When Sony launched its subscription service paid on June 29, 2010 to support its PlayStation 3, players are as excited as skeptics. The PlayStation network allows you to create an account and play free in line with your friends (unlike Microsoft Xbox Live that you are paying). But the brand wants to go further and start the PlayStation.
Seeing a paid service that arrives the surprises, even if the Japanese rival tries to give consistency: 4 games offered every month (ps3, ps one and mini-game) and are maintained for the subscription time, an hour of titles to try before buying, automated updates and their data backup copies in the cloud. To this is added exclusive reductions for subscribers. Then it costs less than 50 euros per year, less expensive than the lighter competitor service at advantages.
15% of registration applicants have recovered more than 100 free games
“In 15 years, we have the feeling that PlayStation Plus has become strong in the most prominent aspects,” he excites with Tech & Co Nick Maguire, world vice president of PlayStation Services, remembering that “more than 500 games have been offered since its launch” and that “15% of current registrars have added more than 100 games in their library.” It should be said that the service has damaged evolved, merging in June 2022 the PlayStation Transmission Service now and the most initial PlayStation in a new offer with now three supply levels (essential, extra, premium).
“A year after the launch of the new offer, we saw a massive adoption. It was not only a peak of passengers, but a real change of habit,” he explains. A change, considered as “a turning point” for the manufacturer, which, however, had not only made the prices of happy floods and above all: now it is necessary With nomitated access, access to doctors in a more limited way, the main ones, the advantages, the versions, the transmission, the cloud transmission in the cloud in PS5 with the access to the light of the cloud, with the access to the life of the cloud in the cloud, with the access to the cloud PS5.
But fans are there. “We have crossed the bar of 38 % of our subscribers to the two highest formulas. It is a true adhesion test to our vision by millions of players around the world,” says Nick Maguire. How are exactly? We will not know. At the end of March 2023, Sony announced 47.4 million subscribers to its three services. Since then, the industry giant remains silent on the figures, even if it was whispered that the increase in prices in September of the same year would have caused a fall in the registrants.
The prices that increase, but not necessarily the offer offered to the players. Some have gradually smiled to see that the advantages decrease. Sony had responded by offering PS5 games more frequently as soon as they launched (Stray, Tchia, Dave The Divers, Sea Of Stars, FBC: Firebreak…). But there are still no exclusive PlayStation, however, of its launch, unlike the Xbox game pass. And to take into account, however, that, among the 10 most played games in PlayStation Plus, there are four games at home (Ghost of Tsushim) and recognized third -party licenses that are played particularly (GTA V, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Hogwarts Legacy…).
Adapt to players and new consumption habits
However, there is no doubt to compare with Xbox. The strategies are different: “We are not doing a systematic exit of the first day. We prefer to integrate the games at the right time of their life cycle, according to the studies, at the time of an event, we play complementarity with the rest of our activity,” says Nick Maguire. “This also allows players to discover a license just before a new episode of the series, for example. We find a 75% increase in commitment.”
Sony also admits constantly analyzing the use data, comments on the networks and the participation of the players to adjust and improve a desired offer “as diverse as possible.”
Sony continues to feed its platform that you want to put in the heart of its ecosystem. Portal PlayStation can take advantage of the cloud games and the transmission of PS5 more easily wherever it is (with the premium subscription). The service is also accessible from a computer and players that Sony is making your eyes increasingly soft. He wants to adapt to market developments and new consumption habits. But the moment is not known in possible inclinations in the mobile game, which was for a while in Sony’s viewfinder with its Xperia before going to the bottom.
For a long time one of its weak points, the readability of the service has improved significantly. From now on, there are about 80 categories of games to which better reference is made to happiness in the wide catalog of games offered for additional levels and premium, with a customization effort to have more suitable recommendations for each one.
More customization to support the player
Because taking advantage of a game through PlayStation Plus can also decide a purchase, Sony knows well. “With the growing customization, we really want to help players find the next great game that may not have bought, which may not want to try, but the catalog can help them find something different and different for them,” insists the British. “We are studying what might interest players and work with our studies and third studies to have a diversity of games, genres and exciting titles.” Because a subscriber is always a player who does not go to the competition and can invest in a game that leaves the PlayStation Plus catalog.
There is still accessibility for players with disabilities, which remains an improved point and the identification of games adapted to their situations. “There are still things to do to better value accessible games. We work there,” he admits.
When he looks at the road traveled in 15 years by PlayStation Plus, Nick Maguire says he is proud and confident for the future. “This has experienced real growth, continuous adaptation and strong diversification,” he says, recalling the integration in the time of new technologies. Where will the service be 5 or 10 years? Always as “flexible and agile,” he promises, in search of the correct balance: “Listen to the expectations of the players, anticipate the perspectives for the industry and find how more useful players and their game experience.”
To celebrate its 15th anniversary, PlayStation Plus even put the small dishes in the big ones. From June 27 to August 29, multiple games will be offered to all subscribers (Devil IV, King of fighters XV, JUSANT, etc.)test games like Monster Hunter Wildsanniversary tournaments (Tekken 8, NBA 2K25, FC 24, Madden NFL …)etc
Source: BFM TV
