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How to Save the PlayStation Now Service

How to Save the PlayStation Now Service

PlayStation Now is one of those services that usually lurks in the background. Most PlayStation console owners are aware of its existence, but aren’t always actively interacting with it. Thanks to some mistakes, it’s become easy to forget. A subscription is expensive. The best games aren’t on it. Most recently, Sony announced it’d be cut back to only PlayStation 4 and PC support by the end of the year. But, a light has appeared at the end of the tunnel.

Sony has announced something rather big for PlayStation Now. Formerly a haven for past PlayStation 3 games, its world is going to expand and open up. It’ll soon also be a place to find PlayStation 4 titles. Which ones? Well, we don’t know yet. When? Well, sometime in 2017, though the test should be beginning in a few weeks. But we do know that the PlayStation 4 games won’t drive the price up any further. That more recent and topical games are coming, without causing a hike in costs, is definitely a positive. But it’s really one of many changes Sony should make.

Working on prices is another major factor. It is currently $100 for a year of PlayStation Now, or $20 for a month or $45 for three months. Now, the yearly subscription fee isn’t that bad. I mean, the Xbox Game Pass is going to end up being about $120 a year, after it launches. It’s the monthly prices that get you. Sony needs some parity here. People don’t mind subscription fees when they’re reasonable, but seeing a three-digit figure when signing up is daunting. Its next step has to be getting on the same level as Netflix, Hulu, and the Xbox Game Pass. Forget giving people so many subscription options. Make PlayStation Now a flat $10 a month, to make it more attractive.

Then, Sony needs to work on the library. The PlayStation 3 side has gradually gotten better over the years, but it’s time to make sure every AAA and beloved game from that console is part of the titles available to choose from. Then, when the PlayStation 4 games launch, don’t dally. Have the games people love most on there. The Last of Us and Uncharted 4 should be there at launch. Third-party games like Fallout 4, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and Dark Souls III should be present. Especially since the current rankings show people want these sorts of games. Red Dead Redemption, Mortal Kombat, Injustice: Gods Among Us, Mafia II, and WWE 2K15 were all among the most popular games. People want to play Mortal Kombat again, not some obscure, Sony-published indie.

How to Save the PlayStation Now Service

But the most important thing would be to try and get recent releases on PlayStation Now. That’s what could really make the service relevant. Imagine people knowing that, say, a month after their PlayStation 4 debut, games like Final Fantasy XV, Horizon: Zero Dawn, and Nioh would be on PlayStation Now. That’d get people subscribing. Especially ones with PCs, since it might mean the only way to play such games on a computer. Keeping up a library that’s not only comprehensive, but current could be huge.

PlayStation Now isn’t perfect. Most things in this world aren’t. But, it could be a forerunner. This could turn into something good. Now, we’re seeing some kind of fine-tuning taking place. If Sony continues to keep on the right track and improve this service, it could be a subscription people would actually want to acquire and maintain. That’d be good for everyone, not just people with PlayStation 4s, as it could set a good example for future options.

Image Credit: Urbanator

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