With the end of the year fast approaching, and us gamers now knowing what this month’s free PlayStation games are, this latest entry of Now Loading takes a look at “tiered” PlayStation Plus memberships and whether the service has been worth it.
While some think that online multiplayer should be free, PlayStation Plus offers way more than just that. Have the PlayStation Plus free games every month been worth it? It depends on whether you already have the titles Sony is giving out. But nonetheless, the staff weigh in on how we should perceive PlayStation Plus’ value, and whether a tiered membership that’s cheaper but without free games, will work.
What do you think? Would you want Sony to offer different variations of PlayStation Plus memberships? How much would you pay just for online multiplayer access without the free monthly games? Sound off and let us know what you think in the comments.
Now Loading is a recurring staff-driven feature where PlayStation LifeStyle discusses anything video game-related under the sun (yes, even non-Sony platforms).
Essential Reading:
- Now Loading…Fallout 4 Tech Issues & Giving Good Games a Pass
- Top 5 Best PlayStation Plus Games of 2015
- The PlayStation LifeStyle 2015 Holiday Gift Guide – PS4, Vita, Accessories and More
Now Loading...PS+ Tiered Subscription?
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Now Loading...Is PlayStation Plus Worth It & Should Sony Offer Tiered Memberships?
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Alex Co
I'm honestly a big fan of Sony's PlayStation Plus. Now, I know a lot of people want AAA games cycled in and out every month, but we all know that's not possible; and frankly, I'm OK with that.
PS+ has been responsible for me to try out games I wouldn't even have glanced at if it wasn't available outside PlayStation Plus.
Would I want Sony to offer tiered memberships? I'm not sure. I think it might confuse some people, which Sony obviously doesn't want. What if Sony offers a higher PS+ membership but with guaranteed retail games? That's certainly food for thought, I think.
I'm honestly OK with how PS+ has been so far. I know people expect online multiplayer to be free, but it's not happening given how people are willing to pay for it. With PS+, at the very least, we get a few games every month along for the ride, which for some is the whole point of subscribing.
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Ben Tarrant
I think £40 (not sure what you yanks pay) for online access for a year isn't bad at all. The PS+ collection was always a bonus and I see
It as a great opportunity to play games is never ever dream of paying for.I think people moaning about 'getting their monies worth' forget Xbox Gold membership was similarly priced with now extras to speak of. A tiered system sounds good on paper but a lot of indie devs rely on PS+ for deals with Sony and exposure, I think people just need to relax a bit. At the end of the day, you're utilising a service from Sony, of course you have to pay for it -- free games to boot, sweet. -
Chandler Wood
Stephen hit the nail on the head. Four games have made this entire year well worth the $50 paid (I already owned three of the four), and beyond that there are a ton of great games that I have had a lot of fun with. Sony introduced Plus initially because they knew they were going to have to start charging for online on the PS4. It was their way to ease us in to the transition of paying a yearly subscription fee for online play. Now gamers have become...dare I say it? Entitled.
That copy of Call of Duty, or Battlefront, or Fallout 4 that you just bought? That probably cost $60. That's $10 more than the yearly subscription of Plus, for a single game. Yet we still get the whining that each month's Plus offering is terrible.I pay three times as much as a yearly Plus subscription every month for my cell phone family plan. I pay twice as much as a yearly subscription per month for internet. $50 a year is nothing compared to our other subscriptions and bills. There's no sense of value for anything anymore. Instead we have gamers with outstretched hands hating anything that is given to them because were in a "gimme" culture. -
Mack Ashworth
For £40 here in the UK, I'm finding it really difficult to criticize PS+. It's great value for the countless hours of entertainment it guarantees. Well, almost guarantees, as there have been a few too many instances where the service has gone down without warning.
Here's hoping for a more stable 2016, with less downtime and more awesome free titles coming our way!
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Michael Briers
I'm with Ben in that I view the PS+ offerings as a bonus to come with the cost of paying for online multiplayer. Every month, even if I don't really intend to play the newcomers to the Instant Game Collection, I would still add them to my download list meaning I'm exposed to titles such as Hohokum, Ether One and rain -- games which could very well have dropped off my radar without PS Plus. That's coming from someone who would tends to stay up-to-date with the latest releases, too, and I know a lot of friends who don't pay as much attention to the industry who welcome that added value of experiencing new titles that are lumped under the asking price of a PS Plus subscription.
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Stephen Bitto
PlayStation Plus is still one of the best bargains in gaming.
The complaining on social media is tiresome. Rocket League, inFAMOUS: First Light, Valiant Hearts and Transistor made 2015's investment worthwhile on their own. Once you start listing the additional PS3 and PS Vita games, you see how laughable arguments against PS Plus really are.A tiered system for the subscription service sounds good on paper but would limit the exposure of PS Plus games and ultimately decrease their quality and likely quantity. -
Zarmena Khan
It's all down to value perception. The beauty of PS Plus is that you don't HAVE to commit to an entire year. I'm very selective about the games I play for various reasons but I haven't found a reason to complain. I got myself a three-month membership earlier this year, and had a blast with games like The Swapper. I renewed it again when Rocket League was added to the lineup and I think I spent just as much time with that game as I did finishing The Witcher back in May/June. For me, the money was well spent. My membership has since expired and I haven't renewed it yet but I'll definitely be up for it if something catches my eye.
If you're not a multiplayer person like me, you don't need to fork out the money for a year's sub. On the other hand, if multiplayer is your thing, you need to realize that the games are an extra that you get with the service. Free multiplayer isn't feasible anymore. Whether the games cater to your taste or not is a separate matter, and not one that factually determines the value of PS Plus for the masses.
