Redeemed a PS+ subscription code tonight. Downloaded Catherine and LOTRO War in the North, and plan to grab ICO & Shadow of the Collosus HD tomorrow.

Now it's mid-June, 'til when can I play these games? Will they stop working when they get rotated out of the service? If so, where can I see what expires when?

P.S. Playstation Plus is an insane deal! I think I might pick up a VITA tomorrow just because of the added value I'd be getting out of PS+.

You can play them for as long as you have a subscription.

In addition to that, if your subscription expires, and you renew it at a later date, you regain access to them.

Some of them definitely expire over time. Sly Cooper and a bunch of Sega games I had just stopped working without any lapse in my subscription. It seems to be at random though.

If you "purchase" them (add to cart, checkout) before they leave the rotation they'll be tied to your Plus account, so when to do leave you can still download and play them as long as you're still a Plus member.

So I should play first, what I really want to play? Or feel like I must play? Like ICO and Shadow of the Collusus HD? I remember being pissed at ICO being out of print...

@gunstarred: Are you sure that wasn't a trial? I think we get some timed trials on PS+, but nothing in my instant game collection has ever expired...

@mandude: It was the full game. The Sega ones were all full games also. It doesn't even list that I downloaded them in my history anymore.

Didn't that used to be one of the inaugural features of Playstation Plus though? 60 minute trials of full games?

Nothing in my Instant Game Collection has ever expired. I can still go back and get Golden Axe and play that again, if I wanted. It's a pretty great deal.

and when you buy the games at the discounted price, you get to keep them even if your ps plus subscription is over

I decided to play through Hydrophobia Prophecy the other day which was one of the games I got free on plus when I first signed up in 2011. After finally playing it wasn't really worth playing but hey it still worked after all this time so it seems like they will last as long as your subscription lasts.

Awesome. So I'll just add everything I want to play, and can relax about it thereafter.

Some of my games have expiry dates, but they renew as long as my subscription is renewed. Some of them don't even expire when my subscriptions ends.

@audiobusting: I noticed that too but when I let my subscription run out they stopped working. It's because those games are demos and the full game unlock code is what expires. They revert back to the demo version of the game when your subscription runs out.

Some of the games I had did expire when my subscription ended. However, after I renew it I only had to download them again (as someone said, they get tied to your account, even when they are removed form the promotion)

PS+ news regarding new games for the Instant Game Collection, deals and expirations are put out weekly on Mondays on the Playstation Blog, and usually announced the week before on Fridays on the Playstation Blogcast (if they're confirmed internally). Joystiq does a pretty good rundown every week, and Playstation Blog put out this massive post of everything changing in the PSN store every Tuesday. Morgan Haro is the guy to watch for as he's the one who publicizes PS+ news.

You can see the deals through either the PS+ section of the PS store on the PS3, or you can access all of it at store.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com and navigating to Games --> Save $ --> PS+.

Games technically expire when your subscription ends; there's a way to pull it up on the PS3 (hit triangle over the game and look under info? not at my PS3 right now), but they should update their license when you renew. I haven't lost any of the games I got through it (a bit over a year now). Also, the nightly sync keeps my PS3 running way better, and the fact that I can queue up downloads on the online store and have them download while I'm at work is invaluable. Finally Sony has sorta caught up to Xbox.com.

I hope on the PS4 they just add the dam games to your account if you have a sub when they go up. It's a major pain in the ass going in to add them each time a new one comes out even if you don't have any interest in them at that moment. Thankfully they launched the PC based online store so it's much easier now.

Being a late comer to PS3 Playstation Plus has been ridiculously valuable. Catherine, Ico, SHadow of Collosus, LBP 2, Demon Souls, Thomas was Alone. Uncharted 3, All free or for the price of my gold subscription which gets me nothing of value.

Although unrelated the current offering on NA PS + is pretty damn fantastic. Sleeping Dogs, X-Com: Enemy Unknown and as of today Saints Row The Third all free and part of the "instant collection." There is more of course, like InFamous 2 and LBP 2 but those have been up for like a year and should be removed soon I believe.

But two recent GOTY candidates in Saints Row and X-COM is a pretty crazy free offering.