Playstation Plus Discussion Thread - FAQ in first post

eddhorse

From here : http://blog.eu.playstation.com/

PlayStation Plus; Check Out What It’s All About
Posted on 15 June by James Thorpe – PlayStation Network Product Manager

Hi Everyone, you may have heard in all the E3 hype that we are launching a new premium subscription service called PlayStation Plus, so I just wanted to give you all a quick heads up on what you can expect to get from this great new service so you have all the info before launch on the 29th June.



The first thing to note is that PlayStation Network is still free to join and all the current features will remain free. PlayStation Plus will be offering you a service above and beyond this, including loads of content and exclusive, member-only, PSN features.

Video Trailer :
http://www.viddler.com/explore/PSBlogEU/videos/519/

From 29th June you’ll be able to purchase a 1 year or 90-day membership from PlayStation Store and instantly get your hands on the following premium features. Plus, if you sign up for a 1 year membership between 29th June and 3rd August, we’ll also throw in a free downloadable copy of the award winning LittleBigPlanet.

Games:
As a member you can expect to get your hands on at least four games a month at no extra charge. Each month there will be a selection of one PSN game, two minis and one PS one classics available on PlayStation Store for you to download. You also get premium avatars and dynamic themes each month, many of which are exclusive to members.

Talking of exclusive, there will also be discounts available on loads of PlayStation Store content, just for members, so make the most of them as these will change each month as well.

Finally, wherever possible we’ll be making sure that members are included in some selected demos and beta trials before they go live to the public so you can be the one to tell all your mates about the next big game they ‘must’ get.

Just the games, avatars and themes alone are worth at least £200* per year, so even before the other benefits, this service is great value for money

Full Game Trial:
This premium feature gives you the chance to try PSN and Blu-ray disc titles before you buy them in a whole new way. We are not talking normal demos of selected parts of a game here. With Full Game Trial, you can download the full game and play it as if you owned it for approximately one hour, depending on the game, before you decide if you want to buy it or not. So you can check out the online modes, play against friends or anything else you’d normally do with a game.

The other great thing is that your progress and trophies from the trial will all be unlocked if you buy the game so no need to go back and start again.

Automatic Download:
We wanted to offer members the speediest service possible so sign up and you can set your PS3 to automatically receive the latest game updates for all the games you play, PS3 system software updates and even have game demos sent directly to your PS3 without lifting a finger.

Just set the time you want to receive them and your PS3 will automatically wake up and download everything, ready for when you next want to play. No more waiting to play your favourite game because there is a new patch or having to remember when the latest system software is launching, let your PS3 do the work.

Details of this great new service, including a list of content available for the first 2 months will be on playstationplus.com between now and the 29th, but don’t forget to get on the Store and sign up before the 3rd August to get the added bonus of a free copy of LittleBigPlanet.

It would be great to hear what you guys think of this new service and I’ll be back one here on Wednesday morning to try and answer any questions you have.

Cheers,
James

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FAQ section:

What is Playstation Plus [PS+]?

PS+ is a subscription service from Sony Playstation. You pay monthly, quarterly or yearly to become a member. While maintaining member status you get the following...


How much does it cost and are subscriptions stackable?

Subs are stackable and there are often deals. So if you see a good deal, say 15 months for the price of 12, feel free to purchase a year or two extra. As of May 2013, the price of a subscription is

90 days @ €14.99

1 Year @ €49.99


Instant Games Collection

Get top rated games every month for your PS3 and PS Vita. Some months vary but there could be up to six free games each month. Some of the games released on IGC are Little Big Planet 2, Infamous 2, Motorstorm Apocalypse, Hitman: Absolution, Sine MoraJoe Danger 2 : The movie


Money Saving Discounts

Each month there are hundreds of euro off many titles. What's not to like?


Exclusive access to game demos and betas

Get access to demos and betas a few weeks before the general population. Bask in their envy.


60 minute full game trials

Most recent games are available for digital download. A lot of them are available to download and try out. These are not demos but the FULL GAME. Play as you like for up to 60 minutes. After your 60 minutes are up you will have to purchase the game to continue. If you choose to purchase the game, you can continue where you left off. Your save game remains intact. Regardless on whether you chose to purchase it or not, any trophies earned are yours to keep forever. The 60 minutes starts from when you first run the game. The clock doesn't stop ticking if you close the game before 60 minutes. You can only download these once.


Free Themes and Avatars

Every month you get a selection of free themes and avatars. I'm struggling to get excited about that.


Online Storage for games saves

Save all of your game saves in Sony's cloud space. You get 1GB for PS3 saves and 1GB for PS Vita saves. Wow. Upload and download as you wish. Be warned, some games even have DRM on these saves and limit when you can upload, download or use after downloading. From personal experience, Deus Ex: Human Revolution has such DRM.



Automatic software updates

Trophy synchronisation, game update data, video files and the latest system software update data can be automatically downloaded and installed according to the time period you set.


When are new games released for IGC?

Most games are refreshed every month. Old games fall off and new games are added. In it's first year Little Big Planet 2, Infamous 2 and Motorstorm Apocalypse were available for the full 12 months. they are due to be replaced in June 2013.

Sony usually announces what is going to be available up to 1 month in advance. Usually games are added on the first Wednesday of the month.


What happens if I stop being a member and, more importantly, if I re-subscribe at a later date will I still have access to all of my old games?

If you don't renew your subscription, you lose access to everything you had with PS+. You can no longer avail of cloud saves, automatic updates, discounts and you can no longer play any free games that you downloaded while a member. If you PURCHASED something while being a member, that is yours to keep forever. Upon renewal of your subscription you will get access to your PlayStation Plus games. We recommend you take advantage of automatic renewal to ensure you don't miss out.


Does PlayStation Plus have an age limit?

You must be 18 years old to purchase a PlayStation Plus subscription.

Where can I see how long I have left on my PlayStation Plus subscription?

You can see how long your current subscription has to run by visiting PlayStation®Network > [Account Management] > [Transaction Management] > [Services List] > [PlayStation®Plus] on the PlayStation 3 system's XMB Menu.

If I subscribe now, will I get all the old games?
No. You'll just get the games currently available and the ones available going forward.

Do I have to download all the games now?
No. all you have to do is add them to your trolley and go through the checkout process so they're in your download list. So even when they're gone from the IGC, you can still download them whenever you want (as long as you're subscribed).

I only have a Vita/PS3 so I don't need the games for the other system
Even if you only have one of the consoles, add all the games to the download list anyway. You never know, you may be tempted to get the console later on with all these games to play on it.


More Info

Sony Playstation Plus

PSN Store Online

Official PS+ FAQ

Official PS3 Blog

The Sixth Axis

NotorietyH

Full Game Trial sounds like a pretty cool feature.

rizzla

Full Game Trial sounds terrible. Probably take 5-6 hours just to download the game from the servers. Then all you get is 1 hour with it.

Free games a month will be great as long as you don't have the game already, too bad there's not a choice of 3 or something.

I can't really see anyone sign up to this. Also in the Press Conference didn't they say once your subscription ended and you don't renew you no longer have access to the free content?

Korvanica

spend ages downloading a game to try it for only an hour? thats not much time compared to how long itl take to download full games.

PaddyBomb

Also been confirmed that Cross Game Chat will be included with PS+. No Idea why they didn't mention it at E3 but Joystiq seem to have information on it.

http://www.joystiq.com/2010/06/15/cross-game-party-chat-coming-to-ps3-with-strings-attached/

You can chat with up to 4 people, they don't have to have PS+ to chat with but the person who set up the chat has to have PS+... if that makes sense

Here's the image from the Belgium website which states it.

eddhorse

So that means we are getting new firmware on the 29th of June FW3.40 ???

Korvanica

the people in that picture look rediculous

EDIT: i think with this next firmware update theyre taking away the ability to play games because people are using that feature...

eddhorse

Actually on the Irish PSN it doesnt have cross game chat but does reference the 29th June date and firmware 3.40 hmmmm ??:

http://ie.playstation.com/psn/services/detail/item285515/PlayStation%C2%AEPlus/

PaddyBomb

Seems like the Cross Game Chat information has been taken down very quick from all the PS websites. Maybe it's not coming?

eddhorse

Yeah its down from NL and Italy and Spain now....

Nemanja91

Does anyone know the pricing of this yet?

Does anyone know the list of the first free games?, it say's that they are available on the website but I can't find them!

Zero-Cool

Free games every month sounds class!! I wouldn't mind a free Classic PS1 game every month, this sounds good unless its a rediculous price and insta worried about the comment above that if you don't renew it, you can't get the current free content back :eek:

sheehy83

sheehy83 wrote: »

Free games every month sounds class!! I wouldn't mind a free Classic PS1 game every month, this sounds good unless its a rediculous price and insta worried about the comment above that if you don't renew it, you can't get the current free content back :eek:

From what i've heard so far.... you keep anything you pay for, so anything bought with a members discount stays, but anything you get for free goes.

I don't see a problem with this, if you got to keep them what's stopping people to subscribe for a month then cancelling at the end. I don't know about ye, but i wouldn't play a game through more then once in 2/3yrs, so if i did get this the games would be played briefly then discarded forever so i wouldn't have a problem with that.

After all your only renting, it would be like complaining that you didn't get to keep the furniture in the apartment you rented for a few months.

Frankie_Lee

Any mention of when we'll get the movie downloads here?

Grumpypants

We get to try it for 3 months for free so there is nothing to loose

rizzla

Grumpypants wrote: »

We get to try it for 3 months for free so there is nothing to loose

Yeah. Think I heard during the e3 presser that the first game is Wipeout hd, with some Rally game as the PSone title. Don't know what the minis are.

Too bad I already own Wipeout. Wonder if I can wait to sign up for the 3 months free, so I get to try a game I don't have.

weiland79

Crap i bought Wipeout last Saturday:(

Kersmash

Hopefully Sony will use the revenue they get from this to improve the service further, and secure more DLC so we don't have to wait forever because of Microsoft.

eddhorse

I think the 3 free months is only available if you purchase the yearly sub !

Nemanja91

The 3 month sub will cost €14.99 and the 1 year sub will cost €49.99

tok9

Wait are we getting it for free for the first 3 months anyway? If so like weiland79 i feel like a right idiot for being wipeout 2 days ago!

Nick_oliveri

Kersmash wrote: »

Hopefully Sony will use the revenue they get from this to improve the service further, and secure more DLC so we don't have to wait forever because of Microsoft.

Thats a ridiculous situation to be in. Both Sony and Microsoft are giants in the entertainment industry. One could nearly understand exclusive games, but exclusive DLC/ Earlier release dates are out of order IMO.

Another manufacturer releasing a new console and going up against this crap? They would have to be mad, or have a serious amount of new features/capital behind them.

Championing premium avatars and themes. Thats so low. You would think they could have kept that bullcrap to PShome.

sarumite

weiland79 wrote: »

Crap i bought Wipeout last Saturday:(

Its only crap if you decide not to keep your subsritpion to playstation plus. I bought the game 2 years ago and I still play online a lot.

tman

Automatic background downloads of patches is a great idea and all, but should really be there for everyone. It's something I suggested in one of those "what feature would you like to see..." threads ages ago:(
If I have the cash to spare I reckon I'll definitely be getting this, seems like quite good value.

I also own Wipeout, so might wait a couple of months before starting my sub

gizmo

The one thing I don't understand is why people keep saying these things are "free". It's not free if you're paying a sub for them and it's even more ridiculous that they take them off you if you decide you want to cancel your subscription. That being said, the discounts would be nice but again, you're still paying for them at the end of the day.

I'm not mad about the Full Game Trials either as, bandwidth issues aside, the first hour of the a game is rarely the one which will really sell it best. The whole point of a demo is that the developer has crafted a section of the game which best represents how it plays, not just the first hour which can also have you playing what is essentially the training part of a game.

The automatic updates feature, while useful in theory, really shouldn't be included in a premium set of features.

Also looks like Cross-game chat is definitely off the table for now - House cross-game chat a "side issue".

Polar101

No deal I think.. I don't need Sony to decide which "free" game I give them money for, I can do that myself. None of the other features sound worth paying for.

Sephiroth_dude

Im glad its optional and there not making you buy this.

cdb

Not really much here at the moment to encourage anyone spend €50 tbh. LittleBigPlanet is hardy the incentive needed to win over those sitting on the fence.

The concept of a premium service while not exactly groundbreaking is promising enough in theory but these offerings are pretty lame and seems to be nothing more than a cynical money grabbing exercise as it stands. I'll hold off on ponying up the money until it is worth the premium it demands.

Minstrel27

Free Wipeout which I already own. Little Big Planet if you sign up for the year? I own that too.

I think it is foolish of Sony to use best selling games that a lot of people already own as a carrot in an effort to entice people onto the service. I wont be subscribing anyway.

Grumpypants

I don't mind this at all ive no problem with companies cashing in on choice. No one has to buy this but if someone wants to pay 4 euro a month to get a few free hour long demo's, a PSN game, a PS1 game and a few minis etc then off with them.

At least its not like Xbox Live where you spend 4 euro on month and get nothing.

heebusjeebus

If we're paying 50 snots a year can they not just credit our account with €50 so we can do with it as we wish?
I'd be more willing to join the "service" then.

Professey Chin

heebusjeebus wrote: »

If we're paying 50 snots a year can they not just credit our account with €50 so we can do with it as we wish?
I'd be more willing to join the "service" then.

.........really?
Thats like a shop giving you extra for buying a voucher for the shop.It makes no sense at all

Grumpypants

heebusjeebus wrote: »

If we're paying 50 snots a year can they not just credit our account with €50 so we can do with it as we wish?
I'd be more willing to join the "service" then.

Couldnt you just keep your 50euro and then spend it on what ever you choose ?

gizmo

Grumpypants wrote: »

At least its not like Xbox Live where you spend 4 euro on month and get nothing.

cdb

Ultimate Chin wrote: »

.........really?
Thats like a shop giving you extra for buying a voucher for the shop.It makes no sense at all

Grumpypants wrote: »

Couldnt you just keep your 50euro and then spend it on what ever you choose ?

I think you're missing Heebus' point lads. If you sign up for the year you get a copy of LittleBigPlanet and the rest, the games, themes, avatars etc which is in the OP as being worth €200

'Just the games, avatars and themes alone are worth at least £200* per year, so even before the other benefits, this service is great value for money'

So €50 credit to use in the store if you sign up seems pretty smart in comparison.

Captain Chaos

Grumpypants wrote: »

At least its not like Xbox Live where you spend 4 euro on month and get nothing.

Don't know about you but my Live sub costs me €2.70 per month. You should shop around more.

Personally I don't like PSN's bribary way of keep you as paying member. Sure you get all the "free" stuff but fail to pay again and all that "free" stuff is gone. It's more like a rental service than anything else.

I'd rather just pay for the stuff I want and then it's mine full stop.

eddhorse

Captain Chaos wrote: »

Don't know about you but my Live sub costs me €2.70 per month. You should shop around more.

Personally I don't like PSN's bribary way of keep you as paying member. Sure you get all the "free" stuff but fail to pay again and all that "free" stuff is gone. It's more like a rental service than anything else.

I'd rather just pay for the stuff I want and then it's mine full stop.

I agree , its like holding you to ransom....

TheTosh

I hope this fails badly and gives Sony a big slap in the face because the greed has gone too far, initially it looks good but in reality its just rentals. If I see anyone with a premium avatar on my friends list, I'll think ''What a tool for buying into Sony's bullsh*t'', Sony should focus on their customers a little and not just their pockets

Varik

TheTosh wrote: »

I hope this fails badly and gives Sony a big slap in the face because the greed has gone too far, initially it looks good but in reality its just rentals. If I see anyone with a premium avatar on my friends list, I'll think ''What a tool for buying into Sony's bullsh*t'', Sony should focus on their customers a little and not just their pockets

One tool reporting in and it's bullsh*t+ , Sony already give most of what MS charges for for free that's was not thinking with their pockets, they could have charged the same as live at launch if they had gotten psn up to scratch sooner not sure they could do it now with out something like this.

The best downloadable game i have is battlefield 1943 and i don't play that a year later, if there was an option to pay less for a month or two rental i'd be better off now. Is there really a difference between this and buying game then trading it in after you finished, you buy a €60 full priced game then trade it for €40 you've just spent €20 for long rental with a cost that may be larger than expected if the price of the trade is lower that you'd have hoped for .

The psn games you get are not free that is true but you pay less and honestly get less but when you don't physically own these games i don't see why having a lower degree of possessions is bad, one racist remark on chat and a deleted account later you could loose them anyway.
Some of the best ps3 games are first party with any of the dlc that we pay for now possibly being included at no additional cost(they'll say free), LBP which is included in this may be one of them and while i would never spend €1.99 on a origami hat for sack boy i would like a lot of the costumes that they release, Just to mention one thing about me i download anything on psn that is free each week just in case i get the game and they start charging for it.

This is not a game Sony don't have to convince you in the first 3 or so months when games generally make the majority of their sales, while i will take the chance at the start i think a lot of you will make the changes eventually seeing the full benefits or when the dlc you have bought starts to be more costly than getting it with psn+.

You get a choices, but not between a crippled silver or costly gold. it's just as was said at E3 it's a additional service for that bit extra if you want.

Just to finish off, if they included a option to buy some of these game when you cancel you account would it change anyones mind, i'd hope that when you renew you get the old stuff back too.

Star Bingo

Full Game.. TRIAL. how infuriating is that you can d/l the full game but only play an hour's worth?! i need to know what the issue is i've been craving FP games on demand long time now n would duly subscribe if i could buy em this way. can't they lock down a d/l to one console? this just shows me the capability is there, yet its not. sucketh

Varik

Star Bingo wrote: »

Full Game.. TRIAL. how infuriating is that you can d/l the full game but only play an hour's worth?!

If you were going to pay for the full game otherwise this gives you a chance to change you mind and who knows it may end up like fable 2 was on the 360 with the full game in sections with them giving enough that it last over an hour for free then paying for the rest.

Nemanja91

When can you actually start signing up for this and when is the update?

Star Bingo

Varik wrote: »

If you were going to pay for the full game otherwise this gives you a chance to change you mind and who knows it may end up like fable 2 was on the 360 with the full game in sections with them giving enough that it last over an hour for free then paying for the rest.

here's hoping on the latter. i remember Blood Curse: the Forbidden Siren remake that came in installments. but i for one'd be lured into buying FP games without even trying a demo if they were in the store. they'd make a killing.

rizzla

Varik wrote: »

The best downloadable game i have is battlefield 1943 and i don't play that a year later, if there was an option to pay less for a month or two rental i'd be better off now. Is there really a difference between this and buying game then trading it in after you finished, you buy a €60 full priced game then trade it for €40 you've just spent €20 for long rental with a cost that may be larger than expected if the price of the trade is lower that you'd have hoped.

The main difference I see is the game you paid €60 for is a game you chose to buy. Rather than someone choosing to give it to ya, even if you had it or not. If Sony gave you a choice of any game you want on the PSN each month, then it would be so worth it.

Varik

rizzla wrote: »

The main difference I see is the game you paid €60 for is a game you chose to buy. Rather than someone choosing to give it to ya, even if you had it or not. If Sony gave you a choice of any game you want on the PSN each month, then it would be so worth it.

Getting a choice of one game would be nice, but that may not work well as Sonys costs could be high if they have to pay outside developers large amounts.

Psn+ does have a discount on stuff so there is a choice there but it all depends on the titles given out each month and what discounts apply to on the store.
there is 3 months free so that 3 chances for Sony to impress.
this is from the Irish psn+ page
"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."
selection means there will be some choice.

gant0

Found this on a site.Looks like there's no choice of games you get.They just pick the games each month.I'm still paying though €15 for 3 months is a great offer considering I'll gt to play loads of games I would never have payed for but always kinda wanted.

Playstation+
$49.99 for 1yr (3months free for intro offer)
3months $17.99
Exclusive content
Early demos
Beta invitations
Free PSN games/PSN minis/themes
PSN discounts
Auto downloads (to push demos/patches/videos to the user)

First month users get:
2 minis (fieldrunners, age of zombies)
Wipeout HD
Infamous trial
PS1 Rallycross
some avatars/map packs

Next month - As well as more of the stuff above you get Core HD show.

Minstrel27

I thought Core was for US users only? It can be seen on Youtube for free anyway

gant0

Minstrel27 wrote: »

I thought Core was for US users only? It can be seen on Youtube for free anyway

Nope qore is on the eu store too.I don't really care much about it.the only thing that ever inticed me was the betas and demos but those are included in the psn+ anyway

NotorietyH

gant0 wrote: »

Nope qore is on the eu store too.I don't really care much about it.the only thing that ever inticed me was the betas and demos but those are included in the psn+ anyway

Not it's FirstPlay on the EU store not Qore. They have different content. FirstPlay is by the people behind OPM.

gant0

NotorietyH wrote: »

Not it's FirstPlay on the EU store not Qore. They have different content. FirstPlay is by the people behind OPM.

really didnt know that.I guess I just got mixed up since I have both accounts and us both eu ans us stores.

Varik

Minstrel27 wrote: »

I thought Core was for US users only? It can be seen on Youtube for free anyway

If i'm fast and can get away before security sees me i could get Move for free.

Psn+ subscribers will be probably the only ones to get into betas from now on and ps3 is getting some mmos the discount may pay off over a year with that if applicable.