Playstation Plus

[wakka]

They’re both subscriptions you pay to get online play and access to a rotating selection of included games. I don’t get what the big difference is?

[nonny]

But you're comparing them on a forum full of (mostly) savvy gamers... know your audience.

There is a massive difference between Game Pass and PS+ in my opinion. Yes they're both subscription services and you get access to games through them, but content wise they're massively different. The comparison basically ends there.

PS Now is the direct competitor to Game Pass at the end of the day. Both offering all you can eat access, cloud streaming etc ...

But, the biggest difference is the day one promise from Game Pass. You know you're getting all first party games included day one on the service. That is a huge factor and PS Now may never provide an equal to it given Sony has no interest in that model... On top of that every title in Game Pass is downloadable and installable on console, PS Now has streaming only in its line up.

Plus there is the PC angle with Game Pass and it has that three tier structure of console, PC or Ultimate.

Games with Gold versus PS+ seems a more direct like for like to me, with subtle differences.

So yeah, you can compare PS Now to Game Pass. But in that comparison I think it's fair to say Game Pass is significantly more valuable given what it guarantees you have access to.

[MartyG]

PS Now has streaming only in its line up.

Not accurate - PS4 games can be installed (may not be the case for every single one, but most are). PS3, PS2 games are streamed.

[wakka]

But you're comparing them on a forum full of (mostly) savvy gamers... know your audience.

There is a massive difference between Game Pass and PS+ in my opinion. Yes they're both subscription services and you get access to games through them, but content wise they're massively different. The comparison basically ends there.

PS Now is the direct competitor to Game Pass at the end of the day. Both offering all you can eat access, cloud streaming etc ...

But, the biggest difference is the day one promise from Game Pass. You know you're getting all first party games included day one on the service. That is a huge factor and PS Now may never provide an equal to it given Sony has no interest in that model... On top of that every title in Game Pass is downloadable and installable on console, PS Now has streaming only in its line up.

Plus there is the PC angle with Game Pass and it has that three tier structure of console, PC or Ultimate.

Games with Gold versus PS+ seems a more direct like for like to me, with subtle differences.

So yeah, you can compare PS Now to Game Pass. But in that comparison I think it's fair to say Game Pass is significantly more valuable given what it guarantees you have access to.

Well, I do know my audience, having been arguing the toss like this on here for 20 odd years

I honestly think it's totally bonkers that we're not allowed to have a conversation that compares the relative value of PS+ (cheap, but fewer games that disappear more quickly and less bonuses like PC software) and GPU (more expensive, more games available longer, more stuff included).

Like yeah, they're different, but they're not THAT different. It's not like I'm saying, let's compare an Xbox (powerful, black, has a controller) to an orange (juicy, sweet, goes off quite quickly).

I mean am I going mad here or what?

[MartyG]

The purpose of GWG and PS+ is NOT to give you a game library, it a perk that was added and can equally be stopped at any point.

[wakka]

Well you could've had me fooled, since for donkey's years PS+ wasn't even required for online play and the sole purpose of it was to give you access to games every month. They even marketed it as an 'Instant Games Collection'.

[MartyG]

I'd write to Jim Ryan then, tell him you're not satisfied with PS+ and tell him you're expecting a Game Pass equivalent.

[wakka]

To be honest we've veered so far into whether or not these two monumentally different things can be fairly compared and contrasted with one another that I've forgotten why I wanted to compare them in the first place.

I think I just wanted Sony to pull their socks up a bit and do some better games and brand new launches on there, like they did with Oddworld. Also, get rid of that weird system where you have to 'claim' the games on there every month manually and just automatically stick them in a library for you. That's it really.

[MartyG]

I imagine there's also an element of wanting to differentiate PS Now & PS+ and GWG & Game Pass by Sony and Microsoft to get people buying into both.

As for having to claim the games, I can only speculate, but I'd imagine there's a combination of factors here, one of which would be knowing that to claim the games, you have to get eyes on your product, so there's a tie to marketing there with the opportunity to upsell. It may also be tied to payments, if only partially, or a per click basis.

It makes sense to get you to engage with PlayStation rather than passively add titles to your library.

[QualityChimp]

It's interesting to see where these services now stand, how they've evolved, and how they competed with each other.

Xbox Gold was necessary for the 360 to play online but PlayStation 3 let you play for free.
PS+ was launched in 2010 and was optional.
in 2011 Sony had that massive hack and tempted users back with 3 free games (undertow!) and 30 days free PS+.
2013 GwG was announced to make Xbox Gold more appealing, with the bonus you could keep the games after your sub ended.
Then, when they launched the PS4, everyone was so busy laughing at the E3 Xbone teevee teevee watercooler, you can't share games presentation, that they didn't notice that PS+ was now essential to play online and was a paid service.
Nov 2013 saw the first "free" PS4 games on the service - Resogun and Contrast.

[wakka]

On the MS side, they've got to be plotting to kill off Gold at some point I reckon. It's a bit of a weird service now and between GPU subscribers, Xbox owners who don't subscribe to anything, and Gold subscribers, I reckon Gold subscribers has got to be the smallest group by some distance.

That's what all the '£1 to upgrade' stuff is about I reckon, migrating as many Gold subs to GPU subs as possible, with a view to eventually just having GPU as the subscription for Xbox.

[fishbowlhead]

I imagine there's also an element of wanting to differentiate PS Now & PS+ and GWG & Game Pass by Sony and Microsoft to get people buying into both.

As for having to claim the games, I can only speculate, but I'd imagine there's a combination of factors here, one of which would be knowing that to claim the games, you have to get eyes on your product, so there's a tie to marketing there with the opportunity to upsell. It may also be tied to payments, if only partially, or a per click basis.

It makes sense to get you to engage with PlayStation rather than passively add titles to your library.

Exactly, you have to switch on your consoles and physically get them, this tells the platform holder what your actually interested in and willing to engage with, or not.

[MartyG]

That all depends on how many they can migrate - if they've still got millions who won't budge across, they're not likely to dump the ARR.

[Cassius_Smoke]

I don't see these two things as the same.

PS+:
PlayStation Plus monthly games
Online multiplayer
Exclusive member discounts

GPU:
Access to a library of over 100 high-quality games
Includes an EA Play membership for no additional cost
Includes all the benefits of Xbox Live Gold
Xbox Cloud Gaming

[wakka]

That's just online play and access to included free games!! Those are the same thing as each other!!!

Oh god I give up