Game developers are reportedly now required to create timed game demos for PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers. Going forward, any game that costs $34 or higher must have an accompanying game trial for Sony's subscription service that lasts for at least 2 hours.
According to a report from Game Developer, many studios received this news in a new update in Sony's developer portal and were reportedly not provided any previous communication about such a change. This new policy doesn't apply retroactively or at all to PlayStation VR games. However, developers who plan to launch PlayStation games in the future will have to adhere to these updated guidelines.
Developers reportedly have up to three months from the release of their games to put out a timed trial and they are required to be available on PlayStation's subscription service at a minimum of 12 months.
Custom game demos for the service will reportedly be considered, but it seems like Sony will only approve them on an individual basis. This new policy is also separate from normal demos and developers are still allowed to pursue initiatives like free-to-play weekends for all PlayStation owners.
Sony announced its rebranded subscription service last month and unveiled the three new tiers for PlayStation Plus. It's set to launch next month in Asian markets (excluding Japan) on May 23. Japan soon follows on June 1, with the Americas on June 13 and Europe on June 22.
George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @yinyangfooey
