As most of you will be enjoying Hitman Absolution for free in Europe as part of the May PlayStation Plus update, we have some more fantastic news for you. The first details of what games will be available in June for the Instant Game Collection have just gone live. You definitely should be very happy with what is coming.

Without further ado, we can tell you that in Europe, Sony will be offering none other than ICO HD and Shadow of the Colossus HD as free downloads. The games are part of the ICO HD collection that Sony recently released for the PlayStation 3 and easily some of the best games that ever released on the console.

It should be perfect preparation as we await possible details on the elusive Last Guardian game at E3 2013. The game has been mysteriously quiet lately, and it would be great if Fumito Ueda and the others at Team Ico could provide us with an update or even better – some new gameplay.

If ICO and Shadow of the Colossus were not good enough for the June update, we can also tell you that Demon Souls is going to be available for free as well. To remind you, this game is the original from Namco Bandai and From Software and was eventually followed up with the infamous spiritual successor, which most of you will know as Dark Souls.

It means that the PS Plus update in June will be serving you with three of the finest PS3 titles developed from Japanese studios, so it definitely is the perfect time to subscribe if you haven’t previously tried PS Plus yet. As pointed out above, the games are only for Europe at the moment – there’s still no confirmation if any of these games will be available for the US PS Plus update in June, but we’ll let you know.

As a EU subscriber, are you delighted with these games as part of your collection?

With Sony about to drop Hitman Absolution as the next exciting game entry in the popular Instant Game Collection as part of PlayStation Plus, many gamers are starting to wonder what their subscription status will be when Sony releases their next-generation PS4 console at the end of the year during the 2013 Holiday season.

For those that don’t know yet, Sony has already confirmed that PlayStation Plus will be coming to PS4, but they haven’t gone into specifics yet on the full ins and outs for existing subscribers. More importantly – if their subscription to PS Plus will simply carry over to the PS4 for the same $50 per month or not.

These details are very likely to be announced at E3 2013 in June and because of this, we now have a situation were consumers are starting to hold back on renewing their subscriptions until details on PS Plus for PS4 are revealed. While Sony has confirmed that PS Plus will happen, we may face a considerable wait after launch for the service to actually become available.

Don’t forget that PS Plus for PS Vita did not arrive at launch, even taking almost a year to fully roll out. The positives of this are now there to see though, as PS Vita bonuses come at no extra cost and are all included as part of the same $50. Would Sony simply extend this for the PS4, or will they be making prices separate between PS3 and PS4 content?

It may seem too generous to think that $50 will get you free games on PS3, PS Vita and PS4 all in one, along with all of the other demo goodies, beta access and other extras that PS Plus offers. Multiple tier levels may come into play for the PS4 PS Plus service, which could offer a free game on PS4 for the premium payers willing to offer the most.

The worst case scenario is obviously losing all of the PS3 content, by switching to a PS4 PS Plus subscription. There’s also the issue of some PS3 digital content not being supported on the PS4 console – so don’t forget about that. If you are a current subscriber to PS Plus, let us know your concerns about the upcoming switchover to PS Plus on PS4.

If you are a PlayStation Plus subscriber living in the EU, we have some great news for you. Sony has given an early teaser of what the May 2013 PlayStation Plus update is going to include, revealing one game that will be added to the Instant Game Collection from May 1st. The service has gone from strength to strength in recent months and the latest game to be added should please a lot of you as well.

Without beating around the bush, we can tell you that the free game added to the EU IGC is Hitman Absolution. The action thriller from Square-Enix was only released in November 2012, but it will be added to your PS Plus rentals for absolutely nothing. As mentioned above, the game will appear from May 1st, but there will also be other free games as well – Sony has just decided to reveal one at the moment.

Also bear in mind that this game applies to EU only, as we still don’t know what the free game will be on the US PlayStation Plus service yet. Once we find out, we’ll be sure to let you know though of course – hopefully it is a game that is on par with Hitman Absolution, otherwise there may be some unhappy subscribers out there.

Aside from the unveiling of Hitman Absolution, Sony has also announced that a ‘declassified’ sale is also taking place as well. From April 10 onwards, a vast collection of games will be discounted from their usual prices, available for the lower prices until April 24 only.

Some of the games include Crysis 3, Alien Colonial Marines and the Splinter Cell complete pack. It’s also important to note that the prices listed here on the PS Blog do not include an additional 10% discount for PS Plus members on top – so take advantage of the deals whilst they are there.

For our EU PS Plus subscribers reading this, are you happy with Hitman Absolution as the free game for May or not?

PlayStation Plus may be going from strength to strength in recent months, but it appears that Microsoft are hot on Sony’s tail with a new incentive that they hope will attract some attention from current Xbox Live Gold subscribers. Xbox Live Play to Earn will launch on April 1, offering gamers the chance to earn some Microsoft Points back by completing various criteria.

While everyone had doubts on PlayStation Plus at the start, Sony’s premium PSN program has gone on to flourish, with PS Plus owners very happy with the free games they are receiving each month as part of their membership. We hear the argument all the time on how these are only ‘rented’ titles, but PS Plus members do not seem too bothered by this, especially when Sony are including big name titles for free.

This week, Major Nelson has detailed a new Xbox incentive called Play to Earn. There are three reward tiers for the new offer and they are as follows: 1: Play 20 hours of any combination of arcade games, receive a free avatar item. 2: Purchase any four arcade games for 400 Microsoft Points or more from Xbox LIVE, receive a one month Xbox LIVE Gold membership, and finally 3: Spend 3200 Microsoft Points on arcade games, receive 800 Microsoft Points in return.

The first tier seems like a great new target for that free avatar, but some of you may feel that the last tier isn’t too generous on the whole. It essentially means that if you purchase $40 worth of Microsoft Points, you’ll be given $10 back in return. At the end of the day though, it is free Microsoft Points for those that really like splashing the cash, so we’re sure a lot of you will stil be interested in this.

One important note to add to this, is that if you complete all three tiers, you’ll qualify for the Xbox Live ‘VIP Exclusives’. Details on what is included in this hasn’t been revealed though, so we’ll have to wait and see if this includes free games. You can read full details on Play to Earn at Major Nelson’s Blog here.

For those who have tried both Xbox Live and PlayStation Plus, which incentive program do you think is the best? PlayStation Plus offers free games, but Play to Earn is offering some free MS points back for big spenders.

If you are not a PlayStation Plus subscriber, now may be the time to join as the premium service is really starting to shine with regards to the free content that Sony is offering each month for your subscription. The company has just confirmed the free PS3 and PS Vita games that will be coming in the March 2013 update, and just like last month – it’s another stellar lineup.

At the beginning of the PlayStation Plus journey, some gamers argued that the service wasn’t value for money. However, since Sony revamped their system to offer a free game collection each month, gamers seem to be very pleased indeed with the quality of games offered each month, since one or two titles are usually of very high standard.

Sleeping Dogs last month was a perfect example of this and you are going to be pleased with the selection for March as well. If you have a US subscription, we can tell you that the free PS3 gamers on offer are Spec Ops: The Line, Joe Danger: The Movie and The Cave. Spec Ops The Line has only just been released, so that is a great offer you have to say.

For EU gamers, the list is very good as well, with Mass Effect 3, Dead or Alive 5 and Joe Danger: The Movie as the free PS3 games. The PS Plus subscription also includes free PS Vita games as well – US gamers will receive Disgaea 3 and Tekken 6 (PSP game), while EU PS Vita owners will get the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection and Puddle.

You really can’t complain about the selection this month, as we think Sony have done an excellent job. Just to remind you, PS Plus is available as a 90 day subscription for £11.99 / $17.99, or a 12 month subscription costing £39.99 / $49.99. A lot of gamers are already calling this the best PS Plus update yet and we think they may have a case.

As a subscriber, are you happy with the PS Plus service so far? For those that haven’t subscribed yet – are you tempted?

If you previously were unsure as to whether to upgrade to a PS Plus subscription, now may be the perfect time to do so. At E3, Jack Tretton announced that PS Plus members would be getting an ‘instant games collection’ package, bringing as many as twelve free games to the service that would sit on your XMB for as long as you are a member.

Some of the games on offer are of a slightly better quality than we’ve seen in the past, with the likes of Little Big Planet 2, inFAMOUS 2 and Just Cause 2 all part of the package. Sony has promised that the free games will continue each month, although we understand that the games on offer will vary depending on whether you are in the US or EU.

Amusingly, Sony has been boasting about the improvements made to PS Plus, with Sony digital boss Jack Buser even comparing the service to coffee. In a recent interview with GamesIndustry, he said that the content that PS Plus currently offers, all free games and the extras is value for money since it is less than ‘an expensive cup of coffee’ or ‘less than five bucks’ as he put it.

The math behind that theory is when you split the cost of a year’s PS Plus subscription at $49.99 into individual months. That is an amusing way of selling PS Plus when you think about it. How much do you spend on your average cup of coffee at Starbucks, probably more than five dollars right?

If you have recently subscribed to PlayStation Plus or intend to due to this new instant games incentive, let us know if you think the service is value for money or not.

Two days ago Sony celebrated its one-year anniversary for Playstation Plus and in order to celebrate, they have presented the fans with a list of releases that are coming their way this month and if you are a member of PlayStation Plus, it looks good for you.

Sony has unveiled that members will get ‘Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars’, ‘Golden Axe’ and ‘Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver’, also if you weren’t much of a gamer in 2007 you will be glad to hear that a full game trial of Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 will also be available. In terms of exclusive discounts there are lots to talk about, we recommend checking out the PlayStation Blog for full details.

Less important things to tell you about are the two dynamic themes and the premium avatar which will are accessible to PS+ subscribers. One of the dynamic themes is a PlayStation Plus Anniversary theme, whilst the other is simply called ‘Symbol Flow’, as for the premium avatar this is called the ‘inFamous 2 Bad Cole Avatar’.

Sony has confirmed that PS Plus members who have been there fore the start will have had access to content which would have cost them in excess of £700, that’s not bad for a single year, especially considering it costs as little as £3.50 per month.

And so the final bonus for the anniversary will be in the form of a prize draw which includes all PS+ subscribers. There are three prizes up for grabs whereby the first ($4000 worth of Sony Entertainment) is the most exciting by far. The second prize will be for three people to win a year’s subscription and the third prize is for 100 people to win a 90 day Plus membership.

Sony’s celebrations suggest that the see the first year of PlayStation as a massive success the fact that PS+ has been such a huge success, we remember when we first told our readers about PS+ there was outrage, has your opinion on PS+ changed for the better since its launch?

The news comes from VG247 and states that “In PAL, this demo will be opened up to PlayStation Plus subscribers at exactly the same time [as the SOCOM 4 beta demo is available]“, however VG247 do not state whether the beta access will be available to Americans who subscribe to PSN+.

PlayStation Plus subscribers in the US will be frustrated if the same offer is not available for NTSC regions as they will be forced to purchase certain versions of SOCOM 4 to gain access to the beta, surely this isn’t fair?

We will try and keep you updated with further details regarding the beta launch date and how you can get access to it when we hear more, at least we know that not everyone will have to buy SOCOM 4 to gain access to the Resistance 3 beta?

Will you subscribe to PlayStation Plus to gain access to Resistance 3?

According to a recent article over at kingps3.com, PlayStation Plus subscribers have a few free games to look forward to come January 4th, including the PSone classic (and a favorite of mine) Spyro the Dragon, western shooter Lead & Gold: Gangs of the Wild West and the exclusive download of Pipe Madness.

For those of you who are not familiar with the Spyro the Dragon title, it’s a popular platform game – developed by Insomniac Games and first released back in 1998 – that features the young purple dragon named Spyro and his dragonfly friend, Sparx.

As reported by Grace Chen (Senior Manager of PlayStation Store) over at blog.us.playstation.com, the Lead & Gold: Gangs of the Wild West is a third person multiplayer shooter set in the Wild West. The PlayStation Plus update will also bring a free Underwater Disco Theme, and a Rival School Avatar Bundle.

You can read more about the upcoming update via the US PS Blog here. Are you a PlayStation Plus subscriber? If you are, what game are you most looking forward to in the update?

As reported from Joystiq, Sony has just posted an update on their US PlayStation Blog, confirming that the beta will be available for every PS Plus subscriber, and not a selected few which often happens to the frustration of many.

Sony hasn’t given an exact date and time for the beta, but they have said that it will be available very soon. They have also said that players will be able to create their own villain as well as a superhero in the beta, so least you’ll have that option.

What are your thoughts on the upcoming beta? Have you been keeping an eye on development for DC Universe Online? Suddenly that $50 PS Plus subscription price doesn’t seem too harsh, with all the regular goodies that Sony keeps offering. Will you now subscribe to play this or not?