If you want to play online multiplayer games on PS4 over the PlayStation Network, you'll have to have a subscription to PlayStation Plus. Up until now, the fact that gamers haven't been required to pay has proven to be one of the PlayStation 3's major assets, so why is Sony changing their game plan?
According to Sony Computer Entertainment UK chief Fergal Gara, there are a number of reasons for imposing this new cost on gamers, telling OPM that the subscription requirement has allowed them to keep the price of the console below $400. In addition, the steady stream of resources will allow them to invest "in a higher performance network,” which gives them the ability to add “new things” and provide “better performance [and] better reliability.”
It's also worth noting that the PlayStation Plus subscription "applies across three consoles, includes content across all three consoles.” We'll just have to wait and see how all of this actually comes to fruition in the months ahead.
In the meantime, sound off in the comments below with your thoughts on Sony's decision to start charging gamers for online multiplayer. Does it sour you on the PlayStation 4 a bit, or do you understand where the company is coming from?
