Playstation Plus – Is It Worth the Money – Weeks 3 & 4

I skipped week three of Playstation Plus because there was so little added to the service, and what WAS added was so insulting that my piece would have just been a few pages of ire and profanity directed at Sony for something that is as useless as it is insulting. I decided to wait until this week and would just do a two-for-one to cover what I had hoped would make up for the middle finger to PSPlus subscribers that was the prior week.

Well the joke is on me, or rather on ALL Playstation Plus subscribers as week four was just as lackluster and ridiculous as week three. The past month has basically proven PSPlus to be a subscription service for third rate games, themes, and Avatars. As we look at the contents from the previous two weeks, it’s hard to find anything that has made this service worth purchasing.

With this week’s edition, we’ll be continuing with the same format. We’ll take a quick look at the Playstation Plus lineup for this week and then break it down into six categories:

1. Already own, but would have purchased without PSPlus

2. Already own, but regret purchasing

3. Don’t own, but would have purchased w/out PSPlus

4. Wouldn’t have purchased, but downloaded due to PSPlus

5. Wouldn’t bother downloading this regardless

6. Discount isn’t enough to make me pull the trigger

So there we go. Six possible categories each PSPlus item can fall under. Then at the end of the column we’ll see if I got my $3.33 for the mouth out of it.


Playstation Plus Updates for the Week of July 13th

LittleBigPlanet – Sackboy Avatar (Free to PlayStation Plus subscribers)

MAG Raven Dynamic Theme (Free to PlayStation Plus subscribers)

MAG S.V.E.R. Dynamic Theme (Free to PlayStation Plus subscribers)

MAG Valor Dynamic Theme (Free to PlayStation Plus subscribers)

Resistance Aftermath Multiplayer Map Pack (PlayStation Plus price $3.00, original price $5.99)

Gravity Crash (PlayStation Plus price $5.00, original price $9.99)


Playstation Plus Updates for the Week of July 20th

Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days Demo (Free and Exclusive to PlayStation Plus)

echochrome (PlayStation Plus price $5.00, original price $9.99)

Resistance 2 Skin Bundle (PlayStation Plus price $2.00, original price $3.99)

Hamsterball (PlayStation Plus price $7.99, original price $9.99)

Heavy Rain Origami Swan Avatar (Free to PlayStation Plus Subscribers)

Bloody Escape Theme (Free to PlayStation Plus Subscribers)


As you can see this is pretty awful. All a PSPlus subscriber received was free avatars and themes. Oh, and a demo. But because you had to subscribe to Playstation Plus FOR the demo, it means you have basically paid money just to play A FUCKING DEMO! Seriously Sony, how stupid do you think we are? Sadly, a lot of gamers will prove that they are in fact, pretty stupid, because they have happily shilled out money for this “service.” Even if you ignore the fact you can get themes and demos and avatars for free already, you’re paying for some second rate ones here anyway. Let’s break down how bad the content was over the previous fortnight:

1. Already own, but would have purchased without PSPlus

Hamsterball (PlayStation Plus price $7.99, original price $9.99) – I would like to point out I purchased this two weeks ago for only $3.99. Now it is DOUBLE the price I paid for it. Obviously PSPlus is an awesome service, because who wouldn’t think sliding prices or not really offering a discount to your most loyal customers who paid for a bonus service is awesome? Go Sony! No wonder you’re in third place.

2. Already own, but regret purchasing

Nothing, although since Hamsterball is a mediocre game, if I had paid eight or even ten bucks for it, it would be nestled here instead of in #1. For four bucks though, I feel I got my money’s worth.

3. Don’t own, but would have purchased w/out PSPlus

Nothing. Why? Because everything in the past two weeks was second rate or worse. Come on Sony, actually throw consumers something of quality. Otherwise you’re going to see a mass exodus from the service.

4. Wouldn’t have purchased, but downloaded due to PSPlus

Heavy Rain Origami Swan Avatar (Free to PlayStation Plus Subscribers) – Eh, I figured, “Why not?” It’s a cool avatar and it’s the best thing offered in the past two weeks. However that means my subscription netted me a free forty-nine cent item. How awful it that?

5. Wouldn’t bother downloading this regardless

LittleBigPlanet – Sackboy Avatar (Free to PlayStation Plus subscribers) – I haven’t played LBP and I have no interest in it. Why would I want that avatar? Besides, the Heavy Rain one is cooler and I already have an Akuma one that is cooler than that.

MAG Raven Dynamic Theme (Free to PlayStation Plus subscribers) – Ugly as hell. I hate to break it to Sony, but no one cares about MAG, so shoving free MAG stuff at us will not improve your PSPlus base or people that haven’t purchased it. All you are doing is showing people why they SHOULDN’T buy your crappy service.

MAG S.V.E.R. Dynamic Theme (Free to PlayStation Plus subscribers) -See above.

MAG Valor Dynamic Theme (Free to PlayStation Plus subscribers) – See Above.

Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days Demo (Free and Exclusive to PlayStation Plus) -Hey Square-Enix and Sony: Fuck you. Not only have you given the middle finger to the majority of PS3 owners by not giving them demo to everyone, but you’ve just ensured that several owners of said system won’t be buying your game now out of spite for the fact both of you tried to force people to pay money for a bloody demo. Worst of all, both of you are touting this demo like it’s a great example of why people should sign up for PSPlus. You know what people, if you are stupid enough to think that paying for a demo is a good thing, then you get what you deserve. God knows everyone should boycott this game whether or not it’s good just to send a message to both companies. If you don’t, expect paying for demos to become commonplace. Besides, we all know the shitstorm that happened with the first Kane & Lynch and it’s sad to see the franchise gets to be controversial for extremely negative reasons yet again. Seriously people, if you downloaded this than quite simply, you are everything that is wrong with this generation of gaming and I wish I could take your console(s) away from you.

Resistance Aftermath Multiplayer Map Pack (PlayStation Plus price $3.00, original price $5.99) – Wow! Half off a map pack for a game neither I nor no one I know owns. What a great deal. I’m so glad I paid fifty dollars to be given the opportunity to PAY FOR A DISCOUNTED ITEM that I would need to buy a full priced game for anyway.

echochrome (PlayStation Plus price $5.00, original price $9.99) -More “discounts” that you have to pay for. So you spend money to save money. Which of course, isn’t really saving money now, is it?

Resistance 2 Skin Bundle (PlayStation Plus price $2.00, original price $3.99) – Third verse, same as the first.

Bloody Escape Theme (Free to PlayStation Plus Subscribers) – This is arguably the ugliest theme I’ve seen for the PS3 yet. So of course it’s what Sony offers to PSPlus subscribers for free. AWESOME.

6. Discount isn’t enough to make me pull the trigger
Nothing. As usual, the discounts given are miniscule at best and they don’t really matter as you’ve already paid for PSPlus, so you are PAYING FOR A DISCOUNT. Why does no one see anything wrong with this but me?


So I downloaded a whopping 49 cents of stuff in two weeks. That brings my download total over the past four up to $47.42. On paper that looks great as it implies I’ve nearly gotten my money’s worth out of the 15 month subscription in only four weeks. The truth however is that out of all of that $47.42, I have deleted everything save for the Heavy Rain avatar because it was crap or worse. There is nothing released over the past four weeks that I would have considering buying or even downloading if it wasn’t free and even then there was nothing worth keeping. Does that sound like a good service to you? If it does I will introduce you to my new service where for fifty bucks a year, I will punch you in the gut once a week and then shove shit down your open mouth as you gasp for air. If you act now, you get fifteen months for the price of twelve.

People, if you have PSPlus, you should be outraged as to what Sony has given you over the past four weeks. You should be sending emails, posting angry comments on the Playstation Blog and calling in to cancel your service. I’m so infuriated just writing this column that I’m going to stop now and go play Trinity Universe so I can remember there are good things about the PS3.


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6 responses to “Playstation Plus – Is It Worth the Money – Weeks 3 & 4”

  1. Christopher Bowen Avatar

    Hey, this wouldn’t be the first time Kane + Lynch would be boycotted. Remember Gerstmann?

  2. Alex Lucard Avatar

    Bowen – I allude to that in the column.

  3. tomtom Avatar
    tomtom

    LOL! I’m a PP subscriber. I made extremely similar points to my nephew right before I bought my account. Did you intercept my txt to him? What I basically told him was that Sony used the same points you mention to decide what to offer PP subscribers. I’ll make another point being a PP subscriber and seeing things the same way as you…….almost I’m discouraged from buying anything as it may be offered cheaper or free down the road. I haven’t recommended the service to anyone. I’ve just told everyone to look as the store and decide for yourself what value is it to you. I didn’t own Wipeout so it was the main point for me to subscribe, as I like previous the Wipeout games.

  4. tomtom Avatar
    tomtom

    Next Sony will offer virtual HOME PP stained clothing line very soon! “FREE” I expect to go over $50 and get into the green. I’m sitting on pins and needles waiting!

  5. AFN Avatar
    AFN

    The one thing about the Kane and Lynch demo, it was only getting it a week early, not exclusively, so honestly, why would any one care? Every one gets to play it, some just earlier than others. Big freaking whoop, and not worth nearly the rage I have seen over it.

  6. AFN Avatar
    AFN

    And to add, it is a demo to a sequel to a game that was pretty freaking awful.

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