What began in 2010 as a relatively humble attempt to duplicate the revenue stream of the incredible money-printing machine that is Xbox Live Gold has slowly and inexplicably evolved into a service that has become one of the best values in the industry today. While many features of PlayStation Plus – including its much-lauded OS enhancements like automatic software updates and cloud saving – are certainly welcomed by subscribers, the real crown jewel of the service is the Instant Game Collection, a rotation of downloadable titles across all PlayStation platforms available at no charge to subscribers of the premium service.

North America

“ The stellar lineup included triple-A launch titles...

Japan

“ Now... the region is quickly coming into its own...

Europe

“ ...the same may not be true for Sony’s upcoming socially-fueled PlayStation 4.

The Future

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Three Regions, One Service

“ North America... provides the most diverse set of content on PS Plus...

Certainly, none of this is news to longtime fans of PlayStation. What is less commonly known, however, is that the content available in the Instant Game Collection varies wildly across the globe; where you live determines what you can play. Many fans have asked the editorial team at IGN PlayStation the following question: “What region contains the best value for a PS Plus subscriber?” Perhaps unsurprisingly, the answer to that question largely depends on gaming tastes.Generally, North America’s offerings on the Instant Game Collection blend a hodgepodge of older, lesser-marketed PS3 titles spanning a wide variety of genres (such as Vanquish, Spec Ops: The Line, and King of Fighters XIII) with occasional mainstream releases (Darksiders, Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition) and downloadable PSN titles (Double Dragon Neon, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World), providing something for everyone.Last month handed players death and destruction on a silver platter with the release of Dark Souls’ predecessor, Demon’s Souls, while this month presents the long-awaited crime thriller, Sleeping Dogs. The Vita’s April offering, Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice, was a competent port from the PS3 version, combining NIS America’s stellar translation with the insane power-leveling the series is known for. May brings a special treat to fighting game fans in the form of the portable version of BlazBlue: Continuum Shift Extend, which is a perfect title for those craving some combo-heavy action on the go. The largest frustration among North American gamers doesn’t seem to stem from the lack of content in PlayStation Plus, but rather the difficulties SCEA seems to encounter during weekly PSN store updates.With game prices reaching upwards of $80, Japan is definitely one of the most expensive regions on the planet to be a console gaming fan. Unfortunately for early subscribers to PlayStation Plus, Japan’s Instant Game Collection was comparatively barren for several months following its relaunch last fall. Though the initial set of games contained exclusives that Western audiences would have appreciated (the HD remasters of God of War and God of War II, for instance), the Vita selection left much to be desired, consisting of one title in the form of Sumioni: Demon Arts.Now, however, the region is quickly coming into its own, providing a unique value for players interested in quirky adventure games, Japanese exclusives across genres, and classic titles spanning multiple eras of gaming. The Japanese Instant Game Collection routinely focuses many of its offerings on the Game Archives section of the PlayStation Store, providing curious gamers from outside the region a chance to experience many titles that would otherwise never hit their shores.The Vita headliner this month is the yet-to-be-localized adventure title Time Travelers, and JRPG fans will be equally thrilled to learn that the first chapter in the stellar RPG series The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky is now available for play as part of the Instant Game Collection on both PSP and Vita.Though the European service started off slowly, it quickly picked up steam last summer, netting several major titles that surprised the gaming media and caused many subscribers in North America to gawk enviously at their counterparts across the Atlantic. Beginning in July with the release of Deus Ex: Human Revolution and continuing into the fall with titles like Red Dead Redemption, Bulletstorm, and Batman: Arkham City, the European Instant Game Collection quickly became the place to be for gamers craving triple-A console experiences on the cheap.Most recently, the European store has hosted Dead or Alive 5, Mass Effect 3, and many more, making the European Instant Game Collection the most ideal for those jonesing for some of the best triple-A action available on the service.Though each region has its own unique specialties, indecisive gamers will be relieved to know that subscribing to PlayStation Plus in any region is a fairly straightforward process. Users only need to create a PSN account in their region of choice (a fairly simple process that won’t be outlined here), and then the Instant Game Collection is just a single prepaid card purchase away thanks to the PS3’s lack of mandatory regional restrictions.Unfortunately, the same may not be true for Sony’s upcoming socially-fueled PlayStation 4. The status of regional compatibility on Sony’s upcoming next-gen behemoth is currently unannounced, with SCEI president Shuhei Yoshida stating after the new platform’s reveal that while he knows the answer regarding whether cross-region compatibility is allowed on the PS4, he could not comment on it for reasons related to PR.What is known, however, is that the success of PlayStation Plus is certainly not lost on Sony leadership, with the charismatic leader pointing out that services like PlayStation Plus will be a large part of the PS4 experience, though they have yet to share details with the gaming public at large. It would certainly be surprising - given the success of PlayStation Plus and the Instant Game Collection - for Sony to abandon this initiative moving forward.Besides, if the releases over the last few months across all three major regions are any indication, PlayStation Plus on the PS3, PSP, and Vita is going to be around for a long time to come. However, one question remains: which region’s content reigns supreme? Japan’s lineup is sure to please import gamers, focusing on providing a cornucopia of titles from PS1, PS2, PC Engine, and Neo Geo (many of which are still exclusive to the region) along with a few notable releases on PS3 and the portables.With cross-regional gaming more accessible than ever on PlayStation Plus, along with a variety of regions containing titles for a variety of different tastes, it’s never been a better time to game around the world with the PS3, PSP, and Vita.

Michael Migliacio is a software engineer by day, freelance gaming journalist by night, and Japanese gaming enthusiast 24/7. When he's not covering the eSports scene as a Staff Writer for Evil Geniuses , he can be found on IGN as angstygaijin or on Twitter @angstygaijin