Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Wretched Ride: PS4 Driveclub Game Rental Tied To Paid Subscription

Posted by timothy on from the utility-company's-involved-too dept.

MojoKid (1002251) writes "The upcoming PS4 game Driveclub is making waves for reasons that have nothing to do with its gameplay or development status. In a new video, the company has spelled out its free trial and upgrade policies, and the requirements are a doozy. First, the good news — PlayStation Plus subscribers will be able to download a demo of the game that contains a few maps and one trial area, India. If you choose to upgrade that version, the full title will cost you $50. Here's the catch — that purchase is tied to your Playstation Plus subscription. In other words, if you stop paying Sony the official $49.95 a year for PlayStation Plus, you lose your $50 game. This is completely at odds with how PlayStation Plus membership is supposed to work. It contradicts Sony's official FAQ, which states that: 'Any content you purchase with a Plus discount is yours to keep, regardless of you membership status.'"

5 of 93 comments (clear)

  1. Issues with always-online games? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This seems to be an unintended consequence of having an online-only game relying on service that is provided for a monthly fee. This wouldn't be an issue with the PS3 as online game play wasn't restricted to Plus subscriptions. I would have thought that people would have learned by now from the failures of EA/SimCity.

  2. Market Opportunity by Akratist · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Someone needs to really cash in on the idea of games which a) don't require you to buy a bunch of in-app purchases to actually beat the game, b) are yours to keep after you've paid the publisher/retailer some money, and c) don't make you feel like you just got raped after buying it. In other words, turn the clock back to the 90s before all the money grubbing got completely out of hand.

  3. It's Sony. by 6Yankee · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Why are you surprised?

  4. Re:It's the loophole by ArcadeMan · · Score: 3, Insightful

    If we license the content, why are replacement discs the same price?

    --
    Get free satoshi (Bitcoin) and Dogecoins
  5. Re:Sony is crapping the bed by vux984 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Honestly, I think both are crapping in the bed, and refuse to buy either. The exclusives are largely just uncreative re-hashes.

      Meanwhile, IMO, the PC is going through a bit of a gaming golden age right now.