How PlayStation Plus adds up

Sony Computer Entertainment America has released a pile of statistics for its PlayStation 3 subscription service, revealing just what subscribers got in 2011.

While the report might be coy about the number of subscribers, total revenue or just how many PlayStation users decided to stick with the service after getting it for a limited free period as part of their hacking apology bumper pack, is does report that subscribers have had access to around $1200 in savings through the service.

"At the end of the year the total value in free games and discounts offered to PlayStation Plus subscribers will be more than $1,200," said Brandon Stander, SCEA's director of marketing for the PlayStation Network.

"That doesn't include the convenience and access to features such as automatic updates and online game saves. Now, as we head into 2012,we're looking to expand and evolve PlayStation Plus to give subscribers even more savings and exclusive deals."

Subscribers pay either $49.99 for year's subscription or $17.99 for three months in the US, and it offers automatic updates, cloud saves, and discounts, free games, beta trials and full game trials to subscribers.

In 2011 there were 17 free games available to subscribers, with PSN titles Costume Quest, Stacking, Plants Vs. Zombies and Hyrdophobia on offer, and the total value of the list is over $200.

There were also 43 full game trials, a service that let's gamers try out a fully featured title like Red Dead Redemption for an hour before purchase, 4 betas, including Uncharted 3, and early access to 6 demos, most notably for Sony hit Killzone 3.

The service also offered 132 separate discounts on on games like Braid and Limbo.

According to figures from IGN, in its first year, between June 2010 and June 2011, the service offered 49 free games, with 17 PSN games, 21 Minis and 11 PSOne titles.