Welcome to Quark’s Corner, where I delve into the video game world and express my (sometimes controversial) opinions on different topics in the industry.
This latest Quark’s Corner was going to start with a disclaimer explaining that I’ve had a slight bias towards Sony recently. However, I really do not believe it matters. Before I get to my opinion on PlayStation Plus and Xbox Games with Gold, I should probably break each one down.
PlayStation Plus
PS+, launched in 2011, was the first of these two services. Each month, “free” games would be released throughout the month that the subscriber would be able to download and play during the duration of their PlayStation Plus subscription. Subscribers would also get weekly deals on games. Basically,the “free” games and games bought via the discount were on loan, they couldn’t be played after the PS+ subscription ran out. As of July 2014, Sony will release six games a month for PS+ than can be downloaded all month long. Two for the PS3, two for the PS4 and two for the PS Vita.
Games with Gold
Launched in June of 2014, Xbox Games with Gold releases four “free” games a month for the Xbox One and two for the Xbox 360. However, the “free” games on Xbox 360 can be played forever, even once the owners’ Xbox Gold runs out. On the Xbox One, the “loaning” model used by PS+ is used. Discounts are also offered via Xbox Gold, and those games can be kept unlike PS+.
Which is better?
I love my Xbox 360 and think its one of the best consoles of all time, even better than the PS2…and I think Games with Gold is the lamest concept conceived in gaming in the past year. Considering Games with Gold was announced around the weird time the Xbox One was being revealed, with all its odd policies, it’s no wonder it took a year for Games with Gold to finally become decent. Furthermore, I’ve never met someone who wasn’t an internet troll, who could say that Games with Gold was better than PS+. My argument, if that day ever comes where I need to defend PS+, I simply have to say “I got Bioshock Infinite, the 2013 Game of the Year, while you got Halo 3, the 2007 Game of the Year. I was still in middle school when it came out and I’m a junior in college now.”
Halo 3 is still one the best games of all time though…
Some may try to justify that getting a seven-year old game from Games with Gold is better than games in PS+ because you actually own it. But then I just think of the pricing, and as a broke college kid, I’d rather pay to loan the 100+ games than own old as shit ones. Considering Games with Gold is $60 bucks a year compared to $50 bucks for PS+, and I’m getting six games every month, plus access to all my previous PS+ downloads, the people who are okay with getting Rainbow Six Vegas for free are simply Xbox fan boys to the max who would die for the green and white. It blows my mind that people would rather pay more for less, just because you own it. Yes, because I was FIENDING to own Rainbow Six Vegas, so it can sit and take up hard drive space, when I can buy it at GameStop for LITERALLY $0.99. With that said….I think it’s clear to see which service I find superior.
