PlayStation 4 (PS4) Day One Buyers: Are You a PlayStation Plus (PS+) Subscriber?

[Gradthrawn]

A poll of pure curiosity. Its sister poll about the XBO and Live is here. I'm curious to know how many people on B3D that plan on buying a PS4 on day 1 are also PS+ subscribers and how many are not. The focus of the poll is day 1 buyers, as such the options are not exhaustive and do not include choices for those that plan on waiting. Just those who fully intend to buy on day 1.

Fully Intend to Buy on Day 1:
If you fully intend to buy one on day 1 but are not sure you'll be able to find one at that point, please consider yourself a part of the "fully intend to buy one" group. If you're not sure if you'll buy day 1, even if you're considering it, please consider yourself a part of the "do not intend to buy" group.

Active Subscriber:
The "active PS+ subscriber" criteria should be viewed as a someone who, at the time of taking the poll, is an active subscriber and not someone who simply intends to subscribe at a later date.

Feel free to qualify your choice in a reply to this post or to just simply vote. Please refrain from any banter or underhanded comments about competing systems and services, including subtle ones. Thank you for your participation.

Xbox One and Xbox Live Poll

 

[Deleted member 13524]

Yap. The PS+ is a fantastic service and it's really cheap for what it offers.
I find it worthwhile and I only own a Vita, at the moment. For anyone with both a home console and a portable, it's crazy not to subscribe to it.

 

[deathindustrial]

Personally I never saw much value in PS+ as the free games were generally ones I already owned or which would be cheaper to buy new (versus paying a yearly subscription). I don't have a choice this coming gen but if I did, I would not be subscribing. The flipside is I expect a *much* better online experience this time around from Sony.

 

[MrFox]

With my PS3, Vita and upcoming PS4, the $4 per month is great. I'm always net positive just with the rebate so it's a no-brainer.
But if it wasn't for the free games and rebates, I wouldn't have subscribed, the other features are nice to have but not enough of a bonus to pay for those alone. Even for the PS4 because I don't play competitive online games, ever.

 

[mrcorbo]

Voted the same in both polls. I'm an active subsciber of XBLG and PSN+ and am not getting either console day one. I don't like the value proposition of the PS4 at launch and I *really* don't like the value proposition of the XBone at launch.

My intention is to continue focusing my gaming budget on PC with hardware upgrades and Steam games and re-evaluate the new consoles sometime next year.

 

[Deleted member 11852]

Being a PS+ subscriber is not a factor for me getting a PS4 on launch. Had I decided Xbox One was my thing I'd continue being PS+ plus subscriber for as long as Sony kept subsiding great games for PS3 and Vita.

In 2013 I'd estimate I've played and enjoyed as many games hours given away "free" to PS+ members as I have games I bought with my hard earned and that's incredible VFM.

 

[dobwal]

Was neither last gen will probably both this gen. Considered going back to PC but I left PC gaming because my eyes were too big and my pockets too small. My pockets are much bigger but I'm scared my eyes have grown proportionately too. I can see myself indulging in sli/cf and 30 inch screens.

I rather stay in PC gamer Anonymous and spend an extra $100 a year than fiending to upgrade my gpu and CPU every year.

 

[Grall]

When games are free for PS+ users, are they free in perpetuity (as long as you keep subbing), or just during the period they're advertised on the PS+ page on the PSN store?

I generally prefer to pay just once for my software, and I don't play network titles anyway, so PS+ never interested me. Cloud saves would be nice, but not nice enough to splurge just for that.

 

[djskribbles]

AFAIK, the games are yours as long as you keep subscribing.

 

[Deleted member 13524]

Personally I never saw much value in PS+ as the free games were generally ones I already owned or which would be cheaper to buy new (versus paying a yearly subscription). I don't have a choice this coming gen but if I did, I would not be subscribing. The flipside is I expect a *much* better online experience this time around from Sony.

Are you definitely sure of that? Check out the list of Plus-given games for the last year, just for the PS3:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instant_Game_Collection#2013

Just with a 3-month subscription between August and October (15€), you would have by October 23rd:
- Metal Gear Rising
- Far Cry 3
- Dragon's Dogma
- Assassin's Creed 3
- Remember Me

The games they give are not just Indies, old games and unsuccessful titles that eventually go to the sales bin. They give away AAA titles that are sometimes barely half a year old.

When games are free for PS+ users, are they free in perpetuity (as long as you keep subbing), or just during the period they're advertised on the PS+ page on the PSN store?

I generally prefer to pay just once for my software, and I don't play network titles anyway, so PS+ never interested me. Cloud saves would be nice, but not nice enough to splurge just for that.

They are always available to play, as long as your are paying for the service.
You stop paying, all the "free" games go away. But when/if you ever go back to subscribe the service, all the games you had amounted will come back, plus the games you earn in the month of the renewed subscription.

For example, you pay October and November. During these months, you get games A, B and C in October, and D, E and F in November.
You don't pay December, you can't play games A to F, and your account won't get the games G, H and I from December.
But if you pay January, you get to play again games A to F, plus the games J, K and L from January.

Pay 100€ for 2 whole years and by the end your library will amount to some 80 games in PS3/PS4 and another 80 in the Vita.
And check the list of games they're giving to the Plus service. All the top titles go there eventually.

 

[Deleted member 13524]

Stop feeding it, people.
It was his purpose from the start to derail the thread and he already achieved it.

The report has been done, so just ignore it and proceed with the subject at hand.

 

[eastmen]

So all 24 voters were paying for ps+ before the ps4 ?


I've always found it interesting how fast the pay for psn bombshell was swept under the rug.

 

[patsu]

It's actually more than 24 ! I refuse to participate in Internet polls, even B3D ones.

It's a no brainer since I already subscribed to PS+ for the games, with or without online gaming.
These days I rely on it to get games. I have little time to track releases. Beyond 2 Souls is an exception. I forgot to get the puppet game too. Will try to get it next time.

 

[djskribbles]

I don't see why it's so hard to believe... PS+ is a great value. I'm not a subscriber, only because I don't game nearly as much anymore. I probably won't subscribe when I get my PS4 either.

 

[eastmen]

I don't see why it's so hard to believe... PS+ is a great value. I'm not a subscriber, only because I don't game nearly as much anymore. I probably won't subscribe when I get my PS4 either.

because of free peer to peer gaming was such a big rallying cry for the ps3 fans. Its suprises me that people were spending money for ps + I actually don't know anyone irl that has ps+

 

[Deleted member 11852]

I've always found it interesting how fast the pay for psn bombshell was swept under the rug.

Not interesting, or even unexpected, at all. PSN run on a shoe string isn't great. Many people are willing to pay for a quality service.

 

[Brad Grenz]

When games are free for PS+ users, are they free in perpetuity (as long as you keep subbing), or just during the period they're advertised on the PS+ page on the PSN store?

Yes, the only catch is each month you have to "checkout" the IGC games from the PlayStation Store so they are registered to your account. With the web store it takes seconds now and you can do it from any computer, so I just go to the page every Tuesday.

because of free peer to peer gaming was such a big rallying cry for the ps3 fans. Its suprises me that people were spending money for ps + I actually don't know anyone irl that has ps+

Over half of my PSN friends list has PS+. Irregardless of the multiplayer question, lots of people see the value in getting 60 games a year to play for only $50, plus discounts and convenience features.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

because of free peer to peer gaming was such a big rallying cry for the ps3 fans. Its suprises me that people were spending money for ps + I actually don't know anyone irl that has ps+

Polls are only representative of the people who contribute to them. Most of the RL people out there with PS3's don't subscribe to PS+ (although I guess the number has been steadily climbing because the value is pretty remarkable), but they also aren't here to vote on polls. What this poll tells us is either there's a higher relative proportion of PSN+ subscribers on B3D, or PSN+ subscribers are more inclined to vote in polls, or non-PSN+ subscribers are less interested in voting in this poll...that sort of loose information.

One can see correlations between subscribers and interest in the new consoles (Sony have done a better job at encouraging PSN subscribers to upgrade than MS have done, going by this limited sample), but there's not much that can be concluded.

I'd be interested to hear the question Gradthrawn would use this poll to answer. I don't think it was tightly enough constructed to address any particular idea, and is more just an 'internet information' poll.

 

[MrFox]

Myself, and everyone I know who has PS+, see it as a form of "netflix for gaming". But it would be interesting to know how many will be getting a PS+ sub because of the new online gaming restriction on PS4. Or in other words, if the new restriction helps Sony increasing PS+ base beyond those who were already subscribers for PS3 anyway. This poll is too fuzzy to answer that.

 

[ERP]

Myself, and everyone I know who has PS+, see it as a form of "netflix for gaming". But it would be interesting to know how many will be getting a PS+ sub because of the new online gaming restriction on PS4. Or in other words, if the new restriction helps Sony increasing PS+ base beyond those who were already subscribers for PS3 anyway. This poll is too fuzzy to answer that.

I would bet Sony double PS+ subscriptions in the next year just by requiring it for multiplayer on PS4.
I've actually seen the adoption numbers and the projections, and it's surprising how low the numbers are given the value proposition.

Probably goes to demonstrate that unless you put something critical behind the pay wall, people won't get over the subscription barrier.