According to one source, PS Plus offers two free titles in May, but one of them is not officially available in Germany. Because Dying Light is indexed.
Update April 29, 5:35 PM: The leak was wrong; in May we will get Cities: Skylines and Farming Simulator 19 as monthly PS Plus games for the PS4. You can learn more about it here: PS Plus in May 2020 brings 2 of the best simulations for the PS4
Where does the information about the new PS4 games come from? A picture was published in the resetera forum that shows the free games for May 2020 at PS Plus (via Pushsquare.com). But many do not consider this source very trustworthy.
How trustworthy is the source? User Adookah posted a picture of the PlayStation Plus games for May 2020 on ResetEra.
At first glance, the image looks like an official announcement. But it becomes interesting when you compare the image from the forum with the official images from Sony. Here you can find the differences:
- In the original, the period is also specified. In the alleged source, this is not the case. In addition, the statements are much too brief.
- There are also differences in the main font: In the original, the two “E”s of “Free” are closer together, and the “A” and “M” of Games do not touch.
- The original has a ® for “Registered Trademark” between PlayStation and Plus; this is completely missing in the source. The ™ symbol is missing in the yellow cross.
- The original additionally uses a completely different font for “PlayStation Plus”: PlayStation is bold in the original and Plus is kept simple, whereas in the source everything is kept simple.
- In the original, “Free” and “March” are left-aligned on one line. In the forum post, “May” and “Free” are not on one line and are slightly offset.
This is actually what is in PlayStation Plus in May: Sony has now announced the two free titles, and they are not Dying Light and Dark Souls Remastered. Instead, PlayStation Plus subscribers will receive two games, one of which is particularly “German”:
Dying Light and Dark Souls supposedly free via PS Plus
Which games are supposed to be free in May? According to the leak, the games Dark Souls Remastered and Dying Light are supposed to be free for PS Plus subscribers in May 2020:
- Dark Souls is an action RPG that relies on a relentless level of difficulty.
- Dying Light is a survival title with dynamic weather and day and night transitions. You play as agent Kyle Crane, who is supposed to infiltrate the quarantine zone of the city of Harran.
Here lies the problem: MeinMMO lists Dying Light among the best end-time games of 2019 and 2020. The problem, however, is that Dying Light is indexed in Germany, and therefore cannot be officially sold: As a result, sales pages such as Steam or the PlayStation Store are not visible to German users.
Indexing in Germany – what does that mean?
Why are games indexed? In Germany, there are regulations in the German Youth Protection Act (via Gesetze im Internet).
First, the games are tested by the USK. A classification does not always have to be clear: For example, Fortnite has received different age ratings on Switch and PC. Furthermore, Sony is not allowed to offer USK-18 titles for free, so you need to pay a small amount for games like Apex Legends in the PlayStation Store.
If games are not classified for whatever reason, they can be indexed on application or suggestion from the Federal Review Board for harmful media (BPjM). According to the BPjM (via bundespruefstelle.de), media that
- are immoral
- corrupt
- extremely violent
- incite to crimes or racial hatred
- or view self-justice as the only means of justice
What does indexing mean for the player? No advertising may be made for indexed games, nor may these titles be openly sold.
Shops are generally allowed to sell indexed titles, but they can only do so out of public view, so that children and adolescents do not have access. Rules also include separate rooms that are not visible from the outside. This applies to films, books, and computer games.
Additionally, it is crucial whether games end up on list A or B:
- Media on list A can still be sold under the counter or “on demand”.
- Media on list B are confiscated. This no longer falls under youth protection but rather under criminal law. Accordingly, it can become quite complicated.
- In addition, there are lists C and D, but they are not public lists. This includes so-called telemedia (electronic media). These may include internet addresses that are not publicly visible.
What list is Dying Light on? Dying Light is on list A. This means that the game can be sold under the counter. Sales platforms such as Steam, Uplay, or Sony do not offer such indexed titles in advance, as they cannot provide these restrictions or it is not worth the effort for them. For providers, it is easier to block games for German IP addresses than to expose themselves to legal problems.
If the leak turns out to be true, it is unlikely that Dying Light will be free for German players, and instead, we may receive another title in Germany.
What is currently available on PlayStation Plus? In April, one of the best adventure games is currently free for PlayStation Plus members in April 2020. MeinMMO explains why PlayStation Plus in April 2020 is particularly worthwhile.
