Playstation Plus released and Firmware 3.40

[TonyBest]

Sony have released firmware 3.40 for the Playstation 3 today which comes with compatibility for their new premium service named Playstation Plus, which gives a list of features including:

Games & Special Offers – access to great games every month worth over £200 a year, exclusive discount on PlayStation Store and early access to demos and beta trails.
Exclusive Content – download and keep loads of new and exclusive premium avatars, dynamic themes and game add-ons.
Full Game Trial – Try full games each month for a limited period before you decide whether to buy them.
Automatic Download – Set your PS3 to automatically wake up, download and install all of your game updates, new game demos and even download the latest system software. All without you lifting a finger.
Limited Special Offer – To celebrate the launch of PlayStation Plus we are also offering users the chance to get hold of LittleBigPlanet completely free. Simply sign up for a 1 year membership between now (29th) and the 3rd August 2010 and a downloadable copy of the award winning PS3 game is yours to keep forever.

Not only that but the firmware update has brought these features:

Photo Gallery: A new network based photo sharing feature is now available on the Photo Gallery. The enhancement allows you to upload, browse and comment on photos on Facebook and Picasa. You can also opt to share your photos between your PlayStation Network friends as well as print photos from Photo Gallery.
Video Editor & Uploader: Video Editor and Uploader is a new function found on the XrossMediaBar (XMB), which enables you to edit, save and upload video files stored on the PS3 system to sites such as Facebook or YouTube.
PlayStation Store Five Star Rating Support: Users can now rate PlayStation Store content they have purchased with one to five star ratings.
Power Save Settings: The default setting for PS3 System Auto-Off will be set at 2 hours, providing you with additional power save options and further improving power save features on the PS3 system.

Also released on the same day is Firmware update 6.30 for the PSP

(Note: Sorry about this empty thread again, HxF had an error when i was making the post, but luckily i posted the topic again under the same name. Also all information in bulletpoint form is from www.blog.eu.playstation.com)

[Moh]

Good to see that it's only a premium service and offers a lot more than xbox live :)

Once I get some money, I'll be sure to buy this :D

[Meanies]

so how much is it actually going to be, cant see a price anywhere :(

[Judge Judy]

3 months = £11.99
Year = £39.99

It's on the store now.

Will get it when I have some money. Demolition Derby is on there!11

[Geraint]

I don't see the point in it all really. I hardly use PS store and all the games I play I have on disc. It's not like they've stopped PSN so I'm not going to buy it.

[dbgtz]

half the stuff theyre offering i have already :l Only thing I want is auto download but that's not worth £40 a year.

[Stitch]

The only stuff I already had this month was the LBP theme and the Locoroco costumes (and LBP full game if that counts as this month).

[Neil]

The "limited special offer" is just stupid, surely if you have a PS3 and actually cared then it's almost certain you have LBP by now?

[dbgtz]

yeah but the idea is because it has so much dlc, if they show you its good then youll buy dlc
plus i think the name puts alot of people off, it did for me at first.

[Neil]

yeah but the idea is because it has so much dlc, if they show you its good then youll buy dlc
plus i think the name puts alot of people off, it did for me at first.

People put of by the name of a game should not be allowed to play games.
I bet you haven't played a single Katamari game then. ¬¬
That doesn't really answer my post much, if anyone cared about LBP by this point, they would have it, just Sony being cheap to be honest.

[Fez]

Sony selling this on potential, which it does have.

[Jam]

From most forums and comments sections, this seems as if it won't get many sales. I can see Sony dropping free online for their next home console, they will learn from both this and M$ that they can charge for online and 'get away' with it.

[Fez]

From most forums and comments sections, this seems as if it won't get many sales. I can see Sony dropping free online for their next home console, they will learn from both this and M$ that they can charge for online and 'get away' with it.

They're not charging for playing online, if they did, I don't know what would happen.

[Jam]

Yeah but that's the point. M$ charge their customers £40 on the premise of online play. Sony are selling this on the basis of a few near pointless features and delaying demos for those who don't cough up. This will go down the ****ter and come next gen, only Nintendo with their fun fun family games will be offering free online. Not that Sony will lose any money, because nothing has been developed.

[Neil]

They're not charging for playing online, if they did, I don't know what would happen.

If they charged for online it would happen like this.

- Sony fanboys will RAGE
- MS Fanboys will LOL
- Sony fanboys will give in and pay
- PSN will no longer suck and will actually stand a small chance against XBL

[samsaBEAR]

From most forums and comments sections, this seems as if it won't get many sales. I can see Sony dropping free online for their next home console, they will learn from both this and M$ that they can charge for online and 'get away' with it.
Sony won't get away with it because their consumers are used to playing free online. If I was a Sony customer, and they announced that we'd have to pay for online, I'd probably cut my losses and get an xbox

[Fez]

70,000 UK subscribers, from what I'm hearing. Good number for such a small fraction of the world.

Neil is right though, if Sony charged for online play, they could improve it more often instead of every 4 months. Would become truly equal with Xbox live.

I subscribed today, loving all the stuff I'm getting.