New Playstation Plus Subscription Tiers [2022-03-29]

Turned out exactly as I thought it would be, its nothing like gamepass. A bit weird that some ppl thought it was gonna be.
I notice the announcement didnt really change the shareprice, thus a big meh

 

1) You charge what people are willing to pay. If PS users are happy to spend more, you don't need price parity. It's not like users have a choice of PS+ or GPU on PS and can pick the best value option!

2) MS has more cash than Sony and can far more readily afford to sell at a discount. MS pricing may well not be realistic for what such a service as this requires in business terms.

 

How are you defining 'gamepass' for this to be 'nothing like'? For me, I see GP as a subscription library and this is similar. As is Google Play Pass, and Apple Arcade - everyone's getting in on the subscription library act, the 'Netflix' equivalent of gaming.

 

It's not a threat at all because you can't get PS+ on XB or PC and vice verse! Even if it was half the price, had day 1 titles, and came with free ice-cream, it'd be no threat. Likewise GP is no threat to PS+ until MS can get their service onto Sony's hardware, or PS+ comes to PC (at the moment it's streaming only).

 

No, that's silly console-wars nonsense. Its Sony trying to find a way to generate more revenue and profits. They aren't trying to go toe-to-toe with GP and failing; they are doing their own Business thing, which maybe they are failing at, or not. But as there's no direct competition with GP on the platform, and it's not very apparent that people are ditching PS in favour of XB because GP is so awesome, Sony can operate like GP doesn't even exist for now.

 

https://www.eurogamer.net/sony-quie...6DxX8aW8Kt1JHEQw5CkYoSIaU-HshlASwv-QxHaczhbLk


Sony quietly removes PS Now annual offer from the PSN store
Streaming service is monthly, for now.

 

After people have bunkered PS Now and got PS+ Premium for years, I'm not surprised

 

But mate I believe sony has had a game subscription service for many years, in fact even before MS did.
OK just googled
PlayStation Plus Launch date June 29, 2010
Xbox Game Pass Launch date June 1, 2017;
Games with Gold launched for Xbox 360 in July 2013

Its not like Sony has copied GP by now having a subscription service, if anything its the opposite

As I wrote last year when this playstation gamepass rival was moted

https://forum.beyond3d.com/posts/2231802/

Now if Sony did start releasing all their games on their subscription service day one, then yes they its like gamepass, but as I and many predicted they would not do this as it makes little financial sense, MS can afford to lose billions doing this now in the hope 10+ years down the road it finally starts turning a profit, but Sony doesnt have the financial clout to make this multi year investment

 

Wrong comparisons: PlayStation Plus is to Xbox Live Gold.

 

and thats why I included that as well.

 

Not directly. PS+ was a library, but one you built up as opposed to a catalogue. MS 'copied' Sony with Games with Gold. Sony then bought Gaikai and produced PSNow which was a catalogue, but one for streaming only. MS then introduced Game Pass which was a Netflix style library. Sony are now simplifying their sub systems into one unified, tiered platform.

The idea of 'copying' is a bit babyish. Industries change. Businesses try new ideas. There'll be consolidation towards new practices whether direct duplication or a different approach towards the same market. We're also better off for it as good ideas propagate and everything is generally advanced. The problem I see with the narrative around these services at the moment is that it's mostly revolving around +ve/-ve perceptions which are propaganda driven. eg. Sony match Gamepass in every way - Sony are just copying MS. Sony do their own thing - they are copying but just doing an inferior job. Sony do nothing - Sony aren't even trying to offer a comparable service. It can be spun as a negative no matter what Sony do; classic platform-warring. (And not confined to any platform side; this is just the current battle in this thread)

I don't see any value in that type of talk. It's not our job to do these companies' PR for them! For me, the merit is the same as considering hardware, looking at the differences, the pros, the cons. I have no problem in identifying a better offering which clearly resides with MS at the moment, but that's that and there's nothing more to say. So better to just outline for PS users what their options are and, if people want a business discussion, to then hold a debate about the value proposition and potential gains/losses of the different strategies.

 

Hard to know if PS users are willing to spend, its a brand new just announce and unavailable thing however

 

Yep. Sony may adjust the price downwards as a result. Or they may have deemed this was the necessary price and if there aren't many takers, so be it. Unlike MS, they aren't trying to establish themselves as a gaming service (yet) so aren't taking on the financial pressure to secure massive growth.

I'll also slightly correct myself for saying there's no competition with GP here, as though there's no direct competition, GP is establishing a value expectation. Comparisons will be made and if the conversation focusses on PS+ costing more and offering only older title, PS gamers may be swayed away subscribing until the offering better fits their GP-influenced expectations. If GP didn't exist, PS+'s value proposition would stand alone. GP won't cannibalise PS+ subscriptions to any notable degree, but it will compete with broader gamer mindshare.

 

I think I bought my current subscription in 1985 at a super discounted rate and it's due to end next year?

 

True, I should of said, 'do the same thing'. There must be a single word that means this? hmmmm 'emulate' perhaps

 

I got the same discount with my Walkman(tm).

 

I couldn't afford the £2.99 annual fee

 

I guess 'copying' is okay but has connotations, such as kids copying each other's work at school. We could use duplicate, match, emulate, approximate, compete with, nuanced to the arguments and points. Technically duplicate may mean the same thing as 'copy' but it doesn't have the negative connotations that fuel console-warring.

 

I'm quite looking forward to having everything under a single pane of glass. Then my PS1,PS2, and hopefully PS3, can finally be retired to the Cabinet of Ancient Marvels to take their place with my OG Xbox, Xbox 360, Vita, PSP, Wii, and various other nik naks like the N-Gauge.

 

Note: this is about PS+ pre-new-subscription and PS+ new-subscription may have better revenue sharing options for developers.

Oddworld creator says PS Plus was 'devastating' to Soulstorm sales | VentureBeat

It sounds like PS+ at the time didn't have any built in performance bonuses for titles on the service unlike how Game Pass is currently structured. I wonder (hope) that it has changed and that there won't only be the upfront money for developers but there will also be residual revenue based on how a title performs on the service (how many people play it and how long they play it).

Also, note, in case someone doesn't read it, the Oddworld Developer doesn't blame Sony for how things turned out. It was a miscalculation on their end about both the timing (game getting delayed) plus Covid which led to more people playing it on PS+ than they predicted.

Sounds like if they had known those 2 things would happen they might have either chosen not to put it on PS+ or structured the deal differently (asked Sony for more money). Although they were in a tight bind with running low on funds to continue development so maybe nothing would have changed.

Regards,
SB