Basically, it sucks to get less while still paying more, and when what you're getting dips in quality
I miss the original instant game collection
This meant that beginning in March 2019, PS Plus subscribers would only gain access to two free PlayStation 4 games each month. Granted, the PS3 and Vita offerings had become incredibly stale for the most part, but there was no denying that the subscription had lost value. Even if you never touched the PS3 and Vita lineups, you were still paying the same amount of money for fewer games.
Still, many were optimistic -- including ourselves. We figured that Sony must be increasing the overall quality of the PS4 freebies in order to make up for the reduced amount of included games, and when March 2019's PS Plus lineup was revealed, our optimism seemed justified
However, one month later the quality took an obvious dip. The Surge and Conan Exiles were April 2019's offerings -- not terrible games, but certainly not great either. Roll on to May, where we got Overcooked and What Remains of Edith Finch. A return to more highly rated titles, but without sounding mean, neither was the kind of blockbuster addition that most subscribers wanted to see.
This was evidenced by the backlash that quickly followed May's announcement. PlayStation's official YouTube channels and social media accounts were absolutely battered with criticism -- it was the kind of PS Plus outrage that we hadn't seen in a long time.
Right now, at the time of writing, the backlash is, er, back, and it's arguably bigger than ever. Yesterday, Sony revealed July 2019's PS Plus lineup, and to say that it hasn't gone down well is a severe understatement. Next month's selection includes PES 2019: Pro Evolution Soccer, and Horizon Chase Turbo. It's another case of getting two good games that just don't have mass appeal.
From where we're sitting, PlayStation Plus needs an overhaul. Now look, £50 a year for online play, 24 "free" PS4 games, access to cloud storage, and a bunch of regular discounts on the PlayStation Store is still pretty good value. The real issue lies in the fact that PS Plus used to offer more for less
We're not saying that Sony's about to ruin its success if it doesn't reshape PS Plus as a service, but it'd do well to carry the momentum of this console generation forward into the next as efficiently as it possibly can.
The company's been labelled the bad guy when it comes to cross-platform play, and now, PS Plus is starting to raise a similar stink. It's a burden that the Japanese giant simply doesn't want to shoulder as we head into the next generation -- a revised PS Plus could work wonders, assuming that Sony gets it right. It could be something of a clean slate for a service that many have grown weary of.
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Do you think Playstation will step their game up with PS Plus? What would you like to see added? More games per month? Something with PS Now?
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