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Of, by and for the players: Sony puts next month’s free PlayStation 4 game up for vote

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Sony is giving PlayStation 4 owners the chance to vote for which of three games launching next month will be available for free as part of the platform’s PlayStation Plus lineup.

The three games scheduled to make their PlayStation 4 debuts next month are Armello, Grow Home, and Zombie Vikings. Runners-up will be available at a discount for PlayStation Plus subscribers.

This month’s poll kicks off a new initiative that gives PlayStation Plus members control over which free PS4 games will be offered on a monthly basis. PlayStation 3 and PS Vita offerings are still being determined by Sony itself.

“The game with the most votes will automatically be included in our future free game lineup for PlayStation Plus,” Sony stated last month. “If your pick didn’t make the lineup, don’t worry. In the first promotion, PlayStation Plus members can get the runners up at a discount. We love to listen to our fans — and we’re super excited to launch this promotion.”

Armello, the first of next month’s freebie contenders, is “a grim fairytale board game” from indie developer League of Geeks. Previously released for PCs and mobile platforms, Armello packs significant depth and strategic possibilities across its included local and online multiplayer modes.

Also up for consideration is Ubisoft’s Grow Home, a low-poly sandbox game that takes a cute robot character on “a procedurally animated vertical platforming adventure.” Another PC-ported contender, Grow Home, will make its console debut for the PlayStation 4 next month.

Zombie Vikings rounds out this month’s picks, offering side-scrolling hack-and-slash action with an undead Norse aesthetic. Its creator, indie studio Zoink!, previously produced the multiplatform point-and-click adventure game Stick It to the Man.

To choose next month’s free game, PlayStation Plus subscribers must submit their votes via the PS4’s PlayStation Store application. Voting begins on August 13 and ends August 24 at 8:30am PDT.

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