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Sony confirms subscriptions coming to Playstation Network
firefly2003
Member UncommonPosts: 2,527
'Premium' content through 'PlayStation Plus'
Sony is to start charging for access to the PlayStation Network.
Well, kind of. PSN will remain free to access as is currently the case, but Sony will be introducing a subscription-based add-on, PlayStation Plus, that provides content it hopes punters will want to pay for.
PlayStation Plus kicks off in on 29 June, priced at €15 a month, or €50 a year. That will buy you access to full versions of games only partially available on PSN, and to have access to all the levels of titles only available for a trial period.
You also get custom themes and avatars, and discounts off downloadable games and content.
PlayStation Plus will be added to the online PlayStation Store and will require PS3 firmware 3.40 to access it - that software update will be pushed out on 29 June, Sony said.
http://www.reghardware.com/2010/06/16/sony_playstation_plus/
Comments
Sony is beginning to hop onto the subscription model. Interesting news.
You need good games on your console in order for this to work. I don't see ps3 players wanting to pay for something they have been getting for free all the time until now.
So, did you read the blurb? PS3 users will not be paying for what they have already. The sub model adds some bells and whistles. It's equivalent to the difference between Live Silver and Gold. Nothing changes, but if you want to pay, you can get access to some more stuff, like free games.
I don't know how much you read the PS3 blogs and forums, if at all, but it's not taking away from what we already have. It's adding. With the sub comes free games along with other benefits ( I can't be arsed to grab the blog outline as I'm tired and about to hit the sack ). There's still no charge to play our games online ( unlike 360 ) or to use Playstation Home or any of the other things we do for free now.
-Letting Derek Smart work on your game is like letting Osama bin Laden work in the White House. Something will burn.-
-And on the 8th day, man created God.-
15 euros or 18 USD every THREE months.
It's good news, but now Sony is going to have to try and...reconcile the added features for PSN Plus vs. regular ol' PSN. The first hangup has already presented itself; they're adding cross-game voice chat for PSN Plus, but PSN regular users won't have that ability. So how they reconcile it is to allow cross-game voice chat for non-PSN Plus users, but only when a PSN Plus user started it and is still present.
Anyway, I guess you can argue its a good problem to have, considering Live Silver subscribers are much more limited in what they can do. But Gold is going to be the more consistent experience in that everyone playing online has all the same abilities.
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2010/06/16/playstation-plus-coming-soon/
PlayStation Plus Coming Soon
Posted by Susan Panico // Sr. Director, PlayStation Network
If you have been paying attention to all of the news coming out of E3, you probably heard that we introduced a new subscription service called PlayStation Plus, which will be available on June 29.
PlayStation Plus is a service that lives on top of the current PlayStation Network. So, while users will continue to have free access to PlayStation Network’s unmatched and ever-growing suite of new and exclusive content, services, and community focused tools – just as they do today – PlayStation Plus subscribers will gain access to an exclusive set of features and content designed specifically for gamers.
When you subscribe to PlayStation Plus, you’ll get free games and DLC (pretty sweet), frequent discounts on PlayStation Store, early invitations to select betas of popular games, and free monthly episodes of Qore – our high-definition, interactive gaming lifestyle show. You’ll also enjoy new functionality such as Full Game Trial where you can “try before you buy” – play a Blu-ray or PSN game for up to one hour and then you can buy the game, download it and keep your progress and trophies. Another cool feature is Automatic Downloads that will push select demos, game related videos, patches and firmware updates to your PS3 so you don’t have to think about it. Total it up and you’ll get hundreds of dollars of value through the year with exclusive digital content from both our World Wide Studios Group and our publishing partners. And every month we’ll be adding new content and continually adding new features, making PlayStation Plus an incredible value, time saver and ticket to front-of-the-line access.
At launch, PlayStation Plus will offer subscribers the full PlayStation Network game, WipEout HD, full game trial of inFAMOUS, PSP minis and PS One Classics such as Fieldrunners, Age of Zombies and Rally Cross, as well as premium avatars, themes and DLC levels and map packs. Additionally, subscribers will always have access to their virtual library of free games for as long as they keep their PlayStation Plus subscription. In all, subscribers will get an unprecedented amount of value, access and convenience and, in the first month alone, will receive more than $50 worth of content.
PlayStation Plus will be available for a yearly fee of $49.99. We are also running a “limited time offer” giving subscribers 3 free bonus months for signing up for a yearly subscription – so those who
sign up now will get 15-months of PlayStation Plus. Consumers also have the option to subscribe for 3 months for $17.99.
You can sign up on the PlayStation Store or learn more about the exclusive features at us.playstation.com.
Pretty damn sweet for $50 a year. The same price that MS charges just to be able to play online and maybe get a couple demos before everyone else.
So everything we have now as free will still be free ( like online gaming ), as well as additional stuff in the future. So the subscription only adds more fluff for those who want it. As it stands right now, PSN free still trumps Xbox Live Gold. PSN Plus+ stomps it in the ground.
-Letting Derek Smart work on your game is like letting Osama bin Laden work in the White House. Something will burn.-
-And on the 8th day, man created God.-
its very interesting news.