31 replies to this topic

[moycon]

Just curious if anyone here on AA is a PS+ member, if so how long have you been one and do you feel it's worth the $50 a year?

[cimerians]

I have been waiting to see if anyone has plus to comment about it as well.

I like the cloud service and I have been tempted lately to sign up cause there's TONS of free stuff. It seems every week there's more and more.

I was contemplating on signing up and staying with plus pretty much as long as I possibly can, that way I can consider whatever I get for "free" is mine forever. Sounds stupid I know....

The thing that kills me is that you lose whatever you own, even if you paid for it....once you stop subscribing.

[moycon]

Based on the response, I don't think it is a very popular service. I'll admit though, they seem to throw a bunch of content at you for nothing. I was hoping I could snag PS+ cards for less than retail (kinda like you can with Live) doesn't seem like that is the case. Still for $50 it seems like you can get a lot. I know you lose the free games when you cancel, but I have dozens of Arcade games I paid $10-$15 a pop for that I don't play anymore now that I beat them, and probably never will. Premium themes, arcade games, even discounts on purchased items you can keep. At a glance it seems like a lot of current content for a small price, but would be nice to hear from someone that has actually used the service See if they feel they are getting their entertainments worth for the year.

[onmode-ky]

To be quite honest, I think this forum is not the best place to ask about PS+. That's a program designed pretty much for people who are very big (current) PlayStation fans, people who already buy a lot of PS3 games all the time. In my experience reading the AtariAge forum, I have not seen anyone fitting that description. I've actually been rather surprised at how much of this PS3 subforum's discussion content ends up negative toward the system and its parent company. When I first entered the Wii subforum, I expected to see mostly people who were happy with their Wii, and that was indeed what I saw. When I first entered the PS3 subforum, I expected to see mostly people who were happy with their PS3, but that wasn't what I saw. It's not always undeserved, of course, but in most other video gaming communities I have seen, the scale is more balanced. If you base your impressions of modern video gaming in general on what you see here, it looks like the PS3 is really not very popular. However, if you look at other online gaming communities, that's not necessarily the perception you'll get (granted, the PS3 trails the Wii and XBox 360 in American installed base, but it's not exactly doing Mattel Hyperscan sales).

Anyway, I'm not a PS+ subscriber, but I have seen comments (elsewhere) from subscribers who are very satisfied with their participation in the program. Essentially, it depends entirely on how voracious a PS3 gamer you are. If you were already spending a lot of money on PS3 content, then chances are PS+ would be both a good value and a satisfactory purchase for you. If not, then you would be wasting your money signing up. The program does seem to be popular with those for whom it was designed.

onmode-ky

[xenomorpher]

Mildly off-topic, I saw that the new Killzone 3 map pack was free for Playstation Plus members. Do you still have to pay for the maps when you're not a member anymore? I'll admit that it kind of stinks if you still have to pay. I guess if I view as it previewing an assortment of content for around $50 a year, it doesn't sound bad.

[Kid Ice]

cimerians, on Mon Apr 11, 2011 9:59 PM, said:

The thing that kills me is that you lose whatever you own, even if you paid for it....once you stop subscribing.

You keep the discounted games, you just lose the "free" stuff. At least that is what I was told, I have not unsubscribed so I can't say without a doubt.

onmode-ky, on Tue Apr 12, 2011 8:24 PM, said:

Essentially, it depends entirely on how voracious a PS3 gamer you are. If you were already spending a lot of money on PS3 content, then chances are PS+ would be both a good value and a satisfactory purchase for you. If not, then you would be wasting your money signing up.

I already purchased a lot of content before I subscribed to PS+, so in a way I gained LESS since I already had Wipeout, Shatter, and some of the other free games. In my opinion the less stuff you already bought, the more you gain from PS+. For someone like me it's not a *great* value, but I would definitely recommend it to a new PS3 owner.

Overall I'm pleased with the free games and more so with the discounts, which have gotten me into a couple games I probably wouldn't have purchased otherwise. The biggest disappointment for me is the one-hour trials. They are nothing but a scheme to sell you older games. Basically you download the ENTIRE game, which I guess is supposed to tempt you to go ahead and buy it. You want to know what was just added yesterday? ASSASSIN'S CREED. Yes, the first one.

Edited by Kid Ice, Wed Apr 13, 2011 8:21 PM.

[cimerians]

Best example of what you keep and what you dont keep (click the guys screenshot to expand to see the expiry date):
http://community.us....tart=0&tstart=0

I'm thinking about getting it now more than ever before since I'm a heavy PSN user. I should have gotten it when it first came out, I would have saved quite a bit actually but because of my lack of trust in Sony and also the little information about Plus that was released made me stay away.

Basically every month there are free PSN and PS1 games etc.
Those are yours to download and keep as long as you subscribe.

Anything you PAY for you keep forever.
ie Buy a game with a plus discount? You keep it and enjoy the plus discount.

Some people are saying free minis and PS1 games are yours to keep forever but I doubt that. Its yours to keep only if you pay something for it.

A big benefit is all the add-on content you want... but dont want to pay for.

Example:
I paid and own Cuboid. It has some add-on content priced at 2.99, 3.99 and 2.99. It would be nice to have but I dont want to pay for it. This is where Playstation plus can benefit you by letting you download those for free. Yes you dont keep them forever but at least you didnt pay for it and you get to play the content.

The cloud service is a HUGE bonus. I've lost game saves before and backing up your saves is tedious and you can access your save games from any PS3 system. Go to your friends home? Login and grab your save game to play.

I'm really thinking about getting it.

Edited by cimerians, Wed Apr 20, 2011 7:53 PM.

[moycon]

Do you know if you activate the PS+ on a console if it pertains to all the consoles you own?
Like if I add it to my old Fat 60GIG will I still be PS+ on my newer PS3 slim?
I ask because I've found in the past some content only works on the unit you bought it on.
In particular Sing Star songs. You can only download the song on the PS3 it was bought on. If I try to redownload the song on my Slim it doesn't let me unless I pay again. Lame.

[cimerians]

moycon, on Wed Apr 20, 2011 8:27 PM, said:

Do you know if you activate the PS+ on a console if it pertains to all the consoles you own?
Like if I add it to my old Fat 60GIG will I still be PS+ on my newer PS3 slim?
I ask because I've found in the past some content only works on the unit you bought it on.
In particular Sing Star songs. You can only download the song on the PS3 it was bought on. If I try to redownload the song on my Slim it doesn't let me unless I pay again. Lame.

Yes its all the systems you own (activated). I have multiple PS3's so I'll confirm once I get it. (Certain non-game related stuff dont count like certain video's and Qore episodes. Not sure why.)

On the other activated PS3 make sure you login as someone else. (As normal, you cant be logged in more than once). So you just need to have the 2nd system activated and have other accounts on it like the wife or girlfriend and have them login if your already logged in on the other PS3.

That totally sucks about Sing Star. I've never seen that before unless its a game save. Some games are locked to one system like save games. Dragon Age is like that. You can only play it on one system basically. If you want to play on another system you need to start a whole new game. But thats only for saves. I have two PS3's and all my content and games are on both systems (except for Rockband songs and those locked saves I mentioned).

[moycon]

cimerians, on Wed Apr 20, 2011 8:45 PM, said:

That totally sucks about Sing Star. I've never seen that before unless its a game save.

Well maybe I'll have to play around with it some more, but from what I recall (and it's been awhile) if you load up the Sing Star store and find a song you've already purchased and try to re-download it again on a new console, it says something to the effect the purchase is tied to another console.

Yep I just looked it up, here was someone else explaining Sing Stars DRM

You see, SingStar takes an interesting view on DRM. Sure you can download from a wide selection of decent music at reasonable prices, but things get trickier when you need to redownload them -- you can't. SingStar uses its own download system outside of the standard PSN system, and it won't allow you to download a SingStar song to more than one PS3. So even though Sony allows you to download almost ANY of their PSN content onto 5 PS3s and that Activision and EA have no problems allowing you to do the same with their music tracks, SingStar has instead decided to impose an incredibly Draconian form of DRM that permanently keeps you from redownloading content you've paid for if your console dies. And worst still, they won't even let you re-buy it! So if you download a SingStar song and your PS3 has something unfortunate happen to it, you can never get that song again. Period.

So it doesn't matter even if you wanted to re-buy for another console...you can't! LOL
There are lots of threads online about people pissed off when their PS3 dies and they get a new unit and they can't get the songs without calling customer support and waiting 1 - 2 weeks!

Anyways, I just didn't want some crazy shit like that happening if I got the PS+, like all the discounted stuff being tied to one unit.

[cimerians]

moycon, on Wed Apr 20, 2011 9:27 PM, said:

cimerians, on Wed Apr 20, 2011 8:45 PM, said:

That totally sucks about Sing Star. I've never seen that before unless its a game save.

Well maybe I'll have to play around with it some more, but from what I recall (and it's been awhile) if you load up the Sing Star store and find a song you've already purchased and try to re-download it again on a new console, it says something to the effect the purchase is tied to another console.

Yep I just looked it up, here was someone else explaining Sing Stars DRM

You see, SingStar takes an interesting view on DRM. Sure you can download from a wide selection of decent music at reasonable prices, but things get trickier when you need to redownload them -- you can't. SingStar uses its own download system outside of the standard PSN system, and it won't allow you to download a SingStar song to more than one PS3. So even though Sony allows you to download almost ANY of their PSN content onto 5 PS3s and that Activision and EA have no problems allowing you to do the same with their music tracks, SingStar has instead decided to impose an incredibly Draconian form of DRM that permanently keeps you from redownloading content you've paid for if your console dies. And worst still, they won't even let you re-buy it! So if you download a SingStar song and your PS3 has something unfortunate happen to it, you can never get that song again. Period.

So it doesn't matter even if you wanted to re-buy for another console...you can't! LOL
There are lots of threads online about people pissed off when their PS3 dies and they get a new unit and they can't get the songs without calling customer support and waiting 1 - 2 weeks!

Anyways, I just didn't want some crazy shit like that happening if I got the PS+, like all the discounted stuff being tied to one unit.

Holy cow! I have Sing Star and I never really bought any songs thankfully! I just kept it around the house cause my kid and my girlfriend still like it now and then. Wow. Probably should post that on the Atari Age PS3 DRM thread. LOL

Safe to say I haven't encountered any other DRM problems with having two PS3's as long as you have both activated under your PSN account.

[moycon]

I went ahead and added it since that is a pinned topic.

[cimerians]

A bit more plus info in case anyone wants to know:

Cloud service. Protected Saves (like Dragon Age, Demon Souls etc)

Protected saves are allowed but only after a 24 hour wait before you can access it from another PS3. Basically you have to wait a whole day before going to Uncle Harry's house to continue your game of Dragon Age on his machine. Since I'll never be doing that it doesnt really apply to me all that much.

“To do so, simply highlight the game save you want to store in the [Saved Data Utility (PS3)], press the triangle button to bring up the options, select “copy” and then select “Online Storage” as the destination. In turn, you can access your Online Storage list via [Saved Data Utility (PS3)] when signed into PlayStation Network on a friend’s PS3 and download your stored game saves to carry on your game from where you left off.

If the developer has chosen to implement copy protection on their game saves, you can still copy those files to Online Storage but there will be a 24 hour period, after each save, before you can then download them on any PS3.

If your PlayStation Plus subscription expires then you will no longer be able to access Online Storage until you renew your subscription. However, any game saves stored will be kept for six months and you will be able to access them as before when you renew the subscription, as long as you do so within that six month period.”

http://blog.eu.plays...-from-tomorrow/

[moycon]

I got a $40 gift card to Best Buy yesterday.
I'm seriously considering using it to snag a years worth pf PS+

[cimerians]

moycon, on Fri Apr 22, 2011 9:47 AM, said:

I got a $40 gift card to Best Buy yesterday.
I'm seriously considering using it to snag a years worth pf PS+

Yeah I'm doing it for sure but then the little hackers got into Sony's network and I wasn't able to do it this weekend.
Oh well maybe this week sometime.

[moycon]

cimerians, on Sun Apr 24, 2011 8:12 PM, said:

Yeah I'm doing it for sure but then the little hackers got into Sony's network and I wasn't able to do it this weekend.

Same thing here.
We went to BB yesterday and I even found another gift card that had $8 on it, so I had almost the entire cost of a year, but after this whole hacker shit, I decided to just drop the idea. I have a feeling the PS3 isn't going to be around much longer. Nintendo is showing off the Wii successor in June, it wouldn't surprise me if Sony announces the PS4 somewhere around then if not before.

[cimerians]

moycon, on Tue Apr 26, 2011 6:19 PM, said:

cimerians, on Sun Apr 24, 2011 8:12 PM, said:

Yeah I'm doing it for sure but then the little hackers got into Sony's network and I wasn't able to do it this weekend.

Same thing here.
We went to BB yesterday and I even found another gift card that had $8 on it, so I had almost the entire cost of a year, but after this whole hacker shit, I decided to just drop the idea. I have a feeling the PS3 isn't going to be around much longer. Nintendo is showing off the Wii successor in June, it wouldn't surprise me if Sony announces the PS4 somewhere around then if not before.

My thoughts too. The way PSN was hacked is not something I want to stick with on the current PS3. They said Microsoft and Sony are planning for 2014 releases but I would think Sony might come around way earlier than that due to whats happening now.

I'm actually more excited for the next Xbox.

[onmode-ky]

moycon, on Tue Apr 26, 2011 6:19 PM, said:

I have a feeling the PS3 isn't going to be around much longer. Nintendo is showing off the Wii successor in June, it wouldn't surprise me if Sony announces the PS4 somewhere around then if not before.

cimerians, on Tue Apr 26, 2011 7:56 PM, said:

My thoughts too. The way PSN was hacked is not something I want to stick with on the current PS3. They said Microsoft and Sony are planning for 2014 releases but I would think Sony might come around way earlier than that due to whats happening now.

I'm not sure I follow (either of you). How can Sony's data breach have an effect on the lifespan of the PS3? What were hacked into were servers on the network, not consoles; console-side security has nothing to do with server-side. Also, PS+ would presumably continue onto any PS3 successor, assuming Sony doesn't pull the plug on the service simply due to it not generating sufficient profit for the firm.

onmode-ky

[moycon]

onmode-ky, on Wed Apr 27, 2011 7:49 PM, said:

I'm not sure I follow (either of you). How can Sony's data breach have an effect on the lifespan of the PS3? What were hacked into were servers on the network, not consoles; console-side security has nothing to do with server-side.

Sony seems to have had nothing but bad luck with the PS3, Their insistence it include a Blu Ray player ensured a crazy high price that kept it in 3rd place right from the start. Their network, while free, has always paled in comparison to Live, the PS3 was hacked and it's encryption keys were released to anyone that wanted them, and now finally a few weeks after that their network was hacked and has been down for a week and counting.

This isn't one thing. It's many things. Nintendo has already announced their new console. They are supposedly showing it off this coming June. In spite of claims that the PS3 would be a 10 year console, it wouldn't surprise me if Sony dumps it and starts over. It's just speculation.

Still, I do know what your saying. Even if they did announce a new console, it would take time to bring it to the market. So if I bought a PS+ membership for a year I'd certainly be able to use it...except, no wait, regardless if the PS4 came out next month and my membership would carry over or if the PS3 was guaranteed to be around for another year, I still can't use it, because the network is down! No thanks, I'll pass for now.

[HammR25]

Sony is going to offer everyone a free 30 days of Playstation Plus due to the hacking incident so you'll be able to see exactly what it's all about. I'm sure Sony is also hoping to hook some people who wouldn't have normally signed up for it.

[moycon]

HammR25, on Sun May 1, 2011 11:25 AM, said:

Sony is going to offer everyone a free 30 days of Playstation Plus due to the hacking incident so you'll be able to see exactly what it's all about. I'm sure Sony is also hoping to hook some people who wouldn't have normally signed up for it.

Heh I saw where you posted that. It's an interesting bone to throw at people for all this mess. Free stuff for 30 days.
I'll be checking it out for sure.

[Mord]

HammR25, on Sun May 1, 2011 11:25 AM, said:

Sony is going to offer everyone a free 30 days of Playstation Plus due to the hacking incident so you'll be able to see exactly what it's all about. I'm sure Sony is also hoping to hook some people who wouldn't have normally signed up for it.

I wouldn't doubt the selection of free games they're also apparently giving away will be tied to a playstation plus account. Meaning if that ends up being the case, after your month of free Playstation Plus is up, so is the access to the free games unless you continue being a plus member.

[HammR25]

Mord, on Sun May 1, 2011 12:55 PM, said:

I wouldn't doubt the selection of free games they're also apparently giving away will be tied to a playstation plus account. Meaning if that ends up being the case, after your month of free Playstation Plus is up, so is the access to the free games unless you continue being a plus member.

Either that or it will be something really old but popular that most people have already purchased or didn't want to begin with because they don't like that type of game.

[moycon]

Mord, on Sun May 1, 2011 12:55 PM, said:

I wouldn't doubt the selection of free games they're also apparently giving away will be tied to a playstation plus account. Meaning if that ends up being the case, after your month of free Playstation Plus is up, so is the access to the free games unless you continue being a plus member.

Yep, that's what I mean, they are saying they are sorry for the inconvenience....but only for 30 days. LOL

[HammR25]

I looked at Playstation Plus last night. There's definitely no reason for me personally to ever pay $50 for it. At least the old but popular games that I never wanted are free forever. I CAN however download lots of PS+ games like Sonic 2 and try them for 30 days before they die on me. I wonder when the free movie thing is gonna happen.