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Video game subscription services are a fantastic option for players who want to explore a wide variety of titles without shelling out full price for each one. However, it can be frustrating when a much-anticipated game suddenly disappears from the service. This raises the question: why do major companies like PlayStation and Xbox regularly remove games—especially their own first-party titles—from platforms such as PlayStation Plus and Xbox Game Pass?
Recently, Nick Maguire, Vice President of Global Services at PlayStation, offered some insight into this practice during an interview with Game File. He was asked about PlayStation’s tendency to delist games from its service. In fact, just last May, over 20 titles were removed. While some removals are understandable—like the departure of third-party titles such as GTA V, which likely had time-limited agreements—it’s more puzzling to see older Sony-developed games vanish, including Infamous: Second Son and the Resistance series.
Maguire explained the reasoning behind these changes:
“We've got 80 collections of games across the catalog,” he said. “So we want to keep it fresh and bring in new games. Sometimes that means taking a few games out at the same time to keep the proposition interesting and help people find new games as well.”
He also touched on the continued success of PlayStation Plus, noting that user engagement has “never been higher.” Although he didn’t comment directly on how the 2023 price increase affected subscriptions or provide specific subscriber figures, Maguire did shed light on Sony’s strategy for selecting which games to add. For example, the company often looks for “a moment to grow a franchise,” such as adding a title to the service just before the release of its sequel.
Additionally, Sony aims to include around one classic game per month in the lineup, though this goal isn't always achievable due to the complexities involved in emulation and optimization.
However, don’t expect PlayStation to follow Xbox’s approach anytime soon—specifically, launching new first-party titles day-and-date on the service. As Maguire put it:
“We've sort of stayed true to our strategy across the board, where we're not looking to put games in day and date.”
In line with this evolving catalog, Sony recently announced the new games coming to PS Plus in July, including Diablo 4, SNK’s King of Fighters 15, and Don't Nod’s Jusant.
