PlayStation Plus Update: Guardians of Middle Earth Free; Karateka 50% Off

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PlayStation Plus Update: Guardians of Middle Earth Free; Karateka 50% Off

Welcome to this week’s PlayStation Plus update, where we’re excited to bring news that the Guardians of Middle Earth MOBA greatness will be coming free to PS3 for PS Plus members! If you’ve never tried this unique genre that’s taking the gaming community by storm, give Guardians of Middle Earth a download and see what all the excitement is about. While you’re at it, check out a handful of discounts on some pretty amazing games you may have missed out on for both PS3 and PS Vita.

Friendly reminder: The deal is on through March 4th: purchase a one-year membership of PS Plus and get three bonus months free. Current members can stack this value on to their existing membership as well. Learn more about the offer here, or click the link below to go to the SEN online store.

Don’t have PlayStation Plus, or just want to add more time to your existing membership? Go to the PlayStation Store on your PS3 or PS Vita or click here to get access via the Sony Entertainment Network online store.

February 5th PlayStation Plus Update

Guardians of Middle Earth (PS3)

Free for PS Plus members (Original Price: $14.99)

Take up arms in the clash over Middle-earth with the most powerful heroes from the greatest fantasy epic of all time. Form alliances with and against friends and jump into the wildly popular Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) gameplay. With 20 iconic guardians from Middle-earth, and new guardians coming all the time, it’s the perfect time to get lost in the multiplayer fray in epic 5 versus 5 battles.
Karateka (PS3)

50% off for PS Plus members (Original price: $9.99; PS Plus price: $5.00)

A beautifully simple premise with a fun pick up and play fighting system, Karateka blends old school gameplay charm with fluid combat animations and gorgeous backdrops and music to provide an amazing adventure with a ton of replay value. Are you skilled enough to rescue Princess Mariko with the fighting finesse of her True Love? Or will you need the power of the burly brute to topple the opposition? For more on Karateka, check out PS.Blog’s post from Assistant Producer Heather d’Evelyn.

Big Sky Infinity (PS3 and PS Vita – Cross Buy Enabled)

40% off for PS Plus members (Original price: $9.99; PS Plus price: $5.99)

Big Sky Infinity is a lightning-fast, randomly-generated game that adapts to how you play; which means, it’s never the same game twice. You pilot a spaceship that’s flying straight into an alien armada. The further you progress, the harder it gets, with giant bosses, streams of enemies, and unique events that shift the gameplay to keep you on your toes. It’s Cross Buy enabled, so this purchase will get you a version to play on both your PS Vita and PS3. Check out more Big Sky Infinity from the game’s director James Whitehead.

Knytt Underground (PS3 and PS Vita – Cross Buy Enabled)

40% off for PS Plus members (Original price: $9.99 $14.99; PS Plus price: $5.00 $8.99)

Knytt Underground tells a quirky and strange tale that’s set in the future, hundreds of years after the humans disappeared from the planet. Sprites, fairies and various other lifeforms roam tunnels in the underground. With a curiousity about their origin and the meaning of life, they strike out to find those answers they try to understand the ones who had obviously figured it out: the humans. It’s a beautiful adventure with a vast environment to explore and story driven quests that will keep you hooked. Read more about Knytt Underground in the PS Blog’s post featuring the Creative Director Nicklas Nygren.

Thanks for reading this week’s update. As usual, you can join the PlayStation community over on the PlayStation Community Forums in the PS Plus space to continue chatting about PS Plus, or find other PlayStation topics to discuss, or even start one yourself. See you in the comments!

PlayStation Plus Update 2-4-2013

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877 Comments

12 Author Replies

  • Initially, I thought this was a good update. But EU gets Sleeping Dogs free? Are you effing kidding me?

    Sony, get your s**t together in the US or you’ll start losing subscribers.

  • It’s Kind of pathetic of you all to be complaining about how you didn’t get the free game you wanted.
    Your getting an entire game for free,and all you could do is complain like little babies about ” I WANT THAT ONE INSTEAD,MOMMY!” I would like to thank Plus for putting this game up. I’ve been on the fence about buying this because I knew this would get on PS plus. Now if only I knew if they are gonna put PS All stars up there anytime soon….
    If you want Sleeping Dogs,Stop being cheap and just go out and buy sleeping dogs. It’s a fantastic game, worth the full price for me, and seeing as too how long it’s been out you all can get it for a discounted $40 or even less right about now.

  • So, Sony gave US the finger again huh? Yeah..I’m not renewing my membership.

  • Huh. Guardians of Middle Earth is only a T! I’ll try it! Wouldn’t have tried Sleeping Dogs. I’m happy to see some less-than-M rated games. I’ll give the Karateka demo a try too. Big sky… maybe. Thanks guys.

  • Yeah, I am discontinuing my PSN+ subscription if you guys cannot even come close to matching the quality provided by EU’s PSN+.

    Awful, awful update.

  • Would we get some good games for Vita too!!
    I enjoyed Uncharted and Gravity Rush, but since we haven’t received some thing cool enough (Ninja was good though)!!
    Still keep up the good work, can’t wait to lay my hands on guardian.

    Will there be any flash sale, Since Assassin’s Creed you guyz kindda stopped!!

  • another horrible game ..good thing i bought ni no kuni it will keep me busy for a while

  • Well this is a reply to all posters that wanted sleeping dogs or other great games that UK offer, I was like all of you before complaining and getting annoyed at the updates while other regions get better stuff.

    I just ended up buying UK one year plus with an UK psn account (you can play those games in your US account if trophies progress are your concern), sure there are games that US have already, but considering they change each month a lot of them and history has shown us that most of the times they get those big AAA titles, is worth it.

    So I just HOPE NOW that SONY matches in QUALITY but not GAMES or I would just have wasted $55 bucks for the UK PS+ that they enforced me to subscribed looking at how “not so good” the American ps plus games are.

    Ah and I just subbed to a 30 days Japanese PS+ membership, expensive as hell and low quality games but I am curious as to see what good games that region might get even if I barely understand the fonts.

    So practically I’m supporting SONY worldwide and if they start to send the same games for all regions I would be pissed.

  • @bamahollis88

    Don’t bother with PrimeroIncognito. Along with with a couple of others, he’s probably one of the biggest trolls on the board. I find it amusing that he mentioned that because the multiple European countries are small (in what context, geographically or according to population?) that they don’t have to go through as much loops as a “big” country like US and Canada. Laws have nothing to do with the size of your country (geographic or population) and if anything have to do with how long your country has been trading. Considering US and Canada are babies in the context of history, SCEE probably has the -most- hoops to jump through.

    Furthermore, different laws and economic boundaries does not explain the quality discrepancy, it can only at most describe why we don’t get particular games. It will never explain why we cannot find a single quality retail game to release that is on par with EU.

  • @bamahollis88

    Finally, one of the basic tenets of capitalism is the push and pull between seller and buyer. The seller will always try to maximize income while limiting output by as much as possible. The buyer on the other hand has a duty to continually push on demand for quality in order to increase what he receives for his investment. If you listen to these trolls and don’t complain, then what’s stopping SCEA from reducing quality even further? SCEA already has the attitude that they provide a service that others don’t (comparing themselves to XboxLive rather than EU’s Plus). We need to remind them that customers want quality, not garbage.

    You have to wonder how it affects him and others that people are demanding for more quality. In the end, he wins, so what’s his motivation in coming on this board and attacking the very people who are asking for more on his behalf?

  • This Middle Earth game is a joke and so is PS+! Ive been a subscriber since the beginning and + has changed so much, we started out getting PS3, PS1, and mini’s every month now I feel lucky if I get a game, it seems now ps vita is getting all the attention. You give vita owners 50 dollar game and give PS3 owners a dirt cheap 10 dollar no one wants to play game. When my subscription runs out I will not renew because the + service has changed so much its a joke now. im sad because + has so much potential but became very diluted and of all the posts I have read MOST are negative so SAD!!!! If SONY gets their act together (my suggestion get a better sales team) and gives me a game I don’t want to lose I will renew if not im DONE with +. SO SAD!!!

  • You SEE my USA Playstation fellow gamers. As ive said time and time again on here, you may be unhappy about teh SCEA PS+ service compared to ours in the EU but it balances itself out. We have to pay alot more for our subcription and games/consoles etc.

    But now ive just found out that its going to be March 2014 that we will get the next Playstation whereas you guys will get it this year. We pay more for less content on PS+ and we also get screwed when it comes to delays and release dates. We’re only just getting Ragnorak on Vita and its been out in the US for MONTHS.

    Things balance themselves out guys and before the IGC came to PS+ your service was MILES ahead of ours so dont fret, i GUARANTEE that SCEA will see you right in the end.

  • Nothing for me since Infamous 2 in december.
    Bye bye Playstation +, it’s definitely not worth.

  • Playstation Plus IS A JOKE AND A SCAM !!

  • DO SOMETHING GOOD AND GET US A BETTER NETFLIX INTERFACE !!

  • @JoeGoodsnake –

    In who’s behalf? PrimeroIncognito? Didn’t u see him reply before? He’s not a plus member, he’s still waiting for something to subscribe but thinks NA+ is the best out there. PrimeroIncodnito is the purest troll u can see, he just comes here insulting genuine subscribers just for the purpose of trolling. You can easily identify it by the way he talks utter nonsense and full of insults and name calling. I started ignoring that dumba** after he said he’s still waiting for something to subscribe but NA+ is the best, LOL. He’s pathetic.

  • @sab_krit

    I’ve noticed his quickness to react in insults, which is the only reason I say he is a troll. I’m not sure why he’s so aggressive, but then again you’re pretty aggressive yourself when you speak to certain users. This is why a lot of others believe yourself to be a troll as well, and to be honest, I can’t tell myself.

    Anyway, I don’t want to take part in any harsh bashing of the guy, or any others, regardless of whether or not they’re trolls. As easy it as it is to throw insults around, it will only end up making your own argument look weak to non-participating readers. While it’s entertaining, the drawback is that hardly anyone will take you seriously, or even worse they’ll start ignoring you.

    I’m trying to avoid that :P

  • Morgan – Had a few days to respond, either your too busy to handle the task, or didn’t even acknowledge it. Most of the time, your answer upon questions (most likely that I already answered or someone else) or good feedback comments to push them further along to get a game they already said they;d prob buy on the discounts. All in all, I will not being making any comments through you directly, I can’t take you seriously as a blogger. Keep up with whatever it is that you do.

  • I meant to you directly not through

  • Well at least this was a PS3 update.

  • Where is my Vita update this week? Why u guys give only games which can be played using only PS3? Even there is Vita only owners paying for this service.

  • Ok so i said to myself what the frak i give GoME a whirl . Guess what ? N ot only did it have some bug issues ……… ok wait one question , if we got it for plus for free and its been out for a while why in every game mode and i waited beyond the allotted time to connect to sumone and to my suprise (not really) no ones on wow i tried different times and nada ! So if any one here has it lets try a 3 lane .

    Unless this game is really that bad and not even for free no ones playing it idk tell me if im wrong .

    BUT the reason people are complaining here is not so much for a AAA title UK PLUS is getting but a quality game that doesnt suck or that nobody plays and or better discounts and to stop repeating the same sale items .

    IDK but the quality over all is really crappy as of late i dont know if you guys go that extra mile to bring your plus members great content or just plain lazy or just taking our money and giving us what you want .

    But i think its time to step up your game and satisfy the masses . I really love the idea of plus its discounts and games .

    Plus USA should be shining in the light notI UK ! SO WHAT YOU GONNA DO ABOUT IT ?!!

  • @WAR1965 –

    LOL! Good question. Answer is so simple. They are going to blame publishers and try to say that Plus as a service is too good compared to the other company’s service and bring another no good game for next week. :)

  • @War1965

    I like many other have no interest in this game and may not even play it or waste my time downloading it and for the past three weeks ps+ updates have been very poor despite our outrage at the quality of the updates. I reckon not many people playing it because its a mediocre game according to many of it reviews. So even though it may be free game that wont cause it to have a more populated player base unfortunately.

  • lol yea but wow i really did try it hoping to find people to find people to play on line with lol its a ghost town in there.

    Well i guess ill have to play against the ai : (

  • Hey i have an idea ! Hey MORGAN ! Get your team and gather up the plus members and lets have a play date for GoME !

    Unless this game really sucks! and the proof is in the pudding ! Enuff said true believers ! lol

  • Well i have to say with all the people complaining and the other members attacking the complainers this game has definatly justified it all !!!!

  • Just signed up for PS Plus recently, when I let my Xbox Gold membership lapse. Have to say, so far it has been great! I might be alone in this, but I appreciate seeing less mainstream stuff offered up at a lower price (or bundled in). Karateka and Knytt are on my list, although Knytt could use a demo first just to be sure.

  • @sab_krit

    well, in your case, only a kid (or a moron) has worse spelling and grammar than you. (you see those red lines under the words when you type? that means you are doing it wrong) honestly, i feel dumber after trying to decipher your unnecessary reply to me which still does not make any sense. you didn’t acknowledge any of the focal points i brought up in my post. the only thing you took from it was the last sentence where i mentioned angry little kids. so for whatever reason, either 1) you are indeed a little boy or girl 2) you are an adult – most likely a virgin – with the mindset of a kid and possibly a pedophile.

    if you are a little boy or girl, your parents should spank you. if you are indeed an adult male or female, you need to get laid.

  • LOL I think u are totally confused. Red lines under what? did u really think there’s a red line under? Check it out first, instead of making urself look like a moron. LOL someon’e really angry now and that’s u, which makes as per u a angry lil kid as per ur thoughts!
    and prove my point ur sentence of being a lil kid or an adult sry a virgin adult who has a mindset of a kid or what pedophile? Where did that anology come from except for one reason, ur daddy beating u last night making u a ret*rd.

    And ur last paragraph shows that either u r the virgin who wants to get lad and shows up his frustration on intertnet or a kid who’s yet to hit puberty and watches po*n to satisfy the inner appetitie. Either ways u need to get a life, CIAO :)

    LMFAO angry lil dumb kids *sigh*

  • @chuckd13 c there was no red lines are green lines with last post.

  • Hi!

    At first: Morgan and Sony thank you for these PS Plus updates. And now everything other. Last months i wasn’t very happy about games included in PS Plus. I really liked SFIV, Retro City Rampage and few others but that wasn’t enough. We would really like to get AAA games like EU did ie. Red Dead Redemption, Vanquish etc. And isn’t planned in future some huge discount for PS Plus members on bundles of HD remastered games? I loved playing Ratchet and Clank, Jak and Daxter and much more on my PS2. I would really appreciate that.

    Thanks.

  • Okay who here wants the free content to up to us: the members?? I’ve been thinking about it and I think instead of just releasing the titles without input from the members, do the opposite. Leave it up to a vote. I think if PS+ did this, not only would people be happy with the games that come out but also boost incentive to stay as a member!! Also, instead of the weekly updates as counting votes and releasing titles would prove difficult, why release bi-weekly? That way the PS3 only members have their turn and then the Vita Crowd has their turn!! I don’t know just something I’ve been thinking is all to combat the “how come we got that instead of this” and also to make it unique from EU and Japan.

  • @mhn5

    “No they wont put it up anytime soon stop being cheap and go buy it. It’s a fantastic game, worth the full price you can get it for a discounted $40 or even less right about now.” right back at you and most of us are paying customers so we got all right to complain.

    -Retro city
    -Foosball
    -mega man 9/10 (GBA version is much better than this crap)

    just look at the games they give us that’s why none of us is happy at all pure garbage that no one want’s to play.
    ill be very happy if they give us just one good game once a month.

    @Morgan

    if your having a hard time giving good games then how about DLC for new titles? i see that you completely stopped giving out dlcs

  • @crazyguy62

    PS vita owners are getting ripped off more than PS3 owners they need their own store and get free games 3 times a week just like us.

  • thats what I’m trying to combat with my idea. no one is going to get left out!! I know the pain of vita owners are feeling on the service.

  • I agree with comment 1…

    We want Sleeping Dogs lice Europe.

  • @crazyguy26

    we can say or ask for what we want..but Mr.Morgan over there don’t even care …its up to ps vita /ps3 members they need to stop putting up with this bs.

  • Hey Morgan, i know it’s late and im not sure you still read these.. but is there anything in the works to add video content to PS+ memberships? Like say a free movie per month or something similar?

  • @x–TkA–x sign up for netflix

  • I just want to remind those that are upset over this update that this services offers way more benefits than Gold on Xbox. PlayStation Plus is a real blessing to me a budget minded gamer who loves trying different games out and older ones that I never was able to check out. I love the fact we get early betas to try, games discounts, online storage, and the over 100 titles that I have on my PS3 that I may never get to play all of them through since I joined plus. I feel way better about this service than I do about shelling out $60 for Xbox live. Thank you Sony for making me a more loyal customer through Plus!

  • Funny how everyone attacks my character when their points have been destroyed. You people are absolute sore losers.

    Yes, I’m quick with the insults, because I don’t have any patience left for arrogant jackasses. I’m so sick of dumb people pretending to be smart. Definitely an “American” problem. You don’t get this from Europeans or Asians. Just accept that you’re remedial and get the hell out of everyone else’s way, please. And those of you reflecting yourselves on me, yeah, that indicates insecurity and a lack of self-awareness. Not that you’ll ever look at yourself like that, but still… whatever…

  • JoeGoodsnake, why don’t you try addressing me directly. And prove your points. The only one pulling stuff out of his ass is YOU. You’re the one trying to look smart. History hasn’t a damn thing to do with Sony’s business operations in the EU. Why don’t you talk about the hoops SCEE has to jump through. Go ahead. I’d love to hear it. But you won’t. You’re full of crap. The Euro is the single biggest reason why there are LESS hoops to jump through for any European Union segment of a global business endeavor.

    I’ve done consumer evaluation type work before. There is NO DOUBT ABOUT IT, that the laws that pertain to business, trade, and finances heavily influence EVERY SINGLE decision that is made in any industry, in any country, region, state, county, city, etc. There’s NOT A SINGLE DOUBT that the difference in Plus across regions has something to do with that. I’d wager everything I own on the fact that most of the differences in the offerings come from projections based on consumer reports and numbers already in hand. That is, when the content owners themselves haven’t anything to do with it, which is yet another piece of the puzzle, but somehow everyone always overlooks that and focuses solely on Sony.

  • I am really happy with this update. I was hoping that this would be one of the free games and finally PS came through. Can’t wait to see what will be free next week.

  • @ Morgan n co, thanks for the darksiders – really fun game to play. And thanks for the discounts on the Unlimited Bundles. But GOME is not a good update by any means. I tried it at least 10 times, n never once did i get to connect online to play. Decent graphics, n decent concept but being an online game, you would think you get to play it atleast to give it a try.
    There are so many games out there not even the new ones, some really great old titles to choose from. You guys can gives us Mass Effect 1. a decent game n i bet a lot of us havent played it yet.
    Would love some really good discounts on Crysis 1 n 2, BORDERLANDS. Hitman trilogy, MGS trilogy
    Heck try gives us MGS 4, Resistance 1 Crysis 1 or 2 just a few among many choices out there.
    Thanks

  • wow.
    thank God I only got the 3 months subscription….personal trial

    I will not subscribe again if the updates are lacking like this…..

  • To all of you complaining: How many of you haven’t gotten your money’s worth by now? What games were in the NA IGC that led you to believe that we’d get Sleeping Dogs anytime soon? Some of you are feel so entitled that you call PS+ a ripoff because it doesn’t live up to EU PS+. Big deal. Shouldn’t have signed up if the immediate 18 games didn’t at least pay off for some of that money you spent.

  • @ jaydub75, Are you still stoked about GOME?

    Lol, I’ve tried to play it 6 times, 4 of the 6 I was kicked, 1 the lag was so god awful that I just dropped… one time went smoothly, though, the opposing team were all bots…

    Really, getting this game as a weekly is salt on the wound. You guys knew it was broken, therefore you tossed out your trash on us poor Plus member.

    I don’t know about the rest of the members, but, I’m feeling really insulted right now. Last week, they gave vita a game, which also exists on the PS3. Than, they toss us a broken game, and say “Here, have fun A-hole”.

  • I just don’t understand why Europe time and time again gets such great free PS+ games. I understand that it is a separate market and that the relations with publishers is different than other locations, but it almost seems unfair at this point. Thanks for the slap in the face!!!

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