Here at TSA, we’re always keen to hear what you think. Having you be a part of the discussion is a huge contributing factor to why we do what we do. So we read all the comments, browse the forums and interact with many of you via Twitter too.
We’ve been noticing a few comments pop up asking about Cross Buy, PlayStation’s scheme whereby purchasing a game from the PSN will bag you all of the available versions of that game. So, for example, if you bought the PS3 version of Guacamelee! then you’d also be able to download the Vita version and play it on the go.
This is often a great way for existing PS3 owners to augment their game collections when they become new Vita owners. Many of us already had the sublime Flower from thatgamecompany on our PS4s at launch simply because we bought and enjoyed the game on PS3.
But we were wondering if Cross Buy made a real difference to how attractive a game is to potential purchasers (that’s you!)? There’s only one sure way to find out: with a lovely little poll.
Let us know your stance on the question below and we’ll be back next week to let you know the results. I might even make a fancy chart.
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Gareth Chadwick
I’m more likely to buy a game if it’s crossbuy but I will not buy a game twice if it isn’t. I would pick one or not bother at all.
Pitcher-T
I love cross buy. I would even pay an extra quid or two to get it on cross buy.
No offence but why should I pay for a game twice to play it on different devices. I don’t buy a cd twice to listen to it on my PC and my iPod.
Hobbes130
I’m more interested in whether PS3 titles I bought will be free for me to play on Playstation Now.
I didn’t really go down the digital route last gen so bought many, many games on disc. I don’t relish paying again to play them on PS4 unless it’s a monthly subscription and a competitive one at that.
I was pleasantly surprised to get Flower for free, and Zen Pinball 2, although not ALL the tables I had bought for the PS3 version were available, it was good to get some of them.
I’d like to see more of that…PS3 games updated/upgraded to PS4 but free if bought already for PS3, like Flower.
yd
The pinball games are a great example of the cross-buy thing.
Zen Pinball gets a free PS4 version, and any tables you’ve already paid for, of the ones they’ve upgraded, can be imported for free. An excellent pinball game that plays well on the PS4. For “free”. (Importing tables also shows off how well the PS4 can do background downloads. Just starts off the downloads and quietly updates the game with more tables while you’re playing).
The Pinball Arcade people got greedy. A better game (not that Zen Pinball isn’t huge amounts of fun), but buy all the tables again? 10 lots at £3.99? Or take advantage of the generous offer of the bundle of all 10 for just £11.99, if you’ve already bought all 10 packs. And Sony didn’t screw up the bundle from when it was released until after christmas.
As much as I love the game, it’s kind of put me off buying further table packs. If we get the whole 3rd season of tables and it’s 10 packs again, that’s 30 lots of DLC. To get all that for the PS3/4/Vita is going to be at least £107.94. (3 season bundles and 3 discounted PS4 bundles). That’s if you don’t want the pro-upgrades.
I’ve got enough tables on the PS3/Vita version, so I’m more likely to not bother with further table packs. If the cross-buy thing included all 3 versions, I’d very likely buy them. I’d probably buy them individually rather than in seasons. (Also, it’s funny how they don’t make the season passes available at the start. How many table packs were available before they started doing that? Get people buying them and THEN decide to offer 40% off)
TheDeathAvenger
I don’t think cross-buy would work for Microsoft or Nintendo. Microsoft don’t have a portable console, Nintendo does, but doesn’t have the same games released for both platforms.
Cross-buy doesn’t influence me to buy from Sony instead of MS, Steam, etc because I don’t game on Xbox or PC, only Playstation. Would it influence me if I did? Possibly.
If a game is not cross-buy but is available on PS4 and Vita, I doubt there is many, if any, that I would buy more than once. Also not having cross-buy could easily be the decider in buying one game over the other.
Dominic Leighton
But then couldn’t Nintendo stand to benefit by giving Wii U versions to go with their 3DS ones? If you’ve got games for a console already it certainly makes picking one up more appealing (just as the Vita must have gained to some extent from people who got games for it via PS3 cross-buy).
simplebob
Always considered cross buy a bonus, certainly with PS+. It’s been great when a game has come to Vita and has instantly been free because I’ve bought it (or got it through + in the past). Wouldn’t buy a game twice if its not CrossBuy, but also wouldnt actively purchase a game just because its CrossBuy. I would normally only play a CrossBuy title on one platform (normally the Vita as I have too many games to get through on the PS3) but its nice to have the option.
TSBonyman
I would be willing to pay slightly more for cross-buy OR for all versions bundled together. Only slightly more though, say 20% to 30% of the initial cost. I think that would be fair considering developers can’t be expected to give away the other versions for nothing.
yd
Why can’t they give away the other versions for nothing? In some ways it might make a lot of sense to do exactly that. The poll results might prove that.
Making 2 or 3 versions of a game isn’t going to cost 2 or 3 times as much. Huge chunks of the work are going to be reused across all versions. (Ok, it may involve more work if you need higher resolution stuff for the PS4)
If people think cross-buy is a good thing and makes a game more tempting, that could end up with more sales. Not hard to imagine those extra sales more than make up for the slight increase in work needed to produce the extra Vita or PS4 versions.
The bundled versions at a discount seem more unfair to me. It’s as if the developer wants all those extra sales cross-buy should produce AND wants some more money. Particularly in the case of the PS4, where there’s currently a bit of a lack of games. People would be jumping on the PS4 version straight away, and more likely to buy a PS3/Vita version if they know they can get the PS4 version when they get a PS4.
TSBonyman
Don’t get me wrong – i love that i got four free games for PS4 thanks to cross-buy but still i wouldn’t mind paying a little extra for all versions. I’m not talking about full-price games, just those which are generally in the 10-20 quid range.
Kennykazey
I’ll only be playing one version anyway, so it would need cross-save to be catching my interest across multiple platforms. Then I might spend megabytes on more than one platform for the same game.
But the feature gives it some extra marketing which helps to make me interested, and if I don’t like it on PS3, maybe it’ll be better on Vita.
It’s also nice to get updated games like Flow and Flower on PS4, that is the most interesting aspect so far for me. Could be a good way to do HD remasters and such. At least offer a discount if the player already own a previous version.
Hobbes130
There-in lies another problem.
I have all 3 Uncharted games on disc. I would love a PS4 collection of all 3 but other than trophy data I have no proof I own them. This scenario leans (maybe deliberately) towards digital purchases. Let’s say they release an Uncharted 3-game PS4 bundle and it’s free because you downloaded all 3 games for the PS3 (like Flower is free on PS4 now) but I would have to pay the full asking price for the same game.
The trophy data can’t be allowed to be used as proof of ownership because I like many, I have borrowed lots of games off friends and have trophies but never paid a penny for the game….
Kennykazey
Yeah, it’s not a perfect situation but if they could somehow use the disc as a one-time pass, then you could slot that in there for activation. This requires each disc to be limited to one account though, and I don’t see quite how it would work for already released games.
lambchop
I have a few Cross buy Titles, but have generally only played them on the vita, except Guacamelee, Where I have played on PS3 and Vita.
CarBoyCam
All I ask is that when I buy Minecraft on PS4, that I get it on Vita too. :P Not too fussed about PS3/PS4 Cross Buy, just as long as each of those two versions comes with the Vita version too if it exists.