Sony Debuts PlayStation Plus Premium Service
After being introduced a couple of weeks ago at Sony’s press conference prior to the Electronic Entertainment Expo, the PlayStation Plus premium service made its debut Tuesday, as part of the weekly update to the PlayStation Network for PlayStation 3 consoles.
This update brings a new paid membership service to the Network, with bonus offers and goodies only available to those who subscribe. Currently, there are two packages available. Users can subscribe for three months for $17.99, or plunk down $49.99 for a full one-year membership, with three additional months thrown in at no charge. [Read "Motion Gaming Review: Kinect vs. Nintendo Wii vs. PlayStation ."]
Among the initial offers being made to new subscribers are a trial version of the action/adventure game "Infamous" (with an option to buy and download for $29.99), the futuristic racer "Wipeout HD," the PlayStation One classic racing game "Rally Cross," an add-on "Fallen Star" pack for the multiplayer flight combat game "Warhawk," the PSP mini game "Age of Zombies," an exclusive Collision theme for your PlayStation menu, two exclusive Fat Princess Avatars (for your profile) and several sales titles from Midway and Tik Games/Creat Studios.
Each month, new offers will be made available, including full games for a cheaper price and additional freebies, including downloadable games and episodes of Sony’s monthly digital magazine, "Qore."
To access the new PlayStation Plus service, users will need to download the system’s latest firmware update, 3.40. It’s available at no charge, and only takes a few minutes to upgrade, depending on your connection type.
If you’re not up for getting Plus, don’t worry. All of PlayStation Network’s other features, including online play and access to the PlayStation Store, remain free of charge. This is merely an optional service to provide subscribers with a little something extra.
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