PlayStation Plus Makes Indie Games Feel Worthless

Hardcore Gamer: Plus has made buying indie games at launch feel like a huge waste of money, and you shouldn't do it anymore.

[Hipp0]

Seriously? It's a bit annoying when you buy an indie game and it's offered for free a few months later, but then you got to play it earlier, you chose to support the developer. That means something to me.

You can stop buying games on the off-chance they get offered for free later on, in the mean time I'll be paying to play those games and enjoying them (hopefully).

[thorstein]

Absolutely. I bought Walking Dead Season 1 with the season pass. Later, PS+ gave it to subscribers for free.

I don't regret spending the money on this awesome game and the developer making money off of me.

[saddlebrown]

It's "a bit" annoying the first few times it happens. It's more than "a bit" annoying when you have no reason to look forward to the free games anymore because you already know whatever they'll offer, you already own it.

Look at the comments on the PlayStation Blog. Half of it is people going, "Why do I even bother buying these games anymore?" It's actually scaring people off from buying at launch because they know if they wait a couple months, the game will be free.

I don't think it's unreasonable to ask for an exclusivity window and transparency to make people feel secure about supporting developers and buying at launch.

[Hipp0]

If I knew in advance that a title I really wanted to play was going to be free a few months from now, I would still buy it, because you know, I'd be excited for it. However, I get that everyone is different and in all honesty there is probably a few titles that if I had known, I would have waited to get for free. But that's the beauty of hindsight.

Maybe telling people at launch "this game will appear in future PS+" or something so people can make an informed decision would work, but I can't see them ever actually doing that.

Overall it really doesn't bother me, you win some, you lose some.

[Mr Pumblechook]

@thomasella. If you buy games from the PSN store and are a PS Plus subscriber at some point something you've bought will be free, but that's not a reason to be sad because if you paid money you must have really wanted it at the time. occasionally there will be overlap but that doesn't lesson the value.

[Muzikguy]

I don't see why it bothers people so much. If you don't want to play the game then just don't buy it. I'm not going to read the comments on the blog because I'll just be thinking "wow what a bunch of entitled brats".

I remember I bought an iPod back in the day for $350. Ok? That same iPod not even 6 months later dropped $100 and doubled in size! Was I pissed? Yeah at first, but I got over it. And you know what? That kind of thing has happened since then and if hasn't bothered me. Life goes on.

Try and think of some other thing you might have "wasted" your money on instead. If you buy a game and get enjoyment from it you're not wasting anything even if it turns out to be free later on

[spacedelete]

i could care less about supporting the devs and it isn't just indie games its also AAA games i've stopped buying. no point wasting money if the games will be free on PlayStation plus soon enough. Sony thinks they were clever putting online behind a paywall but now i buy less games than ever before.

[suicidalblues]

I wish a dev could take your last bubble.

[CaptainObvious878]

I wish a dev could do a lot more than take his last bubble.

[Revengeance]

The stupidity in this post is too damn high.

[Summons75]

You do realize that when these games do go on Ps+ for free Sony is giving the devs a hefty check to make up for the "lost sales". So getting something free on Ps+ is still supporting the developer. I would have bought transistor when it released but for whatever reason devs decided to stop putting out demos and Transistor looks ify to me so I won't buy it without playing it first. This will give me a chance to see if I like it or now. Swapper is another example, never bought because there wasn't a demo and now I love it beucase of +

[SilentNegotiator]

I just buy the games that I really want and hope that the games that I don't want as badly turn out to be free some day, since I probably won't end up buying them myself anyway (unless there's a great sale).

[the_dark_one]

LOL, if anything its giving them an opportunitie to be played and if its any good and gamers enjoy it maybe they will most likely looking foward to their next game. besides its not like all indies are coming to ps plus. Worhtless article

[MrBeatdown]

Ooooooh, next, complain about how games go on sale and how terrible that is too.

Also...

"Now, after having been a Plus member since before they were even giving out free games..."

Seriously? They gave out free games on day one.

Palm, meet face.

[saddlebrown]

The Instant Game Collection didn't launch until later. PS Plus for a long time was just discounts and avatars and stuff. It didn't take off until they said "HEY HERE HAVE ALL THESE GAMES FOR FREE." It was a pretty big deal when they announced it.

Also, to reiterate, none of the games are free.

[MrBeatdown]

When Plus launched, it included games.

Get a clue. Do some research.

[Nitrowolf2]

You are wrong, they had free gmes since the launch http://us.playstation.com/c...

"Also, to reiterate, none of the games are free."

I really do hate this, yes they are basically being leased out to you, but after a whole year, who's actually going back to play some of those games? Sure I suspect a few, but the majority like any other games out there would probably move on to the next one , knowing that they could fully download it again later.

To me, they are Free just by looking at the value it offers

[lodossrage]

I don't know how anyone can click disagree on Mr.Beatdown since he's right.

When Plus first started, you got 1 PSN game, 1 PS Classic, and 2 PS Minis per month along with the avatars and discounts. I'd know since I had it from back then all the way to now

So he's right, some of you DO need to do some research.

[BoNeSaW23]

https://www.youtube.com/wat...

[lipton101]

I actually don't rememer free games at ps+ initial PS3 launch??? It has been a long time though. Anyone remember the first free game? I download every one, wether I'm interested or not to, at the very least, delete and have in my library just in case I fall on hard times or get bored since they're always yours at that point.

[lodossrage]

@lipton101

the very first game on PS Plus (at least in America) was Zen Pinball 1.

[MrBeatdown]

The first game was Wipeout HD. There was a PSone game, and a couple Minis as well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wik...

[FrostedFire]

I spent 8$ on Transistor a few weeks back on steam an now I'm getting it for free on PS4 an that's fine by me cause Transistor is an awesome game and it deserves my money.

[lipton101]

I'm pretty excited for it. I didn't buy it but considered it at launch. I did purchase valient hearts though. Excellent

[LAWSON72]

Strangely, I don't feel that way about D4 on Xbone which went free last month. I don't know maybe I just knew the possibilities before I bought it. If a game like say Transistor or Rogue Legacy went free and I bought them and they are as good as I am told I probably would not care. I have been buying games along time and I am cheap and think about sale price all the time. Sometimes it is easy to just remind yourself I have spent $10-15 on stupider things many, many times. As long as the game was worth the original price I would not complain or if it went free a week later. I like when the new freebie is a new release

[EvilWay]

Most indies aren't worth $1 anyway

[FunAndGun]

That comment isn't even worth the two cents.

[StormLegend]

PS+ helps indie games: Without PS+ I wouldn't have never experinced some of the best games ever!

[Gore-Content]

pfff STFU

[S2Killinit]

Soooo with that logic, when they give away AAA games, they make AAA games feel worthless. What a stupid article.

[_LarZen_]

The people accepting articles on n4g.com must be just as dumb as some of the article writers. That is the only thing that can explain all the dumb articles on this site.

[redknight80]

This article does bring up a good point and all, but if everyone thought this way and just waited for games to be free or heavily discounted; this industry would fail horribly within a couple of years.

[Scatpants]

I'm glad I bought Transistor at launch. I enjoyed it more than almost anything I played last year. It's cool that it's free now because it will expose more people to this awesome studio's work. Maybe with their next game more people will buy it at launch.

[RpgSama]

I bought Transistor just a few months ago on a ps+ sale, got around to play it just this month and achieved the platinum last week, awesome game, money well spent, the only thing I hope is that more people give themselves the chance to play it and don't complain that this is "another indie" for ps4 instead of a "AAA" game.

Will some people feel cheated, yeah of course, but if that's the case then I think it wouldn't be a very smart move for them to buy a First party game for either XONE or PS4, YOU JUST KNOW those games will eventually be "free", ALL of them, in my case, I will always buy a game that I consider must play.

[filipakos]

Or they "force" new "Gamers" to try those games because most people dont know that indies are art and not trash

[Clover904]

Diversity thrives in smaller indie titles, and I'll support that with my money all day.

[blakstarz]

To the person who wrote this....are you freakin' crazy?!? The indie games I have on my PS4 are excellent and the PS4 has an impressive amount of them. Stop sniffin' those vapors dude! Sony has shown strong support for indie games and it showed during launch.

Just because a game isn't made by some big name dev and a overinflated million dollar budget doesn't make it worthless, if anything some of the indies games I played put some of these "AAA" games to shame as far as creativity which makes indies well worth it.

[RjK311jR]

Isn't this something we have all pretty much caught on to especially when it started Day 1 on both consoles.. doesnt take rocket science to know that most indies may come to ps plus, or Gw/G at some point... Now making that known to Sony (they're aware) and complaining is crazy! Do you want them to stop! Let those who want to buy buy... They'll catch on. You did! Oh I am afraid all this kind of stuff may have a negative effect! not now but say 6mth to 1yr..etc and so on. the less we buy the games the less games we will get. its a double edge sword ahh man i hate those!

[memots]

They are giving value to the Ps+ service and they are worthless ?
Far from Worthless.

I finished a few of the free indie games like Steamworld dig and Dust: an Elysian tail .
I can tell you i had no idea how good these games where and probably would not have known. Now their next game is on my radar.

[Inception]

I rarely visit N4G aynmore because mostly there's not a single interesting article that worth the click. 99% of approved articles are shitty click bait article like this.

[OutcastMosquito]

I don't totally disagree. I mean, they give us plus members almost two a month and I can't even begin to play them all.