Playstation Plus Vote to Play is Back

So, Playstation Plus, "Vote to Play" is back. We first saw a taste of this in 2015 when it appeared for one month and then mysteriously disappeared never to be seen again. It made my brain ache as to why there was no mention from Sony that this feature was only going to be a one time affair and no outlets were reporting on it...except for AGE. Well now that Sony have reached out to us we have a little more understanding about how "Vote to Play" will work. So it seems that Vote to Play is not going to be an ongoing thing and will only pop up at certain times during the year. It is not clear when and if there is a schedule for it but no doubt Sony will make it known when they're running it.

So you can now vote for your March PS Plus free game and there's a choice of three games which are detailed below. Most notable will be the Australian developer Witch Beam from Brisbane with Assault Android Cactus. These guys are attempting to be the first Aussie Devs to bust into the PS Plus scene with March's PS Plus. Are they going to get your vote? I must support my fellow Aussies to they have mine.

• Vote to Play is a feature for PS Plus members that let’s players choose which games make the monthly games collection.
  
• With this feature, PlayStation Plus members vote on one of several great as-yet unreleased PlayStation 4 (PS4) games to be included in the upcoming month’s game line-up.
  
• The game with the most votes will automatically be included in the future monthly games line-up.
  
• If a subscriber’s first choice doesn’t quite make the cut, players can purchase the runners-up game at a discounted price exclusive to PlayStation Plus members.
  
• Vote to Play will not be a monthly feature, but will take place at regular intervals throughout the year.

Australian studio Witch Beam in the mix with international developers 

PlayStation is giving Brisbane’s indie game developer Witch Beam studio their opportunity to make a splash in the gaming world, as Assault Android Cactus steps up to the voting plate this month in the second-ever round of PlayStation®Plus Vote to Play. Could they be the first Australian studio to win?

The studio from Brisbane - who follow Melbourne’s League of Geeks who narrowly missed out on the first round of Vote to Play – are set to compete against two international studios for their chance to have
Assault Android Cactus added to the March monthly games line-up for PS Plus members.

Assault Android Cactus is an already award-winning, fast paced and tightly tuned shoot'em'up that plays like a modern day arcade. The frenetic gameplay is perfect for the couch co-op experience but quality games in this month’s vote to play aren’t exclusive to Australian developers with strong international competition in the mix!

Witch Beam goes against developers RageSquid and their game Action Henk! and Broforce for the chance to be added to the March monthly games line-up.

To get your vote in, fire up your PS4 and, with your PSN login, access Vote to Play under the dedicated PlayStation Plus section on the top left corner of your PS4 home screen. Details can also be found under What’s New or the PlayStation Plus section of the PlayStation Store.

The Line-Up

Assault Android Cactus
The first game of indie-start-up Witch Beam from Brisbane, this game is an arcade style twin stick shooter set in a vivid sci-fi universe. While the mechanics of this twin stick shooter will be familiar to many, developer Witch Beam has created a unique battery mechanic (in lieu of lives), providing a fresh experience that helps Assault Android Cactus stand out from the crowd.This game also supports Shareplay, a “virtual couch” that lets a friend join your game for up to an hour at a time, creating an online local co-op experience. According to designer Sanatana Mishra, the goal with Assault Android Cactus was to make a game that he and the rest of the team wanted to play.


Action Henk!
This title from publisher Curve Digital and developer Rage Squid, is a fast paced running, jumping and butt-sliding platformer in a glorious 3D toy filled world! Action Henk! is a game about an action figure trying to relive his heroic past. Henk used to be fastest of them all back in the 80’s and 90’s, but nowadays there’s not much left of his former glory. He gets challenged by his rival Dr. Kentony, and is out to prove that he still has what it takes to be the fastest! The goal is to use physics and momentum to race through levels as fast as possible. These short levels require you to master all the subtle tricks that the physics-based platforming has to offer, including the famous butt-slide.



Broforce 
Publisher Devolver and developer Free Lives have teamed up to deliver part irreverent spoof and part loving homage to what are now classic movies and classic games.This action adventure game brings to life the memories (or imaginations for the younger player) of ’80s action heroes and their adventures. While we didn’t know it at the time, this is the game that we always wanted as we cheered those action heroes on to victory. With its online co-op experience, friends can enjoy connecting with each other to bring their own brand of shock and awe to the opposing forces.



To get behind Aussie talent, vote for Assault Android Cactus before voting closes on 22nd of February 2016 and make Witch Beam the first-ever Australian studio to win the PlayStation Plus Vote to Play!

Lucas Aurelius