PaulH
- edited
Sony Computer Entertainment is bringing their PlayStation Plus premium membership service to PS Vita in November 2012, the company announced during the Tokyo Game Show. The service, which debuted on PlayStation 3 over two years ago, offers members an array of benefits including free games, game discounts, and a cloud-based game save feature.
PlayStation 3 owners who currently subscribe to PlayStation Plus, as well as new members through PS Vita, will get PlayStation Plus services on both consoles at no extra cost. The subscription-based premium service is offered on a 1 year package for $49.99 or a 3 month package for $17.99 through the PlayStation Store on your PS3 XrossMediaBar.
The "Instant Game Collection" feature that Sony revealed during this year's E3, which gave PlayStation 3 owners that subscribe to PlayStation Plus instant access to a suite of popular games, will also be coming to PS Vita. Select games will be available to download on-demand to your PS Vita, and will remain playable as long as the user's PlayStation Plus membership remains active.
Membership to PlayStation Plus will now provide access to exclusive discounts for PS Vita digital content, including game downloads and add-on content. The online game save feature will also be extended to PS Vita, with members now receiving 1GB of storage on PS Vita, in addition to the 1GB that is already given for PlayStation 3 game saves.
PlayStation Plus will automate a number of manual tasks including auto-syncing of PlayStation Vita trophies, along with automatic downloads of game demos and game updates. System software updates, which require user agreements, can be downloaded automatically but will still need to be installed manually.
Sony first announced intention to bring PlayStation Plus to PS Vita during its Gamescom press conference in Cologne, back in August.
Two months prior, at E3, Sony Computer Entertainment of America's Jack Tretton discussed the tremendous value PlayStation Plus brings to its subscribers, including over 60 free games have be given out, and thousands of dollars of discounts. In late 2011, Sony valued the game discounts they extended to PlayStation Plus members during the year at over $12,000, citing discounts as high as 80 per cent for select titles, and 17 free game downloads.
While PlayStation Plus offers a great deal of value to members, many PlayStation Network services remain free, including online multiplayer, instant messaging, PlayStation Home, the Trophy System, and full access to the PlayStation Store. PlayStation Plus is positioned as a value-added subscription for owners of PlayStation 3 -- and now PS Vita -- who want to maximize their gaming experience.
No concrete date has been given for the launch of PlayStation Plus for PS Vita, for now Sony is only saying November 2012.
Graham Williams from our Tech Blog team picked up a PlayStation Plus membership shortly after the service rolled out on PlayStation 3, and you can see his reasons for subscribing in this post.
Have you picked up a PlayStation Plus membership, or do you intend on subscribing with this announcement? I'm interested in knowing your thoughts on the service in the comments section below.
For more information on PS Vita, or to purchase the console, please see the following futureshop.ca product pages:
Take on opponents across the globe. Control every movement with the tap of a finger or blow up enemy fighters soaring through your living room. Some of your favourite PS3 brands, and some new titles developed just for PlayStation Vita let you discover a gaming experience with no limits. The world is in play.
Take on opponents across the globe. Control every movement with the tap of a finger or blow up enemy fighters soaring through your living room. Some of your favourite PS3 brands, and some new titles developed just for PlayStation Vita let you discover a gaming experience with no limits. The world is in play.
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