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Sony Now Requires Some PlayStation Developers to Provide Time-limited Game Trials 

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Sony will now require PlayStation game developers to create trial versions of their games. Developers working on games with a wholesale cost of $34 or more are now required to produce time-limited game trials, according to Game Developer. 

The news comes as Sony stated that it would update its PlayStation Plus program in June and provide new subscription tiers. In June, Sony will merge PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now, and its new premium tier will contain time-limited game trials. Additionally, the tier will offer classic games spanning several PlayStation console generations.

Sony Reportedly announced the new policy to several developers via an update to Sony’s developer portal. According to the new guideline, games that cost less than $34 do not necessarily need to produce limited-time trials. 

The trial versions would have to last at least two hours long. Developers have three months from the moment their game launches on the PlayStation Store to create a timed trial. Trials must also be available for at least 12 months to PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers. Developers can still propose Alternative demo formats, which Sony will approve on a case-by-case basis. The new restriction, however, does not apply to virtual reality games.

For all developers seeking to release on PlayStation, this new guideline appears to be a mixed bag. Larger publishers, on the one hand, are more likely to have the means to generate these time-limited game trials and will gain from PlayStation Plus Premium subscriptions. However, game trials may have a negative impact on the bottom lines of some developers.

One of the main benefits of Sony’s new PlayStation Plus Premium tier, which launches on June 13 in the United States, is the game trials. Access to a library of classic PS1, PS2, and PSP titles, as well as cloud streaming, are more perks that will be available on the service. 

New PlayStation Plus Cost

PlayStation Plus Premium will be available for $119.99 annually or $17.99 monthly from June.

What’s your take? What do you think of Sony’s new guidelines for PlayStation game developers?  Let us know over on our socials here or down in the comments below.

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Evans Karanja is a video game reviewer and features writer at Gaming.net, covering game reviews, platform recommendations, and new releases across all major consoles and PC. He has played games since childhood starting with Contra on the NES and writes exclusively from first-hand experience, playing every title he covers before recommending it.

He specialises in story-driven and single-player games, indie titles, and platform-specific guides across Game Pass, PS Plus, and Nintendo Switch Online. When not writing, find him spectating the markets, playing his favorite titles, hiking or watching F1.