Summertime on PlayStation Store means it’s time for PlayStation Store PLAY, our annual summer program featuring a diverse lineup of new games and special offers. PLAY 2014 officially kicks off today (following the PlayStation Store publish) when this year’s lineup of games becomes available for pre-order.
Now it’s time to get to the new games coming to PlayStation because that is what PS Store PLAY 2014 is all about. The lineup features four unique indie games including two stunning PlayStation exclusives, Hohokum and CounterSpy, as well as Rogue Legacy and The Swapper. Got a PS4, PS3, or PS Vita? Have all three? Well good news: all four games are Cross-Buy across all three platforms. That means you get all three versions for one price!
And if you are a PlayStation Plus member, you will receive a 20 percent discount on PLAY 2014 games when pre-ordering. The pre-orders for all four games will be available today with the first PLAY game launching next week. Here’s the lineup calendar and prices:
| Launch Date | Title (Platform) | PS Plus Pre-Order Price | Retail Price |
| 7/29 | Rogue Legacy (PS4, PS3, PS Vita) | $13.59 | $16.99 |
| 8/5 | The Swapper (PS4, PS3, PS Vita) | $15.99 | $19.99 |
| 8/12 | Hohokum (PS4, PS3, PS Vita) | $11.99 | $14.99 |
| 8/19 | CounterSpy (PS4, PS3, PS Vita) | $11.99 | $14.99 |
That’s not all. If you end up picking up two or more of these great games, we’re giving you a bonus PlayStation Store credit. You can take advantage of these great bonuses based on PLAY 2014 games purchased or pre-ordered from July 22 through August 25:
- Pre-order or Buy any 4 PlayStation Store PLAY 2014 games to get a $10 credit later*
- Pre-order or Buy any 3 PlayStation Store PLAY 2014 games to get a $6 credit later*
- Pre-order or Buy any 2 PlayStation Store PLAY 2014 games to get a $3 credit later*
*Voucher code redeemable for credits will be delivered by 9/5/14. Voucher code expires on 10/3/14.
Phew. That’s a lot of information. So don’t forget: all four games are Cross-Buy, PS Plus members get a 20 percent discount when pre-ordering, and if you buy more, you save more. Check back each week for more information on each of the games launching over the next month.
@36 – LOL, too funny. Good one.
@94 – I agree completely.
This “too expensive for indie games” mentality makes no sense to me. Good games are worth money, bad games are not. Why should whether a game is ‘Indie’ or not factor into it’s value?
As for these maybe being in IGC or part of a better sale in the future. Chances are certainly decent, but you could say that about anything. Last of Us is $30 right now (about a year after release). Doesn’t mean it wasn’t worth $60 a year ago.
If you want to play something when it’s first released, you generally pay more. If you have a aren’t going to play it right away, it might be better to wait. If you want to play these games right now, these prices aren’t bad.
Also, to everyone blaming Sony. I’m pretty sure the publishers have 100% control over their pricing.
It’s not Sony’s fault, but PC sale prices have ruined everyone’s expectations.
Humble Bundle is the worst thing to happen to digital game prices ever. I got The Swapper in humble bundle 11, for $5 or $6 total, and it also came with Guacamelee, Dust: An Elysian Tale, Giana Sisters, Antichamber and Monaco!
Are you kidding me?!? They’re practically giving away top-notch indie games these days.
So again, not Sony’s fault, but I’m not paying $15.99 for The Swapper, even if it’s cross-buy.
Now Hohokum and CounterSpy both look like fantastic games, and since they’re Sony exclusive, they can charge what they want.
And I will be buying Hohokum at some point, if it’s not free in the IGC eventually.
I will be getting all 4…this year is the first time that the list wasn’t laced with either a title I already owned or 1-2 that I could do without. Thanks Sony!
Getting all four. Keep up the great dev support Sony.
Swapper is a definitely a recommend from me if you like puzzle games. I didn’t put it down until I beat it. The only thing I’ll mention, it only took me a little less than 6 hrs. It was one of my favorite games of 2013, that ending..
Rogue Legacy is a great game also, I put about 25 hrs in the game to beat it. The other two seem interesting.
I’m excited that Rogue Legacy and The Swapper are finally coming to PSN, but why are they priced $16.99 and $19.99, respectively? They’ve both been out for quite awhile on other platforms for $14.99. Why the increase?
I already have The Swapper and Rogue Legacy on PC (Both fantastic games). Definitely picking to Hohokum and CounterSpy. I may pick up Rogue Legacy again as well, it’s an awesome game. I’ll give them more money, even though the game is regularly less than $4 on PC.
could not press the ‘Pre-Order’ button quick enough on Hohokum.
Will also look into some of these other games, especially Counterspy.
*gets back from checking Store update* Oh, so there ARE XMB themes. Hnnngh…!
Such a tug of war in my brain between cross-buy versus “crazy overpriced digital item”.
Still hope for success for the games and the promotion.
Actually, Sony, could you do me (and your promotion) the favor of showcasing the PS3 XMB themes made available through these pre-purchases? I know it’s relatively petty (the lack of mention here demonstrates), but it’s an extra nonetheless and seeing what you’d get could seal a day-one deal.
@ SpooNManX (And everyone else with a poor premature argument)
The fact that these games are all 3-way cross-buy changes the value within the purchase.
How many different versions of each game did you get when you paid (not that much) less on Steam?
I just love how everyone who complains about prices fails to realize the differences in expenditures between Sony and Steam, as well as the fact that 90% of the time when people say they got a game cheaper on Steam, it’s a game that features cross-buy on PSN. Meaning, multiple versions… which, yes, do cost money and take time and effort to produce.
On top of all that, remember, they’re just video games. Quit complaining about video games, people. It’s embarrassing.
@113 PrimeroIncognito – “How many different versions of each game did you get when you paid (not that much) less on Steam?”
Depending on the SteamPlay coverage: Windows, Mac, Linux. :Kappa:
Yeah, different consoles (and the Q&A with them) take a lot outta dev’ing, but native Linux support’s gotta be trickier than “just run it in Wine.” (I’d gander that developing for Mac might be closer to developing for a dedicated device, given the much more consistent guts of those machines.)
Sounds like a pretty sweet deal and I’m betting this August will rock with those 4 games.
I wouldn’t pay $10 not even for all of them.
just as @ 103 have said..
PC games are damn to cheap this days.
@ TJF588
Right, but you know what my point was, wiseguy. ;)
How many people are buying a game to run on different computers with 3 different OS’s? Or is the purpose just to have all their customer’s bases covered?
Sony’s “Cross-Buy” & “Cross-Save” are specifically and repeatedly advertised as a method of picking up your game where you last left it while on the go and vice-versa. Indoor/Outdoor. Its flexibility caters to multiple lifestyles and is one of its strongest points. And due to the prevalence of brand loyalty, I’d wager that varying OS support is much less desired among established individual consumers, but I could be wrong. Just going by what I’ve gleaned over years of observation…
And do you remember the time when games were $40-$50, while the word “sale” was almost non-existent at retail?
Hey Sony, I would like Rogue Legacy on my Vita, but only the PS3 and PS4 versions are listed here. If I pre-order the PS3 version, will I be able to download the Vita version after release for free? The game is cross-buy, but there is no mention of the Vita version in the promotion, or in the store. Someone asked this earlier, but I have not seen a reply.
Thanks!
Chieh, do any PS Store PLAY deals come to the EU? Right now the EU blog hasn’t mentioned any offers regarding PLAY. I live in the UK and was looking forward to all 4 games that are on offer in the US.
The cross buy stuff is great, but preordering digitally makes zero sense because you are essentially temporarily lending Sony money. And there are no refunds if you change mind.
is it really true u guys are gonna make mine craft for psvita
Those prices… for indies…. just add ten dollars and you can have a better game with much more content and work put in it…
Can’t justify doing this right now. Not because I doubt the quality of the games or believe them to be overpriced. No, it’s simply because I have a giant backlog already and wouldn’t play them right away. So it would be pointless in that sense.
BTW, let the buyer beware: I very much agree with those who have posted about these being heavily discounted and/or joining the IGC a few months from now. Of course, it may be worthwhile for some to do this anyway. Especially if they’ll be playing the game(s) immediately.
I urge all of you to note the fine print in the picture:
” *Pre-Orders on PS3 and PS4 only. Sony.com/play2014 for more details.”
So if you have Plus, pre-order the PS3 or PS4 version (even if you have only a Vita) to get the Plus discount(s). They’ve already said all 4 games are cross-buy.
Go to the website (or just click the image) for lots of good info, not all of which was mentioned in this post.
@118 yes, games on Steam are cross platform. I can play them on my desktop, laptop or Nvidia Shield. Plus there’s a lot of games now days that are Steamplay meaning they work on iOS, Windows and Linux. It’s also not “premature” or immature to argue or be dissatistied with a pricing model. I don’t have a Vita or a PS3 so cross-platform is worthless to me and many others. If the reason there is a price mark up is because of this cross play them how about a separate price for the single console purchasers? Because this is a gimmick, a gimmick to get you to spend more money.
Btw this is in no way an argument for PC vs PS. I love both. This is a comparison of two digital game services.
Oops I meant my comment for #113 not #118
What’s the deal with the price hikes on The Swapper and Rogue Legacy. I know these are ‘new’ games for PlayStation, but they’re over a year old. I’m not sure if this is the dev’s doing or Sony’s, but it’s a bad move. The base price should be lower if anything. Good luck getting anyone intelligent to buy these.
Proof that gamers have mostly ZERO clue on the costs of development. Yes these are PC ports… & no, it just doesn’t take a “CONVERT” button to recode data to the Vita, PS3, PS4, etc.
Comparing these prices to Steam where development Initially Started? :/
I guess game developers should also work for free? Come on people, try to imagine the costs BEFORE jumping to conclusions…
I agree with @1 that some of the prices seem a little high… $20 seems weirdly high for The Swapper, and $17 is just a sort of strange price for Rogue Legay– but the fact that they’re all Cross Buy does make me feel a lot better about it.
I’m REALLY happy with this year’s PLAY though. This is a great lineup of games (I’ve been eagerly awaiting Rogue Legacy on my Vita) and I’m going to pick them all up; I certainly appreciate the PS+ discount for pre-orders.
Well all of these look great and I will be picking all of these and enjoying and broadcasting!!!!!!!!!
Wow.. This lineup isn’t all that bad. I’m actually planning on getting Counter Spy. I hope the next “big ” lineup is 10x better than this one!
People are complaining about how “indies are getting too expensive?” I’m not sure what people remember of the price of indie games “back in the day” but these prices seem totally reasonable. Especially for a gem like Rogue Legacy!
What about Europe? I thought we are in same boat with one flag “PS” :(
I love how sony Firmware team is just doing nothing to update the playstation to become better like MP3, External Hard Drive, Media playback etc, while Microsoft updates its firmware every month let me repeat that every month and all we get for being a diehard playstation fan is Indies and “System Stability” updates my god its so frustrating
I was looking forward to Counter Spy but I saw a gameplay on E3….and its another game released by “them” and I won’t support puppet devs such as that…will wait for Counter Spy to get very very cheap or until they give it for free on Plus.
Now The Swapper looks amazing….another game that may have slipped by my eyes,well I’m glad it didn’t….would like to buy at launch.
this is why I LOVE PLAYSTATION AND I JUST ORDERED A VITA RIGHT NOW I JUST WISH I CAN TRADE IN MY STUPID XBOX 360 FOR A PS4 BUT SADLY I AM NOT GOING TO BE GETTING MY MONEYS WORTH IF I DO THAT AND IT WILL BE A LOT OF SAVING UP BUT IT IS WORTH IT!!! BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE EXCLUSIVE DEALS WHICH XBOX DOES NOT HAVE, I WILL GET THE PS4
There should be a checkout cart option when you pre-order games. This will simplify the checkout process by charging the credit card ONCE. I bought two games and needed to go through the checkout process twice. How do we know when we get the credit when you buy multiply games on PLAY anyway? Do we wait until the gamed are released?
So no discount for vita owners since you can’t preorder on the vita apparently… no love, no love at all.
In which case to steam I go for rogue legacy!
Demos of these games would’ve been nice, so we wouldn’t be buying them on ‘Blind Faith’ so-to-speak. ;)
@138 +Wagz64 I’m with on the Vita thing, because it love my PS Vita too. If you have a PS3 you should be able to Pre-Order Vita games from there. If you don’t have a PS3, you can log onto a friend’s PS3 and do it from there, I’d imagine. Of corse, that would involve putting your Billing Info into their system and all… Damn. Nevermind. I thought I had a worthwhile suggestion at first. Forgive me. It’s a little after 5am, here. I’m going back to bed, now. (+_+)
@GoSpyder:
” *Voucher code redeemable for credits will be delivered by 9/5/14. Voucher code expires on 10/3/14.”
It’s toward the end of the post.
@Wagz64:
You can pre-order the PS3/PS4 versions via the web store. All 4 games are cross-buy, so the Vita versions will be downloadable at no extra charge.
Yes we could go get copies of Rogue Legacy and The Swapper on Steam, but guess what? That’s only one system to play it on. With the cross-buy, we’re getting 3 different ports. Being able to play the game on my TV and being able to continue from my Vita; that alone makes it more than worth it. Not to mention, these are all quality games I would have bought anyway. cross-buy just sealed it. If you have a problem with the way they’re priced, don’t buy them. Simple as that. These developers depend on us to be able to keep making games so I’m more than happy to contribute :)
Not to mention, you now own it, as opposed to only owning it while being subscribed.
Pre-ordered them all!!! Can’t wait to play them!
All four have been on my must-play list for some time, so this sale was perfect for me. Thanks, Sony!!!
Well, grabbed Rogue Legacy last-minute in my excitement for landing steady employment. The included static theme is a rear view of a knight, cape billowing, with gleaming sword raised at the castle circled in clouds beneath a red sky. (So, basically the main menu screen with player character art). Not shabby, though I’ll prolly switch to another sometime. At the least, the assets look to be arranged well for not clashing with the XMB (for example, the logo in the lower-left isn’t covered by listed icons).
Posting to each game’s announcement, for what little my blitherings’re worth, but while I’d like to buy all of these, I’ve settled on Rogue Legacy (won me over on PC) and Hohokum (which I latched onto strongest with its inclusion in the E3 2013’s PlayStation Home event, with the costume reward item). The Swapper looks to be my bag, but somewhat cost prohibitive, despite the art assets being prime for XMB theme’ing (dang, I hate to miss out on timed exclusives…), but in searching out game impressions, figure I’ll end up playing my PC copy. CounterSpy I don’t know well enough to dive in blind, and figure I’ll keep myself oblivious ’til after I start bringing in a paycheck.
So: Good promotion, with some wonky prices. All these look to be worthwhile.