E3 2010: Paid Premium PlayStation Network Confirmed

[John Funk]

E3 2010: Paid Premium PlayStation Network Confirmed

The PlayStation Network will still be free to use, but for $6 a month users will get a little bit more with PlayStation Plus.

We'd heard rumors of a paid premium PSN [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/96983-Possible-Details-of-PSN-Premium-Membership-Leaked] in the past, and Sony confirmed it on stage at their E3 2010 press conference: PlayStation Plus is real, and will cost gamers $49 a year, or $18 for three months to subscribe.

For your money, this is what you get: Exclusive betas and demos, discounts on PSN games and downloads, as well as a feature that will automatically detect, download and install update updates and patches (I hope you can turn that off, if you're running Linux on your PS3 - for example).

If you don't want to pay, though, you still can play online - it's just an added bonus on top.

For more, check out Steve Butts' liveblog of the event [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/conferences/e32010/7712-Liveblog-Sony-2010-Press-Conference-E3].

Keep track of our E3 2010 coverage here [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/conferences/e32010].

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[the_pleasure_is_mine]

Cool when i eventually get my PS3 i'll probably pay for this.

 

[CoverYourHead]

Well if I get discounts on downloaded games then it just might be worth it. I sure do love those classic games...

 

[Outlaw Torn]

Hopefully Microsoft will learn and make Xbox Live similar to this so that Silver members can actually play online.

 

[Tzekelkan]

The only bad thing I see is the demos. I love having demos to try games out, but if they're paid content... (though not all of them may be, yes, I know). Well, anyway, I'm a PC. So my demos are free (if they exist at all!)

 

[Soviet Heavy]

This seems a lot more reasonable than the 360 deal, I think. Pretty cool getting access to betas and demos, and it won't affect your ability to play games.

 

[Dr. wonderful]

...Hmmm I'm paying attention sony.

Get it? paying attention?

 

[SnipErlite]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm NAHHH.

I won't buy this, I hardly ever download games and it's be a waste of money for me. Meh.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

...Hmmm I'm paying attention sony.

Get it? paying attention?

Oh, you're sooo cheeky.
But this seems like a cool deal overall.

 

[jeejvebe]

I'm just hoping for improved community-features.

 

[Hudson_sir_he's_Hicks]

Probably a smart move to offer the premium service as a bonus. If they started charging just to be on PSN, then would likely put a lot of people off.

Sony have to get this service right though, adding PS1 and PS2 games WITH TROPHIES is a definite must, possibly give premium subscribers free access to premium themes, avatars etc. would also help

This could cause a headache for people with both consoles in terms of which service to pay for as $50 per year for both Xbox Live & PSN is a bit steep. We might get a bit of price war for premium services (probably just the ramblings of a mad man though!)

 

[thenumberthirteen]

A feature that will automatically detect, download and install update updates and patches (I hope you can turn that off, if you're running Linux on your PS3 - for example).

You can't access the PSN with old firmware anyway so you couldn't become a premium member.

 

[uppitycracker]

humm, have to pay to get beta and demo access, eh? that's pretty lame, about the only thing my PS3 1-up'd the xbox for was my free demos. tis a shame.

 

[anthony87]

If Microsoft's plan was like this then I would've ended up getting an Xbox 360 rather than a PS3.

I for one think this idea is fantastic on Sony's part.

 

[Gigaguy64]

Too bad they said that any DLC you get while using the Plus will expire with your Subscription.\
Other than that looks ok.

 

[bue519]

Maybe MS could learn from this model.

 

[monnes]

Don't think that demo part is true, I think they said subscribers would get early access to demos though.

 

[Jared]

T a bad model to go with...now if only Microsoft would take the same hint...

 

[Roxas1359]

This style of premium membership reminds me off the one we have here. I myself am probably not going to get it because my internet connection for gaming is always quite bad, but I don't see anything wrong with it. Now to wait and see when threads start popping up on here saying that Sony will have to make you pay, and how people will think that is the case and get angry. You know, like what happened here when people were misinformed.

 

[Jamash]

Maybe MS could learn from this model.

I hope not, it's bad enough they've released a shiny black slim 360 with built in Wi-Fi.

I think a subscription for the actual online play is better, because once a company accepts your money for that, they're obligated to ensure that things like matchmaking, latency, connections and other aspects of actual online gaming are up to a certain standard.

Since this PSN subscription has nothing to do with online play, the premium members are only entitled to free, non-premium, "you get what you pay for" standard of online play, so as long as the PSN betas, demos, discounts and game downloads are functioning, they can't complain if it takes 1 hour to find a match which drops the connection after 10 minutes, since that's not what they're paying for.

In a nutshell, it's premium access to a shop, not a gaming service, in my opinion.