Sony to require PlayStation Plus membership for online multiplayer gaming on PS4

Playing online multiplayer games on PlayStation 4 will apparently require a PlayStation Plus membership, Sony said today during its E3 liveblog. A slide shown during the presentation said "immersive multiplayer online" was a feature of PlayStation Plus. Single-player games will not require Plus, nor will accessing streaming services like Netflix, Sony said in a tweet.

[itBourne]

Meh, u get a free $60 game, free psn games, and a free game every month. No biggie to sign up for it.

[OlgerO]

I know after that awesome press conference, Im not even mad!!

[blitz0623]

It was a genius move to announce this while everybody was celebrating about the whole no DRM on PS4 thing.

Personally, I don't mind as I already have 15 months of PS+ from a bundle. I can understand people who are outraged by this. For Xbox refugees, this is nothing new, maybe even an upgrade since you guys now get free games.

Remember, this isn't just for online gaming. You get free games EVERY WEEK on almost every console (PS3, Vita, PS4). I mean, Drive Club, a launch game will be free. Where else would you see that?

[badz149]

it's in a fine print in the video of Yoshida sharing game guide.

but we get a FREE launch game in exchange, right? so no biggie!

[gta2800]

I've been a happy PS+ customer for over a year now. I was going to gladly resubscribe before it was required for online play. The subscription paid it self off in the first month that I had it. But I love that PS+ is a service that rewards you rather than having no choice but to pay for it simply to play online.

[decrypt]

So Sony are now pushing PSN+ down peoples throats, people like it or not to play online they must pay.

Console gaming has really hit a low point.

Sony fans might cheer at no DRM, but really its just a matter of time. MS introduced pay to play online last gen, Sony now follows suit. I think Sony will inevitably fall to publisher pressure and most games will be releasing with some sort of DRM.

Many of my friends switched to PC gaming this gen with the road console gaming has taken, all of them are planning to stick with PC as their main platform. They might pick up PS4 just for the exclusives but thats about it.

[jetlian]

wow cgoodno and wildarms both failed articles saying this, only to post one himself lol.Yea ryu i saw that soon as it went up when i was set to post l couldn't

anyway not a big deal so long as its safe. Need to get GMelee

[zeal0us]

While I don't mind it however I do find it funny how people are trying to justify this move but got on MS for years for charging their players.
----
Also I could've sworn I seen this post or similar post saying Sony requiring PSN+ for online MP earlier heck if one was turn into a rumor in spite multiple sites reporting the same thing.

@Ryu
Cgoodno is one of the admin, I highly doubt your report will do anything.

[INMATEofARKHAM]

Ryu, certainly bad form on cgoodno part... I'm sorry it happened to you.

[nix]

i was sad when i heard it even though only a month back i signed up for Plus. i must say, i've already got my money back considering the free games i've got but still i hate the fact the "online free" is there no more makes me sad.

[NewMonday]

gamers are taking this news better than I expected, most say this is disappointing but that they have PS+ anyway(and I'm one of them) , so I have a suspicion Sony were softening use up gradually, that is why they had that huge instant game collection initiative, and it worked.

[blackbeld]

Mann.. I am mad.

OK it's not much and I also have Plus but this is a disadvantage to WiiU.

Now if you want to multiplay you have to pay? WTF!

I do love PLUS but why have to pay when you can play free online on the PS3?

[zeee]

Good thing I am already set up for another two years! :) I looovveeee PS plus so it doesn't matter to me.

[Ritsujun]

PS+, at the moment, offers 5 to 6 free games per month. That's 60+ free games per year.
Lots of discounts.
1GB cloud storage for PS3, 1GB cloud storage for PSVITA.
Auto firmware/gamepatch update. Auto gamesave upload.
Free themes, free avatars.
Access to closed betas and early demos.
Full game trials.

It seems that PS+ will be offering 3 PS4 games for free (Driveclub's one of them) on PS+ at PS4 launch.
I'm expecting 7 to 8 free games per month after the launch of PS+ on PS4.

[ShinMaster]

PS Plus was already a good deal.
Multiplayer is the only reason people pay for XBL Gold, since MS blocks multimedia and instant video features unless you pay.
You still get those for free on PSN basic.
PSN > XBL Silver.

PS Plus simply offers more and now Microsoft is trying to follow in the footsteps of Sony by implementing some Plus-like features.

http://www.destructoid.com/...
http://kotaku.com/5939245/g...
I don't think people understand the differences. XBL isn't king anymore and hasn't been.

[douevenlift]

lol so what you need PS+, it's about time Sony discovered a way to get some revenue, their broke asses severely need it!
I love my PS+, tons of free stuff and great disounts that no XBL person ever gets, and they've been paying 60 bucks per year just to have access to MP with zero perks outside of that! Quit your crying you broke ass children.

[No Way]

360 and XB1 Live users will also be receiving some free games, won't they?

[Kaneda]

I don't want free game. I just want to play some game I enjoy playing. I don't go online everyday like 18 yrs old kid. But when I do. I don't expect to pay for it, just like PC.

[N4GCB]

Eh, many mmo's have a fee, think of this as a all in one fee for all your games, now you won't have to pay for 10 individual subscriptions.

[detroit2cali]

How do you know you wont enjoy the FREE games? Do you know which ones will be free? Stick will your PC buddy because you're obviously biased.

[Kaneda]

I understand why you have to pay MMO, but I am not interest in MMO. FPS is for me.

I have been playing console since the Nintendo day. I just want games that I want to play. Have been playing BF3 and MoH on PS3 last two years. I am not biased. I don't play as much game as 18 years old kid. Job and family and sometimes I want to relax playing game.

How do you know I will enjoy the free games?

[HappyWithOneBubble]

You pay for internet right? So basically you pay to play online.

[Kaneda]

I pay the internet for work and do other stuff. Online game is a plus. I can get that on a PC side.

Hey, if I am 18 yrs old and don't have family. I can go online whenever I am free. I don't mind paying for +. But I am not 18.

[Rivitur]

If you already pay for the internet then why the f%$k would you want to pay twice?

[nnotdead]

i'm with you. the fact that i didn't have to pay to play online was one of the biggest factors for me to stick with Sony. now i'm unsure if i will even bother with a console. might want to pick one up for the exclusive SP games that will be released, but from the first day of E3 it looks like the SP and MP will merged in most games this gen. i am unsure what that will mean if i just want to play SP.

[Eyeco]

That was by far the biggest disappointment for me I couldn't care less of anything else shown at the conference that seriously bummed me out, I'm sorry but that was PSN's biggest advantage, i'm just amazed at the level of hypocrisy from the fanbase 6 years of bashing Live for charging a fee, but now it's ok because Sony throws in a few free games ? which by the way Live is now doing, PS+ was amazing as an OPTION nothing else, basic online multiplayer should be FREE I don't care how much you sugar coat it, everything else should be OPTIONAL.

Then again I have a theory as to why Sony would do this, given the PS4's surprisingly low price, chances are Sony is taking quite a loss and to recuperate some of that loss there gonna charge for online.

Again i'm a PS fan i'm not gonna lie but this was absolute BS, again the best online gaming the master league of online gaming is found on the PC WHICH IS FREE. If the best is FREE then you should be FREE no excuses, Is there a petition against this ? If so what is it so I can join.

[PSN-JeRzYzFyNeSt]

put 5 dollars aside week starting now.. big deal get over it.. if not then stick to pc

[NameRemoved0017]

Its way better than Xbox live

Xbox live requires you pay to do anything besides play single player.

Wanna watch Netflix on your xbox? You have to pay the fee to do that.

[Eyeco]

"put 5 dollars aside week starting now.. big deal get over it.."

There we go that famous dumbass 360 fanboy logic has now transitioned to the PS camp, how about we look at things in the long run because that's all that matters in the end, the 360 has been out for 8 years that comes up to about $400 for XBL on top of a $300 launch console which comes up to about £700 minus games,

Now add $400 more to the XB1 and PS4 price tag, yeah not so pretty now is it ? and again the best online is on the PC which is free, consoles these day's are pushing me closer and closer to PC gaming with Online fee's, games that can barely run a game in a basic HD, controller gimmicks, saturation with shooters it's getting ridiculous

[nthstew]

hey man you get free games every month unlike pc.. so rejoice and have fun.....

[Rivitur]

@Eye

That good sir is real MF logic right there.

[justiceot]

I find it strange when people talks about "paying twice": One for the internet, another for multiplayer. They are entirely two unique services provided by different companies. It's like paying for the internet and expect everything on the internet to be free. To be fair, since you paid for the game, they should offer you the complete experience, which includes multiplayer, without extra charges.

But with free games added on top of multiplayer and other perks, few should find reasons not to get subscribed to PS Plus/ Xbox Live.

[blackbeld]

@Kaneda

AGREED!

WTF is happening with ONLINE nowadays!

I will buy the WiiU for sure. PS4 can wait. This s*cks.

[uncharted56]

I see where you are coming from but at the same time you have to understand from a bussiness perspective that PS4 has superior parts, sells for less then any gaming pc and xbox one. Its also giving you all theses third and first party media and gaming services and they have a network infrastructure to maintain. I always bragged about the psn free thing but I have no problem paying a fee which will be less then five dollars compared to xbox to play games online.

[maximaz]

I feel your pain but hey, at least you get a bubble from me. Some of us just want to enjoy games we buy when we want to enjoy them, without having to go through an anal probe.

[N4g_null]

I'll see you on a PC and wiiu! Ps4 is the new Xbox.its like Sony went third party and started making games for PC... wait it is a PC.

This is just sad......,

[PSVita]

Exactly and I don't think it blocks you from Netflix and other apps of you don't get it.

[N4g_null]

All of my TVs have netflex.... I don't have to pay to be only there either.

I guess its PC and wiiu till Sony gets there stuff together. I might as well get a Xbox one if I get a ps4. I can afford it but I also don't waste money if I'm not using the system. So far Sony doesn't make any of the games I use to like from them except god of war.

[PSVita]

Good for you bro...

[uncharted56]

The fee is less then five dollars so I will take it.

[xPhearR3dx]

So is XBL Gold but look how many people are up in arms because you're paying to play online. I knew Sony would go down this path eventually. I personally don't mind as I've been paying for Live for years and don't have much interest in the Xbone.

I do find it very ironic how now that Sony does this, many people will now act like paying for online play is no big deal. Yet yesterday, it was evil.

[Rivitur]

@Phear

Exactly people are now praising Sony because they did the opposite of MS but the thing no one ever thought would change did change and the fanboys are easting it up after years of bashing MS for it.

[nnotdead]

^
i'm a little shocked too. the free online has been the biggest trump card Sony fans have been pulling all gen. now we all just want to give it up because PS4 doesn't have crazy DRM like XBone. not shocked Sony is doing this, but i am shocked Sony fan base isn't making a bigger deal out of this.

the only reason i can thinkpeople aren't upset would be the fact that a lot of people like what PS+ has been offering, i know i have, and they don't see any added cost from what they where already spending. i just think Sony now pushing it on gamers is BS.

[green]

I have never seen this level of hypocrisy in my life. You can not go into an XBOX article with our Sony cheerleeders shouting "dumb customers paying for live, i will never pay for online multiplayer because it is a matter of principle"

Now Sony does the same thing and 99% of them are all cool with that. Its like the past 6 years i have been on N4G and they have all been bitching never existed.

[NumOnePS3FanBoy]

save yourself money by buying the $50 dollar psn card for a full years worth of ps+ goodness my compadreeeeii

[mcstorm]

I agree a lot of people I know who have a PS3 have said they don't want a 360 because they don't want to pay for online. Well looks like they will have to shell out the extra £40 or look at a WiiU to play online for free.

I don't think its a bad thing to pay for playing online but I do hope Sony improve PSN for the PS4 over the PS3 as I found the updates and PSN down time frustrating on the PS3 at times.

[MrBeatdown]

I love when people cry hypocrisy. It really helps you weed out the trolls more interested in trying to stick it to a fanbase than the news itself.

You make it sound like everyone is lavishing praise on Sony for this. The fact is, there's plenty of people complaining about it, and there's plenty of people who aren't, probably because they already pay for PS+ because it has proven to be good value.

The same can't be said for Live, which is basically a charge for online play and apps that should be free.

Want to cry hypocrisy? Go ahead and find examples of it. If you think it's so widespread, go right ahead and dig through the comments of everyone here. Shouldn't take you long to provide plenty of examples. But of course, you won't, because it's easier to just pretend everyone is a hypocrite, when you're not getting the riots in the streets you're expecting.

[darx]

@Mr Beatdown

You have to pay to play online, end of story.

[MrBeatdown]

"End of story" my ass.

The idea that "you have to pay" is all that matters is idiotic. It completely discounts what else the fee gets you.

But of course, some people here would like to pretend it's that simple, just so they can cry hypocrisy.

The fact is, for a lot of people here, we aren't getting charged a penny more than we were already paying for a service that we already felt was well worth the money.

But apparently, because people aren't burning effigies of Sony execs over something that doesn't affect us, we're hypocrites.

That's troll logic for you. Ignore the subtleties of people's opinions and reasoning so you can cry hypocrisy and win the war on people who's opinion you disagree with.

[kane_1371]

The Thing is, I am a Sony fanboy, I have never tried to hide that, and I argue that doesn't make me a blind fanboy since I love many games on Xbox too but when it comes to making a decision I will go with Sony.

Now as a fanboy I am kind of Sad, When the presentation of PS+ said multiplayer games what not bla bla bla I felt a sad feeling inside me since It was such a big thing to not be forced to pay to play online for us PS3 users.
Now at the same time I have never been that huge of Online gamer and mostly play SP unless I'm on my PC and playing Dota :D
So at the same time it doesn't bother me that much.
Then there is the fact that I have always bought PS+ when I could so that I get the games that come free with it and I love the service. Just a while ago I played Thomas Was Alone and I loved it and went and bought it for my PC! So in many ways I love PS+ that also made me less sad but still I was thinking to myself why would they do this?

So you see in about a minute later the crowd was cheering and clapping and all of that because the System would cost us €399 and at that moment I realised that you really can't have the Cake and eat it too!
We got the response from the Sony, NO DRM, No restriction on Used games, No + subscription for the media apps and a price point that made this E3 1995 all over again!

So we had to compensate in a way and that was the online multiplay.
This is the reason people are not super mad, they are sad but they all are getting the point: You can't have a cake and eat it too!

That is all!

[darx]

@Mr Beatdown

Boil it down and what you get is pay to play online.

Opinion? It's a FACT you have to pay to play online.

[uncharted56]

First of all I always used to brag about free online play so in no way am I happy about this. But at the same time I am paying less then xbox live for online and I get free games, themes, wallpapers, early access to betas and demos. For less then five dollars a month along with all the services and free stuff I get access to this is sure worth more money then xbox live and if I have to pick, I will take the lesser evil of the two. Plus I have my gaming pc until I go back to university.

[MrBeatdown]

@darx

And your point? I was never arguing you had to pay for online. Why you harp on it as if it's something being disputed is beyond me.

Are you saying that nobody should care what they are actually paying for?

Are you saying that everyone's opinion and reaction to this should be entirely devoid of any consideration for their own personal preferences, the value of what they are getting for the money, and how this affects them?

Wouldn't it be just as hypocritical if all the people that love Plus suddenly said it was a crap service because online is now included, despite the fact that it still offers the exact same level of value as before?

Like I said, pretending everything else is irrelevant, and ignoring any and all reasoning behind people's opinions, is just a lazy attempt at painting everyone as a hypocrite.

The fact of the matter is that, like I said, there are just as many people upset with this fact as there are people who just don't care. The trolls in this thread would prefer to ignore that, just so they can go ahead with their little half-assed generalizations.

Some people here seem to think hypocrisy is so widespread, yet nobody has offered up a single example of that. Just pathetic generalizations, because that's all they have. That's what trolls do. They take any little thing they can cling to and run with it. It doesn't matter how legitimate it is, just as long as they can use it to wage war against anyone who isn't as blind as they are.

Hell, the very comment we are all replying to, coming from a guy who doesn't mind the price, has far more disagrees than agrees, yet "OH MAH GOD SO MANY HYPOCRITES!!! XBL FEE BAD! PSN FEE GOOD!!! SONY FANS ARE FLIP FLOPPING!!"

People here seem to want to overlook what's right in front of them just so they can troll.

[Foliage]

It's a two-sided road.

How many comments have been posted over-glorifying xbox live; attempting to pass the price off as accounting for the "better service".

Suddenly you Microfans want to make a big deal over something you have been trying to sell everyone on for years?

Sorry, Plus has enough benefits on it's own to justify the price. It's hard to get overly angry; when you essentially know you are getting the best looking next gen racing game (Drive Club) for free with the fee for Plus; along with many other titles.

That money is still going towards games; good ones that people were looking to buy. The online multiplayer is just additional.

Xbox Live on the other hand is paying to use your existing internet service (shit, you even need it for netflix). It also does not justify the price with any additional perks.

Big difference, Microfans.

[Enemy]

Just like Xbox Live, except you get free games with Plus. Sony wins again.

[xPhearR3dx]

You get free games (at least for now) with an XBL Gold Membership as well. Catch with PS+ is, when you stop paying you lose those games. These games MS are giving away are free forever. Even when your account is silver. Granted, so far the two games are extremely old, but at least you always have the option of playing them if you wish.

[Virtual_Reality]

Do you realize giving free games on Xbox Live only will be available until November?

http://smartcanucks.ca/xbox...

[EasilyTheBest]

Its official.. Its now ok to pay to play online... Unbelievable.

[Cuzzo63]

Can still play offline without a connection

[Rhythmattic]

EasilyTheBest

I am a PS+ subscriber, because its been incredible value for my money, but for everyone to have to pay to play online !!

Utter BS.

[Foliage]

"Its official.. Its now ok to pay to play online... Unbelievable. "

Who said it was okay?

What's the alternative? No one wants a WiiU. PC is too expensive.

It comes down to PS4 and Xbox One. Both have this fee; so you can't argue for or against it. The difference is that PS4 is heads and shoulders above the Xbox One in absolutely every single category (specs, games, policies, online payment perks).

No one enjoys paying for online; people are going to buy a PS4 despite it... because there is no other choice. You pay for xbox live to play online; many PS3 players paid for Plus because of the perks. I already have Plus; so this changes absolutely nothing for me. Casual players looking for entertainment still can access Netflix, etc. (unlike xbox one). Single player users don't need online at all (unlike xbox one; you need to check in).

At the end of the day; PS4 is still the best choice. I already have Plus; so absolutely no additional fees are ahead that I was not going to be paying for as it is.

Sorry, no one is outraged; because the value is there.

[Garbanjo001]

I'll pay it, it was probably inevitable anyhow. And it's cheap.

[THE-COMMANDER]

Agree, this is not a big deal for me.

[Jaces]

I already purchased Plus even when online play was free. Not even mad. They already offer great deals for going Plus, worth every penny.

[moparful99]

I've been adamant about not paying for the privilege to play your games online.. So much so that I didn't buy a 360 until this past Christmas and once my 3 month free trial expired I haven't renewed. So knowing that you have to pay to play on the ps4 is a bit of a letdown for me.. But considering that I'm already and have been a Ps+ subscriber since the service launched I guess it doesn't matter.. I have no plans to end my sub because of all of the free games that I get from the service.. Guess I better not let my sub expire..

[darx]

Hypocrite!

[kane_1371]

lol Darx he just said he is not happy with the fact that online play is connected to + but since he has always been a + member it is not that big of a deal FOR HIM and you call him hypocrite?

lol

[moparful99]

@Darx how exactly am I a hypocrite? I already have a + membership and no intentions of ending it because of the free content.. Should I unsub just to keep my morale integrity in tact to appease you? Get real man..

[Gildarts]

Hahaha so now it's OK to pay for online play?? Hahahah

Where's the twitter campaign?

[Why o why]

I'm annoyed as fcuk... even though I'm a plus subscriber this still annoys me. What YOU should be doing is making your own petition or twitter campaign to deal with your favourite console makers plans. Out of both camps....I think you've got more to worry about.

So you unlock the 'wait a minute' achievement for 'spotting hypocrisy' in some factions of the ps camp

You also unlock the 'ben dover' achievement for letting ms use your own haemoglobin for KY whilst smiling

[T2]

Wow xbox trolls trying way too hard in here ... Its all perspective... Xbl for years made u pay for nothing ... Now Sony comes with a low priced console and gives you games with the subscription ... Does it suck ? Sure but in a list of positives its one negative ... Trolls didnt come here to weigh pros/cons , they only here for the inevitable " Sony too hypocrites! "
Sad really

[Grave]

Ya plus the fact that you get a launch title Drive Club as part of the membership and the indie games. MUCH better that AC II and Halo 3, lmfao.

[Hellsvacancy]

Its bs, im not happy about it, it isnt like I cant afford it or anything, thats not the problem, its.......

Hmmmmm?

As I was typing that it came to me, the PS4 is pretty cheap, I honestly thought it would cost more, maybe thats why Sony added this extra charge

Im not happy about it, I guess like XBL users ill just have to put up with it or go without

[darx]

You don't have to put up with it. Vote with your wallet don't buy the PS4. Take a stand.

[kane_1371]

Drax you are really desperate are you not?

[Foliage]

Are you taking a stand against xbox one; darx?

It also has a paywall for online play; but also has services like netflix behind it.

Xbox One also has overwhelmingly the most anti-consumer policies on any electronic product to date.

You like throwing around advice; are you taking your own advice?

[seanpitt23]

That's probably why the console is so cheap they need to get there money back in some way

[YNWA96]

No, this just sucks... lil by lil they will start doing what MS are doing. This was always a big deal, having free multiplayer, now they sneaked this in the backdoor while everyone was going mental over no DRM.... whats next? I do not care for Drive club either, so thats no consolation to me....

[Godz Kastro]

Ohhhhhhh, all of the sudden paying to play online isnt a bad thing heh? heh?

bhahahahhhahhahhahah

[SonyPS4]

XBL Gold needs to follow suit and offer a similar deal to PS+. I am not a sucker for paid online, but at least Sony is giving us PS+ subscribers more value for our subscriptions. It went from free mediocre PSN titles, Minis, and PSOne classics to AAA retail PS3 titles and cloud storage to full blown PSVita games and PSVita indies to PS4 titles, Gaikai access and state-of-the-art online multiplayer.

[dale_denton]

as long as i get service on psn with less lag i'm fine with it.. all good to me i'm already sub to ps+

[BallsEye]

Same thing on xbox live (you get 2 free games plenty of apps etc) but Plus is more expensive. Weird that no one is complaining about fees now.

[Urusernamesucks]

All i heard from this Comment was ," baahhah"

[sackboyhappy]

we will get Drive club PS+ edition, not the full game plus we don't own it (its not a $60 game)

[xxLuckyStrike]

Not a problem for us Xbox defectors, bye,bye Microsham

[Cam977]

Not just free games.
- Exclusives
- Cloud Storage
- Auto updates
- Auto Downloads

[dasbeer88]

No worries, I'll be using my PS4 for JRPGs.

[Snookies12]

FFXV and Kingdom Hearts 3 here I come...

[Relientk77]

Very excited for next-gen JRPGs

Thanx Sony, bring 'em

[SonyPS4]

It Only Does Role-Playing

[Dunpeal]

I like people are really honing in on this as a result of the whole MS debacle, but in reality the vast majority of PSN + owners find great value in the service already so it's just icing on the cake from here on out

[Godz Kastro]

How about the vast majority of ps3 owners? Forget psn owners they didnt lose anything. Those are the guys that sony stuck it to.

[turnerdc]

Will all the spectating and streaming gameplay require PS+?

[Saints94]

Yea dood.

[SexyGamerDude]

He said that other features don't require PS+

[Christopher]

They've only said multiplayer gaming, and have said that other online features don't require it. So, I'd assume no to both, but good question.

[turnerdc]

Just found this:

https://www.scei.co.jp/corp...

"Other main features PS Plus members can enjoy on PS4™ include;

Users will have access to online play with other players via the network. Online Multi
Play mode for PS4™, with its socially integrated services, offers unique features only
available on the system such as allowing users to seamlessly start playing game and join their
online friends while spectating gameplay or enjoying cross game voice chat."

Sounds like spectating/streaming gameplay will only be for PS+ members.

[kane_1371]

no, features outside of ps+ like sharing, netflix and other apps are not part of ps+ membership, at least for the time being and hopefully it will remain so.

[Saints94]

Eh, Xbox live is the reason I don't care about the cost. I'm surprised people didn't expect this.

[Christopher]

As I said before, I don't like supporting pay to play online concepts, but I have PS+ for the games and other services.

This is, IMHO, the lesser of two evils, but I'm not sure how necessary it was. Does this money truly go to their infrastructure or is the multiplayer paywall a way of sneaking multiplayer DRM in on us?

[Snookies12]

I suppose we'll see in time. I find the PSN a more often than not enjoyable experience when playing online. Though it does have issues at times. If these issues start becoming less prominent on PS4, we'll know that it's going toward bolstering their services.

[ziggurcat]

i would imagine that this may have been sony's compromise after the elimination of the online pass, and having no DRM restrictions on PS4... perhaps they struck a few deals so that publishers get a cut?

[wadukadoo]

I really hope some of the money goes back to the developers. I was honestly looking forward to the end of used games. Of course always online is not the way I want to ever see it done. If you think about it used games suck tons of money out of the industry. When people buy a new game and then sell it within a couple months game stores will try to sell it for 55 dollars, yet only buy it for 20 or so. Some people will just get the used game because it is five dollars less and suddenly 35 dollars is taken straight out of the industry, or 55 dollars if the person who just sold the game dosent spend the money on a new game. Because where does it go? it goes to a store who does nothing to improve the industry. I know people like the discounts and the ability to do what they want with something they purchase, but I think it could have helped the industry quite a bit. Its possible we could have finally seen a lower price than 60 dollars for a new game on a regular basis.

[ltachiUchiha]

See this is what I been trying to say. When 1 company gets away with making consumers pay for a feature that was free on every other platform they open the gate for other companies to follow in the same path, only difference is ps plus will give you free games, gaikai service, & other feats. Without ps plus u can still surf the net, and use other free apps, unlike the 360 u still need xbl to use those things. There is a big difference.

[Typical-Guy]

To be honest, I can't blame them. They got hacked and lost a lot if money compensating people. That gesture alone deserves a lot. Plus all the ps games have dedicated servers and keeping them running requires so much money.

[maniacmayhem]

I'm pretty sure no one got their accounts compromised when the hack happened. Or am I mistaken?

[Typical-Guy]

I don't think so, but you're not counting all those free games people got for free!

[kane_1371]

All those free games were first Sony made and Second old ones!
They didn't lose money on them.

[Horny]

Im actually quite pissed at this. I have ps+ and still think people should have a choice if they want to purchase it or not. I hated 360 for making pay for online and now ps4 is doing it and I won't be a hypocrite about it.

[forcefullpower]

Totally agree. I have PS+ but dissapointed with this as there should still be a basic online no matter what. PS+ should have been used for all the extras

[mrmarvel29]

exactly! online should have been free and other features should have been for ps plus. A big turn off for me.

[Rhythmattic]

Horny

I too am pissed off and agree with your comment...

As Sony said, Plus subs were up 140% , so why make it mandatory for MP?

Just another hidden cost to the uninformed as was the 360 with XBL Gold.

Disappointed.

[Hufandpuf]

Thank you for being honest. Bubs up to you.

[Finalfantasykid]

Couldn't agree more. I picked up on this in the conference and had a bad feeling about the wording. Since online multiplayer is such a fundamental aspect of most games these days, it is therefore almost required to pay that extra $5 a month (or however much it is) to get full access to all the features of the games. I would be fine with all online features such as cloud storage, Gaikai streaming, video sharing and all that stuff being for PS+, but I believe that the fundamental online gaming should be free.

Having said that, it seems I will have no choice but to go with PS+. I have actually contemplated it in the past since there are actually many benefits.

[maniacmayhem]

Interesting...I have already heard a lot of sony fanboys flip flopping on this already.

Funny how when the xbox peeps were saying they liked Live for it's features and services they were cast out and branded tools or whatever. And now this is the same excuse a lot of the Sony Fanboy camp is now giving.

There's no point in having a PS4 which is online heavy and not be a + member. And what about games like Destiny? Didn't Bungie say that their game is always online? Will you need to be a + member just to play that game?

I believe the WiiU is still free.

[BattleAxe]

Well which console do you think you will get more value from? Do the math....

PS4 = $399.00
Xbox One = $499.00

PS4 = Trade-In used games
Xbox One = Pay fees for playing used games

PS4 = Play offline anytime when you want for as long as you want
Xbox One = Connect to the internet every 24 hours or your Xbox becomes a brick

Not to mention that PS+ is far more generous to gamers than Xbox Live Gold is to Xbox fans. If Sony really comes out with a streaming service that allows you to play any PS3, PS2 and PS1 game that you want for a monthly fee, then I think the Xbox will be outclassed in every way, especially since the Playstation library of games is probably 4x bigger than XBOX and the XBOX 360 put together.

[joefrost00]

First off the fees are.up to the publisher.and MS already said.they.wont be charging a fee for their games

2. Its funny people complain about always have.to be online but dont mind that destiny and watch dogs said you will have to be online to even play it meaning you will pretty much be online all the time anyway like you are now and the.24'hour thing dont even effect
Then I remember sony saying its.up to the developers so you are still going to pay a fee for used games and pay for plus

3. I will be getting both and sony won on price point
But the xbox should be more cause it does more
Like I did not have a problem pay 600 for the.ps3 when it was lauched cause the value for my money was there it was at the time the best and cheapest blu ray.player out
Funny how PS3 spin logic in their heads

4. I do like the.streaming part of the old and ps3 games
Looking foward to getting both like I always do

[Rivitur]

The Steambox good sir the Steambox....

[BattleAxe]

Ok Joe, but the Xbox hardware isn't even as powerful. The PS4 is something like 30% more powerful. Another thing is that with Kinect you don't have a choice, you have to use it, end of story. There's no "spinning of logic" here, its called being rational and being able to use your math skills.

[greenpowerz]

Xbox One comes with a free year of Multi player, games and other content.

PS4 you have to buy PS+ for $60(plus free stuff) to play online and $60 bucks if you wan't a PS eye.

You have to pay $520 for PS4 to get the same basic experience (of course PS4 hardware, camera and system software isn't as advanced)

[DoesUs]

"of course PS4 hardware isn't as advanced".

Now, i'll say this again. Xbone technically is inferior. You follow this bit yes? You have reached a new level of desperation, truly what a sick individual you are.

[The_Troll_Whisperer]

@greenpowerz

I don't have to buy the PS Eye since it isn't required and not as sophisticated as Kinect.

So PS4=419$(3 month PS+)
449$(1 YEAR PS+)
And X1= 524$(im not sure if there is a 3 month)
559$(One year subscription to XBL Gold)

I have spoken

[a_squirrel]

Free games + online =/= online
PSN+ =/= Xbox Live Gold

So I disagree to the first half. Yes, now a lot of PS players are acting like that, but what about the freaking XB players when the Kinect and privacy always on crap happened? It's the future they said. Subscription seems to be the future though...

Besides, it hasn't actually been confirmed. I'd like clarification, because it seems like they took a jab at X One with you not being able to use netflix or play your game without a Gold account.

[dark-hollow]

Isn't Microsoft gonna offer free games also?

[Virtual_Reality]

Only until November
http://smartcanucks.ca/xbox...

[detroit2cali]

What "features" come with the gold membership? I have had it for awhile now and all i can do is play online. I also have ps+ which gives you access to full games, dlc, themes, etc for no more than the subscription fee. Only thing I have gotten for free from live is doritos crash course. So how are the services comparable again?

[a_squirrel]

But now wih the Gold account, you can play demos, browse the Internet, and buy games! Here's another ad!

[BattleAxe]

I think I'll still be buying this console. If live was free on Xbox One I would consider it, but the always on, no freedom with used games and the fact that Kinect is a quasi surveillance system (in my opinion), makes the Xbox One a no go. Not to mention it will cost $100.00 more than the PS4 at launch, and that you must use Kinect to use the console.

[kingmushroom]

i don't now why some people are tripping out over online subscription I'm a Plus subscriber and its worth every penny and you get so much out of it in one year that is worth more than $49.99

[ziggurcat]

already pay for the service (paid up until mid-2015), and you get way more out of it than you do with a XBL gold subscription, so... no skin off of my back, really.

although, it does suck for those who won't get PS+ or can't afford the subscription... that's a bummer. at least you can still watch netflix, etc... without PS+, which is more than what anyone can say about XBL gold.

good things that came out of MS's conference today related to LIVE - two free games per month leading up to the xbone's release, and XBL gold sharing (*if* it isn't specific to xbone). i pay for XBL gold, and it would be nice for my common law partner to play online if she wants to under this system.

[dark-hollow]

PC still have an advantage against both due to it free online.

[ziggurcat]

... except a lot of the same DRM policies that MS is enforcing is also on PC, so...

@ battleaxe below:

yeah, steam is really great for that, but if you can trade, lend or sell your games with no restrictions...

[BattleAxe]

Yeah, but when you can buy games like GTA4, Bioshock and Assassin's Creed 2 during a Steam sale for $5.00, then who care about DRM.

I've got a huge collection of games on PC, and I bought every single one for pennies on the dollar, deals that you would never get on consoles. PS+ is starting to become pretty good with the deals, but still nowhere near as cheap as services like Steam.

[dark-hollow]

"yeah, steam is really great for that, but if you can trade, lend or sell your games with no restrictions..."

The main reason people buy used games is due to the cheaper prices, and NOBODY can deny that steam prices and deals are waaaay ahead of the competition.

[Rivitur]

Not to mention some steam games come with gift passes which you can give to a friend also you can always share an account with a friend as steam is accessible anywhere.

[ziggurcat]

@ dark-hollow:

and the main reason people trade/lend/borrow games is because they can't afford to spend money on games.

don't get me wrong, though - i agree with everything that has been said about steam. i'm also not the type of gamer that keeps their games once they've been completed. being able to trade/lend/sell my physical copy has allowed me to get other games for little to no money.

[thelaughingwiseman]

I'll wait a few years for Sony to announce a price drop to 300 or 250 bucks. That way I will be able to get games that are starting to optimize the PS4's system and be able to bear the PS+ membership. Less then 5 bucks a month is about 4.50 multiply that by 12 months and that's 54-60 bucks a year.

I waited until 2011 to get my first PS3, and that was when UC3, Resistance 3 were coming out. And they already had an awesome back catalog of UC2, ME2, Valkrie Chornicles, Demon Souls and the like

[wishingW3L]

I wish I could wait like you but I want it now!

[Jeff257]

A 1 year membership for Plus costs $49.99. They give you many games with that during the year and the cost of those games and the discounts can easily save you hundreds of dollars each year. I am not happy they put the online MP behind it but I have been paying for Plus since it came out and I have enjoyed the games I have gotten for free. Some of which I still need to play. It has given me that much of a back log of games that I will still be playing them when the PS4 comes out.

Also any other accounts you have on the PS3 can also access the free games. I hope Sony will treat the MP the same way and allow one Plus account for everyone to use it.

[thelaughingwiseman]

I'm wondering, what if you stick to games that don't need MP? Can you go into the PS Store and buy DLC without having to pay for Plus membership?

[Jeff257]

They said that all the media stuff and Single player focused games would remain the same. meaning you don;t need to pay more to access it. Also that would extend to buying and downloading new games and DLC. No need to have plus to do all that. Plus does however give you discounts on some games and DLC though but if you don;t have Plus you can still buy that stuff. You just won;t get the discount.

[The_Troll_Whisperer]

A PlayStation Plus subscription is 18.99$ for 3/mo or 49.99$ for a year. So, it's not quite 54-60 bucks a year.

I have spoken

[Sarobi]

I'm already paying for it anyway so.. not that big of a deal. Even if the online was free, I'd still pay.. why?.. because for 60 dollars I get a collection of games for PS3 and Vita and soon PS4

[kingmushroom]

same here man same here, PS+ members know whats up

[strigoi814]

I never complained since PSplus was announced..with free games its like your stealing from Sony just saying

[TheSaint]

Pro's and cons weighed up PS4 is still better than XBox One.

[cell989]

It's X-BONE get with the times good sir

[Theyellowflash30]

I'll pass then, online gameplay is free on the PC, Wii U, and 3DS. I'll just play single player games like Final Fantasy 15 on the PS4.

[jocomat9]

really? like i don't understand that cause you won't shed 60$, your gonna miss out on so many games, discounts and multiplayer portions of the games. All for $60? Psn was a basic service since it was free. I'm personally willing to pay for a superior service cause i want top notch online service since im more of a multiplayer guy.If your all singleplayer thats fine.

Sony saw how many people didn't mind paying for xbox live gold so they said what the hay.

[Theyellowflash30]

I am too busy to play all the games they offer. For me, I don't see the value. And you said yourself your more of a multiplayer guy.

Well I'm more of a single player guy. I don't need to play the latest shooters online. I don't even like shooters. Who says the service is going to be better or superior. Steam is free and the online play is just as good as Xbox Live.

It's just not worth it to me. I'll play single player games on the PS4 and multiplayer games on PC, Wii U, and 3DS.

[Sadist3]

So basically when I buy the PS4 the price is actually $450.00 because I'm going to play online on day one. So the difference is only $50.00 from Xbox

[wishingW3L]

you still need XBL on Xbox to play online so the difference is still $100 not $50. And at the end of the day the PS4 is more powerful and it doesn't block used games....

[koolaid251]

you get xbox live for free for the first year with day 1 system purchase so yeah it $50 difference

[tiffac008]

Xbox Live is only 14 days on the X1.

http://www.tomshardware.com...

Unless this has been changed.

[a_squirrel]

Great math skills there 'Sadist3'

[a_squirrel]

People, did you miss my sarcasm?

[cell989]

You get a free AAA nex-gen game with 1st year plus purchase, plus the plethora of free games already available, so it's still 100 more with xbone. With $450 you get Drive Club, PS4 and online gaming for a year, not counting all the other free shit you're going to get with plus. Oh and I can resell my games and rent games as well #justsaying

[Orionsangel]

Your PS PLUS account from the PS3 carries over to the PS4.

[Relientk77]

That's what I thought, thanx for clarifying this, PS + = free games anyway

[spacetoilet]

it really doesn't it = free GAME.

You rent the others

[spacetoilet]

LAME. I know allot of you like plus but I don't need it and I certainly am not going over to M$ this gen either so this bummed me out a little.

Pay to play :(

And the games are not free, you lose them when you unsubscribe to plus. You only keep the initial one.

All in all though I'm stoked about the PS4 not pulling most of the crap the M$ has put together but it wash a sly move to slide this turd of a deal in there.

[mrmarvel29]

100% agree with you!!

[Ares90]

Yeah that stroke me really deep. I don't think that PS+ needs the multiplayer part. It is great as it is. But I guess Sony wants to increase profits and this helps them.

#PS4FreeOnline

[2pacalypsenow]

Good move business wise PSN was bleeding Sony dry. Hopefully they use that money to improve the PSN

[bunfighterii]

I suspected this might come. At least they make it valuable by giving you Drive Club for free with it.

[Sketchy_Galore]

It's definitely a bit of a bummer but with the knowledge of the bullet we dodged with everything else it doesn't seem so bad. Better to take a sly finger or two than a savagely inserted broom handle.

[r21]

I've got mixed feelings towards this.

[strigoi814]

Sony needs to improve there servers to improve online experience..they will use this also to bring more newer games to PS+ freebies

[b_one]

lol at ppl, you will have ps+ on 3 platforms... free games, price cuts...

[isarai]

I'm not going to sit here and defend paying for online, i think is sucks ass and was one of the main reasons i loved the PS3, that being said it's a far easier pill to swallow given the beifits it comes with, and given the competition(Xbox 1) so in the end i really won't mind that much paying for it, yeah it sucks and that means one less game a year, but it's worth the game library, benefits, and freedom when compared to XB1, so i'll just put up with it

[airgangstarr]

so funny hearing ps fanboys sticking up for paying for psn i been on xbox 10years now its not a big deal to pay for a better service im thinking they probably are gonna upgrade there network an it costs money so there gonna start an charge

[isarai]

Not really the same thing though, XBL locks anything that uses internet except the market behind the fee, PS+ only locks multiplayer and offers free games, discounts, early/exclusive betas/demos and is $10 cheaper. Not saying that it makes it right, but it's the far lesser of the two evils

[Y_5150]

I've been a loyal PS+ member since launch and I seen more value than Xbox Live but now lets see. They seem to be equal but still PS+ gives you more freedom with other apps and discounts and such. But it's good that Gold members will get "Free" games every month. PS+ is still a better value. But it does sucks that it's mandatory to pay to play online on PS4.

[Tres21]

yea it is just hearin ppl say well they had 2 how else would they pay 2 keep up & upgrade there servers duhh...make sense kno that a company would do that or im already paying for it so its no big deal when the prev xbox sheep said it they were delusional.
& how but the xbox is blocking apps but u remember its a gaming console it shouldnt be about the apps.lol

either way i saw alot of games i liked for both systems

[C L O U D]

Not feeling this to be honest...free multiplayer gaming is solely the reason why I used my PS3 more than my 360.

Yes, you get deals...and free games and etc...but no customer is going to be happy by the fact that such a key feature is taken away from them only having to be paid for to be fully utilised.

Sony didn't need to do this...but they did. From such a great performance they have shown earlier, this indeed has given me such a disappointed feeling...

[Hicken]

I think they felt they did. They didn't have to with PS3, but with everything that'll be going into PS4's multiplayer, I think they saw the costs being something that needed to be funded somewhere.

[bloodybutcher]

it`s amusing seeing how some people defend this decision while they were critisizing ms for charging for online play on x360. hypocrisy much?

[ScepticTankAvenger]

Difference is Playstation Plus wasn't required until now. Also, they have been giving free stuff from the beginning. The $50 you have to spend for a year is returned in free games, betas, and benefits. Xbox Live Gold was a required thing with no bonus.

[bloodybutcher]

whatever perks are, it`s still a fee one has to pay.however you want to spin it-no pay,no mp

[Raccoon]

A lot of us have had it all along nothing will change just more free games and fun not the same for xbone adapters...

[bloodybutcher]

i used to have it as well,but i didn't wanted it anymore and i don't want to be forced to pay.i wanted to buy ps4 with kz, but then why should i buy a game when one of main features will not be available for me? that sucks.or even suxxx.

[medman]

Good luck with the free two games a month that live gold is going to be giving away. PSplus is busy giving recent blockbuster releases while Microshit is giving...wait for it...not halo 4, but halo 3. Not the recent Assassin's Creed, but Assassin's Creed 2? Wow. They piss in your face and you beg for more. Good luck with that. My live subscription will not be renewed. I will not be buying the Xbox One at $499, and probably not at any price. I will be keeping my PS3, at least until we see what Gaikai will do. I will be buying a PS4 and enjoying the most technologically advanced and greatest gaming system on the planet. Thank you Sony. Thank you for not trying to rape your customers with inflated system prices and horrible drm. Microshit, you can go fuck yourselves. Hard.

[medman]

Sony is giving you drive club and 3 awesome indie games with your membership. What is Microsoft giving you with your gold membership? Nothing but no ownership of your games and constant surveillance via a Kinect not many gamers even want. Enjoy your Xbone and 3shitty. I'll be playing The Last of Us and Beyond:Two Souls until GTA V drops while my 360 gathers dust until the gold subscription lapses. Then I'll be buying a PS4 confident in the knowledge I just purchased the technically superior console with first party developers that destroy anything Microshit has in their pipeline. Goodnight. Case closed.

[ScepticTankAvenger]

Online architecture is expensive, so this is no surprise. I'm not even mad.

[NameRemoved0017]

Hopefully the fee means Sony will have dedicated servers for games instead of PTP.

[urwifeminder]

Pay to play online that sounds like something else I know glad its not an issue enjoy your consoles.

[kingPoS]

Just to clear the air

I've been a PS+ member since 2010. And in that time they've given me more value than what I've paid for. Awe heck! let me go on and say it out loud so they'll be no confusion.

PS+ plus has softened me up. I've no complaint with games pouring in month after month. No complaints at all.

It is as they mentioned - A game machine.

[NameRemoved0017]

PSN = no ads even if you don't pay, pay for the awesome PS+ service and to play online games.
XBL = Required to pay to do anything even use stuff like netflix,the kinect you have to use will then target ads at you.

[YourGreatUncle]

One hand it's irritating that it's mandatory. I'm against any type of pay to play online. I don't think it's right that you have to pay to play multiplayer on top of your current internet bill. Now that little rant is out of the way this doesn't effect me because I like PS+ I get more than my moneys worth back from it. I just really hate that it is mandatory now.

[Y_5150]

I feel the same way.

[medman]

I'm not as upset with the mandatory online Sony is now going to collect because delivering the content on psplus they offer is not cheap. Microsoft has required online for multiplayer for years while offering nothing compared to what Sony offers. Sony has delivered a superior console with great first party development houses at a significantly better price, all while giving us freedom of content. The fees they collect will allow them to offer us all a better product. Unlike Microsoft who simply take the money and run, or try to fool the uneducated masses with an inferior console that is overpriced but underwhelming by buying exclusive dlc to popular games like battlefield and cod. If you fall for that madness, you deserve to have your money taken, and your rights as a consumer right along with it.

[Haules]

The hypocrisy in here is so goddamn hilarious! Sony fanboys go on about how paying for online play on the 360 is ridiculous yet now that Sony is doing it, it's suddenly awesome?

Thanks for being part of the cancer killing gaming, guys.

[medman]

Thanks for apparently being one of the fools to line up to buy the Xbone, a console that is not as powerful as the PS4 yet somehow costs more, all while giving you no ownership of your content. Good luck with that. Enjoy your brokebox.

[Kaneda]

In the end, they both cost the same. PS eye is addon, while xbox will have kinect. But Sony doesn't require PS eye, giving it as option. Option is good. But I am done with console!

[just-joe]

Well Microsoft has been doing it for years.

[plmkoh]

Bad move, I don't want to tell myself or my friends to sign up for a month just to play an hour or two on the rare full moon night once, twice, thrice a year.

It's good thing I stick to single player games, otherwise I'd be angry.

[jay2]

Because I had the CHOICE to get it, and not had to worry about not being able to play online, I got it on the trial day one, I've renewed twice, Now they've done this, that's cool because you actually DO get benifits, not paying twice (Your ISP, and Sony) just to play a game you've laid down £40/$60 for. So I'm fine with this unlike XBLG.

[tigertron]

They should have kept it free, but I'm a PS Plus subscriber anyway so it doesn't affect me.

I'm positive those that didn't want to get PS Plus will reap the benefits i.e. lots of games provided, because I've been very happy with PS Plus. It's by far the best subscription service.

[b3ast]

I puke ill get a wiiu then

[hazelamy]

it's a shame, but at least you get a whole load of content with that sub.

and frankly, compared to what ms are doing with the x1, it's not so bad.

[breakpad]

this is bad...i liked free PSN

[PerryCaravello]

PSN had better be amazing then. It's great now, but less hiccups and downtime. It has to function flawlessly.

Then I pay. But even then under protest!

[gino9]

Its funny how everyone who paid for live was stupid but when sony does it its ok we'll just deal with it. Dont give me the we get free games bs. We dont we get to rent games for free. PS plus is a glorified rental service which is cool if you keep up that 49.99. Now Microsoft gives 2 free games a month thats yours to keep even if you cancel the service. The difference is PS plus just when from optional to mandatory for online gaming.

[kwyjibo]

It's disgraceful, but unsurprising how Sony fans are cheering on pay for online despite a generation of deriding it.

No such hypocrisy from me. This is a regressive step.

[kevnb]

I guess Microsoft kind of forced them too. Sony was smart enough to offer playstation plus as simply a way to get free games on ps3. Now people already pay for it and won't freak out as badly.

[Master of Unlocking]

The only bummer in the sony's conference.
Thanks to all the x-sheep that have accepted to pay to play the online portion of their games THEY had bought on the console THEY had bought with the online connection for which THEY were charged, Sony has gotten the message loud and clear: it's ok to charge people to play online apparently, since M$ gets away with it, why not us, eh?

You x-bugs can be proud of you, goddamn suckers, we're getting that because of you!
F*ck this! Hadn't you millions of stupid retards accepted to pay your monthly fee to M$ during all these years, we wouldn't be at this point! Of course that would set a precedent!
FFS, M$'s presence in gaming has been nothing but a total disaster for gamers, we've been telling you all along there was a reason to why people nickname them "M$" (or "Macrotheft" as I personally say), and you guys wouldn't believe. Well now, here you go with your xbox one! See?! That's your Microsoft!

[SSJBen]

I understand those who do not like paying to play online is coming from. Absolutely, I do.
It's the same argument a couple years ago when the PS3 vs 360 thing was so big and XBL Gold has always been brought up.

It's a slight bit dissapointing, but at least PS+ is still $50 and the amount of value you get back from it is just absolutely insane... in comparison to XBL Gold where only now, MS is giving 2 free games a month and only up to the release of the Xbone.

For that, I'm willing to swallow the dissapointment since PS+ has tremendous value for $50. If it was priced at $100, sure everyone can feel free to shotgun Sony to death on the internet. But fact is, it is $50 and can be shared entirely on 1 console, that's awesome value there.

[chela]

so now its ok to pay for online? hahahaha /n4g

[meday354]

I don't really play online that much I go online to buy games check out demos and sync my trophies so this u have to be a ps plus member for u to play multiplayer games online doesn't bother me at all but the bright side to this is u will be getting free games while ur a ps plus member, u win some u lose some.

[breakdancefight]

The only way you play online multi-player on Xbox 360/XBONE is through Gold membership, so I don't see the problem. I know it was free last gen, but if paying $60 on PS+ gets online improvements that we saw with the 360. plus I get a ton of free merch I am all in. And by free merch I don't mean 2-3 year old titles like AC2 or Halo3. If Microsoft really wanted to get us excited they would have given us an HD remake of Azura from the original XBOX.

[babis1974]

if the cost was 500 iwould be mad but for 400 i will give another 100 for ps+ for 2 years and they will give me some games and more. i am a multiplayer but i was expecting for the PS4 online restrictions...

[JeffGUNZ]

If you can afford a 400 system, then 100 dollar difference isn't the end of the world. It's just funny how many people bashed MS this generation for a paid subscription and now people here are justifying it for Sony.

[babis1974]

it's ironic about 500 , i think Microsoft gave a better conference in the part for games than sony but drm,price and check every 24h gave SONY a victory. i won't buy a new console till mid 2014 untill i see a better picture of the 2 consoles.

[lodossrage]

This to me is upsetting. Yes, I do have Playstation Plus so you'd think initially I wouldn't care. But I do.

It's one thing to have the service optionally. But to now make it mandatory is bad (to me). This is one of the main reasons I stopped paying into xbox live.

And I'm not a slave enough to gaming to say "sure I'll accept that" no matter how much I like Sony. And before someong goes "go to PC gaming", the PC NEVER had many games I liked.

Might be time for me to get a new hobby....

[Kaneda]

I like PS exclusive games. But I am FPS. So I don't have problem with switching. I do miss UC series. But I can live without. Time to move on.. You just need to get in to FPS..:)

[lodossrage]

Not going to happen sadly.

I've tried the Mouse/KB and PC games. They aren't for me. Including their FPS games. Like I said bro, the PC NEVER had games I like.

FPS games are a dime a dozen and I've had my fill.

I just sad that the hobby I liked since the days of Colecovision and Atari is about to pass me by.

[JeffGUNZ]

I was right all along. I kept telling people here that PSN+ was Sony testing the waters with their userbase to see their response to pay and play. I knew this was coming.

Second, the level of hypocrisy on this site is unbelievable. How many people on this site for the last 6 years spouted about how MS is the devil for charging to play online and that they would NEVER pay to play. Even yesterday people were still complaining and adding the price of the xbox one with the costs of a live subscription. Now, Sony announces you have to pay to play and people act like they found Jesus and it's completely fine. I just don't understand how some of the people on this site act like this? It's nuts.

[lodossrage]

I damn sure don't fall into that category. Look at my comment just above yours.

Hell, I'm not kidding with it either. I have PS Plus, but it's the principle here. I didn't get for Microsoft. And I won't support that for Sony either.

The sad part is I love Sonys game's and products.

[JeffGUNZ]

I didn't mention any names specifically as we all know who does it and who doesn't. I agree with your position and comment above. If someone wants to pay to play that's perfectly fine, but don't talk shit on it for years then immediately jump ship. You're not the one I am addressing, it's the typical sony fanboys.

[medman]

Small price to pay for what they are offering on psplus. Not to mention great exclusives. Not to mention a technically superior machine to the Xbone. Not to mention WE OWN OUR GAMES!!! Not to mention great first party developers. Not to mention 3rd party developer preference for the 360 disappearing due to easy entry development for the PS4. Not to mention Microsoft's feeble attempt to cover their weaknesses by buying timed dlc. Microshit will get their asses kicked. Microshit will realize in a few years when the casual gamers who fall for their bullshit and purchase that overpriced, bloated mess of a console don't actually buy many games what a mistake they have made in pissing off the core who actually buys alot of software.

[JeepGamer]

An annoyance at best but hardly a deal breaker.

[Kidmyst]

I renewed my Plus not to long ago with the buy 12 Mo get 3 free even though I had months left. I won't expire until like March 2015. Plus having a Vita and this will work with 3 systems is also good. Never regretted being a day 1 Plus, except that I can't keep up with the free games :)

[Ares90]

#PS4FreeOnline

[mediate-this]

Sony: Internet makes lots of money
Sony: ya give us internet money

[fullmetal297]

Well I guess its going to be same combination like last generation. My PC for all my online and offline gaming needs and PS exclusives for PS4. Online gaming was always infinitely on PC to begin with so this change isn't impactful to me

[Guwapo77]

I agree with your statement minus the PC cheaters and game hackers.

[fullmetal297]

That's we have admins and punkbusters.

[Guwapo77]

Oh I'm pretty pissed off about this. There was another comment which stated he doesn't play online enough to warrent paying for an online subscribtion. I couldn't agree more... I've been arguing with Xbox Live subscribers for years that they were getting screwed because they had to pay to play.

Sony claims it doesn't need a check in but that is exactly what Playstation Plus does. This is Sony's version of the 24 hr check in. Majority of their games are played online...so they get to verify that you are playing a legit copy and that are you aren't cheating. ...just now you are paying for it.

Edit - also I don't care much about these "free" games they give because its most likely a game I wouldn't play in the first place. If I get free RPGs I'd be extremely happy.

[Ser]

"This is Sony's version of the 24 hr check in. Majority of their games are played online...so they get to verify that you are playing a legit copy and that are you aren't cheating."

Where's the proof for "majority of their games are played online"? I probably own more offline games from PS+ than online games at this point. Also, how are you inconvenienced by Sony making sure cheaters aren't running rampant? You're connected to the internet anyway...why is it hurting you? I don't see your logic here, but it might just be that I'm misunderstanding.

If you're talking about offline games...you don't need to be connected to play anyway...Obviously if you play online, though, they're going to make sure that people aren't cheating. I don't get it. lol

You still don't need a check in every 24 hours.

[ShwankyShpanky]

PS+ has absolutely nothing to do with DRM (aside from the free games you get with PS+). Even if you don't pay for PS+, you're still connecting to the same PSN when your console is online.

They don't need to verify if your copy is legit or that you're not cheating because you need custom firmware to pirate or cheat, and custom firmwares can't connect to PSN anyway (unless that's been surmounted).

And I'm guessing PS3 will still be free to play online (waiting for verification on that though), and it will be a while before the PS4 is hacked (took PS3 what... five years?).

I think you're a little confused about the nature of PSN/PS+.

[Guwapo77]

http://blog.us.playstation....

Its been going on for awhile now. Is this a lesser version than what Xbox is doing? Of course it is. As for PSN well...I'd prefer not to pay for a network that I'm just not going to be playing on that much. Remember this is me... I hardly play online games but if I do want to get on every now and then it will require what is it $50 a year? Sorry just ain't my cup of tea.

[schuesseled]

This is totally unacceptable, I hope Sony is ready to deal with a massive loss in sales.

I pay for my broadband connection, I absolutely refuse to pay a subscription fee to access MY internet connection on MY own device. Apple tried this nonsense with my iPhone after my 1st years free allowance was used up, that device is gathering dust.

Just because they build the console, doesn't give them the right to charge me for the privilege of using the item on a daily basis, if there is a mandatory subscription service then the console should be free. (like on phone contracts)

For the people who don't seem to think this is important, imagine if STEAM announced as of tomorrow it would charge a subscription service. They couldn't do it, why? Because everyone would uninstall it, and download and crack their games and go on with their lives.

The PSN which most people would agree is only barely tolerable as a free service, because it's free, should bloody well remain that way.

[Gravitic]

Your paying for the right to play on THEIR servers which THEY pay for, it has nothing to do with 'Your' internet connections. First world problems... and the sense of privilege going around here is astounding.

[annus]

No, we are paying extra to play one of the main features of the games we purchase. If they gave us the option to host our own servers that would be totally different, but they don't. They give us no option to multiplayer except for to pay for it.

[ShwankyShpanky]

I'm not happy about it or necessarily agree with it, but I've had PS+ since it's launched and it's paid for itself many times over just in the free indie games, never mind the free "retail" games (working my way through inFamous 2 right now... and XCOM is free today, which isn't an RPG, but might be more up your alley), and I had no plans on cancelling it any time soon.

>>The PSN which most people would agree is only barely tolerable as a free service, because it's free, should bloody well remain that way.

I don't really get the "barely tolerable," but the PSN as a whole is obviously going to be getting a MAJOR overhaul when the PS4 releases.

[Flames76]

Yea i knew it was just a matter of time before sony did this.I had both consoles this gen the PSN was just horrible and the PS4 will lag behind Xbox one also in online service.PS4 will just now be getting features that 360 owners has had for years.No way in hell id pay sony $50 a year to play online.Yup going to walmart to pre order my Xbox One now.I tried gamestop but they was sold out but had plenty of PS4 consoles left.

[sypher]

People arguing, its only $5 or whatever get over it.

That isn't the point. It is the principle of the matter. I happily pay for PS+ and will continue to do so. Not because of online, but because it offers great value in games.

This move actually messes up the whole ecosystem as Vita and PS3 are online free, will have similar games at beginning of life cycle and a lot are crossplay/crossbuy etc. New consumers will be purchasing a PS4 a game (e.g. Destiny) and then having to subscribe to PS+ adds up to a hefty chunk.

I and many others are happy to buy PS+ without online. Keep basic online separate please. That just leaves a dirty taste in my mouth. As i pay for basic online by purchasing your console. The same as i did with my Vita and PS3.

[wambam24]

Some are upset but look at it this way. Sony has been a fair company to game with all these years. We should support the cause. If you buy a phone you still have to pay for monthly service. Same concept with PlayStation plus. I enjoyed the free ride but the ride can be better, smoother. So a few dollars a month or 60 a year isn't bad. You actually get that 60 back after all the goodies are applied. At least your paying for something you'll actually use. Unlike the TV cable where you pay 80$ a month for 200 channels but only watch 12.

[Umbasa]

OK, So last Nov. my wife bought are ps3 ( new super slim 500gb AC3 bundle) and it came w/ 1 month free of plus, knowing already that i could still play and earn trophys on my account with the free plus games even w/ her being the only plus member on the system i signed "her" account up for the month of plus.
Since then we have been in love w/ plus but now i hear its required to play online for the ps4...but wait cause you see i am the online gamer not her, so does this mean i am forced to say good bye to all those plus games on ps3 in exchange for a whole new plus membership just so i can play BF4 and Killzone SF online on my profile when we get the PS4 or is it not been clear if one user under the system for plus allows up to two other user profiles to benefit kind of like plus games are shared now?

[1nsomniac]

Anything been said about whether Drive Club PSN edition is the full game?

I'm guessing its going to be a GT prologue type deal?

[FunkMacNasty]

N4G 2006-2012: "I can't believe MS charges you just to play your games online.. That's so stupid that I have to pay a fee to use my internet which I already pay for.."

N4G 2013: "Sony will be forcing me to pay for plus membership to play online!! AWESOME!!! I'll happilly pay!"

smh... oh, N4G...

[badkolo]

how funny, im sure we could find a million of those.

do you know how you can tell they are desperate, becuase they have nothing but drm and price to attack with, not games, not features.

[FunkMacNasty]

I am not suggesting the XboxOne was a good idea from MS. We all know the XB1 is garbage and you and I both are probably steering clear of MS products in the coming generation of consoles. I was just pointing out how for the last several years the ps3 crowd was all over how "terrible it was" that MS charged a sub fee for XBL and PSN was free" and and all that. But now that Sony turns around and does the same thing, that same crowd is okay with it...all is forgiven. It's just that people on this website take their preference for Sony a step more extreme than most folks who own a ps3... and it always baffles me. Most likely just a symptom of the internet.

[ShwankyShpanky]

Yeah, we don't get "features" like 8GB of RAM gimped to 5GB for a bloated triple OS, or a weaker GPU, or a spycam that for some reason can be "turned off" (via software... yeah that's secure) but not unplugged (odd that), or the "privilege" of waving our arms (though the functionality of the new PScam is yet to be detailed) and talking to our TVs (I f'ng hate talking to electronics), or a proprietary headphone jack, or a non-upgradeable hard drive, or a 24-hour countdown to bricktown.

Games?... Xbone has theirs, PS4 has theirs... each will have plenty to keep their owners entertained. Just be prepared to flip the script on the last gen, because multiplats are going to be dialed back from PS4 to run smooth on the Xbone. I dare you to find me one dev that says the Xbone has better hardware (so be prepared for the PS4 exclusives to exceed the graphical fidelity of the Xbone's as well).

"Nothing but DRM..." I know... consumer/privacy rights are so 20th century.

P.S. I do think a very basic multiplayer functionality should be free, and it does suck that it's tied to the paid sub (that I already have and get free games with), but at this point it looks like it's a bullet to be bitten. WiiU doesn't interest me, and I dropped PC for the PS3/console convenience.

[Ser]

But...I'm already paying for PS+ because it's so awesome...

Why should I be worried about online multiplayer being thrown into something that I already love paying for? *shrug* This news doesn't affect me at all, and I'm still Sony to the bone after hearing that the PS4 is DRM-less. That's what really matters.

I do agree that this sucks for people that don't use PS+...But PS+ is so good, why not use it? It literally pays for itself. It's better than Gold, anyway. Paying strictly for multiplayer and no bonuses? Yeah, let me jump on that......

@badkolo

Not games? Not features? Oh, my...I'm not even going to argue with that one. lol

[isyourhouseonfire]

Aaah, suddenly the dominoes are starting to fall for the PS4. Funny how the Sony fan boys can go quiet so quickly.

[DangerousDAN]

Oh geez, I have to pay for getting multiple free games and discounts... what anger i am building. (sarcasm) Let's fly together, PS4. I'm already with you.
How do you share games with PS4? *gasp* * long pause* *passes disc case to friend* thanks!
AAuuuu aaauuuuuuuuuu!!!

[badkolo]

or you can get with the times and share all your games with up to 10 friends and no need to carry any discs, the same way we dont carry mp3 players anymore, get with the times. , with xbox one you can go anywere with no disc and play all your games while your other 10 friends are also playing all your games except the one being played. you know how old school many of you sound talking about how you can carry your disc around.

[MontyQ]

big whoop $5 a month lol that's like 12.5 minutes of time at my job or a large redbull in exchange for instant game collection plus new games plus dlc plus indie games ect. Really tho if you cant make $5 a month how are you buying a $400 console and $60 games ? Heck you cant even rent a single game for five bux let alone get free games and all stated above.

we as ppl spend $5 a day on nothing a pop here a taco grandE there lol, $5 a month is nothing

[badkolo]

it isnt the money, we all pay for live happily, so will you and i already pay for psn+, again its not the fee, its the hypocrysy

[jdawg222]

I don't like it. I personally was going to subscribe to PS+ for gaikai cloud saving and some of the games available anyways.. but it's just weak, they went so long with free, just keep it.

[ZeekQuattro]

So much for free online. I think I'll stick with the PS3 & Wii U combo as they both have free online. Besides knowing Sony they will support the PS3 for years to come. Hell the PS2 is still getting games 10+ years later even if its mainly EA games. As for those trying to spin this shame on you. If it was bad on the 360 to have to pay to play online it should be no different with the PS4.

[DarkBlood]

i never got ps plus so i guess now is the time to get some before the ps4 releases so it will be my first time.

just got to wait for a possible sale deal on psplus

[Ninjews]

Why don't you try the three month version? It's only $17.99.

[NeoTribe]

Something has to pay for cloud gaming. Were lucky its this cheap.

[Deadpool616]

I agree that Sony is the better deal and blew away the competition at E3, but don't allow yourself to be fooled so easily.

Just forget about what Microsoft is doing and look solely on Sony. Judge them on an individual basis. Don't allow yourself to be distracted. Microsoft was just a brilliant diversion to use in the scheme of things.

Look back at Sony's 2006 E3 press conference for a reminder of how Sony's going against their own philosophy.

If gamers are against this as a whole, there's a possibility we can get the get the "Free Basic" online for Ps4 as well.

I'm not going to a be statistical typical mark that every large corporations sees the consumer as. I can see how they manipulate the situation to their needs. I don't fall for things Hook, Line, and Sinker. I see things as they are.

This is the definition of hypocrisy. Sadly, it's also the lesser of two evil...something I expect from politics, but not gaming.

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

[BLKxSEPTEMBER]

The Hypocrisy on this site is sickening

[SegaSaturn669]

What a horrible decision. They should at least allow a newly purchased game to be played online for a year with no subscription...if, for no other reason, only to test it out.

[kagon01]

As long is $ony is all cool.

I refuse to pay to play p2p, I was never a ps plus subscriber and never will. I only play fighting games for online multiplayer not games that have dedicated servers.

This is their drm. A portion of you purchased game will be block unless you pay, disgusting.

And what disgust me more, the filthy hypocrites that will support that...

[HurstDarkStar]

The weird part about this is I was heading to buy my PS+ again and then they announce this in, in a way though im not even mad because I've been paying for a service that was an option over and over again. But I will miss saying paying for multiplayer is stupid. Ironic how things change though

[worldwidegaming]

2013 PS+ is fully paid! As a Former 360 owner I paid for Live
so why is this a bad thing?
PlayStation Plus is better than Live right now!

[LKHGFDSA]

I wish it didn't cost.
They didn't really give a reason for why we're going to have to pay.
They told us all about the cross game chat and streaming features etc, before they said it'll cost.
So they've stuck a price tag on something they implied was free.
"Free to play" MMOs? What a joke.

I hope they mention an extra feature, or explain why it's now going to cost us.

Personally I'm not really into online multiplayer.
So this whole thing basically decides whether I see the full next gen experience or not.
I don't want to miss out, but I also don't know if I'd enjoy the multiplayer.

[Sy_Wolf]

While most will see this as a negative I see it as a positive. It means Sony can't have their network go down for extended periods of time. Say what you want about Xbox Live, but it is pretty damn stable.

[Rhythmattic]

I know there are many more positives that far outweigh the negatives....

What about if 3rd Party Publishers also charge for online passes ?
We still dont know about 3rd Party as Trenton said its up to them.

Sony have let go of the online pass , PS+ is the charge for 1st party games, 2nd hand or NEW.... (I always buy my games new and never trade, lets say I have a collection)

In the past I have had a pro PS free online mentality, hating on the cost of XBL Gold just for MP, (cancelling my sub)

I eat my Hat.

Before you jump to conclusions, Ive been a PS+ member from the beginning... Its Great value, but its the MP Paywall principal to me..

Another hidden cost, for a full game experience.

Rant Ova.

[Nemesis4567]

Paying online is not a problem for me. I practically do it with all of the multiplayer online passes that come my way anyway. Plus the PS+ offers are great, and I see things only getting better.

[H3ADWOUND81]

Although whilst taking into account, free online gaming was something playstation gamers were very proud of (yes I'm one of those) it's almost as though people feel betrayed, heard of give & take? Look at everything your getting!!

Wake up and see the big picture, they are embarking on a mission to build the best console with the best network and everything is looking golden up until now.
Breaking it down it works out £3.33 a month..

Let me ask you guys stateside, if you go to a diner to eat, do you tip the waitress for her service?

[Chucky2003]

Well i think the acquisition of Gaikai was for them a big decision for doing this,they wanted since PS3,but now they believe they will offer a service that can compete to XBL,but sucks big time

[No Way]

So... let me get this right. Many current PS3 owners will not be buying Plus? :P
So many PS3 owners on this site said they would never pay to play online.. so? :P

Oh well. Paying has never bothered me. I pay for lots of things.
And, most of those things don't bring me the fun and enjoyment, I get from games.

[Deadpool616]

...and the complacency starts to settle in.

I'm not really sure what to else to say. I know I won't be able to convince a majority of you on why this isn't a good thing. Did you really lose sight of why you upheld the Ps3 for so many years of not being force to pay to play online? Was it really that easy for them to manipulate gamers? I thought gamers were smarter than this. Like I said before, this is so much like politics, it's disgusting.

It's surprising how easily the masses forget. If Sony doesn't have any console to compete with, you can expect them to get arrogant again. I know the Ps4 will succeed and the Xbox One will fail, but without direct competition, Sony is free to implement whatever they want. They went back on their philosophy now, what makes you think they won't do again given the right opportunity?

[BLKxSEPTEMBER]

and how do you no the X1 will fail? this site should change its name to fortune tellers & hypocrites.com because thats all i see here. btw can i get next months lotto numbers?

[Deadpool616]

Xbox One will fail because of it's detrimental policies. They'll eventually lessen the restrictions and rename the Xbox One to Xbox 180.

8,22,36,43,45 Powerball 17

[jk]

[blackmagic]

SOOOO many people here that have been harping on live for being a pay to play service for SOOOO many years are suddenly giant fans of pay to play! The sheer hypocrysy and irony of it all is so epically mind blowing!

I simply can't believe how many of the people that would argue against pay to play (live) until they were blue in the face are now arguing FOR it right here, right now!

I can't believe the comments I'm reading supporting pay to play are actually being written by these same people that have been arguing that pay to play has been a huge rip off and blight on the industry for years and years and years and suddenly it's a no-big-deal issue for them.

My mouth is agape, I am in shock, words can't capture the double standard I am witnessing!!!

[annus]

It's typical fanboyism. None of them probably cared about the price as their parents would just pay for it anyway, but they needed it to help fuel their fire.

[BLKxSEPTEMBER]

Ive been a plus member for a while now and i can tell you that the service is cool IF you never played many of the OLD "free" games they give you. As plus stands now its no better than xbl. I just dont understand how 3 days ago MS was the devil because of paying for online and now sony does the same thing but its all good. sOMEONE PLEASE explain to me without trolling or bashing why this is a good move by sony and makes it ok for them to do but not MS. and dont tell me about those old free games that i may or may not like makes it worth it.