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"PlayStation Plus" Subscription Service Unveiled

Those "free games" they talked about at the press conference aren't so free.

After months and months of speculation about the future of the PlayStation Network, Sony Executive Jack Tretton revealed a new online subscription service for the PlayStation 3 that will begin later this month. The newly minted "PlayStation Plus" service will offer PS3 owners additional online features, discounts on PSN games, "free downloadable games," and access to exclusive offers such as game betas. A one-year subscription to PlayStation Plus is $50 dollars--the same price as a year of Xbox Live--while three months of the service can be purchased for $17. The key difference between the Xbox Live and PlayStation Plus services is that the latter is not required to play games online.  
  

Plus subscribers will get exclusive access to new PSN game discounts every month.
Plus subscribers will get exclusive access to new PSN game discounts every month.
So, if you're not paying for online play, what are you paying for with PlayStation Plus? According to Sony's press release, PlayStation Plus subscribers get access to a number of exclusive features. First, Plus members will get access to "Full Game Trials" which are time-limited version of PlayStation 3, PSN, and PSone games that cycle every month. Like the free games on Gametap, you can play the games as much as you want during the allotted period,  but once the games are cycled out and replaced with new free games, you'll have to actually buy the game. 
 
That's not to say that there aren't free games to play. In fact, Plus subscribers will have access to a number of free PS3, PSN, and PSone games to download and play as much as they want. For instance, Wipeout HD will be a game free to download for Plus subscribers when the service begins this month. There is a caveat, however: the games are only free as long as you are subscribed to the service. If you cancel your subscription to PlayStation Plus, those free games will no longer be accessible, not unlike a Zune music subscription. So, remember: you have to pay money to play the free games. 
   
 Wipeout HD will be the first free game offered to PlayStation Plus subscribers.
 Wipeout HD will be the first free game offered to PlayStation Plus subscribers.
Plus subscribers also have access to exclusive content, such as special themes and avatar items in home, as well as early access to game betas, demos, and the PlayStation's suite of video magazines. In addition, Plus members will have exclusive discounts on items various items in the PlayStation Store (PS3 and PSP!) that will cycle month to month. Finally, Plus subscribers get some additional features for their console: their system will be able to automatically download updates and patches for games. PlayStation Plus also adds cross-game chat functionality to the PS3, so you can chat with friends in any game they're playing. PlayStation Plus subscribers can even set their PlayStation 3 to "automatically start up at a designated time to download content and will turn off after the download has completed" which is less of an update and more of a terror that my PS3 has become sentient. It can turn itself on and off, and use my bandwidth at will. This is the nightmare connect future we were warned about. 
 
So, those are your PSN features. It's important to mention again that none of the content that has already been available for free will be blocked for non-subscribers, so don't worry that free online play will suddenly become a subscriber-only benefit.  
 
What do you think, guys? Are you interested in paying for Sony's online service when it launches later this month? Are you willing to pay to have access to free games, and continue paying for games to ensure that those games stay free? 

274 Comments

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Cybexx

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Edited By Cybexx

I don't really see anything that I want from this. It sounds like the games they are thinking of offering are stuff I already own, they will obviously start cycling newer stuff in but I wonder how new that stuff would be. Everything else is unsubstantial.

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AndyPhifer

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Edited By AndyPhifer

Well hey, at least they didn't take anything away from the basic service, right? They get credit for that.

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Nunchuckles

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Edited By Nunchuckles
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hyperfludd

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Edited By hyperfludd

Not really that fantastic. The discounts are what interest me the most, I want to see how though work first. Otherwise, I'll stick with the norm.

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GozerTC

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Edited By GozerTC

Well first off lets get this out there:  I'm glad PSN is still free.  I.e. I can still play online without paying for it.  Plus for PSN.  
 
Cross Game Voice chat?  Don't give a damn since almost no one chats on PSN anyway.  Add to that my daughter rips the bloody headset off when I try to use it and even if she didn't I still wouldn't care.  I have NEVER used cross game voice chat on XBL, why should I care if it's on PSN?  
 
Now you guys can be pissed about it but I am not losing any sleep over it.  
 
Unlimited Demos?  IF it is a game I can play the snot out of for a month and that's it, I'm in.  1 month is about the end of my game cycle most of the time anyway so yeah that's cool.  On the other hand if it's just a timed demo then pass.  PSN already doesn't provide enough demos why should I pay for more?  
 
Free PSN games and Discounts?  Again I don't mind having games that I access while a + subscriber.  Mainly because, as mentioned before, I tend to lose interest after a month or so in most games.  The service would cause me to try more PSN games than I normally would just because they'd be "free" as long as I'm subscribed.  Discounts are nice too but again I hardly buy anything because of the aforementioned lack of Demos.   
 
PSN+ vs XBL?  All in all neither service is perfect, but both have compelling reasons to purchase them.  Unfortunetly I think XBL is the bigger con since I HAVE to have it to play online; and since that's what I use most I'm being penalized for being an Xbox owner.  At the same time their online services tend to be better than PSN so I guess you get what you pay for.   
 
I with hold final judgement on PSN+ until after my 3 month trial is done. (Where do I sign up?!)  
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fei0x

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Edited By fei0x

I did not want to hear this.

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Jensonb

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Edited By Jensonb
@Vorbis said:
" @Jensonb said:

" @neoepoch said:

" To be honest, I may have done it if it included cross game chat...but I probably won't knowing what is actually in it. "
This. Cross-Game Chat is still not on the PS3. That blows my mind. "
It is in, it's been left out of the article.   Bad Matt, fix it. "
Oh yeah, I see that now...I'm curious as to why they haven't mentioned this in the Conference, or on the EU PlayStation Blog? Seems like a big deal. The biggest.
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Nomin

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Edited By Nomin

I knew it! I guessed correctly that this service will be a paid service the moment it was introduced. This is a way for Sony to cast off their fake gamer centric service and roll out their plan of tapping into new adopters on the backs of resurgence in their console sales. Sooner or later, they will unleash a plan that forces gamers to pay for 'optimum' online experience, allotting any servers with bandwidth worth a damn exclusively to subscribers. It's been a pretty good freeloading four years, but it is now payback time. 

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DAFTPUNK

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Edited By DAFTPUNK

i wonder if you can use the money you have in your wallet on the PlayStation store?

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CharleyTony

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Edited By CharleyTony

you end up paying 6 $  month in order to "rent" a 10 to 15$ game for a month basically... 
not that interesting. 
What if the "free" game, is one you already own ? then you are almost paying for nothing !
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time allen

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Edited By time allen

it's not really a discount if you're paying for it every month.

the gaming monopoly continues.

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KinjiroSSD

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Edited By KinjiroSSD

lol @ xbots complaining these features should be free. Hello, party chat isn't available to Silver members either. You pay $50 a year just for the privilege to play games you've paid $60 for online.

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FCKSNAP

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Edited By FCKSNAP
@jakeh said:
" For everyone down on it atleast you don't need it for basic online play.   "
But they don't have PS3s in the first place so it doesn't matter what they say. Hater's gonna hate.
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ToadRunner

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Edited By ToadRunner

did you not watch the conference matt?
 
In the conference he said the games were free while you subscribed.
 
they werent dishonest

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HitmanAgent47

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Edited By HitmanAgent47

They always offered free service for years and this is probally their only way to keep it free by getting others to pay for it. I won't support it at all, I won't even support xboxlive or any pay service like that regardless.

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Dryker

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Edited By Dryker

Don't really care. My PS3 is still basically a Blu-ray player. And the occasional triple-A title. Although, bought and never finished Killzone 2 and Metal Gear Solid. Ironicly, finished God of War 3 and never bought it.
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mightymightyme

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Edited By mightymightyme

 So its interesting, and a little underwhelming but I have a question:
 
So how does this work with the profile sharing? Could one person buy this and be able to play the free games on multiple consoles? 
 
I'm not advocating piracy, I'm sure Sony will have a process in place to prevent this... won't they?

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deactivated-5ffc9b0923f9f

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Raidstertainer

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Edited By Raidstertainer

Ah, awright, I'll subscribe... 
 
I'll tell you guys in a year if you're missing out or not...

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HypoXenophobia

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Edited By HypoXenophobia

It seems interesting. I think a lot of the hate seems a tad unjustified. On a 360, you have to pay to play online, whereas you can still play for free with this. I consider the ability to play online way more important than talking to someone online. But then again, the 360's biggest seller last holiday had party chat removed, not so much griping there. "Haters gonna hate"
 
As for the console pushing updates at will, I don't know if Matt forgot that the Wii does this.

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yellownumber5

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Edited By yellownumber5

This seems pretty smart.  If I don't opt to pay for the service I'm not loosing anything Like I have had with stopping a 360 gold account.  With Sony the only problem with this taking off is really the problem they have been having in the past few years and that is content  (PSP Go?) to make the service worthwhile.  Qore tried the exclusive approach already and not sure if it really worked.  This being a more featured service might make it worth while.  The only gripe I have is that from now on any new features to PSN updates may be needing Plus.  Till now everyone got the same updates to the system and were free to all.  The auto-update is a good example of this.  If Plus was never conceived this seems a feature that everyone would end up having on the normal free service.  It seems like something held back to give people a reason to upgrade to Plus.

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willylo

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Edited By willylo
@Nomin:  No, just No. It's way to late for them to force people to pay to play online, that's why they're doing it this way. 
 
If they were just going to have you pay for your online experience, they would of issued it here.
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FunExplosions

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Edited By FunExplosions

Uh... that's not worth 50 bucks. Hey! I've got an idea! Why the fuck don't they give us some new fucking icons? I've been cycling through the same 50-or-so icons since launch year. How hard could it honestly be to draw a couple little pictures?? And no, I don't wanna buy a $0.99 Little Big Planet icon.
 
Edit: USER icons, I mean. Like, the picture next to your psn name. Idk... PSN icons? Is that the name for 'em?

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WhytePanther

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Edited By WhytePanther

Problem is that the free game will probably be something that's at least six months old, as demonstrated here with Wipeout.  Want a game when it's released?  You're still paying.  Otherwise you wait and bite your nails wondering if the game you want will be free sometime.  Not too sure I like where this is going.

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Nunchuckles

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Edited By Nunchuckles
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234r2we232

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Edited By 234r2we232
@OmegaPirate said:

" You guys are fucking dumb - 'Why didnt they make it xbox live, thats worth charging for'   Wake up, psn is equal to XBL - except party chat  - newsflash, i got a 360 a year ago, ive never used party chat - it aint a holy grail. This is not for me, it does not appeal to me but there are people it WILL appeal to, all you prats saying 'waaaah they shouldve just copied live then itd be worth it' basically, you just want em to charge 50 bones a year for what you already have? and give nothing back?!   Just think before you type for once internet - please "

I entered "PlayStation fanboy" into Google and found this glaring example. Do I win a prize?
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ferrarimanf355

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Edited By ferrarimanf355

No cross-game chat? Lame.

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FrankCanada97

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Edited By FrankCanada97
@ferrarimanf355 said:

" No cross-game chat? Lame. "

There is cross-game chat. See two comments before yours.
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cornbredx

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Edited By cornbredx

Seems dumb.  
 
I'm wondering how long that will last. I dont see the point in even paying for this service. Seriously, they finally realized theres a whole market they're not exploiting and now they're making up for it by making a pointless service that has nothing you actually need so odds are it wont do all that well.  
 
I wouldnt be surprised if they slowly make it so online play becomes a part of this. This seems incredibly shady.  
 
Time will tell.
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FrankCanada97

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Edited By FrankCanada97
@CornBREDX said:
"I wouldnt be surprised if they slowly make it so online play becomes a part of this. "
And lose one of the last remaining advantages they have? That would be a death sentence. I doubt they would be stupid enough to do that.
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OmegaPirate

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Edited By OmegaPirate
@sofacitysweetheart: Perhaps you should check my profile out before making crass assumptions and snide unproductive remarks?
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microshock

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Edited By microshock

Cross game chat was confirmed for Plus on the nl.playstation.com website. They took that statement down from there probably to announce later. 
 
Also, isn't QORE part of this too? How come no one is mentioning that?

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MindChamber

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Edited By MindChamber
 So, remember: you have to pay money to play the free games.    
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Gaff

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Edited By Gaff

The "try before you buy" part is very interesting, since Sony words it in such a way as to include Blu-ray games. If that means you can download a Blu-ray game for trial purposes and then buy it, that would be huge.

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Gruff182

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Edited By Gruff182

Its easy to call that a bad deal, but I pay the same for Xbox live and get fuck all of worth. I'm basically paying to play online, which is already free on PSN. So if I can pay the same and get free game rentals then I think its a good deal.

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deactivated-62acf8675bf9a

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I personally dont mind this at all  
I have many friends on psn which i play online and chat with so cross game chat is good for me.  
i like the idea of having games for the trial period because its gonna be downloadable games which dont have long lifes anyway  . 
beta access, discounts, free things such as avatars 
50$ a year  
to all of you screaming that they are not gonna support the people who arent paying for the service your just assuming. 

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Xeiphyer

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Edited By Xeiphyer
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killroycantkill

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Edited By killroycantkill

They mentioned something about having a 3 month free trial. I'll get that first and if I like the content made available to me then I might get it. But did anyone notice that they didn't mention anything about cross game chat?

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valderama

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Edited By valderama

hmm sounds reasonable though ... i mean you dont have to pay an extra sum each yr jus to have online, like the xbox i mean buying a $60 game and then having to pay another $50 each yr to play it again? ... if you dont want the extra stuff than dont  subscribe to it...

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Beck

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Edited By Beck

 If they added a ton of PSone Classics and unlimited access to all of them... then I'd be very very interested. Otherwise, I'm not really interested. We'll have to see how things turn out.    

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Quacktastic

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Edited By Quacktastic

I thought it might be cool, until they said that you only keep your games you get from PS+ if your subscription is active.  I know if would be too easy to exploit if you could just sign up for a month, download 5 games and then cancel but there should be some kind of 6 month rule or something.  Like, 'you've had this game because of PS+ for 6 months, now it's yours forever even if you cancel.'
 
It's going to come with a 3 month trial right?  We'll see what it's really worth then.

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hpv

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Edited By hpv

So are these time-limited games on SkyNet Plus the entire game or is it like that rumored extended demo stuff that was kicking around a few weeks back?  Because if it was full games that you could complete in the time they're made available that might add some actual value. 
 
Of course, if they'd just let you keep the "free" games I'd be all over that $50/year subscription. Looks like that's Sony's theme this year, put out shit that I want and then ruin the deal with the pricing model.

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xMightyMousex

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Edited By xMightyMousex

Free trial period could be cool especially if its the full game.

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ShapeGSX

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Edited By ShapeGSX

They say that the original PSN isn't going to change, but I'm willing to bet that PSN won't be seeing the sales that they currently run.  Those will be for + users.
 
And demos will be delayed, I'm sure.

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GetBentTheVideoGame

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At least the pricing is sane. I still have no interest in this.

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Nasar7

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Edited By Nasar7

You dudes need to stop whining. These features are pretty cool, and the trials thing is innovative; hopefully its not just old games but new releases too. I fail to see how XBL is any better. Ooh facebook/twitter, espn, cross party chat, who gives a shit? And the last time I checked party chat required a gold subscription too. 

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234r2we232

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Edited By 234r2we232
@OmegaPirate said:
" @sofacitysweetheart: Perhaps you should check my profile out before making crass assumptions and snide unproductive remarks? "
The mere thought of entering a zone occupied by Spyro and Crash Bandicoot fan art is terrifying enough that I wish never to experience it. Thanks :)
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Buccura

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Edited By Buccura

Hey as long as nothing changes for the free subscription I see nothing wrong with this.

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4thHorseman

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Edited By 4thHorseman

Stupid plan. I hope this fails for Sony because this is just ridiculous and seems almost disrespectful to the players.
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MONKEYFIST

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Edited By MONKEYFIST

"Are you willing to pay to have access to free games, and continue paying for games to ensure that those games stay free?" 
 
Hmmm..........I think I'll pass.