By Eric Stuckart
Creator, Destroyer

After nearly four years of free online services for the Playstation 3, Sony has finally unveiled their own form of subscription services, Playstation Plus. PS3 owners might have noticed the new service after today’s firmware 3.40 update in the Playstation store.

Gamers need not worry for now though, as this isn’t the same as the 360’s Xbox Live service plan. But if online gaming is still free, what exactly will gamers be getting?

In a manner of speaking, the plan will include various PlayStation Network games, DLC, PSone Classics and PlayStation Minis for free (for the duration of the subscription), as well as a number of free avatars and themes, features and discounts on various PSN items, as well as a free subscription to Qore, PlayStation’s online magazine, among other perks.

PlayStation Plus will also start offering “Full Game Trials” of some PS3 and PSN games, giving players the opportunity to download the full game and play it for sixty minutes. This also will allow the user to purchase the game, thus unlocking the trial, and continue where they left off should they choose to buy it. Currently, the first game in this format is inFamous.

The launch lineup of free downloads include wipEout HD, Rally Cross, Age of Zombies, and a bunch of free DLC. Keep in mind, these downloads only last as long as your subscription, which might be a point of contention for some players who are sitting on the fence.

For more information, go to Sony’s PlayStation site.