Joining the growing number of video game developers and publishers who are developing initiatives to support players staying at home and “flattening the curve”, Sony Interactive Entertainment has this morning detailed their three-part Play at Home (#PlayAtHome) program. This initiative includes a charitable donation, free games for PlayStation 4 console owners and further monetary support for independent developers.
$100 Million Charitable Donation
Through the Sony Corporation’s $100 million COVID-19 global relief fund, Sony Interactive Entertainment plans to “help those on the front lines against this pandemic, support children and educators working remotely, and provide assistance to the creative community”.
This relief fund was first announced earlier in the month, with more details on how the funds initially went to use HERE.
Free Games!
Hoping to “make those occasionally dull moments more exciting”, Sony Interactive Entertainment will be offering both Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection and Journey on the PlayStation 4 entirely free for a limited time. Available to download through the PlayStation Store from 16 April 2020 (9am AEST) through to 6 May 2020 (9am AEST), this requires no PlayStation Plus subscription to access and will be yours to keep permanently afterwards.
This line-up will shift slightly in Germany and China; where Knack 2 will be offered instead of Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection.
Funding of Independent Developers
Sony Interactive Entertainment has developed a fund earmarked at $10 million USD to support their independent development partners. Details around how this fund will be managed, including participation criteria, have yet to be shared but are expected to be made available soon.
