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"PlayStation Plus" Subscription Service Unveiled

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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? 
Filed under:
E3 2010
PlayStation 3
PlayStation Network (PS3)

274 Comments

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MikeydCT

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Edited By MikeydCT

isnt this Qore?

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Kagamine

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Edited By Kagamine

DO NOT WANT

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DrRandle

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Edited By DrRandle

Honestly, I just don't play my PS3 enough to warrant this. Sounds alright if you're a sole-sony owner, though.

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swamplord666

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Edited By swamplord666

eh... not enough to be honest. don't play online enough 

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deactivated-63efc336e9a4d

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Edited By deactivated-63efc336e9a4d

*Dissapointed!!!*

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Warskull

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Edited By Warskull

There doesn't seem to be a ton of reason to subscribe.  Xbox Live Gold is required for the online play, which is why people get it.  Everything else gold offers is value added to make people more willing to spend that money for the online play. 
 
PSN already offers the online play for free.  So it all boils down to how good a deal these free games are.  If they gives you a couple of games at a time and the games are recent, it could be a money saver.  You try out the PSN games before you buy them and only drop money on the best ones.  If it the free game period is short and it is only older games, no reason to waste money on it.

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fourby

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Edited By fourby

As long as I can turn on my PS3, start up a game and shoot some dudes, and it's free, then this seems like a logical expansion to the service (that I'm not really interested in).

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metalmoog

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Edited By metalmoog

Hmm so according to that joystiq article, looks like cross game chat is coming to the paid service after all.  That's awesome.  I have no problem paying the yearly fee for this and other updated premium features, as I do already pay for these things on XBL.
 
If the paid service can bring the PSN up to where XBL is currently, I'm afraid my Xbox might start collecting a lot of dust.

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rta

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Edited By rta

i might subscribe if i COULD READ WHAT WAS ON MY LCD. i fucking hate browsing that worthless garbage heap of a store. HATE IT. more than 4 feet away and you're poo outta luck. yes, yes im old but i'm not quite blind either.

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Jaserno

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Edited By Jaserno

Sounds shit. I, like many others, will not be paying to subscribe to Playstation Plus as I have all the online capabilities without being charged under the false pretense of "free" games.

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killawogg

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Edited By killawogg

i just dont think that it is enticing enough to actually keep going with it, i might try it out for 3 months then thats about it unless it blows my mind.

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PercyChuggs

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Edited By PercyChuggs

I don't get how anyone would think this is a bad thing. $50 a year is $4.16 a month. Are you telling me being able to play certain PS3, PSN, and PSone games all you want, for $4.16 a month, is not a great deal? If so, you are either broke (in which case, you should find a more inexpensive hobby. I hear puzzles are fun), or just plain stupid.

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Dom

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Edited By Dom

the discount on PSN games sounded interesting... but that discount is basically nullified with the subscription fee, unless you buy a ton of psn games per year

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Noitu

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Edited By Noitu
@PercyChuggs:  Or you could just not buy PSN Plus and just play online anyways?
 
Huh, funny how that works out.
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NickIGS

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Edited By NickIGS

Why can't Sony share my love back to me.....

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shadystx

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Edited By shadystx
@gunslingerNZ said:
" @RankRabbit said:
" PS4 will surely require a paid subscription for anything online. "
You're probably right which makes me really bloody sad. Screw you Microsoft for ruining online play for everyone! "
Yeah fair enough MS makes you pay to play online but if it was not for XBL then i highly doubt we would have such great online features for our consoles.
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lmenzol

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Edited By lmenzol

sounds alot better then being forced to pay to play

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gunslingerNZ

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Edited By gunslingerNZ
@shadystx: I agree the competition helps drive forward the features you get but does that really mean you need to pay for it? I think as a bare minimum they should continue to offer this play for free, pay for extras model with the PS4 but I get the feeling they won't...
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EvolutionX0

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Edited By EvolutionX0

pathetic idea, some of those features should be free anyway. 

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DallasTheGamer

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Edited By DallasTheGamer

I'm gonna try this one out for a couple of months. If I like it I'll continue.

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acidmist

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Edited By acidmist

one thing: free games not free if subscription is cancelled.

If the stuff would remain free to use, it would make sense imo. And early demo/ beta? Cmon, im not paying to get to know a game. Weirdest idea ever. I would pay for something worth it, but this is not it.

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N15PCA

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Edited By N15PCA

I still need to buy a PS3.  I'm going to wait in till next year to buy one.  I need a new computer.
 
So when to comes to the free games it's like the Sega Channel.