PSN+ is it worth it?

D4rkewolfe

D4rkewolfe

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I just got myself a PS3 for Christmas and was looking at some information about PSN+. I do like some of the perks like free avatars and free themes, but would that itself be worth it. So I want to know anyone out there who has the service if it is something they recommend or if it's one of those "Get it only if you like..."situations. I did some pros and cons and hopefully you guys can add some. Though 3.33 a month for it (current deal of $50 for 15 months) isn't too bad, those $50 can also mean getting a few games on sale.

Pros
- Free Avatars
- Free Themes
- Free Games
- A chance to try some awesome games that I would have otherwise never played
- Any discounted items purchased are yours to keep
- Anything free that was not a game is yours to keep
- If you didn't have a subscription for some time, but resubscribe at a later date all previous free downloaded games are yours once more

Cons
- Free games are not chosen by you
- Free games are no longer playable if you unsubscribe

So as can be seen, the biggest plus to me seems to be those free games monthly. I mean the one game currently is a whole season of Sam & Max, not too bad, but if I ever unsubscribe then I no longer have access to it. On the other hand I was reading a bit about gamesharing. So technically I could get games I actually would want at a discount. Those would be there for me to keep if I read the thread correctly.

Is there anything I am missing? I seem to be leaning more into it not being such a bad deal. I understand playing online is already free. The games you download for free, if you delete them, I assume it is still ok for you to download them again for free as long as you remain a subscriber.

I tried to find some more info on the forums but just read a bit of some blogs here which seemed most people are enjoying it.

Oh...what if a gamesharing account was made and a PSN+ subscription was given to that account. Would those free items be accessible to the 5 people under that handle? So in that case a subscription could be split between 5 and everyone benefits from the free items for $10 or is that not possible?

Thanks for taking the time to read.
 
My friend keeps bragging about PSN + just because of his "Betas". In which I replied "$5 a month for broken games. Sweet!"
 
[quote name='D4rkewolfe']Oh...what if a gamesharing account was made and a PSN+ subscription was given to that account. Would those free items be accessible to the 5 people under that handle? So in that case a subscription could be split between 5 and everyone benefits from the free items for $10 or is that not possible?[/QUOTE]

I do know that gamesharing discounted games that you bought from plus work, since a buddy and I gameshare and has been able to play the games I bought on his console, but I'm not sure on the free games. He picked up plus a few months later after it came out since he had no internet at the time, but he had no problem downloading the latest from me. I'm just not sure if he's tried any of the previous free games he's missed out on.

The only thing I can say about plus is that you're really hesitant on buying games especially if they've been out for awhile. Just don't know if you should buy this game, because it might be free in the next couple of months or it might not be. I thought, that it'd be a high quantity of first party games and then Sam and Max really threw a monkey wrench in my theory. Which I'm kinda glad, because I don't think I would've bought it for $35 since I'm new to the series and it's damn good. :applause:

Discounts really sweeten the pot though. Especially if the game is already discounted, because sometimes plus members will get a 20% discount off of that. And those imports are really good for $3 a piece.
 
Crash Team Racing is also free along with a few Playstation Mini games. There is also an online program called Qore that has videos and exclusive downloads (demos?). I don't know much about the program as I'm new to PS+, but it is free for Playstation Plus members and has new episodes every month.

As mentioned before, the discounts are nice. I bought various PS1 classics for under $5 each.
 
not to mention you can play mag for free as long as your a member that sold me! plus is great for new ps3 owners tho
 
I've had it since the beginning and I really don't think it's worth it. I haven't really used a lot of the downloads and the only reason I still have a subscription is because mine auto-renewed 3 months ago!
 
Regarding the Gamesharing- only 1 system can be set to auto update. Kind of ticked me off since I own 2 ps3s.

I was disappointed with the service initially, but I'm growing to appreciate it. I already had a subscription to QORE (which has a pretty hit or miss track record) and many of the PSN titles that were originally offered, so a lot of the value in the package was lost.

Recently though, I've bought a lot of stuff at a discount, or been included on Beta's for games I really wanted (LBP2 & AC:B) so that was a nice perk.
 
It's been worth to me. The first free game offerings where pretty common first party games, but that's been changing lately (Sam & Max, Shatter, Deadliest Weapon? I think that's the name). The Betas are a nice perk, but shouldn't be the reason you join. Waht is really really really awesome is that game updates download automatically, even archaic ones like the one from Eye of Judgment (3+ GBS!) are added to the download queue and downloaded on the background. The minis and PSOne games have been meh, but I did get to purchase Um Jammer Lammy for 3 bucks, so that was pretty cool.

Some free add-ons here and there (not as many as I'd like though). Personally I think it's a must for new PS3 owners and higly recommended for long-timers (specially if you haven't purchased that many psn games or have gameshared most of them (now you'd get your own copy which is always safer)). Unless they royally screw it up I'll probably renew once my subscription expires
 
We have a pretty lengthy thread on PSN+ already that goes in to the pros/cons about it, but I'll give my two cents anyway.

I've gotten at least $300 value from the service and I've been a member since it launched. The discounts on various games has saved me what I spent on plus. The betas and freebies are just extra icing on the cake. If you're brand new to PSN, it's really a no brainer. I'll have no problem renewing my subscription. It's well worth the $4 a month.
 
[quote name='D4rkewolfe']
Cons
- Free games are not chosen by you
- Free games are no longer playable if you unsubscribe
[/QUOTE]

For me this is not a "con" it's a deal breaker. I'm not paying for a rental service.
 
[quote name='ZForce915']For me this is not a "con" it's a deal breaker. I'm not paying for a rental service.[/QUOTE]

I'd agree if the game selection were bad, but so far it's been really excellent, some of the best PSN games. (Minis and PSOne games are another matter entirely).
 
Definitely worth it for me. Sam and Max: The Devil's Playhouse 1-5 alone pays for more than half the subscription. If you're a new PS3 owner I'd say it's the best thing you could buy. I'm not bothered at all by the fact that I don't own these games, the same way I'm not bothered that I don't own dvd's from Netflix. The selection of free games has been quite good too

Off the top of my head here are some noteworthy things I've gotten from plus:

Wipeout HD
Mushroom Wars
Shatter
Sam and Max: The Devlil's Playhouse
Dead Nation beta
LBP2 Beta
Killzone 3 beta
Burn Zombie Burn
Zen Pinball
Age of Zombies
Fieldrunners

When you think about the fact that it's around $4.15 a month, you're getting a lot of bang for the buck. My suggestion is to get a 3 month sub and see if you like it, if not, then you didn't really lose much.
 
I did sign up, might as well give it a try. As someone mentioned earlier, being new to the PS3, some free games isn't a bad thing. Play them, beat them and be done with them. If I decide to unsubscribe at a later time, I guess I'll be ok not having access to those game.

Others put it nicely comparing it to Netflix, heck even Gamefly. You don't keep anything, play with it for as long as you have while you are a subscriber.

Thanks for posting opinions about it though guys. Currently downloaded some minis and of course Sam and Max.
 
Do they have a way of paying monthly, like Xbox Live does? I wouldn't mind plopping down a few dollars a month to get some good deals, but putting down $15 just so I can spend more money at a discount is harder for me to swallow. And I either already own or not interested in the majority of the free games.
 
[quote name='D4rkewolfe']I did sign up, might as well give it a try. As someone mentioned earlier, being new to the PS3, some free games isn't a bad thing. Play them, beat them and be done with them. If I decide to unsubscribe at a later time, I guess I'll be ok not having access to those game.

Others put it nicely comparing it to Netflix, heck even Gamefly. You don't keep anything, play with it for as long as you have while you are a subscriber.

Thanks for posting opinions about it though guys. Currently downloaded some minis and of course Sam and Max.[/QUOTE]

If you think of it as a rental service and you're ok with that then download and enjoy!
 
I don't have PS+ but don't PS+ subscribers feel the need to buy discounted games even if you're not really interested in them simply because it's on sale? I would think that's a con.
 
[quote name='madbst']I don't have PS+ but don't PS+ subscribers feel the need to buy discounted games even if you're not really interested in them simply because it's on sale? I would think that's a con.[/QUOTE]

why the fuck would people feel the need to buy shit just because its discounted? just because you see an add for half off on tampons do you run out and get as many as you can?

ive passed on alot of the discounts they give and only go for the ones i wanted many of which werent linked with my plus sub and were open to all ps3 owners. 2 of which i knew i was going to get regardless of any discount ( undead nightmare and dead nation) but getting that extra 2 or so bucks off was nice.
 
[quote name='Tu13es']Is there anywhere that lists what games I'd get free if I signed up for PSN+?[/QUOTE]

Just go in to the psn+ section on the store and it shows you what is available.
 
I have it and enjoy it. I honestly don't play too many of the PSN games, but it is worth it in the long run. You can also extend your warranty for $10 or $15 less for another year.
 
I am getting my money's worth out of PSN +. I never bought many PSN games anyway and would never buy a mini without them being free. Plus you can still get 15 months for the 12 month price I beleive, which is what I and other early adopters got. Of course my opinion might also be swayed a bit because I used essentially free credit to buy +.
 
[quote name='lokizz']why the fuck would people feel the need to buy shit just because its discounted? just because you see an add for half off on tampons do you run out and get as many as you can?

ive passed on alot of the discounts they give and only go for the ones i wanted many of which werent linked with my plus sub and were open to all ps3 owners. 2 of which i knew i was going to get regardless of any discount ( undead nightmare and dead nation) but getting that extra 2 or so bucks off was nice.[/QUOTE]

I don't know, 'cause that's what people do? Why do people have a huge backlog? Why do people buy things on impulse? Don't tell me everything you buy is only what you need. If something is cheaper for a limited amount of time, don't people have the tendency to consider buying it during that time? Isn't that the point of a sale?
 
[quote name='madbst']I don't know, 'cause that's what people do? Why do people have a huge backlog? Why do people buy things on impulse? Don't tell me everything you buy is only what you need. If something is cheaper for a limited amount of time, don't people have the tendency to consider buying it during that time? Isn't that the point of a sale?[/QUOTE]


wow man just wow you ......goodluck with whatever man.
 
i think its totally worth it

if you think about it, for like 3 or 4 bucks a month you get to play a PSOne classic game, two minis, and one regular game.

its kinda like leasing a car, plus you get discounts on PSN store items
 
[quote name='bunk22']not to mention you can play mag for free as long as your a member that sold me! plus is great for new ps3 owners tho[/QUOTE]

Wait, MAG is FREE? I thought it said BETA? Is it true, can we play MAG for free without owning the game?
 
[quote name='doubledown']Wait, MAG is FREE? I thought it said BETA? Is it true, can we play MAG for free without owning the game?[/QUOTE]

You get to download the client and play up to level 8 only. Everything beyond that gets recorded, but you don't actually have access to your rewards until you pay $30 to unlock the rest of the game. It's more like an "extended demo" than a free full game.
 
[quote name='Luriden']You get to download the client and play up to level 8 only. Everything beyond that gets recorded, but you don't actually have access to your rewards until you pay $30 to unlock the rest of the game. It's more like an "extended demo" than a free full game.[/QUOTE]

Don't let this discourage you, level 8 is enough to access all of the game modes, including the 128 vs 128 'Domination' mode. It would be a tough fight vs high level players, but not impossible and it should still be pretty enjoyable, so if you have PSN+ and haven't downloaded MAG go for it and play for at least a couple of hours, you will not want to put the game down
 
Yeah dude, they give you so much in the MAG demo that I don't think I have a need to buy it, even though it's awesome. You can do everything except use the points you get for leveling up past 8. Also, PS Plus is rad for the free games, except like the other dudes said; the PSOne, and Minis are ghetto as hell.
 
Seems like only fanboys like it. I'm sure sony is kicking themselves for not doing a PSN paid multiplayer service (i.e. Xbox live). It's too late to charge people for multiplayer this generation, however I do expect it next generation. I'm thinking PSN+ was the next best thing they could think of charging people for. To me it's totally not worth the money.

I guess if you buy a lot of PSN games it might be worth it once the savings exceed your monthly costs.
 
So far I've avoided jumping on the PSN + bandwagon, because the free games so far have been things I either already possess, or have no interest in what so ever.

I think the service is targeted at a particular demographic that I don't fall in? Perhaps?
 
I am new to the PS3, so I decided to try it and compare it to XBL. I like it alot. Most of the free games are stuff I don't really play like Sam and Max, but still free games are free. Not to mention it's a good time to update my PS3 with some new themes and avatar stuff, which I don't get on XBL. It has already downloaded 1 update for Brotherhood while I was sleeping, that alone is going to be worth it.
 
Not been worth it for me. Not even close. I already owned WipeoutHD, which is really the only worthwhile freebie they have had, to me.
 
[quote name='theEchness']I am new to the PS3, so I decided to try it and compare it to XBL. I like it alot. Most of the free games are stuff I don't really play like Sam and Max, but still free games are free. Not to mention it's a good time to update my PS3 with some new themes and avatar stuff, which I don't get on XBL. It has already downloaded 1 update for Brotherhood while I was sleeping, that alone is going to be worth it.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, being new was a big help, so any game is new to me pretty much. I haven't really played Sam and Max so having it for free is a good thing. Not a game I would normally try, but with it free why not. So it opens up your horizons a bit. I definitely enjoyed episode 1 and will go and do the rest of the season, just that I'm currently busy with some other games. Still, to be completely honest I do think it is a good value. Hopefully I would already finish those games and if I ever decide to end my PSN+ subscription losing those games wouldn't be that big of a deal.
 
Right PSN+ is not werth it for me, I think they should add there video service to PSN+. Like Get to rent a sertent amount of video per month for free. (like 5-7 a mont)h I would toldly jump on the wagon for that.

That might be hard to do, but that would be kinda cool.
 
I've only been signed up for a couple weeks and am still waiting to feel like I'm getting a deal. It's just ok so far, once a couple games go on sale or something exclusive that I want pops up it'll be better. I'm in for a year, so there's time. If I had a PSP I'd feel like I was getting more out of it. Many of the freebies are able to transfer over to the handheld.

Downloaded:
- Sonic the Hedgehog (free)
- Spyro PS1 (free)
- Pix N Love Rush (free)
- ~10 themes (free)
- 60 Minute Full Game Trials (free) v
The trials are a pretty cool way to evaluate a game but they take forever to download over DSL(3mbps down) and once you play them for 60 minutes, they expire! I thought they'd reset and you'd have to start all over from the beginning, but you just can't play it anymore and the trophies you earn don't get added to your collection. As gas prices get higher, maybe it'll make more sense than going to Gamestop and returning the game later.

150mb Online Storage:
I'm using the cloud storage for my video game saves. Felt like extra insurance when I upgraded my HDD, but it doesn't look like it's automagically going to keep my saves updated.

Automatic Firmware Updates:
I guess this is going to save me some time.

Hopefully they offer Wipeout again or something else decent. Most of the prices on the PSN store even when games are on sale don't make much sense when you compare to buying used from Gamestop or even getting a game new from Amazon. In the meantime I'm just downloading stuff I would have never bought.
 
To me it is. My connection is really terrible (125 kb/sec dl max) and to have my PS3 wake up at 4am and auto download 200-300mb patches is a huge incentive to me.

Not only that but the cloud storage is a great way to keep saves of games I haven't played in awhile but I still want to keep them without having to worry about losing a flash drive.

Plus free games, themes, qore episodes, early access to betas and discounts on some games. I mean yes it is $50 a year but I think I am getting my money's worth. Besides it's not like x-box where you have to pay to just go online.
 
It ends up being like what 3 bucks a month, thats the cost of an energy drink a month, really it's throw away money. The stuff they offer is not the best but it's something to play and usually stuff I wouldn't pick but have been pleased with.

A good example being Enigmo, it was a free game I knew nothing about and grabbed it and ended up playing for hours with a friend. I got my value out of the 3 bucks for this month with just that game. I'm not big on betas or the full game trials at all, the discounts are nice and can offset the 3 bucks for the month with 1 game purchase. The + exclusive demos are kinda cool, the MK demo early was neat and I played it and realized I no longer like MK.

The games being unplayable after your subscription ends for me is a non-issue, will I really want to re-play some PSN game a year after it's been released after having already played it... no.

The online game save is a big selling point for me, after having had a ps3 die and having no game save backups I was really irritated. The cloud is not a perfect solution but it is something and again helps justify the 3 bucks.

I wish they would offer a list of games and allow you to choose several from that bigger list. Have games that carry over month to month so you could get it the following month or something, that would be nice rather than offering their own game choices.

Oh I totally forgot about the software updates, I have mine scheduled and it works out great. At first I was worried it would update games that I no longer play or even own but still have game saves for. It does download updates but it auto-deletes them if you don't play the game for 30 days once the update is downloaded so it works out really well. Keeps the current games I play up to date and gives me the chance to update older games that I may like to toss in at some point.
 
Just got it via gameshare and... there's not crap here. They really should just keep things that were once discounted/free there cause there's been plenty of things I'd have jumped on in the past... as for now we got... Sonic the Hedgehog and one of the PS1 Abe games...
 
[quote name='erequena']Don't let this discourage you, level 8 is enough to access all of the game modes, including the 128 vs 128 'Domination' mode. It would be a tough fight vs high level players, but not impossible and it should still be pretty enjoyable, so if you have PSN+ and haven't downloaded MAG go for it and play for at least a couple of hours, you will not want to put the game down[/QUOTE]

Eh, I think the better thing to say would be: Don't let the demo discourage you from the game. You will get ruined as a level 8.

[quote name='Buuhan1']Just got it via gameshare and... there's not crap here. They really should just keep things that were once discounted/free there cause there's been plenty of things I'd have jumped on in the past... as for now we got... Sonic the Hedgehog and one of the PS1 Abe games...[/QUOTE]

If they did that, then cheap asses like you would be able to get everything a Day 1 subscriber has for 1/5 of $17.99. Yeah, not exactly fair.
 
How dare you, sir!

I spent 1/5 of $49.99 for your information! =)

But seriously, drop the hostility. There's nothing wrong with gamesharing things as opposed to paying full price just for yourself, doesn't make you special, just means you're in better financial standing or you foolishly waste money.
 
[quote name='Buuhan1']How dare you, sir!

I spent 1/5 of $49.99 for your information! =)

But seriously, drop the hostility. There's nothing wrong with gamesharing things as opposed to paying full price just for yourself, doesn't make you special, just means you're in better financial standing or you foolishly waste money.[/QUOTE]
The problem with the gamesharing of PS+ is that the auto-update feature can only be assigned to 1 system. Also, the cloud saving will get kind of confusing if 5 people are putting files out there (can you even cloud save files from your main account with the gs account?).

Personally, I'm still enjoying the service. In the end, it's actually offered an incredibly solid amount of content (regardless of if i already owned any of it).
 
[quote name='Buuhan1']Just got it via gameshare and... there's not crap here. They really should just keep things that were once discounted/free there cause there's been plenty of things I'd have jumped on in the past... as for now we got... Sonic the Hedgehog and one of the PS1 Abe games...[/QUOTE]
Comet Crash is also free along with Vector TD(mini). You missed a couple in your disappointment.
 
[quote name='nbballard']Also, the cloud saving will get kind of confusing if 5 people are putting files out there (can you even cloud save files from your main account with the gs account?).[/QUOTE]

I don't have a gameshare account, but I do know that I've gameshared with my one friend who's not a PS+ member, and it lets me store my saves to the cloud. Each PSN account that has plus will allow you to put game saves from your profile onto the cloud storage. So the best thing to do for gameshare is to not make the gameshare account the one with PS+. Just subscribe yourself, and it should auto update the games you've been playing (you can access games from the game share profile from your main profile).
 
I just signed up for PS+ within the last month. So far it's nice. The thing that pushed me over the edge is the cloud saving. I had most of the games that were "free" with the service, so it wasn't a good deal for me until they released this feature.

I'm really enjoying the auto-update feature. It's nice to just be able to get right into you game w/o waiting on the download.

I also like the free PS+ dynamic themes and the discounts. I buy a lot of PSN games because I have a Sony Card, and it's a good way to spend the points. So now with PS+, I can stretch my points out further by getting the PS+ discount.

I still think that PS+ is a better deal for people who just got a PS3, or don't buy a lot of PSN games.
 
Oh, and like I posted in the CAG Cast thread, the Cloud saving worked like a charm.
Last weekend, I took a trip to Chicago to visit my best friend. I was able to upload all of my saves to the cloud storage (i.e., Yakuza 4), and download my save on my friend's PS3; I was able to pick up right where I left off and continue the game. Then, before I left for home, I uploaded my save from his machine to the cloud, then I downloaded it when I got home.

Pretty sweet if you are always going to your friend's or your family's house to play PS3 and want to maintain one save file (without lugging your PS3 along).
 
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