Playstation Plus Questions

[Solid Snake]

Man, trying to read through Sony's official materials regarding the Playstation Plus service is like trying to comb through the debris of a trainwreck. I'm wondering if any of you who are Playstation Plus subscribers can help me understand the semantics.

1: I buy a subscription and then download a game that's free for subscribers. A year later, I don't renew the subscription.
So I understand I can't re-download the game after cancelling the subscription. But what happens to the copy that's already on my PS3 or Vita? Is it deleted?
What happens if I subsequently renew after a brief cancellation period? Do I lose all access to that content?

2: How exactly does the "Automatic Download" service work? Can I control what's automatically downloaded? The service seems to suggest that Demos for games will be automatically downloaded without asking for my permission, and I don't have the free hard drive space to want that to happen.

3: Say I already purchased a game before becoming a PS Plus member. Then it goes on sale and is free for subscribers for a month. Then I cancel my subscription. I can't lose my ability to download that game, right?

4: Say there's a game that's discounted for PS Plus members, but it isn't free. I purchase it. Then I don't renew my subscription. If the game is lost in the void, have I essentially just lost my money?

[Kyanbu The Legend]

1. The game is set to check if your subscription is active. if it's not then the game will simply tell you to renew it every time you boot it up. It will still technically be yours and it'll still stay on the hard drive, you just won't be able to play it until you renew your PS+ or just buy it (which is the better option from my experience).

2. If I remember correctly, yes you do have control over it. Not entirely sure though, I've never touched this feature personally.

3. yeah, you can still get it.

4. No the game is yours to keep and it won't be locked. The discount thing just means you got it for cheap. It's no different then buying a new game on sale at your local store.

[Solid Snake]

1. The game is set to check if your subscription is active. if it's not then the game will simply tell you to renew it every time you boot it up.

That's...kind of annoying.
Do I have the option to purchase 'free for PS Plus' games even as a PS Plus member? I'd hate to "own" a game that I had to pay $50 each year to play. That's like a perpetual loan, not a genuine purchase.

[Kyanbu The Legend]

Yes, you can simply just buy the game if you want. Honestly it's why I never went back to PS+ in the first place. Sure it's nice and all far as free games and beta tests go. But really what happens when that service get's discontinued for any given reason?

It'd suck to lose all of those free titles due to them locking up. Thank god the only free titles I got was the HD updates of Sonic 1 and Sonic 2. >_>

Which I already own the original carts of and the mega collection+ and Sonic Generation's Sonic 1 port.

[Solid Snake]

Yes, you can simply just buy the game if you want. Honestly it's why I never went back to PS+ in the first place. Sure it's nice and all far as free games and beta tests go. But really what happens when that service get's discontinued for any given reason?

It'd suck to lose all of those free titles due to them locking up. Thank god the only free titles I got was the HD updates of Sonic 1 and Sonic 2. >_>

The only reason I'm actually interested in the service in the first place is for the free 1 GB of cloud storage for PS3 saves.

I do a heck of a lot of my gaming with PS3 saves, and I'm moving twice in the next few months. Given how sensitive the hardware is I'm anticipating the probability I'll lose all my stuff on that hard drive. Either the moves will fuck with the HDD and require a hard reboot, or I'll just lose the PS3 outright. It'll fly with me eventually -- it has to because I can't trust my parents with it, they've all but declared they'd conveniently misplace it when given the chance -- and it might get lost.

I just wish I could override some of these PS3 titles' save games so I could transfer them to an external drive. Then I'd just plug a flash stick into the port and be done with it. But nnnoooo, fucking Assassin's Creed and other games have locked that shit.

Since it looks like I have to pay $50 for the cloud storage, I was curious as to what other benefits I could derive from it without getting sucked into paying $50 each year for renewal.

[Living Bobbeh]

That's...kind of annoying.
Do I have the option to purchase 'free for PS Plus' games even as a PS Plus member? I'd hate to "own" a game that I had to pay $50 each year to play. That's like a perpetual loan, not a genuine purchase.

You can purchase the game if you so wish, but unless there is a promotion running, it won't be any cheaper than buying outside of Plus.

[Solid Snake]

Actually, if anyone knows any credible way to bypass an inability to transfer saves onto the flash stick, using that tactic would save me a buttload of money.

[Kyanbu The Legend]

The only reason I'm actually interested in the service in the first place is for the free 1 GB of cloud storage for PS3 saves.

I do a heck of a lot of my gaming with PS3 saves, and I'm moving twice in the next few months. Given how sensitive the hardware is I'm anticipating the probability I'll lose all my stuff on that hard drive. Either the moves will fuck with the HDD and require a hard reboot, or I'll just lose the PS3 outright. It'll fly with me eventually -- it has to because I can't trust my parents with it, they've all but declared they'd conveniently misplace it when given the chance -- and it might get lost.

I just wish I could override some of these PS3 titles' save games so I could transfer them to an external drive. Then I'd just plug a flash stick into the port and be done with it. But nnnoooo, fucking Assassin's Creed and other games have locked that shit.

Since it looks like I have to pay $50 for the cloud storage, I was curious as to what other benefits I could derive from it without getting sucked into paying $50 each year for renewal.

Ah I see, have you tryed copying your saves onto your Vita? Or does it block you from doing so?

[Solid Snake]

...That's not a bad idea, actually. I haven't thought of whether PS3 saves can be transferred to the Vita.

[Kyanbu The Legend]

It worked for the PSP, I don't see why not.

[Azisien]

Man, trying to read through Sony's official materials regarding the Playstation Plus service is like trying to comb through the debris of a trainwreck. I'm wondering if any of you who are Playstation Plus subscribers can help me understand the semantics.

1: I buy a subscription and then download a game that's free for subscribers. A year later, I don't renew the subscription.
So I understand I can't re-download the game after cancelling the subscription. But what happens to the copy that's already on my PS3 or Vita? Is it deleted?
What happens if I subsequently renew after a brief cancellation period? Do I lose all access to that content?

2: How exactly does the "Automatic Download" service work? Can I control what's automatically downloaded? The service seems to suggest that Demos for games will be automatically downloaded without asking for my permission, and I don't have the free hard drive space to want that to happen.

3: Say I already purchased a game before becoming a PS Plus member. Then it goes on sale and is free for subscribers for a month. Then I cancel my subscription. I can't lose my ability to download that game, right?

4: Say there's a game that's discounted for PS Plus members, but it isn't free. I purchase it. Then I don't renew my subscription. If the game is lost in the void, have I essentially just lost my money?

1. For Plus games that are FREE, you can only play them while you are Plus. You games that are DISCOUNTED due to you being Plus, you can play them regardless of Plus status.

2. Demos will not be automatically downloaded. It's for patches, system updates, and so on. Or if you queued some downloads that you authorized, it can turn on, finish them, and turn off, for instance.

3. If you already purchased it as non-Plus, you're safe.

4. See 1. Discounted games count as "non-Plus purchases." You just get a deal as a Plus member. You "own" them. At least as much as you can own digital content provided by Sony.

[Donomni]

That's...kind of annoying.
Do I have the option to purchase 'free for PS Plus' games even as a PS Plus member? I'd hate to "own" a game that I had to pay $50 each year to play. That's like a perpetual loan, not a genuine purchase.

It's better if you think of PS+ as a rental service rather than a free game service, in that aspect.

Considering you can redownload games after you mark them as purchased on the store, even after they aren't available in the store... the amount of games you can have can really snowball.

I mean, Gamefly's about $18 for one month, at a minimum. Granted, you can choose a hell of a lot more games, but PS+ can let you have digital-only titles, too, and however many games you can actually have for "free"(aka Rent) is based on your hard drive, not how much you pay Gamefly per month.

[Solid Snake]

I think it's the snowballing that really worries me, actually. I certainly wouldn't mind acquiring access to a lot of games for 'free,' but PS Plus seems to depend upon ensuring you create a dependency on the service. If I get too used to having all those extra games in my collection, I'll have to spend $50/year to Sony to retain access.

Plus, there's the whole fact that you can't choose which games are actually available each month. In that sense it's like a rental service where you don't even pick the games you rent. Which is silly.

I can understand PS Plus' value for those strapped for cash and, if I end up still impoverished and unemployed a year or so from now it'll start looking a lot more appealing.
...Then again, if I'm still unemployed a year from now, I'll probably be dead or in a mental institution.

[Magus]

I look at it like I do OnLive or Netflix, you are paying a set monthly fee to try and get as much stuff played or watched as possible before the next month. Some people have Netflix and basically waste it with DVDs languishing around their house or never using the online viewer. If you are an avid user of it then it is worth the money.

Like say you got Playstation Plus, you would be doing it with the goal of "Okay, I'm going to play through InFamous 2 this weekend, Homefront the next weekend" etc. and getting all their free shit done with in 3 months and getting rid of the thing. Ignoring the arcade game selection like Pac-Man Championship Edition because that is better off just being something you buy ala carte.

[Professor Smarmiarty]

I came into this thread expecting a playstation and then some questions. What I got was some questions. Disappoint.