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PlayStation Plus Premium Shows How Hard It Is To Compete With Game Pass

PlayStation Plus Premium is a decent service, but is a little rough in its current state, something that isn't helped by Game Pass' great offerings.

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Jin_Sakai690d ago

If it’s not got day 1 fist party releases I could care less. That’s where the real value comes into play.

RauLeCreuset690d ago

Your Game Pass hot takes have been something else. Your comment doesn't take into account quality, frequency, or any other factor in determining value. All you care about is "day 1 first party releases." It's like you care more about the idea of day 1 games than the reality.

northpaws690d ago

I would much rather pay $60 for a fully featured Halo, then what happened to Halo Infinite.

Co-op that doesn't come 9 months after release. MP that is detached with battle pass crap.

Seeing how long it is taking Hellblade 2 to be created, maybe they are busy thinking how to add micro-transactions to it now.

KillBill690d ago

It is the single greatest value potential in the entire conversation. The reason why PS+ can't compete.

sammarshall102690d ago

I think it's sad and alarming that some people look like they're ok with less quality games because they're "free"

notachance690d ago

yeah looking at MS' current release schedule..
yeah no, even starfield looks barebone as it is, and Halo franchise looks like it's 1 iteration away from becoming a free-to-play BS.

Obscure_Observer690d ago

"Your comment doesn't take into account quality, frequency, or any other factor in determining value"

Gamepass has all of the factors you´d pointed out + day one releases for first/third party games + EA Access + reward points + cloud gaming + PC Gamepass and more.

Gamepass will also add game demos with no additional cost via Project Moorcroft in 2023.

No sure if it´s Sony idea is to compete with Gamepass directly, but if that´s the reason they created the new PS Plus, they have a lot to improve.

Obscure_Observer690d ago

"I would much rather pay $60 for a fully featured Halo, then what happened to Halo Infinite."

Sony didn´t needed a Gamepass to sell a bare bones Tlou 2 without Factions and people paid full $60 for it on PS4. And still no Factions 2 after more than 2 years.

Now they´re asking atrocious $70 for another bare bones Tlou which seems to be nothing but Tlou Remake coated in Tlou 2´s skin stripped out of Factions. And yes, ND found time to make all of this before Factions 2 which they promised us to be released day one with Tlou 2.

If the original Factions is anything to go by, be prepared for more Pay To Win BS.

And don´t even get me started on GT7, MTX and Always Online bs.

You see? It´s easy for Sony to F* UP gamers without resort to some Gamepass clone.

RauLeCreuset690d ago

@Obscure

"Gamepass has all of the factors you´d pointed out + day one releases for first/third party games + EA Access + reward points + cloud gaming + PC Gamepass and more."

Enough with the advertisements disguised as responses. The only one of those things you mentioned that pertain to Jin's comment and my response is the day one first party releases.

My issue was with the comment only attributing "real value" to "day 1 first party releases." I could have said some things about Xbox's first party output to date in making that point. I limited my critique to the comment. Please don't latch onto mine to push something extra.

Knushwood Butt689d ago (Edited 689d ago )

@ Obscure

'If the original Factions is anything to go by, be prepared for more Pay To Win BS.'.

Have you been drinking?

Honestly, I never see you talking about games that you play; you only talk about plastic.

The only exception is when you talk about Playstation games, and prove you haven't got a clue what you're talking about.

DOMination-689d ago

The narrative that game pass = less quality needs to stop.

Halo Infinite had both time and money. The state of the game isn't down to game pass but rather that the developers have shown time and time again that they are incompetent. It really is that simple.

VenomCarnage89689d ago

Man why do Xbox fanboys always come off as if they're a defenseless girl in an abusive relationship, and they don't have the strength to let themselves recognize reality and get themselves into a better situation.

Like, if obscure is such a simp for such mediocrity, I bet he'd kill himself if Xbox ever became competent enough to release good games regularly. Ffs he needed 2 solid years with the attempt that was Halo before starfield has it's chance, because he's on the geezer schedule Ms prescribed to him 2 console generations ago 🤣

Zeref689d ago (Edited 689d ago )

Gamepass has more quality games as well. Like MLB The Show

itsmebryan689d ago

@Raul
Yes, day 1 games are a huge advantage. Because with Playstation Plus premium you are paying for backwards compatibility since a lot of the games are from previous generations. But, with GP for example we got to play both MLB the show day 1 for no extra charge and PS owners had to pay $70.. That is a huge advantage over PlayStation Plus premium. Just think of all the money we save on new games .

RosweeSon689d ago

Which is ironic as they stopped releasing those but they said it enough in that presentation so it’s still happening, eventually 🤷🏻‍♂️🤦 🏻‍♂️🤣😜& #129396;

1Victor689d ago

@obscure ………………. You know what your usual fail troll comment isn’t even worth responding to.
Sony don’t need to bribe gamer with “free day 1first party games (2-3 a year if lucky) to buy into a service of poor quality games like halo infinity and games that take YEARS to be playable (that pirate game ). Sony games are some of the highest quality games in the industry.
You get what you pay for.
It’s ok to have a service and compare them but you should also compare the quality as well but that’s not going to happen here as they’re not even in the same planet let alone zip code just look at halo 1 year after release with a year delay and still missing features thats been day 1 since the first game like split screen but hey it’s “free” 🤷🏿

RauLeCreuset689d ago

@Zeref

"Gamepass has more quality games as well. Like MLB The Show"

Let me again point out that my comment was restricted to Jin only attributing real value to Day 1 first party releases, so I don't know why you replied to me with that and mentioned The Show of all games. Actually, I do, but I can't name a thing, so let me lay out some facts instead.

Results of a Google search of this website for your name and The Show only shows you talking about The Show in any capacity after it was announced for Game Pass. There were no results showing you talked about The Show before that. However, I invite you to provide evidence from your comment history where you have talked favorably about The Show when it was a PS exclusive.

Those results did provide evidence of you highlighting that "Project Scarlett" has hardware ray tracing while spreading false doubts that PS5 is capable of it.

https://n4g.com/comments/re...

The results also included this comment of yours talking about PS Now doing day and date, from 1,189 days ago, on an article about Detroit, Heavy Rain, and Beyond going to PC.

"Xbox had the right idea, like always. Sony is following them in their footsteps. Just like how they will be releasing all 1st party on PSnow day and date sooner or later."

https://n4g.com/comments/re...

The results also produced this more recent take talking about the new PS+ tiers from 74 days ago.

"Not having day 1 1st party games is an L. But not even OLD 1st party games are on there. Like Last of Us Part 2 is still not on it and they're not on it permanently. That's the biggest L imo.

"If they were more reliable/consistent with 1st party releases and communicated as to when they'll be on it then it wouldn't be so bad.

"Then there's also the lack of AAA 3rd party games and even indie games barely show up on it.

"This all makes PS Plus absolute garbage."

https://n4g.com/comments/re...

I'm not going to comment on those facts. They don't need me to speak for them. What I will say is that it seems exposure to a new audience may have resulted in an increased appreciation for The Show. I can't say that I've ever so much as played a demo of it. I'm not a baseball person, but that's okay. What I like about the PS library is that it has a variety of games like that to appeal to many tastes. I believe if exposed to a broader audience, many of them would be called out as quality games by those such as you who get a chance to experience them on your preferred console.

darthv72689d ago

I have not switched to premium (or extra) so Im still on essential but I can say that I pretty much have all the old PS games I want. Plus the means to play them. So its more about convenience than selection.

GP offers me the ability to play games I dont have and if I like what I play... I buy them. Ive done that a few times already. So GP isnt about convenience as mush as premium but about new experiences and potential sales.

For someone like my son (who didnt grow up with PS) premium is perfect as he can play many great titles from the past. He has his own digital 5 and plus and is probably switching to premium but has not decided. He keeps asking me if I have this game or that game, and I usually do. I tell him he can borrow my systems and games but I think he rather play on his 5.

Bruh689d ago

Yeah and Game Pass is better there as well lmao. I agree that the idea of more games or Day 1 releases are highly inaccurate to the overall sub, but just in terms of quality releases, Game Pass's library blows PS Plus premiums in the water

Army_of_Darkness689d ago

There isn't a single game on gamepass that can even touch Horizon forbidden west.... As for Xbox defenders bragging about BC, all I have to say is I'm glad y'all are enjoying old games from the past because frankly, the furthest I care to go back to is the ps4 era since I still have a lot to catch up on and the enhancements on the ps5(more so the 60fps) makes them a lot more enjoyable!

fr0sty689d ago

"The company that only has four AAA exclusives on the market is doing so much better because our games are available day one on gamepass! Who cares if one of those four games is still incomplete and riddled with microtransactions!"

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Magatsuhi690d ago

Enjoy your slippery slope on AAA games dropping big on quality all to accommodate your precious game pass.

sammarshall102690d ago

Yeah and judging by the last showcase, their seems to be a focus on smaller budget games for GP. I dislike this

I hope Sony never adopts this service 1st approach

Obscure_Observer690d ago

"Enjoy your slippery slope on AAA games dropping big on quality all to accommodate your precious game pass."

Quality? I look at the quaity of a crossgen game iike GT7 and it´s atrocious MTX costing $70 vs a true current gen Forza Motorsport that will cost $60 or "free" day one on Gamepass, and I think I´m good.

Extermin8or3_689d ago

Obscure_observer I am not particularly good at racing games at least realistic ones like gran turismo but I do enjoy them to a point. I have over 100 cars to date on that game including a number that cost serval million credits each. The intake credit rewards are more than sufficient to get the cars. My friends who play it more than me and are far better have a considerable number of the cars and millions of credits in the bank so to speak. They have alot of the moat expensive cars. None of us paid a penny for any of our credits. The game has been designed qhonestly I'd argue the credits to buy a car cost so much as a disincentive to buy them using real money.

Forward does look good but you I'd bet they'll charge for cars added post launch whereas on gt they are added for free. Also forza horizon and forza are the only first party games on games pass that look like they are particularly good (oh and redfall. So the xbox one x/s has been put for two years and majority of games pass titles worth owning have literally all been 3rd party and even then most if then are games that the publishers have doubts about or that haven't done all that well. Don't get me wrong gamespass is good value for money atm but I don't think it's good for the AAA games industry.

andy85689d ago (Edited 689d ago )

@obscure you don't need to buy the MTX. You can earn that MTX by playing for an hour or two. Are you forgetting FH5 has paid DLC to unlock cars? At least you GT you can earn every single car in the game spending nothing. And have you played Forza Motorsport to form that opinionof how good it is? GT7 looked the dogs balls in the shots before release too.

Exvalos689d ago

Sad thing is they now justify bad and mediocre games with the excuse "Who cares? it's free in gamepass." The xbox fans are destroying there own brand and they just dont see it yet.

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690d ago
Eonjay690d ago (Edited 690d ago )

So does that mean that GP is trash this year? Since you only play day one first party releases?
PS plus has tons of first party games.. just downloaded GOT and im sure its just as good and high quality as when it came out.

I think that quality is the most important aspect of any service.

Im sure you can see the value in GP even now without first party day one games this year.
You really sound silly at this point. It I only played what I could day one I would be missing out on hundreds of games.

shinoff2183690d ago

As i state in my comment i personally think plus has more good games by a boatload. Day 1 doesnt bother me. To be honest i hardly ever play day 1 games anymore because most are riddled with bugs and whatnot. I just finished arkham knight this afternoon before work. So eh on the day 1 stuff. It is cool to a point but hit or miss alot of times.

Knushwood Butt689d ago

I'm currently doing a NG+ in God of War.

Four years since I last played it. Superb game, and looks/sounds even more amazing on PS5.

The only criticism I have is the swearing. I'm not a prude, just don't think it fits or adds anything.

EvertonFC690d ago

Until Sony put games day1 on there service, the fanny gamers/journalists will always and continue to hate on Playstation/PS Plus this generation.

S2Killinit690d ago

Soo about two games per year is where the value is at?

No thanks.

Chevalier690d ago

You could buy those 2 releases on sale cheaper than subbing for the year too. Lol. Just wait for Black Friday and you own then instead of paying to just play them.

VenomCarnage89689d ago

Leave it to the fanboys to be horrible at math or logical thought in the first place

Chevalier689d ago

"Leave it to the fanboys to be horrible at math or logical thought in the first place"

How so? I got Gears 4 and 5 for $9.99 and Gears Tactics for $14.99 on sale on Black Friday sales in years past.

Profchaos690d ago

There is some just not all stray is day 1

notachance689d ago

nah the actual game is the real value, and looking at MS' current release schedule it's somehow still pretty barebones even with all their studio acquisitions..

SpineSaw689d ago

I could see great value if Microsoft was releasing 5 or 6 First Party games every year day one on Game Pass but they'll never be able to do this. Microsoft releases a First Party game so infrequently its a moot point to bring up when talking about Game Pass and what you have left is mostly little Indy games that no one would even think about without this service.

TheGreatGazoo30689d ago (Edited 689d ago )

Doesn't have to be first party to add value. I can't wait for Warhammer Darktide and have been sinking way too many hours into Crusader Kings 3. Neither is first part. Both day 1 games that add real value. TMNT Shredders Revenge just launched into GamePass and its a 10/10 for me, and I don't have to buy it for $25.

MrNinosan689d ago

Stray (which is day 1) will problably be better than most Xbox games released lately.
Shadow Warrior 3 might not be the greatest game but lots of fun, and was also day 1 release.
I think we'll see more day 1 releases from third party.

Whenever Microsoft actually start releasing first party games, GPU will be a great value, but as of right now, the first party games haven't been the best and that many in count.

RosweeSon689d ago

Which gamepass doesn’t even have as Microsoft aren’t releasing games, starfield is next year so you got a forza a flight sim and a half arsed halo that’s still not finished 🙄🤦🏻‍♂️ 🤣🤷🏻‍♂️ 2023/24 the whole games launching day1 big seller but when they’ve stopped releasing games 🤷🏻‍♂️🤣

ChasterMies689d ago

Speak for yourself. I buy 99% of my games on sale after release and PS+ Extra is still a better deal for me. Also worth noting that PS+ Extra and Premium cost less per year than GamePass Ultimate. There is direct value in saving money.

thesoftware730689d ago (Edited 689d ago )

Obscure and Jin killing them with facts.

The stupid narrative of GP lowering game quality only started being said on here after Sony declared that that is what would happen to THEM, not MS.

MS pockets are deep and can invest in the long game. There are so many quality titles in GP it's ridiculous. From great first-party games to everything else is included.
GoW series
Doom 2016
Doom: Eternal
Forza H5
Psychonauts 2
Flight Sim
Hollow Knight
Ori 1-2
Guardians of the Galaxy
Halo :MC collection & Halo Infinite
NBA 2k
MLB: The show
HellBlade
A plague tale
Wolfeistien series
SoT
Fifa22
All the Yakuza games
B4B
Wasteland series
Dishonored series
The Evil within
Dead Cells
Shredders revenge

and so many more, that's not even 1/2 the quality titles What quality are we talking about here? I just listed AAA, AA, and excellent indie games. I'm not even comparing it to PS++, but this stupid no quality games narrative needs to end.

green689d ago

I was actually quite surprised how good Guardians of the galaxy was. I really had a great time playing it. But my best game that I have played via gamepads that I would never have played if not for it is Remnant from the ashes. That game is too damn good.

neutralgamer1992689d ago (Edited 689d ago )

This is an argument that is very subjective. As a current subscriber of ultimate there are handful of games I am playing

And most of those are from 360 days. Backwards compatibility for me (key word being for me) is a much bigger feature as of right now than day 1 releases

I have tried playing halo infinite MP and the battle pass crap is all over the place and in your face. MS should start releasing full games and their expansions should also come to GP. In most cases we get vanilla version of the game on GP

As far as PSN plus goes TBH I haven't been a subscriber in a very long time and don't plan to. Sony could do backwards compatibility for free if they wanted but instead it's behind a paywall

Conclusion:

Sony doesn't feel the heat with world wide lead of 5 million and console selling out almost instantly

Xbox comes across as gamer friendly but keep in mind their image had taken a huge hit since 360 days. So they are in image repair stage. As of now they seem more gamers friendly than PlayStation and I hope they continues

Biggest issue I have is with Xbox fanboys who are praising Phil on social media like he hasn't done anything negative. I was simply amazed and astonished when I read the comments for Phil. No wonder why he feels like Xbox is delivering

And as far as PlayStation fanboys go please don't defend Sony for their practices either. They are one of the driving forces behind the $70 price tag

Praise where a brand deserves it not because we like it or something. Real competition will only begin when Xbox starts releasing exclusives on regular basis

Crows90689d ago (Edited 689d ago )

I care about having my money respected. Gamepass doesn't do that. And gamepass ultimate sure as hell doesn't come close to doing that in it's current state.

Ps subscriptions are still shite because subscriptions are inherently that. But if i had to choose I'd definitely go with the service that I know will.give me top quality games. I mean right now it's has higher rated 1st party games on the service than gamepass ultimate. AND it's cheaper!

Ps now was cheaper than game pass and it seems nothing has changed.

@obscure

You're forgetting that you have to pay for gamepads ultimate for online play. And also to get those monthly offerings that are a joke to even talk about.

Also gamepass is more expensive than ps essential and ps extra. It's at the price point of ps premium which gives those gametrails you speak of + streaming capabilities.

Didn't like tlou2 but it is a fully developed and fleshed out singleplayer experience....much more than I can say for the crappy halo infinite campaign. Worth the money on quality alone.

I agree about tlou part 1 and I'd go further since you're wrong about them spending much time. The essence of the game was already done so clearly they don't need much resources for the unnecessary remake. And yes 70 is quite a bit for that.
But you make it seem like they haven't released ghosts of Tsushima, returnal and ratchet and clank. All high quality awesome titles. Oh and horizon forbidden west.

Lightning77689d ago

"But if i had to choose I'd definitely go with the service that I know will.give me top quality games."

The argument changes and is now back tracked. I thought the Sony fanbase doesn't play old games? Comparing the two service's Gamepass puts much newer games on the service.

Kakashi Hatake689d ago

You realize the AAA games that you'd have to play by your logic is Halo and Forza H5 right? These services are made worth it by letting you play games you normally wouldn't buy. In other words, you're full of it.

Vengeance1138689d ago (Edited 689d ago )

Oofff such a bad take.

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MadLad690d ago (Edited 690d ago )

It's still getting on its feet but, yeah, a little lackluster. Trials are nice, but that should be offered on any platform, and Xbox is already working on their own. Not to mention it's really easy to refund digital game on Xbox.
All the legacy games are good but, again, Xbox allows you to easily emulate everything offered without a monthly paywall and the emulation is just better than what Sony is offering right now.

It's a solid offering for those only on Playstation, but it isn't going toe-to-toe with gamepass.

S2Killinit690d ago

I think people think “day one” means they get all new games on gamepass. Fact is, “day one first party” equates to about two games per year.

I prefer to get full fleshed out proper quality first party AAA releases that only appear on the service over time, with the option to play trials of said games to make sure I like before I buy or decide to wait until released on streaming. That is PS Plus Premium. I like this model more.

TheGreatGazoo30689d ago

There are way more than 2 new day one games that launch per year in GamePass, lol. Xbox was metacritics publisher of the year last year, so it seems like quality is there too.

S2Killinit689d ago (Edited 689d ago )

Really? I think you can name their games since new generation in one hand. Halo, forza, … help me out here.

ABizzel1689d ago

Compared to where they are now, GamePass is the better service. MS has had 5 years of experience building the service up, so unless Sony copied everything they were doing in GP into PS+ and added more, then GP was going to be the better of the two. That being said PS+ as a new service has launched in a pretty good state overall to their credit as well. The only real "issue" with the new PS+ tiers is that PS3 games are still streaming only (which we knew), PS1/PS2/and PSP emulation is BARE BONES (but so is original Xbox), EA Play isn't included currently (kind of weird when Ubi+ is, sounds like money hatting), and the bonus features like Day 1 3rd party, consistent quantity/quality games, and widespread GameTrails aren't proven benefits yet because it's only been a couple of weeks. This is a conversation for the end of the year when GameTrails are in every AAA game, we see how consistent the rollout is for new games added every month, and how the service grows.

What makes GamePass the better service is it just does more whether for the console, or across various platforms. GamePass has Day 1 first-party (maybe not this year), sometimes gets A - AA 3rd party games Day 1 (Back4Blood, Outriders, etc...), has several games launch each month into the service, everything can be played natively on console or PC, EA Play, Ubisoft+, PC compatibility, and Xcloud for mobile/TVs/and older XBO consoles.

Now, Sony with PS+ doesn't have the same goal as MS with GamePass, so the extra benefits GP has like Day 1 first party is a tad irrelevant in comparison (it's a win for MS, but it doesn't mean it's an L for Sony since their games are selling). MS wants you to subscribe to subscriptions with or without a console in an effort to "reach the 3 billion gamers of the world", Sony wants you to invest in the PS ecosystem and hopefully grow the limited 100m - 150m PS owners out there towards 200m.

Atom666689d ago

You like the model because you prefer playstation. Nothing wrong with that.

I'm going to stay subbed to +Premium for now to catch up on some things I missed, but I'm not sure it'll hold my interest if we're not getting new titles added. Same problem I had with psNow.

Between PC and XSX, I'm not going to complain about the games they've added in the last year w/GPU. I saved too much $ for that.

Day one 1st party isn't great this year, but day one also includes 3rd party and indies. If all you want to play is brand new 1st party, then I guess you should just wait a bit.

S2Killinit689d ago

But PSPlus also gives you (or we have to see) day one 3rd party. The issue I have is that people talk about this gamepass “day one first party” as if they are getting a ton of games. Some people even think they are getting all games day one, not realizing that it equates to about what? 2, 3 games per year ( at least so far). I simply want my AAA to be quality, Im willing to pay for them or wait and get them streaming or cheap if i want to.

SierraGuy689d ago

Exactly... obscure up above mentioned gamepass adding demos ...this is already a thing on PS.

Atom666689d ago

Yeah, people aren't the brightest at times. Generally, I'm still of the mindset that "some" day 1s is better than "none."

I've got too many alternatives available, which makes the prospect of paying $70 for most titles rather unappealing.

Big 1st party titles steal the headlines, but if Sony gave me day one titles like Warhammer TW3, TMNT, The Show, I'd be a lot more enthusiastic about their model.

You like what you like, though. PS+ Premium is a decent model, imo.

Overall, 2022 is rough for XB 1st party. As Dusk Falls, Pentement, and Grounded are all I can name. So, I understand wanting to pause or wait to sub to GP.

However, last year netted me Psychonauts, AoE4, Horizon 5, and Halo. I would have paid full price for all 4.

As we just saw, FM, Redfall, and Starfield kick off 2023, too. Those would be potential buys for me, too.

This "1-2 games" and the "quality" PR speak from Sony doesn't make sense to me when I see what GP is actually providing, though.

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 689d ago
shinoff2183690d ago

Its a solid offering even if you have all the systems. I got switch xbox one ps4 ps5. I see more games im going to play on plus then i did on gamepass. Edge of eternity is the last day 1 game i played on it. Day one is cool and all but not even close to the hype some online have made it out to be.

Extermin8or3_689d ago

You can emulate without a paywall and if you already own titles digitally on psn as they re-release on ps4/5 you have access to them free.

MadLad689d ago

Eh. Sort of.
Sony still found a way to sell backwards compatibility back to people, as far as I see it.

The lack of BC on Playstation has been questioned since it was pulled early in the PS3's lifecycle.
Now it's 2022 and they're trying to give it back as a service. Yes you can download these games, but that still requires you to repurchase games you might already own. I own a bunch of PS1 and PS2 games, but I never cared to repurchase them digitally since I started using emulators. So to actually have them again natively on Playstation I still need to either, A, repurchase my whole catalogue or, B, sign up for the service.

That definitely doesn't compare to what Xbox is doing where I can just pop in the disc and just play the game with whatever enhancements may have been introduced internally.

Silly gameAr690d ago (Edited 690d ago )

Plus has games that Gamepass doesn't have, though. A lot of the 3rd party stuff that matters, is also on PS Plus. You know, you don't have to write puff pieces for Gamepass, and use that as a reason to put a competing service down when you don't really know how it's preforming.

And, what does it matter if games are day one, if they're not games that really make any kind of impact? Games don't lose their quality or fun factor because you don't get them on a sub service day one. What kind of thinking is that?

S2Killinit690d ago

Not to mention that gamepass first party day one equates to about two games per year.

Spartacus10689d ago (Edited 689d ago )

But if you're a loyal customer you'll have realised the vast majority of games have already been on ps now for many years or been ps+ games in the past.

The new additions are great but they would be since they're launching a new service but as mentioned above, the frequency with which quality titles are added is what will determine whether it's a gamepass competitor or not. If it's similar to the quality of new additions ps now had, its not going to keep up with game pass.

Crows90689d ago

Also much cheaper....i find it funny that when talking about getting free games from a not free monthly subscription people fail to point out the obvious price difference.

VenomCarnage89689d ago

@Spartacus
Mathematically speaking, if sony releases more first party games than Xbox, then sony will be putting more first party games on their service, full stop (Would be vise versa if there was even a chance of Xbox keeping up sooner than 2025.)
Whether they're day 1 or not, they'll be added to the service within about a year ish. Talking long term here, Sony will be winning quantity year after year until ms finally starts pumping out games next gen

ApocalypseShadow690d ago

The second hit piece pending approval comparing two services that are not the same. One company sells millions of their high quality games after release and not needing to put their games on their service day one. Then, puts them in their service later as an option to play and service perk.

The other offers day one subsidized releases, never posts sales numbers, some come in a an unfinished state where you wait for updates stringing you along as you pay monthly or yearly for it to get better.

The article writer downplays Sony's service by saying it's filled with old trash games, that are still fun to play as another man's treasure, as filler beside high quality bangers from Sony. As if game pass isn't filled with old games as filler for Microsoft's day one releases.

It's the dead horse being beaten and beaten with absolutely nothing new to gain other than a game pass user writing an article saying Sony should push for more day one releases when services are not the same when Sony sells games. He acknowledges that they shouldn't be the same but you know he's asking for the same option from Sony anyway. Basically running us in circles.

The interesting part is that Nintendo is never asked to give away their games day one on their service when we all know Nintendo sells millions of their games like Sony does. But no articles.

RauLeCreuset690d ago

The funny thing is Nintendo actually did address questions about Game Pass during an interview in 2020. Their position was much the same as Sony's if less direct than Sony's more recent comments on Day 1 releases.

"The way I look at it is, we want to offer consumers choices on Nintendo Switch, and obviously, the ability to buy the games and play the games that they choose to play. The fact that we have well over an 8.0 attach rate to every Switch unit that’s been installed over the last four years is an indication that consumers want to consume content that way."

https://www.polygon.com/int...

Take Two was more direct in preferring the Playstation model over Game Pass.

"Our scepticism has been around making frontline console products available day and date with subscription. That doesn't make any sense to us, because economically speaking, we don't think consumers are prepared to pay for that. And we can't afford to turn our business upside down in a way that doesn't make sense economically. There always has to be an intersection between what the consumer wants and what the publisher is able to do. And you know, it doesn't make sense to do that for our properties. That's our opinion, and I think Sony agrees with us, because it said so."

https://www.gamesindustry.b...

ApocalypseShadow689d ago

There seems to be this contingent of believers or individuals working for the competition, in that Sony should cut into their profits to subsidize day one releases. Profits that help them create new IPs, sequels, excellent DLC for those high quality games, bringing new 2nd and 3rd party games to the platform and risk taking like PSVR.

Knowing that Sony can't subsidize at the level of Microsoft who can spend 70 billion a lot easier while taking away games or profiting on multiplatform releases.

They think we can't see what's being pushed to hurt Sony's bottom line over time.

Spartacus10689d ago (Edited 689d ago )

@ApocalypseShadow
The basic assumption is that Sony are smart enough to make agreements where Devs will be paid according to the content consumed by the subscriber and these fees wouldn't exceed the revenue generated from each subscription.... You know a bit like how every other streaming service works.

People who think Sony would make a loss are fixated on their original ps+ agreement where Sony pay for a set number of games per month. It's an inferior model that costs Sony more money and gives consumers fewer games to choose from.

People aren't trying to run sonys profits down, but people with your opinion are driving down the value consumers get.

ApocalypseShadow689d ago (Edited 689d ago )

Spartacus, you're fooling yourself.

Sony's games that sell 10 million, 15 million, 20 million, would be releasing on their service for next to nothing per month to play them. You're expecting Sony to drop sales in favor of hoping they get enough subscribers to pay monthly. So, drop the money they are making right now for something that's not guaranteed? Don't be ridiculous.

In your scenario, as there's no money coming in from sales as PlayStation gamers would be playing those games for nothing. They won't be buying. That's why Microsoft doesn't post sales numbers. Sony would have no choice but to cut corners if they don't get enough subscribers. That's hurting their bottom line. That could translate into less 1st Party games from each studio, cutting down the cost to make their games or dropping risk taking like VR.

You're not fooling us with that Netflix bullshit. Sony would be losing money like Netflix was and is right now. And what is Netflix doing? They are cancelling shows and asking for more money by killing the sharing of accounts. We're aware of what happens way before you do just like paying for online was something we told everyone years ago and you wouldn't listen.

VenomCarnage89689d ago

@Spartacus.
"You know, a bit like every other streaming service works"
Are you a part of reality? Do you think the content creators have benefited greatly from these streaming contacts? Bruh.. business 101, these contracts are made to benefit the contract holder. Just look at Netflix and Spotify right now. You should go to school for a bit before telling people you understand this stuff.

RauLeCreuset689d ago

@Spartacus10

The obvious question for your argument is why is Sony opposed to doing it if they wouldn't lose any money? Why is Nintendo sticking with their model if the Xbox model wouldn't lose them money? You do realize that the only home console makers to win a generation since the 3rd gen began in 1983 are Nintendo and Playstation? Do you think it's possible they have a better understanding of how to succeed in that space than the console maker who has yet to win a gen after 20 years despite the ridiculous amount of wealth at its disposal?

Take Two said "we can't afford to turn our business upside down in a way that doesn't make sense economically." That's the Game Pass model they're saying they can't AFFORD to turn their business UPSIDE DOWN pursuing because it "DOESN'T MAKE SENSE ECONOMICALLY." This is what one of the only two companies to reign atop the home console market for almost 40 years is supposed to abandon their proven business model to emulate?

"People who think Sony would make a loss are fixated on their original ps+ agreement where Sony pay for a set number of games per month."

Nonsense. Where did you get that from? Certainly not me, whose post you're replying on. I didn't get that from ApocalypseShadow.

"The basic assumption is that Sony are smart enough to make agreements where Devs will be paid according to the content consumed by the subscriber and these fees wouldn't exceed the revenue generated from each subscription.... You know a bit like how every other streaming service works."

In addition to what Apocalypse already covered...

1) Many of the biggest movies (and smaller movies) still release in theaters before moving to a streaming service. The pandemic necessitated an exception, but things have been returning to the norm with movies releasing exclusively in theaters. This is also true for movie studios with their own subscription service. The Batman made its theater money before going to HBO Max. Doctor Strange is exclusive to theaters before it moves to Disney +.

2) There is a significant gap between Day 1 movie prices and Day 1 game prices. The monthly price for the highest tier of Game Pass** is slightly less than that for the middle (standard) tier of Netflix and $5 less than Netflix's top tier. The normal price range for a movie ticket or a 4K physical copy of a movie would be considered budget price for a video game. I looked at AMC showings to prove the point. The matinee price to see Top Gun at one of AMC's laser theaters is $9.99. That's 6 or 7 times less the typical cost of a AAA release. Video games have to make up a lot more ground shifting to day 1 subs than movies.

** $9.99 of that is for Gold. More on that below.

3) Subscription sales would cannibalize other revenue streams. GPU is $14.99 a month. $9.99 of that is the cost of the already existent Gold sub. Xbox is only making $5 additional dollars for each GPU sub who already had Gold or would have subscribed to Gold if they didn't get GPU.

Don't forget licensing fees. That revenue gets cannibalized too. The platform holder (PS, Xbox) doesn't just take a hit on the licensing fees they would have received from sales of 3rd party software. They have to pay 3rd parties to put software on their sub. They go from being paid for allowing software on their platform to paying for it to be there.

ApocalypseShadow689d ago (Edited 689d ago )

Agreed Raul. But what's even more beyond his comprehension of Sony's position is the long term projections he can't see with Sony trying to compete with Microsoft's loss leading to gain market share model.

Number one company that makes money in the game industry: Tencent. Number two: Sony. Number 3 after billions in buyouts: Microsoft. Tencent doesn't have a game console. So, we eliminate them from the discussion.

Sony in the number 2 position in profits, now chases Microsoft who's in 3rd, in trying to build up their streaming services. Which, will cut into their profits from selling games at launch by doing day one. We know if Sony doesn't get enough subscribers, they have to make cuts, reduce game quality because of funding, cancel some content creation, stop taking risks and possibly raise prices and push mtx in games. And, they have to compete in getting content for their platform from 3rd parties..

Microsoft, as we have seen with them spending billions buying up publishers, would also be competing for content. Microsoft has more money to buy up exclusives for their service than Sony. Microsoft also has one of the largest server platforms in the world behind companies like Google and IBM. Sony has no servers at that level. So, Microsoft wins on content purchasing and servers to stream the content or offer downloads.

Conclusion: Sony after losing profits trying to keep up with Microsoft's spending in services, now moves into the 3rd position behind Microsoft. Because that would be the result. But Spartacus is only worried about short term nonsense about value because he would be able to play Sony's games for next to nothing. And doesn't seem to care about Sony being profitable that allows them to provide high quality games like they have been doing for over 25 years. Spartacus seems selfish and entitled. And I'm not even a business major. Just a whole lot of common sense where I can see probabilities ahead of time. Either he knows this or is purposely being ignorant of long term effects.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 689d ago
shinoff2183690d ago

The hit pieces are getting old real fast. I personally think plus has better games on it. There was a a bunch i was looking through making mental notes about getting into.

derek689d ago (Edited 689d ago )

Spartacus what are going on about?

Outside_ofthe_Box690d ago

Sony's goal currently isn't for plus to be the main way you consume their content, just an option, unlike what Microsoft is hoping for GamePass. You have to take that into account.

Eonjay690d ago

PSPlus is like Netflix and retail games are like going to the movies.. Netflix can't replace that.

Eidolon689d ago (Edited 689d ago )

Even Netflix gets Day 1 movies and shows. PS Plus would then be more like Blu-Ray/DVD, gotta wait for it to have its run at the box office. But PS Plus does get day ones, but some movies are also released on Blu-Ray DVD Day 1 and they wouldn't exactly be box office successes..

EvertonFC690d ago (Edited 690d ago )

Exactly, watching the MS/Bethesda Showcase the amount of times I heard the words GP it came across to me as if the Series S/X is useless without it?
They also excluded there buying Physical/Digital customers as if they did not care about them.
Its the same with the Twitch/Youtube influencers also promoting everything GP as if every Xbox gamer has GP.
I was like what has a NON GP Xbox gamer actually had to play games wise in the current gen timeframe of 18 Months ? Forza and Flight sim? what has the xbox gamer had to play if they dont like racing games or sim games like flight sim? NOTHING really of any mention.

YodaCracker689d ago

I don’t understand your point. Every game on Game Pass can be purchased without the need to subscribe to Game Pass. “What has a non GP Xbox gamer had to play”? The exact same games as a GP member. They’d just be spending a lot more money.

The reason GP is promoted as if every Xbox gamer has GP, is because it’s such an incredibly good deal that it would be insane not to have it. Even in a slow year like this, the value proposition is very high with all the third party games coming day one. But next year and moving forward as all of Microsoft’s acquired studios start releasing games day one on GP? I can say with quite a lot of confidence there has NEVER been a better deal in gaming. Never.

Until Microsoft starts hiking the price or we see that games are declining in quality directly because of Game Pass, I believe it will remain the most popular subscription service in gaming. Well… at least outside of N4G. Unless Sony starts releasing their games day one on Plus, then Microsoft would actually have a fight on their hands.

RosweeSon689d ago (Edited 689d ago )

Yeah they can bang this day1 all they want but when they’ve barely released any and nothing major planned for the rest of this year quite redundant really, we launch our games day1 on gamepass. Might wanna actually release some then 🙄🤦🏻‍♂️ 🤣🤷🏻‍♂️

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60°

PlayStation Plus Hidden Gem: Tinykin

“After digging through the PlayStation Plus library, I discovered a genuine treat with the adorable and super-fun Tinykin so let's get small.” - A.J. Maciejewski from Video Chums.

Read Full Story >>
videochums.com
90°

The 5 best games on PlayStation Plus Premium that make subscribing worth it

The PS5 is an incredible console, and if you're lucky enough to have one, or have just received one for Christmas then you'll already know there is a host of great games out there.

What you may not be aware of is that if you subscribe to PlayStation Plus Extra or Premium, you'll actually get access to a huge catalogue of titles to play at any time. Many of which you can stream without having to do any downloads. If you have a PlayStation Portal you could even play these titles from your bed.

Abnor_Mal125d ago

Damn the only one I’ve played so far is Miles Morales, although I do own Control and Rift Apart.

ChasterMies125d ago

Odd list. Where is Horizon Forbidden West? Ghost of Tsushima? Demon’s Souls? Returnal? And fun indie games like Superliminal? Where’s “A Plage Tale Requiem” and “Evil West”, the current PS+ Essential offerings?

Exvalos113d ago

Evil west is underrated I'm having a really good time playing it.

juniorpop125d ago

Like seriously? Those are games Extra Tier can get - so not worth upgrading to Premium

190°

PS Plus Is Finally Delivering Solid Titles, And I Hope Sony Keeps It That Way

from eXputer "After the price hike, PS Plus suffered heavy damage, which it seems to be making amends for, but the question is, will this quality continue?"

Crows90127d ago

Wait...ps plus has been decent many months of the past year. January is no exception. Even ps plus worst month is better than alternatives.

127d ago
Rockstar127d ago

@JW2SD

This looks to be a pretty ironic comment looking through your comment history.
You seem to be quite the fanboy yourself.

Pot, meet kettle...

S2Killinit125d ago

Pretty much confirmed by the numbers.

1nsomniac127d ago

What are you guys talking about!? PS+ has been seen widely by the vast majority as being very poor since the price increase. Take a look at their official blog or any PS+ thread, to see that a good 90% has been people complaining about how bad it has been since the price increase.

Honestly the state of some of you people. They flashed GTA5 at you (a 13 year old game) and all of a sudden you turned skirts and 180’d. All of a sudden it’s the best thing since sliced bread. Pathetic.

Rocketisleague127d ago

Ah its been 2 good months. More than likely it will drop off again because this has happened multiple times for the last 3 years

126d ago
shinoff2183126d ago

That month with all those rpgs a bit ago was fantastic. People gotta realize not every game is gonna be tailored to them. I don't much care for the stuff this month but I won't knock it. Don't knock it till you try it, I have other stuff to play so I'm not trying it therefore not knocking

Abnor_Mal127d ago (Edited 127d ago )

Are they talking about PS Essential and comparing it to Gamepass?

BeHunted127d ago

Game Pass will soon have all the games from Activision Blizzard, and the upcoming Call of Duty game this year might be available on Game Pass from the first day.

shinoff2183126d ago

They will put the most popular games from Activision and blizzard on there. Shame though cause I haven't really liked an Activision game since those superhero rpgs they did back on ps3 and 360. O ultimate alliance. They might throw a few bones of some old school games from when Activision actually tried stuff but cod, the newer Tony hawks , I can't even think of anything else , I'm good on those.

purple101126d ago

Phil Spencer “just wait “

Also just wait for the price increase
Cos that’s coming as soon as cod drops

Reaper22_126d ago (Edited 126d ago )

It's still better than ps plus without Activision Blizzard games.

I remember back when game pass was first starting playstation fans said sony doesn't need a service like that. I guess the times have changed...lol

Einhander1972126d ago

Reaper22_

"I remember back when game pass was first starting playstation fans said sony doesn't need a service like that. I guess the times have changed...lol"

You miss the point.

What people were against was the day one games because they can't bring in the type of revenue needed to support game development because they knew people would stop buying games,

For example there is about a zero percent chance that Starfield has made back the costs of an 8 year dev cycle on less than 3m sales which were the majority were Steam. And reporting tells us that subscription membership across the board are down or at best flat so an argument can't even be made that Starfield pulled in anywhere close to the number of people needed to sustain the type of budgets games like this require. Interestingly Microsoft has since stopped reporting subscription numbers and staff no longer get bonuses based on subscription growth.

Also keep in mind PlayStation already had a Subscription PlayStation Now, and that PlayStation had been giving out games on a subscription since PS3.

RedDevils126d ago

Tbh I haven't play a single Activision game for at least a decade now, I wouldn't notice if suddenly it disappear from the gaming world.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 126d ago
The3faces127d ago

Gamepass destroys ps plus but yeah keep trying to convince yourself otherwise lol.

SyntheticForm126d ago

I honestly think that PC gaming is superior to both in this regard. I think the larger up front cost is offset by so many things.

andy85126d ago

It doesn't though does it. Day one games absolutely. Overall quality and price absolutely not

Barlos126d ago (Edited 126d ago )

GP and PS+ are fine if you never want to own your games.

Personally I prefer to drop money on the games I want to own, not a rental service.

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