New PlayStation Plus Tiers Announced

[Moonface]

Looking at the store, The Legend of Dragoon is free for PS+ at Premium tier and higher. I'm not sure if this would work, but I saw in the Library tab on the home screen that you can sort games by Installed, Collection, and PS+ but because I lack PS+ it just shows me an ad on that tab. I don't know if that tab shows only monthly games you've redeemed or any game redemption, but maybe that could provide an answer?

[Mr EliteL]

It's been a while since I had PS+ but thought it would activate and start the timer on the subscription as soon as you paid for it. I'm probably forgetting something. If I could hold off from starting the sub then when I need it, it'll begin the timer for the amount of months/year I paid for then. Say 1st Jan '24 is when I would choose to activate it and have it for the full year.

[Dragon Lord]

Apparently an "industry insider" has come out and said that there's something "HUGE" planned for the next State of Play that is apparently tied to the PS+ price increase, and it will "explain why it happened."

No additional information was given, but just going down the path where this actually is true, why? Why hike the price and then announce a couple of weeks later why the price is being increased. It's absolutely backwards if that's what they do.

[Moonface]

It's been a while since I had PS+ but thought it would activate and start the timer on the subscription as soon as you paid for it. I'm probably forgetting something. If I could hold off from starting the sub then when I need it, it'll begin the timer for the amount of months/year I paid for then. Say 1st Jan '24 is when I would choose to activate it and have it for the full year.

The timer only starts if you were to buy it directly from the PS Store since I don't think you can buy that with the intent of storing it. Getting it as a redeemable code from Amazon however is different because you need to enter the code to activate it, similar to using a gift card. Basically if you can buy it now but redeem it later, you're good to sit on it until you want to redeem it and start using it.

@Dragon Lord: I'd seen that rumour but like you wrote it off because it just seems like really odd timing. I'd seen that a September SoP would be what explains the increase, but if they were going to do that why not announce that SoP date with something like "tune in to see what we'll have in store for PS+"? It's not like they have to reveal the reasons early (although I don't think it's a good idea to wait like this) but not even telling us something is coming later this month or on x date makes me doubt there's actually anything at all. Especially with how the price increase got announced alongside that lineup of games.

[Mr EliteL]

Ah, of course. I suppose it's even longer since I bought it not over the PS Store so I did forget. Ah wait I've never bought it off Amazon as there's no "Previously bought on [date]" type notice on it, only the Wallet Top-Ups as I redeem them immediately and don't think about sitting on those. Hm, perhaps I will then.

Oh, so there was something else left out that they wanted to announce separately for this increase. OK, doubt it's anything special really or at least not interesting to me.

[Dragon Lord]

I think the ONLY way I'd be okay with that price increase is if they introduce a PC client where you can access and play your entire PS library on PC. Of course it'd have to have some other perks other than just being able to play your PS games on a PC, but that'd be the starting base I'd require to even think about accepting the price hike.

[Moonface]

Ah, of course. I suppose it's even longer since I bought it not over the PS Store so I did forget. Ah wait I've never bought it off Amazon as there's no "Previously bought on [date]" type notice on it, only the Wallet Top-Ups as I redeem them immediately and don't think about sitting on those. Hm, perhaps I will then.

Well it doesn't need to be Amazon specifically, I just used them because I've bought one from there when they had a really good deal going but I didn't use the code for almost an entire year.

I think the ONLY way I'd be okay with that price increase is if they introduce a PC client where you can access and play your entire PS library on PC. Of course it'd have to have some other perks other than just being able to play your PS games on a PC, but that'd be the starting base I'd require to even think about accepting the price hike.

I can't see that being the big thing since that's kinda* already a thing with Remote Play: https://www.playstation.com/en-us/remote-play/
*I say kinda in case it doesn't work exactly 1:1 with what you said you'd want.

[Eric]

I usually top off my Gamepass and PS Plus subscriptions at the same time but I won't this time. Not in this economy.

Sony is losing the PR game this generation with price increases everywhere. I've no doubt Xbox will soon with their purchase of Activision. The difference is that only Sony seems to have a stick up its butt about 'prestige' where their titles take years and years to drop in price because they believe in the value of their games. I think their games are great, but they're not full price $70.00 one year later great.

[Moonface]

I usually top off my Gamepass and PS Plus subscriptions at the same time but I won't this time. Not in this economy.

Sony is losing the PR game this generation with price increases everywhere. I've no doubt Xbox will soon with their purchase of Activision.

I doubt Xbox will raise their pricing this year, only because they increased Game Pass prices (albeit not remotely as extreme as the increase in PS+ prices) back in July: https://universalgaming.net/showthread.p...8#pid28098

I also thought there was some other price increase Microsoft announced that got rolled back after a backlash but I might be mistaken or it might have not been this year like my mind thinks it is.

[Eric]

You're thinking of Xbox Live Gold. They were thinking of doubling the subscription price for a year similar to what Sony has done. They've recently announced plans to remove Xbox Live Gold completely so in a way their price increase was successful. I do hope they don't raise again any time soon--they'd be crazy to as we approach the holidays.

[Moonface]

Ah, so that was it. As for increasing again I'd say it'd be a smart move for Microsoft to just not do it even if they were planning to this year because it gives them an easy leg up on Sony going into the holidays.

[Dragon Lord]

The difference is that only Sony seems to have a stick up its butt about 'prestige' where their titles take years and years to drop in price because they believe in the value of their games.

Nintendo still wanting full price for 10+ year old games:



(Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying PlayStation games shouldn't lower in base price after a while, but Nintendo is much worse when it comes to this than anyone.)

I went ahead and bought another year of PS+ at the current $59.99. I'm too lazy to go through everything right now and figure out what I'll lose and what I won't. That and I need the ability to upload saves to the cloud to be able to do some trophy cheese in Vita games kek.

[Eric]

I haven't owned a Nintendo system in about a decade by now so I forget to include them when I speak about vidya. But yeah you're absolutely right, though Sony's is a recent thing so the wound is still fresh to me. I'm probably letting my membership lapse. I'm (surprisingly) spending most of my gaming time on Xbox this gen.

[Moonface]

This isn't confirmed but generally leaks for upcoming PS+ content tends to be accurate, so this is what the apparent line-up will be for PS+ Extra/Premium catalogue additions later this month:

• NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139..
  
• Star Ocean The Divine Force
  
• 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
  
• Sid Meier's Civilization VI
  
• Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2
  
• Unpacking
  

I can't comment on most due to not having played them, seen them much or seen the general consensus on them but I do know SGWC2 is basically a knockoff Sniper Elite game that is maybe okay at best. A YouTuber I watch played it a few months ago after someone suggested it in the comments of their Sniper Elite 5 videos and I think the only reason they enjoyed it at all was because of how entertainingly bad it was.

Of course I don't think anyone should expect every game in one of these lists to be top tier but I haven't really seen many comments expressing feelings that these games make the price increase worth it.

[Dragon Lord]

The top three games are all great additions.

NieR Replicant is *chef's kiss*, Star Ocean is usually always a great JRPG series to get into (we just pretend 5 never happened), and 13 Sentinels is Vanillaware, and Vanillaware games are always a perfect bull's eye.