PlayStation Plus Update

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PlayStation Plus Update

Happy (almost) New Year! The PlayStation Plus team is gearing up for another banner year in 2013 as we continue to deliver free games, discounts, and access to events, betas and more to give PlayStation fans the edge when it comes to their gaming lifestyle. This week, we welcome PS3 Game NBA JAM On Fire Edition and PS Vita Game Chronovolt to the Instant Game Collection. You’ll also find deeper discounts with the last week of the PSN Holiday Sale.

Important note: We’ll be updating the PlayStation Store today (Monday, 12/31) due to the New Year holiday. Therefore, this Plus update will be live later today when the update has published.

Don’t have PlayStation Plus? Go to the PlayStation Store on your PS3 or PS Vita or click here to get access.

December 31st PlayStation Plus Update

NBA JAM On Fire Edition (PS3)

Free for Plus members

You don’t have to be a basketball nut to have a blast with this one. If you’ve played NBA JAM before, you know it’s all about fast-paced arcade-style basketball action. Of course it features all your favorite NBA players and legends, but with all the fun and irreverence that has hooked countless gamers and tons of trash-talking multiplayer sessions. Crazy modes, secret teams, and rock-solid online play make this a great addition to your collection. Take a look at the video above to check out a match up in the game in the classic ‘big head’ mode, and play it yourself to see why IGN.com gave it a 9 out 10.

Chronovolt (PS Vita)

Free for Plus members

Chronovolt is a puzzle-platformer with steampunk influences where players control the Chronosphere, a discovery that contains the energy that powers time. You’ll guide it through levels using all of the PS Vita’s controls including tilt, the analog sticks, and rear-touch to have a completely unique experience. Not to mention that by collecting power-ups known as Chronovolts, players are able to manipulate time, such as rewinding the game to save yourself from a fall that would have otherwise resulted in death. Set in three distinct worlds including a lush Mayan world, a snow-covered Chinese landscape, and a futuristic setting; PS Vita gamers will find plenty to love with Chronovolt.
PSN Holiday Essentials Sale (Week 3)

Various discounts for Plus members

The PSN Holiday Essentials wraps up this week with great deals on games you might have missed out on. Notables include the unique and completely charming Tokyo Jungle, Sound Shapes, and the remastered HD version of Shadow of the Colossus. Take a look at the full breakdown below:

Game

Normal Price

PSN Sale Price

Plus Sale Price

Batman: Arkham City

$29.99

$20.99

$14.70

inFAMOUS Festival of Blood

$9.99

$6.99

$4.90

inFAMOUS 2

$19.99

$13.99

Free in Plus

Assassin’s Creed 2 Deluxe Edition

$19.99

$13.99

$9.80

Shadow of the Colossus

$19.99

$13.99

$9.80

Bulletstorm

$19.99

$13.99

$9.80

Sound Shapes (PS3 and PS Vita Cross Buy)

$14.99

$10.49

$7.35

Sound Shapes (PS Vita only)

$14.99

$10.49

$7.35

TOKYO JUNGLE

$14.99

$10.49

$7.35

Skullgirls

$14.99

$10.49

$7.35

Touch My Katamari

$24.99

$17.49

$12.25


[poll id=”30″]

As the last Plus post from 2012, I also want to extend a sincere thank you to all those who leave their feedback week to week. Whether you’re excited about an update, or giving your feedback about what you prefer, it’s always great to chat with you all. With PlayStation fans like you guys, I’m looking forward to an awesome 2013, and I hope you all will continue to bring the feedback; positive or critical.

We’ll be back next week as usual, but make sure you make your voice heard in the comments below, and also make sure to vote in the polls. You can also delve into the PlayStation Community Forums in the PS Plus space to continue chatting about Plus, or find other great sub-forums to participate in and build your PlayStation community cred. See you in the comments!

PlayStation Plus Update: 12-31-2012

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505 Comments

7 Author Replies

  • Oh nice…I always wanted to try NBA Jam…just hope that there aren’t any online trophies if its true that EA is taking the servers off….btw that Chronovolt game looks cool,I’ve never heard about…this week has some great games at discount hu?….Tokyo Jungle is mine for sure.I was about to buy,for real thanks Sony for all your amazingness at 2012,I’m sure you’ll deliver the same or better in 2013…Happy New Year folks.

  • @258

    I don’t really want people to lose a job. All in all i feel like the plus has not been living up to its expectations lately. A red flag should be waived when week after week the highest rated option is nothing for me. Somehow Sony needs to step it up and solve this issue otherwise I am sure tons of people will leave plus.

  • Does this update count as January or December for PS+? Just wondering.

  • HEY SONY we joined PLUS as PS3 owners.. not VITA,,, SO 90% of us or more could care less.. so quit thinkin your satisfying the masses ,,,when your not… These games you choose to put on PLUS ,,who is deciding??? another reason not to renew again ,,,SONY your makin this to easy… i will pay $100 a year if its worth it.. i pay $300 a year to GAMEFLY,,,but with them the customers get satisfaction… not a kindergarten service ….gamers wiill pay $$$$ for services if their good.. where not cheap and were loyal to the brand…95% of my home theater and electronics is SONY..if you would like some intellegent and worthwhile suggestion im available…

  • Sony’s extreme emphasis on FREE content is giving people an unrealistic expectation of Plus… It’s basically a premium membership, much like Costco, DirectBuy or a fan club… Yes, you get some freebies, but more importantly you get exclusive access to discounted items (occasionally ahead of time)… seems that so many people lose sight of the fact that discounted purchases are yours to keep FOREVER… the free content is only there until your membership runs out, & it’s basically a rental, like MusicUnlimited or Spotify… so it’s kind of foolish to be upset about the freebies, they’re simply an amenity

    GameStop for instance pitched the PowerUpRewards membership to me with an emphasis discounts… the magazine subscription is enticing & initially caught my attention, but it wasn’t the best benefit… getting discounts and extra trade credit was more than enough to convince me… the free magazine subscription will eventually expire if I don’t renew, but everything I purchased while being a member is mine to keep

    Sony’s Instant Game Collection ad campaign seems to make most people believe the Free stuff is the ONLY benefit, when in fact there are MANY more great perks with membership!

  • Lol Morgan said we were gonna match EU this month, that was a sick joke you lying twerp! This month was terrible!

    SCEA doesn’t care about it’s customers, they should remember the NFL Blitz outrage and now they give us the same game. And I thought 3 games were leaving the collection and all we’re getting is these 2 crappy games?

    Also weak sale! Not only is EU getting better games but their sales way better too. They actually had discounts on new released games like Far Cry 3, Sleeping Dogs, LBP Karting while we get sales on games over a year old, that EU already got for free.

    2013 SCEA, you better wake up

  • Lol I wonder if people have yet to realize that 52% of people DO have something for them this week. (But I will admit that almost 50/50 is higher than usual).

  • Another pathetic Plus update. Sony continues to troll it’s North American customers. When will it end?

  • Just a friendly reminder to all: If you don’t enjoy what PS+ has been offering, feel free to vote with your wallet and not renew. :)

  • *sigh* nothing this week again.

  • FAIL Just FAIL! Can I get a game that does not suck for vita Aka Chronovolt! Ps: you guys have better vita games that this garbage! Or something other than a Sports game or a Fighter cause I hate those games. And that’s all you guys have been giving away! Also you guys should do a pick your free games program! Have 15 GOOD Games available each month and you get to pick 3-4 of them! With all games rotating and changing every month not keeping the same games free for more than 6 months LOL! The big problem I have is you guys give me things that I don’t want! And the things I want I already got!
    Step it up for 2013!

    Playstation player since 1995!

  • @251 pain of sparrow. Can you do me a favor you still have two world2 velvet game right.. try and see if the dlc works” castle defense” part it should int mp menu, Im away from home right now. i can not check.

    wen you get chance hit me a psn note.or xmb note. Also happy new years every one. Lets pray morgan resolute to not have any errors in his update post lol.. :) this would kill 25% of you the you among the blog. Also take down nothing for me, it does nothing for feed back, besides critic

    Mcbuttz78 vp psn legionarre group

  • @mcbuttz78

    The Defense DLC doesn’t work. Apparently the dlc is EU region for some reason, so it doesn’t work w/ the Two Worlds 2 bought on US store.

  • what a lame update, EU gets the better games.

  • @304 are you blind or just too stupid to see the overwhelming ‘Nothing for Me’ winner of this and last week’s poll? Not too mention the 2/5 star rating of the Plus update article? Its not just the 5 or 6 people complaining every week. Theres at least over 1,800 unhappy with this weak offering.

    You can keep kissing Sony’s butt and pretending they can’t do any wrong all you want, but the negativity toward Sony’s NA branch will continue to grow untill people feel they have actually been given something actually good.

  • I really want a reason to renew my Plus, but certainly not this week with this horrible offering. Even a decent holiday sale would make me renew to get the Plus discounts but you failed there too. Happy New Year, anyway.

  • Morgan- Ah ok I see, but under plus column could of been something else like blank or Already have nothing new, etc. Especially if its not coming back out for free. You can see where the confusion came in, Thanks for taking the time to reply and explain.

  • Goofus strikes again…

    You should have learned in Elementary school that 52% > 48%.

    Did you not graduate from Elementary School?

    P.S. – “Nothing for me this week” doesn’t necessarily mean, “I hate PS Plus and I won’t re-subscribe!”

    It simply means what it says – Nothing for me. THIS. WEEK.

  • @ Donkey

    Did you try out NBA JAM yet? It’s fun, right?

  • @312

    These spoiled kids will continue to rate the blog 1/5 every week there isn’t a big retail game. Instead of trying out the games, they’ll pick dismiss them as low-quality PSN games. How many times do you see Chronovolt’s 4/10 Metacritic score mentioned on the blog? What about NBA Jam’s 8/10 average? NBA Jam is more of an arcade game than a sports game, but you still see all these people complaining.

  • 48% – Nothing for me this week, No matter how you try to manipulate those statistics, that’s not good.

  • thanks for everything this year guys, here’s hoping 2013 is just as great. And i love NBA jam free this week, been meaning to get that for a while now. Couch co-op at it’s best. Best wishes for next year

  • @PrimeroIncognito – Actually, no not yet, haven’t even gotten around to download it, I’ve been spending time with family and such but like I usually do with most of these games I give them a try out.

  • PrimeroIncognito is forever alone yet can’t even afford $50 for the PS+ he so steadfastly defends every week.

  • Crusher201: “These spoiled kids will continue to rate the blog 1/5 every week there isn’t a big retail game.”

    Exactly. Most of the time you see a game being bashed by one of these trolls, we eventually come to find out that they haven’t even played it yet. Seriously, that’s hilarious. I guess they like embarrassing themselves.

    And to N7Recon, currently @ Post #265 – Bingo. You nailed it.

  • Are you guys kidding me? Over this year, you guys have gotten over $1200 worth of content for the price of 50. Now, you guys get another free game, and you’re threatening to unsubscribe? Are you joking? They can’t just give every game they make away for free to you, they have to make some money off of their games as well as Plus. This is baffling how you guys are complaining about this. If you don’t like the bloody game, don’t download it! I was about to get in on this, but I had to renew my bloody Xbox Live subscription, for 10 dollars more. THAT is something to complain about, not FREE GAMES! Sweet Jesus you guys are ungrateful.

  • @drQuibbles

    Oh I can afford it…

    That’s not a problem.

    But I don’t have time to argue with you trolls today. I’ve got things to do. Later haters.

  • que juegos de mierda que estan viniendo ultimamente, deci que me regalaron el año de psnplus porque no vale la pena hasta ahora, safo un poco con el bioshock pero despues cayo en picada. sony ponete las pilas!

  • @ DonkeyKongKilla No one is trying to manipulate anything. And yes I said I realize almost 50/50 is pretty high, but I’m not expecting “nothing for me this week” to be the lowest of the poll choices for 52 weeks out of the year. I know Plus is going to have some bad weeks, but what’s “a bad week” for someone else might be a good one for me and vice versa. I (and apparently a decent amount of other people) found this week to be pretty decent and for me it was the sales. And as we all know you can’t please all of the people all of the time. Overall I’m not saying that there is nothing wrong with plus, and yes there can be improvements but, it’s definitely not as bad as some of the people on here are making it out to be.

    @Ryumoau I’ll let you figure out for yourself what was wrong about what you said. If you give up and need a hint let me know

  • @310 thank you.

    At morgan haro & kim . please get intouch with top ware the makers on two world 2 velver edition .. sme dlc seem to no be working in usa., but work in eu . the dlc” castle defense” was region locked to eu for a short time.

    Thanks

  • @ yoko379 yeah It’s nothing new….and they have every right to unsubscribe if they’re dissatisfied with the service. More power to them

  • :sigh: was hoping the terrible updates would have stayed in 2012.

    What a crappy way to start the new year. Anything I hate worse than playing football on a PS3 is basketball with people who looked like they were made from Jib Jab characters. This almost feels like an April Fools joke.

  • And PSN/Plus go out of 2012 with a whimper.

  • Well once again, nothing for me.

    Here’s hoping next years better for NA’s plus, then I may re-sub.

    Other than that most of you gamers have already made good points that I don’t have too.

    Happy New Year fellow gamers.!

    Back to Farcry3 I go.

  • @ PrimeroIncognito – This game is not bad at all, Arcade style is a little of a bummer for me for NBA games. But the game I just played was pretty fun, I’m just afraid when I go back into My Career on 2K I’m going to try to go-tend and try unrealistic things like dunking at the 3 point line, (haha). I can tell just from doing the Around the world playing each time at least 3 times (I’m guessing for bronze silver and gold) this game is going to require some time to complete, Not bad of a choice this week.

    @BlueBl1zzard – Last weeks poll there was a lot. But I wasn’t directing this to any one individual. But sense they started putting this on the poll, Morgan said they didn’t in the past on a comment a few post ago, I’ll take his word for it. But I’m pretty sure it was the top pick almost every week sense it’s been put on.

  • INFO FOR PEOPLE WHO BOUGHT MOTORSTORM RC COMPLETE AND HAVING PROBLEMS INSTALLING. GO TO THE VITA STORE, AND DO A SEARCH FOR MOTORSTORM RC. DOWNLOAD THE DEMO NOT THE PURCHASED VERSION AND THEN DOWNLOAD EVERYTHING ELSE BESIDES THE GAME IT SELF FROM THE DOWNLOAD HISTORY. WORKED FOR ME.

  • Nothing for me this week…again.

    The Arkham City deal looks good but going to pass on it because I have a feeling it will end up being a free game and I don’t want to get ripped off.

  • forget it it didnt unlock like it said it did

  • @ Chico-Norte,

    Its not getting “ripped off” if you willingly buy it and feel its worth it at that price. Do a lot of people here just like to throw away common sense?

  • @nolo451

    If i buy it, and it becomes a free game on plus, I am being ripped off. ‘Nuff said

  • decepcionado! D: , esperaba más… dijeron que las promociones para los miembros PS PLUS de PS VITA iban a ser grandes y final estan dando un juego que vale menos de 4 dolares? y Chronovolt :S encima Retro City… ( a la cual le di una segunda oportunidad para probarlo y no me convención.) aunque se que al final para gustos los colores… pero no bajen la calidad del servicio tan bruscamente.

    Estaba pensando renovar mi suscripción … pero al final creo que voy a darle duro a los juegos que regalaron en el primer mes para completarlos… y NO VOY A RENOVAR.

  • And Plus goes out on a whimper instead of a bang.

  • I love how the blog post ratings are slowly getting lower and lower.

  • Choice #1: I get to throw a ball back and forth. Yay!

    Choice #2: I get to roll a ball back and forth. Woo!

    Believe the hype!

    Believe the sarcasm!

  • @ Chico-Norte,

    Yet, it still stands to reason if you bought it full well knowing that it could be free at some point later down the line odrdiscounted again, you still thought it was a fair price, ie, not getting ripped off.

    Though I see you can’t (or choose not to) understand that, I won’t try to reiterate a simple true fact– you wouldn’t have bought it if you didn’t think there was some value there. So no, you are NOT getting ripped off.

    Basic logic, you comprehend it?

  • Come on Community Managers, Why don´t make a poll and lets us decide what title to be on Plus…?
    any PSOne title is better than this…

  • This latest update has decided it for me. My current Plus membership expires in a couple of weeks and I definitely won’t be renewing until I see some better titles in the Instant Game Collection. Arkham City would probably have kept me going for another renew cycle, but as it stands, I’ll check back in a few months and see what the IGC is looking like then.

  • Wow… really? Chronovolt… the game that got panned by reviewers for being an all around pile of garbage. 40 on Metacritic, with the HIGHEST review being 50. 50! And then you give us a crap remake of a 20 year old sports game. You guys really know how to end the year with a bang, eh? Thanks for nothing, yet again, like every other week. 2013 is looking like it’ll be just as crap as 2012.

    You claim that the Plus staff are always trying to improve the service. In reality, it just keeps getting worse and worse. So here’s some advice, do the exact opposite of what you’re doing. Maybe people will be satisfied for once. Doubt it though, you guys are clearly too incompetent.

  • Pretty amazing when someone who is a “community manager” is not fired when they fail month after month to deliver decent games and not communicate to the uppers of PS+ about the lack of quality in the service.

    Great job Morgan! I wish I could have your job so that I can be incompetent and still be paid!

  • Mi suscripción terminó hace 5 días creo que mejor esperaré un poco antes de renovar. Quiero aunque sea ver un buen juego que cubra la suscripción. Sinceramente esos dos últimos juegos dan risa.

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