Re: blog.us.playstation.com/2016/07/27/playstation-plus-free-games-for-august-2016/
Here’s Greg Lewickyj, writing for the PlayStation Blog, in not a new post, but an update to an article from last month:
This marks the first time that PS Plus membership prices will increase in the U.S. and Canada since the launch of the service in 2010. The new pricing reflects the current market conditions while enabling us to continue providing exceptional value to our members. As a member, you will continue to enjoy the benefits and features that enable shared experiences, such as online multiplayer, free games, and exclusive discounts.
The new tiers are fair; an extra 83 cents per month is certainly justifiable for what PS+ offers. Folks will complain, but it’s amazing we’ve had lower prices than Xbox Live Gold for this long.
This pricing change may also remind a lot of PS+ members how little of their library is actually theirs. Since 2010, subscribers have been allowed to download full games for free, from a rotating selection of titles. As of today, over 400 games have been made available: 215 for PS3, 86 for PS4, and 108 for PS Vita. However, you’re only allowed to play them if you have an active PS+ subscription.
I do find it somewhat concerning that this news was delivered as a 200 word update, tacked to the top of a month-old blog post. Pricing changes should always warrant their own announcements, especially for services with over 20 million members. Anything else feels disingenuous.
Update: Not ten minutes after hitting publish, I received an email from Sony announcing the pricing change. Still doesn’t make the let’s-use-an-old-blog-post method any less strange.