It’s funny, really: we first heard about PlayStation Plus back in March 2010, except at that point nobody knew what it was. Indeed, our excerpt for the post was “are you our premium service, then?” – an innocent question that Sony didn’t really answer until later in the year when the service was fully announced and detailed.
I’ve been an open sceptic of the paid-for ‘upgraded’ PlayStation Network since then, I already pay for Live and use that about six times a year, so presumed that splashing out the hard earned on something similar for the PlayStation 3 would be of similar value: on a personal level, for someone that doesn’t do a lot of online gaming – next to none.
But PlayStation Plus is a bit different. It’s not really like the Xbox 360’s Silver and Gold service, which is more concerned with enabling online multiplayer rather than bulking up the console’s functionality. Yes, you get the odd cheap deal and earlier access to certain demos with Gold, but PlayStation Plus seems to (at least in my eyes) go the extra mile.
[boxout]Which is? Automatic downloads. We hinted at such a facility a couple of times – once here, and again here – but when Plus launched it wasn’t really something that Sony pushed to the forefront, and it’d passed me by in amongst all the weekly offers and talk of exclusive betas.But I’ve a huge disdain for the way PS3 updates were done (they were usually far too weighty and you couldn’t let them sit in the background) so the ability to let Plus do this for you is a wonderful thing.
I only signed up for PlayStation Plus two nights ago, and each night since, at around 2am, it’s woken up the console and set about grabbing all manner of things for me, including what must have been a series of colossal-sized Pain updates (usually the worst) and a few other items here and there. The result: I no longer have to wait for the PS3 to update a game when I want to play it.
Of course, the service isn’t flawless – I can’t expect Plus to check every game I’ve ever played but it does seem to be covering the bases – I’ve been wanting to throw people out of a catapult for ages but couldn’t face the download, and whilst I know you can cancel them and play offline, that’s hardly the point.
The point is, that in addition to the great offers that seem to pepper the Store (I grabbed Stacking, which was free, for example) it’s these little things that run in the background when I’m away from the PlayStation 3 that impress me the most. The idea is simple, but the execution is great.
Yes, I know I’m late to the party, and yes – it could be a little cheaper, but consider me a subscriber.
m61726b
I understand that strictly they are not free. But, it’s the same as the ‘free’ music I got with my Nokia and OVI Music Store. While I using it, it’s free, just like the NHS or Schools.
Dange
Still not been tempted to get Plus yet, most of what is on offer I own already. Bar a few exclusive plus deals, it’s not really interested me.
Phil_E
I love playstation plus for the free monthly content. the automatic download isnt really a feature i use as i dont tend to leave the console on standby that often, but it is good that its there. some of the games i get from playstation plus are great but also something i would have never have thought of buying otherwise, also great.
Chogoria
Sorry Nofi but I have to disagree. Whilst having the automatic downloading feature is nice, it seemed that was the part of the service that I was using the most and £39.99 for a year’s worth of automatic downloading is pretty poor value for money if you ask me. The majority of the free games I played once and then never again, so after 2 x 90 days I decided not to renew as it really did seem to be a complete waste of my money.
aphex187
Up till now my overall view is ok and that’s it!
dnlgee
Got this a couple of month ago and already have my moneys worth IMO, Stacking is a great game, Shatter is just as entertaining, as are the minis. Not to mention Lead and Gold for free. Got to remember the service is still in it’s early days and can only get better, the future of it looks quite promising. 0day PSN games for free (like Stacking) more often would be great.
tantalus_blank
I can’t deny that plus is great value for money for many but I’ve bought way too much stuff for it to be useful. Like cc said, I’d get it if there was a lite version which only covered extra features
spooferbarnabas
Great for me, never played 90% of the stuff that’s put on there. I’d never even heard of shatter and that’s brilliant, and i now also have so much content for my psp that i don’t actually need to take any discs with me when i go out etc. Sweeeet!
skibadee
will be renewing my subscription for another year in September.
clashcityrocker
People don’t know what they are missing.
Xbox Live, £40 buys you online play.
PSN gives you that for free (and better, because it uses dedicated servers)
PS3 £40 gives you hundreds of pounds worth of free content a year.
Sure you don’t get to choose the content, but the point is, these are hidden gems selected for you. This month Shatter and Stacking, both excellent selections.
I am only 3 months in and have already made up the initial outlay in the free stuff I have played and the things I bought at discount. The Killzone3 single player was a bonus as was playing KZ3 multiplayer for nearly 2 months now.
PS+ seems to get a bad rap, and the only conclusion I can come to, is that it’s because Xbox fanboys are jealous, they have nothing that comes close to this.
The Automatic downloads are just a bonus as is the cloud storage. Although it would be hard to live without them, it’s all about the content baby! I look forward to seeing what freebies I get each month.