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i received a few round messages on my PS3 last night from a few people who are not linked apart from my friends list saying that in January Sony will be putting a charge on online gaming. i've had a quick look at work but cant find any such announcement but other forums that DO say its coming too.
is there any truth in this or has anyone herd the same thing?
Hmm, maybe for some games, but I can't believe that it would become a blanket charge.
Games like LittleBigPlanet would almost be ruined by things like that... although I might consider it a possibility for things like FIFA where the online is a separate element to the main game.
Make sure you forward it onto 10 people otherwise you'll be cursed...
BS if i ever smelt it...
Not again :(Quote:
Originally Posted by gtech
That little girl who got dumped at the theatre is already due to murder me 18 times at 9:21pm :(
Microsoft will give you £20 every time you post this in a forum, I received my cheque for £1.7m within 30 seconds....
Gaming charge = nope
Tiered (sic?)charging for content = probably
I'd imagine it'll be something similar to the 360, get demos earlier, premium/early DLC, some new partnership with another company for their service over PSN/etc It's just not been released exactly how it'll work yet.
Sorry this a rumor has been chinese whispered up to much. What has been announced is that PSN will be the underlying technology for all interlinked Sony tech (TVs, cameras, PCs, etc). As a content delivery system it will allow for premium content, either through one off purchases or subscriptions.
PSN may get a premium subscription tier, much in the same way the US got Qore, although on a bigger scale. One option for the PSP is game rentals.
Don't worry just yet, the sky isn't falling for the moment.
Update: here is the offending slide http://golgotron.com/2009/11/sony-pl...harge-for-psn/
All we know is "subscription", we don't know what having a subscription includes, or not having one excludes.
They already have that 'premium' nub Qore thing anyway don't they ?
You gotta be joking! Sony is out of Earth, it's a bit like the 360.
SONY, DON'T MAKE ME PLAY ON THE WII!!!:angst:
. . . . what?Quote:
Originally Posted by jbitkill
waaaaah
Quote:
Originally Posted by jbitkill
Had about 50 of those messages arrive in my inbox..all deleted too.
They have already said that the free services will REMAIN FREE, and that includes playing online etc.. Just because they choose to add some OPTIONAL premium services is not an issue, as we dont have to buy them.
I cant see this happeningQuote:
Originally Posted by Prime
Pretty much what I heard and expect too...Quote:
Originally Posted by p4ul
It would be a horrible idea for Sony to destroy one of their most appealing assets (the fact you can just jump online at anytime without being tied down to a period of time where you can actually do it) but I can imagine them with some sort of movie/music subscription, being Sony where they have huge stakes in media.
on the other hand sony would see it as another way to get some money back on the PS3
No, they've already stated that what is currently free will remain so.
They're looking at ways of getting increased revenue from additional services rather than just micro-transactions.
Yeah wasn't there like a chart with the varying packages and what benefits they'll give you?
If it all goes off, maybe it will inspire Microsoft to adopt something similar with free online play as part of the basic Silver package, but subscriptions to Movies etc with the higher up ones.
found this snippet on 1up.com gaming site:
"The free service of the PlayStation Network had some thinking it would force Microsoft to follow suit and drop their Gold charges; but it now looks like the situation may turn out the other way around. Eurogamer reports that a presentation from Sony mentioned a "new revenue stream from subscription" for the PlayStation Network. In a statement, Kaz Hirai said the company is "studying the possibility of introducing a subscription model, offering premium content and services, in addition to the current free services." Right now any of these plans seem to be in the brainstorming phase, but we could see the new model coming. No doubt the ailing economy would affect this decision.
That said, there's no reason for PlayStation 3 fans to panic just yet. Hirai's wording was careful, but seemed to indicate that the current services, like free online play, would stay free. Even if Sony introduced some new features and charged for them, free online play would mean most users could get by just fine without. This would still make it a far cry from Microsoft's model, in which the popular feature of online play requires a Gold membership. We'll let you know if Sony outlines more specific plans."
article on this link
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3177014
seems its just one of many ideas sony are banding about
I think it's just rumours, PSN should remain free
scroll back, its for premium PSN deals. online gaming and general use (like we use now) will remain freeQuote:
Originally Posted by Nersha
sorry but i have heard this all before. what it realy means is what the thread says, this is just a test bed for everything being pay to play. it seems our initial money used in purchase is just now going to be the beginning 40 pounds upfront then 10 pounds per dlc x4 i.e stuff that should of been there from the beginning + 4 pounds a month x12 and what do you get. well you get a 40 pound game that now cost 128 pounds and like suckers we will fall for it
by the way that game is called fifa 11/madden 11 :stop:Quote:
Originally Posted by syphab12
http://www.computerandvideogames.com....php?id=235285
Well, seems like we now know why Sony we so slow to bring cross-game chat into existence, might end up the first of the chargeable features.
Seems its going live on 29th June with PlaystationPlus
£39.99 a year for it and it offers a few bits and bobs:
http://uk.playstation.com/playstationplus/
Quote:
Join PlayStation Plus today and start getting even more from your PlayStation 3 with a whole host of premium and exclusive features, including games and content worth at least £200* a year, member only PSN features and much more.
Games: enjoy loads of PlayStation Network games, minis and PS one classics plus premium avatars and dynamic themes, all worth at least £200* a year.
You'll also get exclusive PlayStation Store discounts and early access to demos and beta trials. Content is updated every month on PlayStation Store, so there will always be something new to enjoy.
Full Game Trial: try before you buy with a one-hour trial of selected PlayStation Network titles and Blu-ray Disc releases.
Automatic Download: receive the latest PS3 system software updates, all your game updates and even game demos without lifting a finger.
* Approximate value based on average RRP of available content, excluding discounts, calculated using exchange rates as at May 2010. Actual value may vary. Access to some content, excluding discounted content, terminates at the end of the subscription period.
Quote:
Games
Get your hands on at least four games a month at no extra charge.
Each month, use your PlayStation Plus membership to download a selection of games from PlayStation Store, including PlayStation Network titles, minis and PS one classics. In addition, you can download premium avatars and dynamic themes, many of which are exclusively for members only. Games, avatars, themes and all the other PlayStation Plus content are updated each month so there is always something new to enjoy.
Members also get access to exclusive discounts on PlayStation Store content, so make the most of them as these will change each month as well.
Finally, wherever possible PlayStation Plus members are included in selected demos and beta trials before they go on general release so you can be the one to tell all your mates about the next big game they simply must have.
All in all, with games, avatars and themes worth at least £200* per year, even before the other benefits kick in, this service is great value for money
* Approximate value based on average RRP of available content in a one year subscription, excluding discounts, calculated using exchange rates as at May 2010. Actual value may vary. Access to some content, excluding discounted content, terminates at the end of the subscription period.
Full Game Trial
Try before you buy on selected PlayStation Network and Blu-ray Disc titles
This premium feature for PlayStation Plus members gives you so much more than existing demos on PlayStation Store. With Full Game Trial, you can download the full game and play it as if you owned it for one hour before you decide if you want to buy it. So you can check out the online modes, play against friends or anything else you’d normally do with a game for the whole hour, then decide if you want to buy it.
You can download two games a month as a Full Game Trial and if you buy the game at a later date, all your progress from the trial, plus any unlocked trophies will be immediately available so there's need to start all over again.
Automatic Download
Automatically receive the latest system software, game updates and demos.
Set your PlayStation 3 to automatically receive the latest PS3 system software updates and game updates for all the games you play and even get game demos sent directly to your PS3 without lifting a finger.
No more waiting to play your favourite game because there is a new patch or having to remember when the latest system software update is launched, let your PS3 do the work.
Just set the time you want to receive updates and demos and your PS3 will wake up and automatically download everything, ready for when you next want to play.
Combined with discounted PSN network cards this *might* be a reasonable deal if you play PSN and 'Minis' games often. Otherwise vanilla PSN it is.
if you can choose the games you get this might not be that bad a deal certainly better than microsofts £40 a year and get nothing at least sony are sweetening the pot a bit.
If you can pay with PSN cards (~ £17/£18 for a £20 card) and it costs £40 then your looking at £34-£36/year, thats not bad at all :)
Worth mentioning that Live is a network subscription with content bonuses and PSN+ is a content subscription with network bonuses. It's Apples to Oranges a bit with these two.
Yep - that was my thought, just seems some are trying to say the Sony kool aid tastes better.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gunbuster
It's hard with anything that costs hundreds of pounds to not get defensive and protective. Thats why owners of more premium products that can just afford them tend to defend them to the hilt (Macs) as apposed to owners of my value products (Netbooks).Quote:
Originally Posted by Terbinator
If you can only have one console, Sega Megadrive Vs Super Nintendo, you sure as hell will join a side when games exclusives come into it or rhetoric.
Although its not quite what he meant. Kevin Bulter at the Sony E3 event said: "If you friend gets a really hot girlfriend and so do you. Who wins? Everybody!". He meant motion control for casual and hardcore gamers. But really that applies to Live & PSN+, 360s & PS3s. If you get a service/console you like and so do other people it doesn't matter which one it is, everyone is good.
Was bound to happen sooner or later i suppose..as long as PSN multiplayer gaming remains free.
From my experience, people get offensive not defensive.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gunbuster
They do indeed, doesn't matter if its 360, PC, PS3, Apple, PC, nVidia, ATi etc etcQuote:
Originally Posted by Terbinator
Why can't people just realise its a platform to the play the game. Who cares if one has better graphics than the rest or one lasts longer than the other. If it does what you need it for and what it says on the tin then its good enough :)
Shame people just can't get on with it. I guess people are wanting to extend their epeens and chase each other round and slap peeps with em. Who cares, it's also like the graphics argument. Last time I checked graphics are not the be all and end all, if it looks good but poor gameplay then the game has failed. There is a reason why pacman, robotron, space invaders, you name it from back in the day are still massively playable today.
The problem is these days, the kids have grown up with what we call the next gen consoles and the overly powerful PC graphics so they expect it, those of use who grew up on vectrex and vic 20's zx spectrums and atari's etc played a game for weeks and months because you had to and you played the game as it was good, these days it has to have some killer eye candy or bling to wow the press and younger gamers.
Quote:
It seems Sony's proposals regarding PlayStation Plus - its new paid-for PSN service going live on June 29 - weren't clear enough, and the bombardment of questions has lead it to post a more detailed brief on exactly what you get for your cash money.
This should answer all your questions but it's fairly long so we'll leave Sony to it:
Ok, here are the basics of the new premium subscription service, PlayStation Plus:
* Launching on the 29th June
* The current PSN features will remain free. We are still very committed to PSN as a free gaming service and are certainly not planning on reducing this service following the launch of PlayStation Plus.
* Plus is an evolving service and the features included at launch will be:
- Games
- Discounts
- Exclusive items on PlayStation Store
- Full Game Trial
- Automatic Downloads
(More info on these below)
* Membership to Plus can be purchased through PlayStation Store on PS3 for either 90 days or a whole year (365 days)
* Local prices for membership can be found below, payment is a one off fee for either of the memberships and can be purchased with any of the current Store payment methods - Credit Card or PSN Cards
* If you sign up between the 29th June and 3rd Aug for the 1 year subscription then you will also receive a downloadable copy of the original LittleBigPlanet game for PS3, completely free! This is yours to keep and is not tied to the period of subscription
Here are the features in more detail -
Games & Special Offers: As a member you can expect to get your hands on at least 4 games a month at no extra charge. Each month there will be a selection of 1x PSN game, 2x minis and 1x PS One classics. A list of the games available in month 1 and 2 can be found below. You will be able to download these games during the month they are available, until the new selection replaces these.
Once downloaded, these games are yours to keep and play as long as you are a member of PlayStation Plus. If your subscription lapses and then you re-subscribe the games you have already downloaded will reactivate, so you still have access to them. Additionally, if you delete one of these titles from your PS3 but decide you want to get it back then you can re-download from the Plus section of the Store if the games is still there, or, if the game has expired from the Plus section of the Store, then you can simply search for it on the Store and download it again at no extra cost.
Each month there will be 2 dynamic themes, 2 premium avatars and premium game elements/add-ons for you to download and many of these will be exclusive to members only. These are yours to keep forever once you have downloaded them.
Plus members will also be given exclusive PlayStation Store discounts each month that are above and beyond the current Store discounts available to everyone. These discounts will range from 20% - 50% and anything you buy with these is yours to keep and enjoy forever.
Finally, wherever possible we'll be making sure that members are included in some selected demos and beta trials early, before they go live to everyone, so you can be the one to tell all your mates about the next big game they 'must' get.
As I mentioned, just the games themes and avatars are worth over £200* a year and with unrestricted access to 48+ games each year and all the other features, we think this service is great value for money.
Full Game Trial: Each month we will be offering members the chance to download 2 full games, try them out for a period of time (1 hour unless otherwise stated). Then you will have the choice to either buy the game and carry on from where you left off, or delete the game from your hard drive. This is a unique way to trial the full game experience and means you don't have to be restricted to certain levels/game modes when you test out a game.
The games in full game trail will become available to all Store users to purchase but only Plus members will have the chance to 'try before you buy'.
The other great thing about this feature is that you can continue from where you were at the end of the trial period if you decide to buy the game. All game saves and trophies earned during the trial will be unlocked and will show up on your trophy list and your trophy level, when you purchase the game. You don't even have to re-download the game, just purchase and go back to the XMB to access the game.
Automatic Download: Members will be able to set their PS3 to wake up from standby at any time of the day or night, download and install any game updates for the games you have been playing and we will also send you new game demos that will be ready and waiting for you to play when you next use your PS3. System software updates will also download automatically (manual install still required) and then the PS3 will turn itself off again.
Game updates and demos will also automatically install and the next time you turn on your PS3 you will see a brief on screen message letting you know what has been downloaded and updated.
Some other answers to frequently asked questions from the last blog post -
* Cross-game chat is not currently included in PlayStation Plus.
* You need to be the master account holder on the PS3 and be over 18 to purchase a Plus membership but other accounts on that PS3 will be able to play the games you download for as long as you are a member.
* The 4 games you can download each month are yours to keep for as long as you are a member.
* Playstation Plus is for PS3 owners as membership can only be purchased on the PS3 Store. However, some of the content - minis and PSOne Classics - available each month will also be playable on your PSP if you have one. Download them on the PS3 and transfer to your PSP, or download directly from the PSP Store or Media Go for PSP.
PlayStation Plus is an evolving service and we have taken on board all your comments from the previous blog post. We will be looking into these and we also welcome any other suggestions you have.
Here's pricing details for EU, and additional info also from the PS Blog:
Content available to PS Plus subs in the first two months:
Month 1: June 29th - August 3rd
Intro offer: LBP (standard edition)
PSN PS3: Wipeout HD
minis: Field Runners, Age of Zombies
PSone: Destruction Derby
Full Game Trial: Shatter, Savage Moon
Discounts: LBP God of War Pack - 50%, LBP: LocoRoco costume pack - 50%, Gravity Crash - 20%, Fat Princess DLC - 20%
Premium Game Element: KillZone 2: Steel & Titanium DLC
Push demo: ModNation Racers, Heavy Rain
Dynamic Themes: LBP Theme, SCEE produced: PlayStation "Game Is Just The Start" Dynamic Theme
2 x Fat Princess Premium Avatars
Month 2: August 4th - September 1st
PSN PS3: Zen Pinball
minis: Blast-Off, Alien Zombie Death
PSone: Medievil
Full Game Trial: inFamous, Mushroom Wars
Discounts: Zen Pinball Earth Defence Table - 20%, Warhawk Triple Combo Pack - 50%, Super Stardust HD - 20%, WipeOutHD Fury - 20%
Premium Game Elements: Motorstorm Pacific Rift: Adrenaline Pack
Push Demo: Flower, Pixel Junk Shooter
Themes: "SCEE produced: PlayStation Plus Dynamic Theme, Heavy Rain Crime Scene Theme
2 x Heavy Rain Avatars (Bird and Butterfly)
- Games that are available for the full game trial will also be available to purchase from the Store
Pricing: (1 year / 90 days)
Australia AUD 69.95 20.95
Austria € 49.99 14.99
Belgium € 49.99 14.99
Czech Republic CZK
Denmark DKK
Finland EURO 49.95 14.95
France € 49.99 14.99
Germany € 49.99 14.99
Greece € 49.99 14.99
Ireland € 49.99 14.99
Italy € 49.99 14.99
Luxembourg € 49.99 14.99
Netherlands € 49.99 14.99
New Zealand NZD 89.95 26.95
Norway NOK 395 119
Poland PLN 195 59
Portugal € 49.99 14.99
Saudi Arabia USD 64.99 19.99
South Africa ZAR 489 145
Spain € 49.99 14.99
Sweden SEK 480 145
Switzerland CHF 69.95 20.95
United Arab EmiratesUSD 64.99 19.99
United Kingdom GBP 39.99 11.99
$49.99 for a year sounds pretty fair considering all that you get. I might do this for a year just to see if its worth it or not. In a years time I'll be able to judge the value of this service and for less than the price of one game its not going to break the bank.
But once you stop paying, I think you lose access to everything you receieved?Quote:
Originally Posted by Lube
Already got LBP and Destruction Derby, no interest in any of the other stuff. I was only interested in getting it for the first month or two to bag a load of free stuff that was actually quite good, and then dumping the package - which of course would be dependent on whether they were persistent or not.
Anyway... I'm out.
i think i might actually try this i have always spent loads on arcade games on my xbox and this will save me money on my ps3, i think this is a lot better than the live subscription and at least this is OPTIONAL and you dont lose all multiplayer like live.
Incorrect.Quote:
Originally Posted by GamerGuy
Everything else you gain, games, themes, etc you get to keep forever. Read the entire quoted post I made above...it literally explains everything.Quote:
Games & Special Offers: As a member you can expect to get your hands on at least 4 games a month at no extra charge. Each month there will be a selection of 1x PSN game, 2x minis and 1x PS One classics. A list of the games available in month 1 and 2 can be found below. You will be able to download these games during the month they are available, until the new selection replaces these.
Once downloaded, these games are yours to keep and play as long as you are a member of PlayStation Plus. If your subscription lapses and then you re-subscribe the games you have already downloaded will reactivate, so you still have access to them. Additionally, if you delete one of these titles from your PS3 but decide you want to get it back then you can re-download from the Plus section of the Store if the games is still there, or, if the game has expired from the Plus section of the Store, then you can simply search for it on the Store and download it again at no extra cost.
If your subscription lapses and then you re-subscribe the games you have already downloaded will reactivate, so you still have access to them.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lube
To me that says when your subscription lapses you keep the games but cant use them anymore.
Just for the 4 free monthly games yes. everything else such as themes, avatars etc will remain yours even if you unsub. I think thats fair anyway. You are paying for the service which includes these games. You aren't actually paying for the games; just the service.
IMO this really does seem to be a good deal and I will be buying a year sub. At the end of the year if I think its not worth it I will not resubscribe. Its a way better service than Xbox Live anyway.
Couldn't resist could you ;) Maybe that will be a stance to take when the service is actually available, eh ?Quote:
Originally Posted by Lube
i bit the bullet and signed up for this i think its a not bad deal i got wipeout Hd destruction derby and a LBP on first day so i am pleased only issue i have now is my 80gb Phatboy is running out of hard drive space.
I need to update and have a good read through before i decide to take the plunge. Also, I think a 500GB 2.5" can be had for circa £40 if your running out of GB's.
Lol, some of you are saying you are thinking of joining for the free stuff. But you'll have paid £40 for the free stuff. It wasn't free, it was £40.
Anyway, this might explain it much better:
http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2010/6/30/
I think the reason some of us are signing up is because certainly in my case i always paid for xbox live and rarely used it and at least with this service i am getting some FREE to USE STUFF for as long as i am subscribedQuote:
Originally Posted by Lord Midas
I read somewhere that xbox live subscription is going to go up in price aswell...