Sony says subscription service a "core part of the way forward"; PS3 will remain "important" potentially beyond 2014.

Sony's PlayStation Plus subscription service will have a "prominent role" in the PlayStation 4 ecosystem, though the company is not yet detailing specific plans.

"We definitely see [PlayStation Plus] as a core part of the way forward," Sony Computer Entertainment president and CEO Jim Ryan told the PlayStation Blog. "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."

Currently, a PlayStation Plus year-long membership covering PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita is offered at $50. Subscribers receive access to the Instant Game Collection, exclusive and early access to demos, automatic updates, and various discounts, among other things.

Sony has not revealed specific PlayStation Plus plans for PS4, though the company said last month that it is considering multiple subscription levels, similar to a cable TV offerings.

Ryan also discussed what kind of support the PS3 can expect now that the PS4 has been announced. He explained that the aging platform remains "very important" to Sony and said it will remain viable through this year, next year, and potentially beyond.

"Typically, history can help us only so far here. 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," Ryan said.

"I'd point to the software line-up on PS3 that we have coming up--God of War: Ascension next month, The Last of Us, which is looking great, and Beyond later in the year. And there's other stuff yet to be announced which is highly significant too," he added. "There's a lot coming on PS3 and it's going to be very important to us for some time yet."

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