One of the big questions going into next-gen is what becomes of current-gen services. Already, there’s rumors that Microsoft is phasing outXbox Live Gold to offer free multiplayer on the Series X, while boosting Game Pass with a ton of new games out of the gate. Sony has been slightly less revealing, but the same questions remain: willPS Plusremain a pay-to-play online subscription, and what will the free games of the service look like next-gen?
The same question goes for Games with Gold, but with thePS Plus free games for August 2020(Fall Guys: Ultimate KnockoutandModern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered), the outline for what PS Plus on PS5 should look like is more clear.
Fall Guys: A Small Game But With a Big Draw
Free is always good in the gaming industry, and the only thing better than a free game is a free game on the release date (setting aside the subscription costs, of course). Still, because it’s so new,Fall Guysmay see a lot of success in the service, similar to whenRocket Leaguereleased day one on PS Plus. Not a whole lot of games appear on the service at release, but smaller PS5 games doing so as much as it can would go a long way in the value of PS Plus and the monthly games.
Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered: Fueling the Speculation
IfCall of Dutyever had franchise fatigue, it’s likely not in 2020. The success ofModern Warfare, coupled with therelease ofWarzoneand even the mobile game, has brought the franchise to new heights.Modern Warfare 2campaign remastered just added to the fire, but as many look forward toCall of Duty 2020, it’s hard not to see this as a highlight ofCoDbefore next-gen. Even if it’s not, it’s an established game from a third-party, one with a widespread draw and appeal.
In short, the niche and larger gamePS Plusformula works, but some tweaks go a long way. For the smaller games, focusing on new releases (or at least newer releases) may make the appeal of those games reach a wider audience. For the larger games, established third-party games are great. Sure, there’s nothing wrong with the first-party Sony games like Uncharted, but moving onto the PS5 means that the wide array of immediately available games won’t be there.
The perfect model forPS5 moving into next-gen PS Plus gamesis to keep it fresh and new, something that many older PS Plus game releases have failed to do. August gives players something exciting on both ends, even if it’s not exactly something that players would normally buy. Of course, as more and more PS5 games release, there’s the possibility of more games than two being released every month, but that doesn’t seem likely within the first six months or so.
PS Plussubscribers get two free games monthly.
MORE:PS Plus Games for July 2020 Highlight One Big Fan Desire
