E3 2010: Paid Premium PlayStation Network Confirmed

John Funk

U.N. Owen Was Him?
Dec 20, 2005
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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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CoverYourHead

High Priest of C'Thulhu
Dec 7, 2008
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Well if I get discounts on downloaded games then it just might be worth it. I sure do love those classic games...
 

Outlaw Torn

New member
Dec 24, 2008
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Hopefully Microsoft will learn and make Xbox Live similar to this so that Silver members can actually play online.
 

Tzekelkan

New member
Dec 27, 2009
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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

New member
Jan 22, 2010
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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.
 

SnipErlite

New member
Aug 16, 2009
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Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm NAHHH.

I won't buy this, I hardly ever download games and it's be a waste of money for me. Meh.
 
Feb 13, 2010
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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

Unlucky for some
Dec 19, 2007
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John Funk said:
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

New member
Oct 9, 2008
864
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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

New member
Aug 13, 2009
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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

Special Zero Unit
Apr 22, 2009
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Too bad they said that any DLC you get while using the Plus will expire with your Subscription.\
Other than that looks ok.
 

monnes

New member
Sep 23, 2009
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Don't think that demo part is true, I think they said subscribers would get early access to demos though.
 

Jared

The British Paladin
Jul 14, 2009
5,630
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T a bad model to go with...now if only Microsoft would take the same hint...
 

Roxas1359

Burn, Burn it All!
Aug 8, 2009
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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

Top Todger
Jun 25, 2008
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bue519 said:
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.