Digital downloads of full retail PS3 games are becoming more and more common on the PlayStation Network, but it’s still very rare to see games simultaneously distributed on Blu-ray and the PlayStation Store on the first day of release. Mass Effect 3 and Borderlands 2 come to mind, but there haven’t been too many others that I can recall off the top of my hand. Sony’s changing that, at least for one month.
Eight of this fall’s top third-party games, all bunched up for October launches, will be releasing day and date on PSN and Blu-ray as part of a new program called PSN Day 1 Digital. So, for example, when Resident Evil 6 drops on store shelves next Tuesday, you’ll be able to download the game from home without having to hit up the nearest GameStop, Best Buy, or Walmart (or wherever you buy your games from) or order online and have to wait for the shipping. You’ll be able to do the same with other games like Dishonored, Medal of Honor: Warfighter and Assassin’s Creed III, to name a few.
Here’s the complete Day 1 Digital schedule:
· Resident Evil 6 (Available for download on October 2 – $59.99)
· NBA 2K13 (Available for download on October 2 – $59.99/$53.99 for PLUS members, with pre-order)
· Dishonored (Available for download on October 9 – $59.99/$53.99 for PLUS members, with pre-order)
· DOOM 3: BFG Edition (Available for download on October 16 – $39.99/$35.99 for PLUS members, with pre-order)
· 007: Legends (Available for download on October 16 – $59.99)
· Medal Of Honor: Warfighter (Available for download on October 23 – $59.99)
· Need For Speed: Most Wanted (Available for download on October 30 – $59.99/$53.99 for PLUS members, with pre-order)
· Assassin’s Creed III (Available for download on October 30 – $59.99)
As you likely noticed, select titles will be available to pre-order, and during the first week of availability those same titles will be available at a 10% discount for PlayStation Plus subscribers. That’ll knock six bucks off the price tag.
Sony’s slyly using the Day 1 Digital program to push its new PS3 models as well:
“Additionally, with our new PlayStation 3 models on the horizon offering up to 500GB of storage, there’s never been a better time to experience PS3 games digitally through PSN,” says Jack Buser, Senior Director, PlayStation Digital Platforms, SCEA.
Whatcha think? Will you be buying any of these games digitally or are you sticking with Blu-ray?
Matt Litten is a 28 year old from-the-womb gamer turned video game reviewer/blogger and current editor/owner/operator of VGBlogger.com. Matt got his first taste of gaming as a youngster on the NES and Atari, and the rest is history from there.
In 2004, three years removed from high school and still looking for a career direction in life, Matt landed his first gig in the video game review business writing for the now-defunct website BonusStage.com. After the sad and untimely close of BonusStage, the former staff went on to found VGBlogger.com, and after a short stint as US Site Manager for AceGamez Matt turned his attention to VGBlogger, and to this day is dedicated to making it one of the top video game blogs in all the blogosphere.
Matt is a fair-minded reviewer and lover of games of all platforms and types, big or small, hyped or niche, big-budget or indie. But that doesn't mean he will let poor games slide without a good thrashing when necessary. 
