PS3 and Vita titles to be phased out of Plus by March 2019

[footle]

They presumably have figures on just how few people are playing those ps plus games on ps3/vita; and, unlike Microsoft, don’t have backwards compatibility or game pass to feed AND have been running the promotion far longer. Have they repeated games?

[Vorgot]

2 games does seem a bit stingy as a fair amount of the PS3/Vita games are cross buy with PS4. But they have supported the PS3 for longer than I would have expected, and it's a year away yet, so not too much to complain about.

[Peter]

I'm a bit confused by the language used. Both the English and the Dutch email I received state that you need to have downloaded or put on your download list any title you want to keep prior to the cut-off date. I would have expected that any title you have 'bought' during your PS+ subscription would remain available but as I read it they will be removed from the Playstation store altogether or at least no longer be available as download to PS+ subscribers.

[gospvg]

I think they will get a bit of backlash & I'd expect that 2 to go up with 2 retail titles & 1 or 2 indie titles.

 

Currently with cross play you get 3 to 4 & sometimes even 5 games a month for PS4.

[Quest]

Think I'll let my subscription lapse before this comes into effect. Even with six games available each month and the cross-play options that come with some of them, I've struggled to find much of interest in the last year or two. I was much happier when games like Transistor and Resogun were being added at launch than I am with three year old titles like Bloodborne, that I picked up ages ago for almost nothing in sales. 

 

It doesn't help that I very rarely play online these days, but announcing the reduction in games so soon after the price hike isn't exactly tempting me to renew. I don't even own an Xbox One but Game Pass is looking pretty good right now. 

 

[rafaqat]

2 hours ago, Mr. Gerbik said:

They probably don't feel the need to go the extra mile since they're currently the market leader. It's a shame though, two games sounds stingy after all these years.

 

It was nice to have more of a choice. Meant you could usually find something that would interest you.  Getting 2 a month will mean less chance of that happening, even if the 2 are "bigger" games.  I guess you're right.  Having such a lead means they can do what they like.  I predict zero backlash.  

[SMD]

2 hours ago, gospvg said:

I think they will get a bit of backlash & I'd expect that 2 to go up with 2 retail titles & 1 or 2 indie titles.

 

Currently with cross play you get 3 to 4 & sometimes even 5 games a month for PS4.

 

Why oh why do you differentiate between "retail" and "indie" 

[Super Craig]

1 hour ago, rafaqat said:

 

It was nice to have more of a choice. Meant you could usually find something that would interest you.  Getting 2 a month will mean less chance of that happening, even if the 2 are "bigger" games.  I guess you're right.  Having such a lead means they can do what they like.  I predict zero backlash.  

 

Having a lead (or rather being perceived to have one) didn't help Microsoft at the Xbone reveal.

[Mr Do 71]

7 minutes ago, Kirby said:

Now PS Plus subscribers aren't funding games for those 2 systems, I presume the price will drop?

 

LOL

[Majora]

3 hours ago, Nequests said:

I was much happier when games like Transistor and Resogun were being added at launch than I am with three year old titles like Bloodborne, that I picked up ages ago for almost nothing in sales. 

 

 

Same. I mean this month has worked out pretty well for me with Ratchet and Clank, but if the future is games like The Order, The Last of Us, Uncharted 4, Killzone, The Last Guardian etc etc then it really doesn't represent any value to me because I've already played, and in some cases still own, those games. 

 

That's the problem really. People don't like being given indie titles because they're seen as lesser, but if you give away the big first party stuff that is several years old then literally millions of people played and bought those titles years ago, and they've been available for less than a tenner for ages.

[Harrisown]

This is all long overdue in my opinion.

the PS3 is what? 12 years old now? 

The vita has been dead since it’s launch in 2012 6 years ago.

[metallicfrodo]

14 minutes ago, Harrisown said:

This is all long overdue in my opinion.

the PS3 is what? 12 years old now? 

The vita has been dead since it’s launch in 2012 6 years ago.

 

I can understand why Sony are doing it but I really don't understand this attitude from a consumer. Why is it overdue? All that's happening is the service is being reduced, you're actually worse off as a PS4 owner because you won't get the cross play titles from the point this happens.

[Stanley]

15 minutes ago, metallicfrodo said:

 

I can understand why Sony are doing it but I really don't understand this attitude from a consumer. Why is it overdue? All that's happening is the service is being reduced, you're actually worse off as a PS4 owner because you won't get the cross play titles from the point this happens.

This is the second phase of their plan I believe. The first was to entice gamers who own more than one platform, offer them indie games and the like. The second is to get everyone else, so offer them AAA games, doesn't matter if they're a bit old if you're new to the system.

 

 

[Garibaldi]

26 minutes ago, Harrisown said:

This is all long overdue in my opinion.

the PS3 is what? 12 years old now? 

The vita has been dead since it’s launch in 2012 6 years ago.

 

Indeed. I got excited about this until I saw the date. Well, and until Polygon’s clarification that it’s just another way for Sony to pare PSN back further while charging ever more. I would’ve thought two PS4 games and one PSVR title. As to cross play, I honestly can’t think of any game I’ve ever made use of it with. Probably wrong, but nothing off the top of my head. 

[SeanR]

2 hours ago, SMD said:

 

Why oh why do you differentiate between "retail" and "indie" 

 

because "retail" games are the triple-a big budget franchises that you can buy at retail, and "indie" includes games, not normally available at retail. digital titles, usually from indie developers.

 

You know, the stuff that makes up most of the xbox ones "exclusives"?

[Robo_1]

As has been said, I'd rather have one retail title and two Indie games. Much more chance of getting something I haven't already bought and discovering fun in something I may not have given a proper look. Hope they change track on this.

[Andy XC]

1 hour ago, Garibaldi said:

 

Indeed. I got excited about this until I saw the date. Well, and until Polygon’s clarification that it’s just another way for Sony to pare PSN back further while charging ever more. I would’ve thought two PS4 games and one PSVR title. As to cross play, I honestly can’t think of any game I’ve ever made use of it with. Probably wrong, but nothing off the top of my head. 

I think Downwell (crossbuy) was quite a popular on here, I remember a few people discussing it.

However on the face of it this is just removal of games for nowt in return, as I said I do believe that PS5 will be added to PS+ in due course but I think Sony at this moment have very much given us the short of the stick.

 

It wouldn't be so bad if they had continued with a PSVR title every two months.

[Harrisown]

I think 4 games on offer per month but the ability to only pick 2 would be pretty cool.

[Alex W.]

12 hours ago, Peter said:

I'm a bit confused by the language used. Both the English and the Dutch email I received state that you need to have downloaded or put on your download list any title you want to keep prior to the cut-off date. I would have expected that any title you have 'bought' during your PS+ subscription would remain available but as I read it they will be removed from the Playstation store altogether or at least no longer be available as download to PS+ subscribers.

 

Alternatively it might mean they’re shutting down the PSN store (and possibly other features) for those systems altogether. Which would suck as I have about 100GB of Vita games and that much storage would cost more than the console these days. 

 

Or it’s poorly worded.

[TehStu]

Quote

Any PS3 or PS Vita Monthly Games downloaded or previously added to your Download List will remain playable for as long as you remain a PlayStation Plus member. 

 

In an email from yank Sony. So you shouldn't have to download 400 gig of stuff when it shuts, as long as it's already owned by you.

[Peter]

@TehStu @Alex W. That's not how I read it. It explicitly states you should have downloaded or put on your download list the games you want to keep where at this moment you only have to have 'bought' them (not necessarily also added to your download list or actually downloaded) to be able to access them (you could always download them later as long as you have a subscription).

[JohnC]

The download list isn’t for games you’ve actively decided to download. If you’ve bought it, it’s in your download list. Everything I’ve “bought” from the store is on my download list, presumably with the exception of the withdrawn PT. 

 

As it says itself

 

Quote

Your Download List contains your downloadable PlayStation™Store purchased content.

 

[Hitcher]

Bit shit really, they could have just repeated the games so new subscribers get more.

[Peter]

49 minutes ago, JohnC said:

The download list isn’t for games you’ve actively decided to download. If you’ve bought it, it’s in your download list. Everything I’ve “bought” from the store is on my download list, presumably with the exception of the withdrawn PT. 

 

As it says itself

 

 

 

If I use the PSN store on a PC I have to explicitly add the PS+ games I 'bought' to my download list, that's where my confusion is coming from.

[rafaqat]

28 minutes ago, Hitcher said:

Bit shit really, they could have just repeated the games so new subscribers get more.

 

That would actually be a great idea. 

[JohnC]

4 minutes ago, Peter said:

 

If I use the PSN store on a PC I have to explicitly add the PS+ games I 'bought' to my download list, that's where my confusion is coming from.

I use the PC mostly too, but you're thinking of Download Queue, not Download List. Once you've bought it, done the "Order & Pay" step from the Basket, it's on the List. Then you add it to the Queue if you want.

[Mr. Gerbik]

JohnC is 100% correct. Your download list is everything you've ever bought, which includes free stuff. On top of that you can add stuff from your download list or that you've just bought to your download queue, which makes those games download automatically to the console you have set as your home console.

[womblingfree]

My PS3 hard drive is full of enough unplayed quality games to last for years. Likewise if I ever bought another Vita. Be good if the could squeeze in a Gran Turismo before pulling the plug. 

 

The only downside I can see will be no more crossover titles. We’re getting five PS4 games this month.