Sony Is Forcing Developers To Add Huge Element To Games In New PlayStation Plus Model
Sony is improving its PlayStation Plus model by adding a huge amount of old era games, but they are forcing developers to add something to the new model as well.
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The new PlayStation Plus model is set to debut on all consoles in June. With that, there is a myriad of changes coming in the form of the tiers being offered. Fans who buy into the highest-level premium tier of the new model will be able to access games that date back to the PS1 era. This is hugely exciting for many of us, as we have not been able to play some of the most beloved games on current consoles. However, Sony seems to be adding a new element that is super beneficial to fans but might seem a little more than cruel to developers.
Should any developer have a game that retails at over $34 dollars USD, they will be forced to create timed demos for their games. Anyone who happens to buy the highest-priced premium tier for the new PlayStation Plus model will have access to these new demos. The demos in question must be at least two hours in length, released within three months of the game launching, and be available for a whole year. While this certainly sounds like a good idea to those of us who want to try out upcoming titles like Gotham Knights and Forspoken, it could also damage the developers that are making the games. This means that studios will have to take extra time to create these demos for the PS Plus Premium subscribers. It could benefit developers in the sense that their games get more exposure and might see a higher rate of being purchased, but it could be damaging to the manpower it will take and extra time for these timed demos. Sony might damage its reputation with this move.
Sony is certainly putting developers in a bit of a hard place, and it could come back to haunt them. Forcing studios to take extra time for subscribers doesn’t seem like a smart business move. It could be more so that Sony is justifying the $18 per month price point that has also been attached to the PS Plus Premium tier, but it still sounds like a bad deal for the developers that are pouring hard work into releasing their games. Especially games that are more indie than big studio releases, they might not be able to afford to create these timed demos. However, on the greedy side of things, it is going to be great to demo some of the biggest titles coming out. There is nothing worse than buying a full-priced game only to realize you don’t like it at all. Then return it to companies like GameStop for far less than what you paid for it.
Sony is releasing the new PlayStation Plus model on June 13th. Fans with the essential package will still pay $9.99 a month or $59.99 a year. The next tier is the PS Plus Extra tier, which will cost $14.99 monthly or $99.99 yearly. The PS Plus Premium tier will be $17.99 monthly or $119.99 yearly. The Extra tier will add 400 extra games that include titles from the PS1, PS2, and PSP consoles. The Premium tier will add an additional 340 games from those eras. The Premium tier will also only be the tier that receives the benefit of these timed demos. That might make the $18 dollars a month price worth it.
