In an interview with Japanese gaming site Game Watch, Sony Worldwide Studio President Shuhei Yoshida responded to queries regarding PlayStation Plus memberships on upcoming multiplayers for the PS4.
At the onset, it was made clear that multiplayer on PS3 and PS Vita will continue to remain free of cost. He then proceeded to explain the need of a subscription model for the PS4.
He said, “We’re focusing on new services and online, like the ‘Share’ button I previously mentioned and the ability to play using mobile devices with the cloud feature. Our plan is to continue to invest in the future, but investing like this is not compatible with our previous policy that involved reducing costs by every mean to keep the service free.”
Apologizing for the additional cost to be incurred by customers, he said, “I apologize for the financial burden on our users, but on PS4 it’ll also provide early access to beta versions, free games and discounts like on PS3 and PS Vita. In addition to that PS Plus members will receive for free a special edition with slightly reduced functions of DriveClub.”
He also revealed that for those who opt out of the services of PlayStation Plus, all online functions will be closed.
Speaking on the need of a PS Plus membership to play MMORPGs, he said, “You will need it to enjoy online multiplayer. This will also depend on the judgement by the publishers, and there will be some free to play titles that you’ll be able to play without needing a PS Plus subscription, like PlanetSide 2 and DC Universe Online.”
How do you feel about paying for online multiplayer? Let us know.