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Wretched Ride: PS4 Driveclub Game Rental Tied To Paid Subscription
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.'"
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.
Official response: Well you didn't purchase it, you licensed it.
Silly consumers...
Actually, this is 100% in line with the FAQ. The PS+ version of the game isn't a demo. It's a low-content version of the game with a full trophy set. The $50 is DLC to add the missing cars, countries, and tracks to the PS+ version. The $60 version is a release which contains all of the above. You still own the $50 DLC. You just don't have access to the base game to be able to utilize that DLC. It's the same as any number of other games released on PS+. For example, LittleBigPlanet 2 has the Cross-Controller Pack, which provides you the ability to use a Playstation Vita as a second screen and a controller for the game that has unique play functionality. The pack also includes exclusive content (costumes, items, etc). If you let your PS+ subscription lapse, you can no longer play LittleBigPlanet 2, but you do still own the Cross-Controller Pack. You can no longer DO anything with that pack, but you do still very much own it, and regain access to its functionality if you resubscribe at some point.
Think about it this way. If you bought Diablo 2 and the Lord of Destruction expansion, and later sold Diablo 2, you would no longer be able to utilize the content of Lord of Destruction. It's the same thing, people.
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.
This is standard on PS+, if you get a "free" game via PS+ (all games received for "free" are tied to your subscription, PS+ discounted ones aren't) and you buy DLC for it, the DLC becomes unusable if you end your PS+ subscription. Sony tells you that when you hit the download button for one of those "free" games. You can buy the base game later if you don't want to continue paying for the PS+ subscription, and then your DLC will be usable on that game. I am a PS+ subscriber, I avoid to buy DLC for the "free" games for this reason, but everything is perfectly clear on the store when you buy.
You try to bullshit me with your contract, I'm not entering it. Keep your game, I keep my money, let's see who can rather afford it.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
if you like your video game, you can keep your video game.
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.
Did EverQuest, World of Warcraft, or any other subscription MMORPG cost money to "buy" at launch?
All of them. It's very rare that a non-freemium MMO doesn't have a purchase price.
I do not think they are even remotely comparable to this though. For that monthly fee, you're getting something. There's in-game support, constant development of new areas, improved rules, GM events, etc... You're paying to keep the online servers up, and the development to continue. MMO's are an entirely different animal than other games.
I'd compare it to buying a bowling ball. If you buy a basket ball, you know you can use it where-ever, even setup your own hoop. Buy a bowling ball and you're totally aware that to play that game it's going to cost you $20 every time. It's part of the deal and you understand it. But what this developer is doing is akin to selling you a basketball with a coin slot on the side. You have to put coins in, but you get nothing in return. It's just a money grab.