Topic: PlayStation Plus | OT |

@JohnnyShoulder @LtSarge Ok, thanks. It does seem like it’s not a very well promoted service. I was reminded of it when they spoke of the Crunchyroll app coming out and I wondered if they would ever give some PS+ perks with Crunchyroll and then remembered the Sony Pictures Core to have some anime too.

I’ve not been into anime for a long time, but I’ve enjoyed a couple of the Netflix anime lately so may want to dip my toe into the anime pool again. If the Core has a decent selection then it would be an easy entryway into that world now since I have PS+ Premium.

@Th3solution not sure about the anime, I think the crunchyroll app is the seperate place for that. You can download core to console to check out the selection of movies though. I don't think there was a lot tbh.

I only recently remembered it existed as there was an offer to upgrade to PS Plus, which was about £7 for me, and, as I was pondering trying game streaming again, I thought I might as well. But there was also a perk offer for free movie credits so I got the latest Venom and Bad Boys movies added for free for the sake of it 🤷‍♂️

@Ravix I have several movie/TV streaming services and so am not really in in the market for adding more movie options to my entertainment queue. But like you, I wanted the game streaming, so now I have the Core benefits too. I’ll check out the app the next time I’m on my PS5 and just see if maybe something catches my eye. I doubt it.

@Th3solution yeah, it's not really a great service, I'd say. But I can't argue with getting a couple of free movies for a one time deal.

I can argue that there lies the problem with all modern streaming services and the amount of them and the value propostion of them, and why it all needs to implode on itself, however 😅

Person: I want to watch a movie
Streaming: cool, who originally produced the movie or who currently owns the streaming rights? Because we have the niche subscription service for you, depending on your answer
Person: I no longer want to watch a movie.

This month's PS+ Extra additions are actually pretty damn good. I finished Yakuza: Like a Dragon last year and haven't yet played the next game Like a Dragon Gaiden, so that one's perfect for me. I haven't bought Atlas Fallen either, which I'm quite excited to play. I've also hold off on getting Sayonara Wild Hearts because I haven't seen it discounted enough to warrant a purchase given its short length. So I'm definitely giving it a shot now.

Even if not all games appeal to me, if at least some of them appeal a lot to me then I consider it a successful month. If Sony keeps this up, then I might even consider subscribing to PS+ Premium beyond 2025.

Oh, and this month's PS+ titles Suicide Squad and The Stanley Parable are also games I've been wanting to play. Great month!

@LtSarge Yeah, it’s been a really good month. I’m not likely to play the LAD game, but GoW Ragnarok is huge and Atlas Fallen was one I had an eye on. It’s the type of game that doesn’t get a lot of attention but is a good AA to mix in when I feel the need to play something different. I had already picked up GoW Ragnarok when I found it cheap on disc, but I’ll probably keep it just in case they pull it from the service before I get around to playing it. It’s not the first time I’ve had that happen, but I suspect that Ragnarok will get the same treatment that HFW did and it will only be offered for a limited time.

After @colonelkilgore had some positive experience with Suicide Squad, I feel like I might want to try it eventually. Stanley Parable is a one that I already own and is a wonderful and odd little game. A great one for when you want something really different. The less you know about it beforehand, the better. It’s quite unique.

I hadn’t really followed Sayonara Wild Hearts, but I looked over the review and it actually seems like it could be a refreshing game to have on hand also.

Sayonara Wild Hearts is well worth a play for anyone who gets access to it and has a couple of hours free to complete it (might be a good shout for next month's game club) I'm often tempted to go back to it but never seem to get around to it. It's kind of a playable pop album and even though I wouldn't say I'm into that style of music it definitely had a couple of tracks I really liked.

And the Stanley Parable... I've only had two quick sessions with it and the second time really had me laughing - something not to many games manage.

@Th3solution I've already played Ragnarok, but yeah if you haven't then that's a great addition as well.

I was contemplating the other day that I might stop buying games altogether except from certain franchises. I can focus on my backlog and while I do that, new releases will eventually be added to PS+ Extra/Game Pass.

@sorteddan That's a great shout, I'd love to play the game on next month's Game Club.

That is what I've done over the last few years. Last year I probably purchased the most games, and that was only 2 full priced titles and a handful of smaller games on sale. Everything else has been either from my backlog or on PS+ Extra. Can't say it has felt like I've been missing out on anything.

@JohnnyShoulder It is a sound strategy, isn't it? I don't really experience FOMO for new releases either so it's perfect for me. If I keep buying the latest games then I don't think I'll ever be able to clear out my backlog.

It's a shame though that we don't feel like we're missing out on anything as that's a reflection of the gaming industry. The fact that most new releases are similar to other games we've already experienced makes me less inclined to buy them at launch.

@LtSarge The state of some games on release also helped me make that decision. It was getting to the stage I was just buying games just for the sake of it or if there was a good deal. It was even starting to get me down a bit, knowing I've bought all these games but not getting round to play most of them. These days I will try to only buy a game when I know I will play it fairly soon. I think it is pointless buying a bunch of games when I'm nowhere finished the game I'm playing, as by the time I'm done with it I am usually not in the mood for any of those games I bought.

@JohnnyShoulder I had the same issue years ago. I remember in 2017 I got Horizon Zero Dawn, played it for 10 hours, then NieR: Automata came out and I put Horizon on hold for years before getting around to it. Same with Persona 5, which came out after NieR. Honestly, it's a nice feeling playing a new game. But if I'm not going to finish it after getting it on launch, then what's the point?

And it's not like I never play new games. I primarily buy new releases of my favourite franchises, certain Nintendo games or I'll play day one releases on Game Pass like Indiana Jones. So I still get the satisfaction of experiencing a new game every now and then.

@Th3solution I decided to watch a movie on Sony Pictures Core today and I realised that the offerings are rotated out for other ones over time. I wanted to watch the Resident Evil movies but they weren't on there anymore. There are a bunch of other movies on there that I don't remember seeing when I last checked, such as a bunch of Spider-Man movies and even the Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV movie. It could be worth checking in every so often to see what other movies have been added. I'm currently watching The Amazing Spider-Man 2 as I haven't watched it yet and my subscription of Disney+ runs out tomorrow, so now is a great time for me to check out the service.

I also saw that there were some anime shows from Crunchyroll included in the PS+ subscription (albeit the first season only I think).

@Antdickens I think this thread needs to be moved to the PS5 forum. Almost nobody posts in the PS4 forum anymore which has pretty much killed this important and highly popular topic.

Anyways as for PS+ I just got a month of Premium today! Looking forward to playing the games collection again for the first time since last October!

I got the typical notification to my PS App today letting me know that the new games have been added to the PS+ library. I clicked on the link to clear the notification and it of course took me to the library of games. I am pleased to have an opportunity to play Silent Hill 2. There’s a few other games that seem intriguing as well, but unlikely I’ll get to many of them.

There is something that’s been puzzling me though — when I was looking over the games in the library (now over 400 in number) whether sorting by “most downloaded” or by “best selling”, WWE 2K25 in at the top of the list. Second on both lists, to be exact. As someone who’s never held any interest in WWE, either the video game version or the real life entertainment commodity, this surprises me. I’m not really sure if I’ve underestimated how popular professional wrestling is, or if I’m just oblivious to how good the video games are. I’ve always considered WWE to be a very fringe sport (is it a sport…?) with a very limited and specific fanbase. Is there a lot of people who play the WWE game but really don’t watch the actual WWE events? Or is there just a high overlap of the small number of people who watch wrestling are actually also video gamers too? Or is it just the reality that WWE is close in popularity to NBA, Football (soccer and American), and baseball? I find that hard to believe but certainly open to be proven wrong.

@Th3solution
I’ve never played any of the WWE games but I guess at the end of the day some people, well quite a lot of it seems just want to release that anger by going giant haystacks on people.

As for current PS Plus Extra games I started Silent Hill 2 today and it seems interesting so far, I’ve never played a silent hill game but I’ve always wanted to go there.
Also playing Cocoon which is an interesting puzzler, quite easy going puzzles nothing too mind bending so far, the boss fights however are a bit trickier but they aren’t too difficult. Great looking game though.

@CaptD Yeah, i’m starting to wonder, have I been missing out on these WWE games this whole time? 😅
I did have fun playing Punch-Out!! in the past, so maybe one doesn’t have to be a fan of the sport to still enjoy the video game. Maybe you’re right about it just being all about virtual smashing and release.

@Th3solution I always thought WWE has a absolutely huge following in the States and a bit more niche over here. I think they do put on some shows in the UK too. Have no idea how popular they are though.

I sometimes play them for something a bit different, and it feels good to do a bit of smashing n grabbing. I played a UFC game when it was on PS Plus Extra earlier in the year. It was OK, but was never gonna go deep with it.

I used to love the old Smackdown games on PS1. Really easy controls and a really arcade feel to it, they were just a blast to play.

Creating your own character for career mode was awesome fun at the time.

@JohnnyShoulder I’ve always felt that pro wrestling here in the States is a niche market. I might be underestimating it though. I know only one guy who’s into it. He’s always trying to proselytize for it but all my friends and colleagues here are into NBA, NFL, College FB, MLB, and NHL. I know maybe a couple people who like UFC; it definitely seems more popular than WWE to me. It might be the circles I hang around in though. WWE is associated with a certain type of fan — usually blue-collar, rural, conservative. The Venn diagram for people who like WWE and people who like hunting and fishing would have heavy overlap, in my estimation. I could be totally wrong in my assessment though.

@Thrillho Developing a custom character would seem to be the most interesting part to me. Perhaps that’s the big draw for these games. But I would have absolutely no clue who all the other wrestlers are that I’d be fighting against. If I had to name a pro wrestler off the top of my head, I’d draw a blank after Hulk Hogan. 😅 I think Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson started there… and maybe John Cena.