PlayStation Plus to play big role for PS4

Sony has confirmed that PlayStation Plus will have a big role to play for the PlayStation 4.

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe boss Jim Ryan claimed PS Plus subscriptions had trebled over the last year.

He also believes the service will be very important for the success of the PS4 going forward.

"We're very happy with the service that we've been able to offer with PS Plus," he said on the PS Blog.

"It's been really well received - the value is quite extraordinary and the take-up has trebled over the course of the past year.

"We definitely see that as a core part of the way forward. We're not yet in a position to disclose our plans for the future of PlayStation Plus, but there will definitely be a prominent role to play for it in the PlayStation 4 landscape."

Ryan also confirmed that Sony would continue to support the PlayStation 3 until 2014 at least.

"Typically history can help us only so far here," he added. "We're actually still selling PS2s in regions such as the Middle East seven years after we introduced PS3.

"There are a number of reasons why the transition might be a bit more accelerated this time round, but PS3 is a very important part of our portfolio, certainly in 2013, 2014 and probably beyond that."