PlayStation Plus (PSN+) has been out for a little over a month now, and while it is now clear what you actually get for the $50/year subscription fee, many people still seem to be on the fence about whether or not it’s worth it to subscribe. Now, whether or not PSN+ is worth it is a completely subjective argument. As a subscriber of PSN+ since it was initially released, I hope to provide a detailed analysis of the extra features, based on my personal experiences, so that readers may make an informed decision about whether or not the upgrade will be worth it to them.
Features
1. Full Game Trials
Full Game Trials takes traditional game demos a step further. You are able to download the entire game free of charge and are given a full hour of unrestricted game time. Once the initial hour is up, you have the option to unlock the full game which allows you to retain any progress you made and unlock any trophies that you earned during the trial period. The obvious benefit to full game trials is that you get to keep your progress and and unlock any trophies you earned, but the downside is that full game trials require you to download the entire game. The first Full Game Trial was Infamous, which was a 6 GB download. Many broadband ISP’s are setting arbitrary download caps for their customers, so if you are on one of those ISP’s, downloading more than a few Full Game Trials could make you quickly reach that limit.
2. Automatic Downloads
All PS3 users that are connected to the internet are fully aware of the long and frustrating PS3 firmware upgrade process. The PS3 firmware update process does not currently allow for incremental updates, which means that the entire 100+ MB firmware image must be fully downloaded whenever a new release is available. This can take quite a while depending on the speed of your internet connection, as well as the traffic conditions on PSN at the time you download the new firmware. Nothing is more frustrating than powering on your PS3 to play a game, only to find out that you have to spend 30 minutes or more updating the firmware.
Automatic Downloads is an attempt to mitigate this issue. You can configure the PS3 to awake from standby mode periodically to download firmware updates, select demos, and game patches. Now, if you keep a dust cover on your PS3, or keep it in an enclosed entertainment center, this is obviously not a good idea because you don’t want to the system to overheat if it turns on while it’s covered or the entertainment center door is closed. So for you this would not be a viable option. However, if your PS3 is out in the open, this is certainly a nice feature which cuts down on the amount of time you have to stare at a progress bar waiting for updates to download and install.
It is rumored that the latest PS3 firmware has implemented incremental firmware updates, which could make this option less attractive, but it has not been confirmed by Sony.
3. PlayStation Store Discounts
PS Store Discounts is really where PSN+ can start to make financial sense. If you spend a lot of money on DLC, you will find that you can probably make back the $50 subscription fee fairly quickly due to the nice discounts you will receive on PSN content. Discounts tend to be around 50%, and extend to full game downloads as well as add-ons.
4. Free Games And Downloads
Aside from the PS Store Discounts, PSN+ members also receive free games and downloads. So far there has been a wide variety of free content available, including full games, add-on content, dynamic themes, premium avatars, and more. One of the initial offerings was Wipeout HD, which is normally a $19.99 purchase. One of the latest free games is the PS One Classic Syphon Filter. More games are promised, and if the first month has been any indication, you will almost assuredly download more than the PSN+ annual fee’s worth of freebies within the first few months of membership.
There is one caveat to the free content: full games only work as long as you remain a subscriber. Add-on DLC, premium avatars, and themes do not expire. This is probably a big issue for some people, and I have to admit that it certainly gave me pause before I subscribed. There is one saving grace, however. If your subscription lapses, you can resubscribe again at a later date and all of the free games you downloaded previously will be reactivated.
5. Select Early Demos
PSN+ subscribers will occasionally get early access to game demos before the regular PSN “common folk”. I don’t know how much of a selling point this is on it’s own. So far the only early access demo I am aware of is Kane & Lynch 2. The jury is still out on this one, but I am assuming that all future first party titles will have early access demos.
6. Priority Beta Invitations
With Killzone 3 rumored to be entering multiplayer beta real soon now, one benefit many players may be interested in is the priority beta invitations. It’s not clear whether all PSN+ subscribers or only a select few will receive beta invitations. I signed up for the DC Universe Online beta when it was announced, and have so far heard nothing. If there were some sort of guarantee of getting into betas, I could see how this could be a compelling feature for many people. I have not heard of any PSN+ subscribers receiving any beta invitations yet, but as more games enter beta in the coming months we will learn more about the invitation selection process. Although, it would help potential subscribers make a more informed decision if Sony stated their official policy on the priority beta invitations.
One feature that you don’t see listed above, but is rumored to be coming to PSN+ in the future is Cross Game Voice Chat (aka Party Chat). According to the rumors, party chat will be a PSN+ only feature and will support up to 4 participants. PSN+ subscribers will be able to send a chat invite to any other PSN user (free or plus), and at least one participant will be required to be a PSN+ subscriber. Should all PSN+ subscribers leave the chat, the session will terminate for all participants. None of this has been confirmed, but if the rumors are true, this feature, despite it’s limitations, could be a huge factor for many people who are still pondering the value of PSN+.
As I stated at the beginning of this feature, the value of PSN+ is in the eye of the beholder. The two benefits that will probably be the biggest factors in deciding if PSN+ is worth it to most people will be the store discounts and free downloads. Before you subscribe, head to the PSN+ section of the PlayStation Store to see all of the current discounted items and free downloads. Up until last week, new PSN+ content was added on a weekly basis. But Sony has since changed that to a bi-weekly schedule. If Party Chat is the deciding factor for you, it would probably be best to hold out for a while until Sony confirms whether or not it will be a part of PSN+ in the near future.
If you are a PS3 owner that has yet to commit to PSN+, I hope I’ve armed you with enough information to make an informed decision. I personally find PSN+ to be worth the investment. The free content and discounts can easily cover the annual fee within a few months. If party chat does find it’s way to PSN+ soon, I would even go as far as to say that PSN+ is a better value than Xbox LIVE Gold. XBL Gold provides the same basic features that PSN gives away for free with the exception of party chat, and won’t give you any free games or additional content. But that’s just my opinion, many others would probably argue the opposite. If you agree/disagree, please let me know in the comments. I plan to come back and revisit this topic in the future after PSN+ has been around longer and offered more content and features.
PlayStation Blog – PlayStation Plus: Your Questions Answered
Twitter Comments
|
|
| Re-Tweet | Reply | View Tweet |
|
|
| Re-Tweet | Reply | View Tweet |
3 Comments
I still think the PSN severely lacks in the community department. It’s still hard to find and connect with friends within games because each game handles it differently. I love the way XBL handles this, as a centralized service. That’s my one major issue with the PS platform. The system has amazing performance potential, but it’s no fun to geek out by yourself.
I think PSN+ sounds like a pretty good deal. It would be amazing to be able to get your hands on a game for free to feel out the actual gameplay before deciding whether or not to buy it. I would be willing to pony up for a lot more DLC too if it were half off…I’m always teetering just on the “don’t buy” side of the fence when it comes to DLC.
Thanks for the info Aaron.
Great article, Aaron. Seems like Sony is yet again wisely deciding to copy Microsoft! PSN+ sounds like a carbon copy of all the great ideas that XBL has had since the very beginning. Hell, they are even matching the price! All things considered, this is a good move for Sony as they have been severely lacking features that Xbox users take for granted. Of course, the only thing I liked about PSN was that it was free, so there goes one major bonus of the format!
This gundam serie is the best. I can’t overlook my initial time watching Gundam Wing then know about japan mobile gundam. Hope to own a lot more great gundam serie within the future