Summary
Some new data suggests thatDino CrisisandResident Evil: Director’s Cuthave seen massive upticks in player count after the recent removal of thePlayStation Plus Premiumsubscription requirement. The two Capcom PS1 classics were previously accessible only toPS Plus Premiummembers, but they have since been made available as standalone purchases on the PlayStation Store.
One of PS Plus Premium’s most prominent offerings is its classics catalog, which features emulated games from the PS1, PS2, and PSP generations, as well as some PS3 titles via cloud streaming. Sony adds new classic games to the catalog every month, withOctober 2024 bringingDino Crisisto PS Plus Premium.Dino Crisiswas first teased for PS Plus Premium over two years ago, so Capcom fans were excited to finally revisit the PS1 survival horror classic on PS4 and PS5. Much likeResident Evil: Director’s Cut, though,Dino Crisiscould only be played via PS Plus Premium initially and offered no standalone purchase options.
LockingDino CrisisandResident Evil: Director’s Cutbehind a $160 annual (or $18 monthly) subscription fee came as a huge disappointment to fans. Thankfully, this decision was recently backtracked and theCapcom classics were made available as standalone purchases on the PlayStation Storefor $9.99 each. It seems that Sony and Capcom reversing course on the PS Plus Premium requirement has worked wonders forDino CrisisandResident Evil: Director’s Cut, as a newreport from TrueTrophiesreveals that thePS1 classics saw a combined 124.6% player count boostafter being offered as separate PSN purchases.
Dino Crisis and Resident Evil: Director’s Cut Player Count Spikes After Lifting PS Plus Restriction
When looked at in isolation,Resident Evil: Director’s Cutsaw a whopping164.9% increase in player count, which is rather surprising since the Capcom classic has been on PS Plus Premium since 2022. However,Resident Evil: Director’s Cutwas restricted to PS Plus Premium the whole time, so the higher player volume is likely a result of pent-up demand for expanded access. Meanwhile,Dino Crisiswas a big hit on PS Plus Premiumless than two months ago, so it saw a milder84.3% jump in player countonce it was available à la carte. TrueTrophies obtained these metrics using sample data from 3.5 million active PSN accounts.
The sample size is a far cry from the usual 120 million monthly active users on PlayStation platforms, so the player count upticks forResident Evil: Director’s CutandDino Crisismay look different on Sony’s end. Regardless, TrueTrophies' data is a good indicator of classic games flourishing when they’re available to as many players as possible. WithPS Plus Premium adding another exciting round of classics in December 2024, one can only hope they’ll also be available as standalone purchases.
PlayStation 5
Sony’s PlayStation 5 is part of the ninth console generation and debuted with a launch lineup that included Demon’s Souls and Astro’s Playroom. The console comes with a Blu-ray disc, although a digital-only edition is also available for a cheaper price.
