonky control scheme it aggravated me. I've played most PS3 exclusives because of where I work, and I've also played many Xbox 360 exclusives. I hate to say it but I see a huge shift of quality leaning towards the Xbox 360 when it comes to playability and enjoyability.
Not to mention: the PS3 controller sucks. How am I supposed to enjoy a game with such a crappy piece of tech in my hands?
@Shinigami
Except that with your "0$ a year" Xbox Live account, you don't have the most important thing: online multiplayer gaming... oops!
@Happy
Guilty.
I would like this for the free games, but it isn't in my budget.
@kid300 Just admit androids ugly
Wow, PS3 have no games? My condolences for you being stuck in 2007 :(
@WickedEast
To be completely fair, if you only own a PS3, this is nothing but good news; but if we're comparing and you own XBox360, this is a wait and see depending on the type of games they're giving for free.
As an owner of both systems, I'm not going to buy both premium services and with PS3 keeping free online multiplayer, this seems like an easy choice to stick with Xbox Live.
NOTE: I also have a gaming pc, so as someone else mentioned I already get demos, free game weekends to try games, and HIGHLY discounted games.
@Massive Poop Until you have to buy a new PC...
@Aguiluz Amen
Too bad it's so sloppy
I KNOW
Probably any new features will just go under this.
Taking a wait and see approach on this one.
" 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. "
Does that mean we can get that free or we still have to buy it?
@UrAwFuL free and discounted
Sorry. You started free and it's hard to ask us to pay for this now and barely offer us anything of substance.
@DizWhiz offering "free games" for as long as you are a member, games trials of disk games that saves can be carried over to the physical version, free themes, and hinting at more
Hulu might be incorporated into this at some point.
I got some store credit for my birthday, I'll probably give this a go.
@DizWhiz $50 a year, so near as dammit $5 a month. If you're getting a free game a month it may be worth it, along with other bits and bobs that they're giving out.
It's not excessively expensive, but it's more like paying $50 for a really really really big demo disc.
@DizWhiz
@pinktacoyummm
??? 4 games a month for free (48 games a year) for $50, AND discounts on other purchases upto 50%, exclusive content, access to betas, auto-update service.
Are you nuts? Microsoft offer FA for $50 a year. (well online gaming, which Sony offer for free, and is better due to dedicated servers)
@Whiternoise
Hate to break the news to you my brother, but Sony is notorious for coming up short on it's marketing hype an feature promises.
I personally don't believe the four game a month will ever come to pass.
My rule with Sony is take their marketing and divide it by 3. If that total seems like a good value, go for it.
Okay, MS. I want you to emulate the following: cheaper XBLA games for Gold members, occasional free games that we actually want and any content that is already on a game that is being sold as DLC should be free... for Silver members too. Don't allow such nonsense on your platform.
PS+ is starting to sound like what Q-Link or CompuServe promised back in the 300 baud days (yes, I'm old).
@Enduro I gotta add that a lot of these features are as compelling as Xbox 360 faceplates. Others will hopefully push M$ to stop treating us like Mobile Me subscribers.
As long as the online gaming remains free (the only thing I care for), then Sony's upheld its end of the bargain. Gee people have a major sense of entitlement when it comes to features that haven't even came out yet.
Sweet
Sweet
50% off PSN games is a pretty sweet deal for people who buy them quite a bit.
there are a few of those games I am willing to get myself.
Still, Good for Sony to keep online play free of charge.
Wow. Sony's gone all born again Christian.
A gold crucifix for a logo?
@Gregorian That's a normal cross not a crucifix, all it's sides are of equal length.