July 30th Update: The content per month isn’t determined as day one content and is content that will be made available through the month.
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.
Sony! what the hell are you doing? stop ignoring what consumers really want and give us CROSS GAME VOICE CHAT! I hope you people are happy with completely ignoring us on this issue because this is completely WRONG!
From EU blog:
izekial27 – I understand that if your subscription to Playstation Plus ends then you lose access to the free games you have gained, but what if you then re-subscribe at a later date? Would you regain access to the games you previously had on your prior subscription, or is access to those games lost forever if your subscription ends?
James Thorpe (PlayStation Network Product Manager) – you would regain access to all the games you previously had if you re-subscribe at a later date
i hope it’s the same for all regions as that would be fine.
is this available in canada?
PLEASE RESPOND
This seems like a great service and I am very interested in subscribing, however, I would like answers to some questions before I will commit to spending $50.
1. If you buy content at a discounted price, then the next year not resubscribe do you get to keep it?
2. If you are given free DLC, but then don’t resubscribe the next year do you get to keep that?
3. If you are playing the 1 hour download and decide not to purchase the game after that hour are the trophies kept off our trophy list?
4. If we are given a free PSOne game/Mini and put it on our PSP and then do not resubscribe the next year will it disappear off our PSP?
5. Do you get the exclusive content from Qore for the annual subscribers?
Please answer these questions because I really want to utilize this service but I dont think I can give $50 before I know the answer to at least some of these questions.
Thanks sony!
@196 eksMAN, yes. Along with us getting the Video Store as of July 1st.
My problem is this. With a free PSN, there was hardly enough new content to satisfy people. Where is all this new premium content coming from? QORE seemed to promise the same thing and could not deliver. What have we really been missing?
So, as soon as my PlayStation Plus subscription ends, all the free games and bonus stuff I got will disappear, and I’ll have to renew my subscription to keep them as well as get more stuff?
LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAME!!!
cross party i mean is it that true or false about the rumor answer us PLZ or im not buying psn plus
PSN Plus was hardly mention in the E3 and not enough details on what PSN Plus actually offers us, the Free PSN did offer 1 hr trials, Beta Demos, Weekly Discounts on Games and Movies so why is the Premium service worth $50? Just for automatic updates which could possibly hinder/remove PS3 functionality, Qore, “select” pay to keep PS1, Mini games and the elusive Exclusive Offers. Not enough of a selling point for me.
Firmware 3.40 confirmed for June 29th.
Oh, cool, so now I can pay US$50 a year to have game updates downloaded before I actually want to play a game, rather than having to wait 30 minutes for that quick dive into a game I haven’t played in a while?
Yay :-|
Honestly SONY if we wanted the hassle of having to pay monthly fee for using PSN we would go buy X_BOX Thanks but No Thanks ! Not having to deal with that is what makes you AWESOME ! Sincerely LAPPY485.
I don’t see a problem with the fact the games cancel when your subscription ends. What do people expect? 48 games for $50? c’mon.
I personally will subscribe to this and if I’m playing any of those 48 games still after 15 months and I DON’T want to re-subscribe, then I’ll just buy the ones I want.
The reality is that I’m not going to be playing any of those PS minis or PSN games for longer than 3 months anyway, they are designed as light entertainment, not immersive 100+ hour games.
So um the US doesn’t get LittleBigPlanet for free then?
I was really hoping for PSN Plus to include some sort of video store content… Something to make me even consider the video store as a viable content source
Also there be discounted prices for PSP games through PSN+?
Hmmm, one question i do have though… can the PS+ games be played offline? or do I need to be constantly signed in so the system knows I’m still an active subscriber? If i have an internet outage will I be screwed? W
hat about when I want to transfer some of these games to my PSP and take with me on a business trip? do I need to be at a wifi hotspot so it knows my account is in good standing?
Why are there no official comments and replies to most commonly asked questions on this blog post?
The reason there is no Q&A is because clearly there was no thought or time put into this so called service, so they cant answer questions when they are making it up as thy go :D
I never had any interest in Qore and then it failed miserably, so lol to that. Cross Game Voice Chat… even if I used any chat I wouldn’t want cross-game, but I think it should be available so people shut up cause it’s annoying.
The losing the FREE games thing.. I intend on keeping a subscription forever and I know I’ll never forget to resubscribe so it doesn’t bother me, plus it’s only $50, doesn’t break my bank. I can definitely see where people would get pissed. I mean, getting free games for pennies on the dollar (if you don’t already own them), then losing those pennies at the end of the year if you are too cheap to resubscribe, why should Sony let you keep them (think about it)? I own a lot of PSN titles though, so I hope they throw in new titles, in addition to the old games.
The full game trial is interesting, I have Burnout Paradise dl’d, it’s only 4 gigs or so though, I already own inFamous.
And Microsoft has a good-for-nothing free service, Sony’s free service is miles better, to people who want to complain about every single thing, just shut up and don’t buy it.
This service interested me at first, but considering the content is either old games or new games I have already purchased, beat, and sold, the service is becoming less appealing. Should have announced cross game chat. XGC would have gotten people excited and given them a reason to purchase this. Auto D/L of patches and firmware should not be something you have to pay for since the PS3 is already setup to turn on and send/receive information from a remote source (PSP). Why can’t this be done without paying 50 bucks? Add XGC and I may consider this. Also, will I have to pay for the extra levels in MAG or are they included? Sony is kinda slim on the details for this which leads me to believe it is not a very good deal. WOW me Sony!
Do you get to keep the Qore episodes after PSN Plus subscription is over?
Sounds good for 50 bucks, can i buy it at the PSStore?
nice but only if my ps3 didnt take a [DELETED] 2 days ago
PAYING for FREE games…does not compute. This is a rental service, you are not getting games for free, you are renting them for the duration of your subscription. I can keep this movie I have from Netflix for months, however if I decide to cancel Netflix, I have to return it…Thats called renting.
That rubs me wrong enough to not subscribe.
Also using ‘automatic’ updates as leverage to get people to subscribe is pretty lame.
this looks pretty cool
I’d like to do this for the free games but guess what? I ALREADY HAVE WIPEOUT HD! And its likely that many of the other free games that change each month I may own as well. So I feel like I’d be getting ripped off if a couple of months out of the year the free games were games I already own. Now if there are 4 games (a regular PSN game, 2 minis and whatever else), and you only get to download one or two of them but you get a choice then that’s better. Sony NEEDS to make a way that people who have already payed for psn games don’t get screwed over becuase they already bought them.
And also very important, what about families that have multiple PSN names on their PS3 because multiple people play on their own names. Will we have to have a Plus account for each one? I myself and my boyfriend play on our PS3. I’m not paying for 2 plus accounts a year just so we both get to play the free games or have the free avatars and what-not.
Where are the features we want the Playstation blog share I thought was for.
I’m in the camp that thinks the “rental” of the free content frankly sucks. The bonus goodies seems to me to be the main value of PSN+, and so if it goes away if I unsubscribe, I’ll feel like I have little to show for my previous subscription fee. It makes the whole thing simply a glorified trial service:
“Try any game for one hour, and then we’ll choose specific games and you can try THOSE for the duration of your subscription.”
I think there need to be permanent gifts in the service. If you want there to be temporary perks, make them temporary explicitly. For instance, this month, all PSN+ subscribers can download Fat Princess for free, and then host special tournaments with prizes and such for PSN+ subrscribers only. At the end of the month, the free Fat Princess goes away. Events like that would give an intangible value boost to the service as well.
You don’t believe the standard PSN service is not gonna suffer from this, do you?
They are going to take the main stuff away from us just to make us pay for it. We all used to get the same best things, but not anymore.
We humans do like money, right?
@14 WonsAuto: Agreed.
@Sony:
What ppl want to buy is better games and interactive content. Not new price plans, and very few (by ratio) care about new motion controls, or 3D. — We just want better games by smart ppl (R&D).
Great…no one here to answer questions it seems.
Is this tied to my machine or my PSN id? I own 3 PS3s…do I have to have a subscription for each machine?? (Cause that is asinine)
The “rental service” isn’t all that bad of an idea. I mean its not much different than Gamefly, although its of a lesser value since you’re basically renting cheaper psn games instead of full disc bluray games. Plus with this you won’t have much say over which games you “rent”, ie: get for free while you’re a paying member…
Sony needs to answer questions on here. Obviously the people posting on here are Sony customers, duh, your TARGET AUDIENCE Sony. Give us some answers…
Sony you guys should add movie rentals! like 2 every month or something like that
Where is ps cloud? Cross-game voice chat for all users is a necessity before all this other stuff. Dont get me wrong it doesn’t sound bad, but if thats all your offering some free games and demo access and betas. Thats just not enough, sorry.
I’ll probably end up getting the 1 year subscription. I like that you can download Blu-ray games, but I’d rather not download the whole game. That would take forever and take up so much space.
man lol people still think they are getting cross game chat? Why are people still asking for it when it’s never going to come?
Day 1 subscriber here.
Im Confused. I want to just jump on board but I dont get it? Im all about Value but what features ? I really want to save hundreds of dollars but why all the secrets? Im fine doing things the old way like downloading demos and i already have most of those games you listed. My Ps3 automatically turns off after downloads at night and updates dont bother me. What am I Exactly Subcribing For? Tell Me. Its kinda hard to explain to my wife what im excited about. Am i really expeced to pay for early demos and 1 hour trials without exactly knowing when a trial or a demo is coming ? Did qore members get the shaft? why do i have so many questions? Whhy am I Confused? This isnt really Cool Sony Blog. I feel like a Limp DHick at a 3some.
How much? I say keep Qore a separate subscription and make the price LOWER!
After I cherry pick what I actually want from your listed offer, and would be willing to spend the time and patience to download, it’s not worth the $49.99 to me… at all.
Given the current US economy I think this is poorly timed and at the wrong price point. Make it similar to a magazine subscription price and you’ve got a better offer. Make it $29.99 even if you have to pull out some of the bells & whistles you’re planning throw in the mix!
How about a decent browser? Like one that actually works?
WWWWOOOOOO HHHOOOOOOOOOO ! YEAH!!!! OH HAPPY DAY!!!!!!!
it really sucks that there isn’t anyone able to answer the many questions that people are asking about PS+, I would like know if you guys are going to release pre-paid cards like MS does for Live.
@Everyone complaining about this service…
Sony is not forcing you to purchase the plus service and is not changing the service you already have..they are just offering a more premium service for the people who want it and have been asking for it.
Me personally I am all for it and think sony is being very generous so sign me up because the way I see it the service basically pays for itself.
KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK SONY & KEEP THE CONTENT COMIN!!!
ONLY GAMES EXPIRE!! Read the post: “will always have access to their virtual library of free games for as long as they keep their PlayStation Plus subscription”
Basically, they can’t strip DLC out of your install data. However, they CAN set up an expiry date for software on PS3 AND PSP (notice the Minis?).
Wasnt going to get the 1 year substription until i get my ps3 in sept, but if you guys are going to give me 3 free months then Ill have to get it now. One thing i like to suggest is that you guys include comics along with subscribers and you have a guaranteed subscriber for life.
239 comments, no answers. Wording is awfully vague. How does full game trial work? All games, or just games Sony has chosen? I played the demo for Infamous already. For free. For more than an hour. It was pretty good, but again, free. DLC, map packs, avatars free. Which ones? All of them? I notice cross game chat is not mentioned. I understand that Sony is still supporting the free online, side by side with PSN +, but when I play a game online and the multiplayer is laggy and junky, I don’t complain cause it’s free. My expectations are higher if I’m paying for an online service; if I get dropped opponents/teammates, bad voice communication and laggy play, I will not be a happy consumer. But for all I’ve heard, PSN + is for “free” downloadable stuff. That you pay for. That belongs to you for a year. But if it doesn’t do anything to enhance my experience, why would I pay for it? I want to want this. Sell me on it.
It’s an interesting service. The level of content each month will determine whether this becomes a hit or a flop. So Sony, please offer us so great games. The timed trials are interesting but not enough to warrant a subscription. I’m hoping for many great full-games to play as a subscriber. Make it so #1.
WOW I CANT WAIT :P
THE SUBSCRIPTION IS THE SAME LIKE QORE?
Xbox Live Silver = multiplayer (NO), cross game voice chat (NO)
Xbox Live Gold = multiplayer (YES), cross game voice chat (YES)
PSN Normal = multiplayer (YES), no cross game voice chat (NO?)
PSN Plus = multiplayer (YES), cross game voice chat (YES)
at least normal PSN that everyone has is free to play online (and most games have their own built in voice chat)