Capcom PS1 Classics See Huge Popularity Boost After Dropping PS Plus Requirement

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Key Takeaways

  • Dino Crisis and Resident Evil: Director’s Cut saw substantial player count jumps after their PS Plus Premium restrictions were recently lifted.
  • Both Capcom PS1 classics managed a combined 124.6% boost in player count after being offered as standalone purchases.
  • Resident Evil: Director’s Cut’s player count spiked 164.9%, whereas Dino Crisis surged 84.3%.

As a long-time fan of classic horror games, I couldn’t help but feel a rush of nostalgia when I saw the news about Dino Crisis and Resident Evil: Director’s Cut seeing such massive player count boosts after their PS Plus Premium restrictions were lifted. Growing up in the golden age of PlayStation, these two games were staples of my childhood, and the thought of revisiting them on my modern console was too enticing to resist.

It appears that some fresh information indicates a significant increase in player numbers for both Dino Crisis and Resident Evil: Director’s Cut following the recent abolition of the necessity for the PlayStation Plus Premium subscription. These classic Capcom games from the PS1 era were previously exclusive to PS Plus Premium members, but they are now available as separate purchases on the PlayStation Store.

Among the notable features of PS Plus Premium is its extensive collection of classic games, spanning from PlayStation 1, 2, and PSP generations, as well as some PS3 titles through cloud streaming. Each month, Sony introduces new classic games to this catalog, with October 2024 seeing the addition of the survival horror game, Dino Crisis. Fans of Capcom have eagerly anticipated the arrival of this PS1 classic on PS4 and PS5 since it was first hinted at for PS Plus Premium more than two years ago. Similar to Resident Evil: Director’s Cut, Dino Crisis could initially only be played through PS Plus Premium membership and was not available as a standalone purchase.

The news that Dino Crisis and Resident Evil: Director’s Cut were to be locked behind an annual or monthly subscription fee of $160 (or $18) left fans disheartened. But fortunately, this decision has been reversed, and these Capcom classics can now be bought individually on the PlayStation Store for just $9.99 each. It appears that the change in plan regarding PS Plus Premium requirement by Sony and Capcom has significantly improved the situation for Dino Crisis and Resident Evil: Director’s Cut. According to a recent report from TrueTrophies, there has been a combined 124.6% increase in player count for these PS1 classics after they were made available as separate purchases on the PlayStation Network.

Dino Crisis and Resident Evil: Director’s Cut Player Count Spikes After Lifting PS Plus Restriction

  • Resident Evil: Director’s Cut – 164.9%
  • Dino Crisis – 84.3%
  • Combined player count uptick – 124.6%

In its standalone form, the “Resident Evil: Director’s Cut” experienced a significant spike of approximately 164.9% in the number of players, which is quite unexpected given that it has been part of the PS Plus Premium library since 2022. However, due to being exclusive to PS Plus Premium throughout this period, the increased player base can be attributed to the release providing more accessibility options for those with pent-up demand. In contrast, “Dino Crisis” saw a more moderate rise of around 84.3% in player count once it became available individually on PS Plus Premium just under two months ago. These statistics were gathered using data samples from approximately 3.5 million active PlayStation Network accounts by TrueTrophies.

In comparison to the typical 120 million monthly active users on PlayStation platforms, the increase in player count for both “Resident Evil: Director’s Cut” and “Dino Crisis” might appear unusual from Sony’s perspective. Nevertheless, data from TrueTrophies suggests that classic games thrive when they are accessible to a large number of players, so it’s a positive sign. With PS Plus Premium adding more classics in December 2024, let’s hope some of these will also be available for individual purchase.

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2024-12-05 19:03