The idea is clearly to add features on top of current PSN functionality and not, as some feared, about putting a price on online play. Fair play to Sony, we say.
I think the words you where looking for there were 'Desperately hoped'
sounds fair, as long as it doesn't end up with "you can only play the full version of this game is you sign up for a years subscription to PSN, otherwise you lose all the side missions/these tracks/can't get platinum/what ever"...
Otherwise it sounds reasonable, for once not sounding like a rip off (like so many of these things seem to).
As long as online gaming remains free I'm happy. _________________ PSN : skodabunny
I reckon people would go mental if they started charging for playing games online after all this time.
And since I don't care about any of the premium stuff, I'm perfectly happy to stick with my free account! _________________ Xfire | Xbox Live | PSN: Dajmin
Albany Down | This is My Opinion, Suck it Up.
While people have been campaigning for MS to make Xbox Live free, which we know is never going to happen. Sony have been struggling to find a way to make PSN a financially sustainable entity, they are moving towards a similar system as Xbox Live. Looks complicated to me though, but you can't provide large scale complex networks like PSN and Xbox Live without inbound revenue streams.
I've always maintained that the �40 a year price I pay for Xbox Live acceptable with the features they have offered. Sony are ultimately forced to take this route as I am sure running PSN is a drain on resources that cannot last forever especially as they are struggling to make a profit as a business in general.
Some of those features sound really good. Free access to PSone classics is a good deal along with Hulu. I'd like to see something similar on XBL, like �60 a year with a Sky sub included and half price XBLA games. _________________ 360/PSN/Steam ID: BattleMoose87
Currently playing: ...Oh, you don't care? Ok...
http://battlemoose87.blog.co.uk/
Can anyone say Xbox live Gold and Silver?????
Sorry fanboys but FREE online gaming is NOT going to be around for long as the Dev's are the ones having to pay a premium for the servers, so if a game don't sell well then where they goin to get the money to pay the Server fees?
Hence the Sub for xbox Live the money is put back in to live and new features for xbox!!
This is why I don't mine paying for online services on any platform as 9 time out of 10 you get your moneys worth!!
Also worth noting if you look at the list of features theres not one package that has access to everything so to get the full package for PSN you'd have to sub to 2 different packaged at the same time so you could pay �100 a year...........so F*ck you sony look at xbox live and take note, you have silver thats got x amount of things available and then gold that has everything on offer!!!!!!!!!
Last edited by morpheus2n on 18 Dec 09 5:38 pm; edited 1 time in total
some of these sound ok but im still not convinced that this isn't the top of a very long and slippery slope. _________________ "You gonna eat that stapler?"
PSN: phate666
The only thing that concerns me is that "automatic downloads and updates" is one of the premium features there.
Now if that just means we need to manually download game patches then fair enough. Or maybe it means that we'll have to look for DLC in the PS Store rather than be able to access it directly from the game.
But if it means no more updates for free accounts then people will go nuts - myself included. _________________ Xfire | Xbox Live | PSN: Dajmin
Albany Down | This is My Opinion, Suck it Up.
Free PSone classics does interest me because I do tend to buy one, or two, every month for use on my PSP.
If I decide not to bother, I suppose I don't lose anything.
You win either way. _________________ PSN ID: MarkyUK
360 ID: BobozeTheBear
Wii ID: Imagine a line of data from a 1980s commodore 64 magazine and you'd be close........
I can see them adding a charge for online play! as 95% wouldn't pay for any of there subscriptions otherwise! basically having a xbox live silver account is a waste of time because you cannot play online, chat or message friends and don't get any demo's etc!
as the Dev's are the ones having to pay a premium for the servers, so if a game don't sell well then where they goin to get the money to pay the Server fees?
That's only because of the way online works on the consoles. On the PC 3rd party companies and Clans are normally the people running the servers and the developers don't really need to provide any themselves. The closed system consoles use is the problem here, they want too much control over things which ruins the overall experience for the users.
If they released some dedicated server software on the PC for console online game then people could run their own servers at home and there would be no cost issues for the developer, also games will have a lot longer tails as there will always be a couple of server running for hardcore player of that game.
I got rid of my xbox 360 mainly because of the charges to play online, i didn't use it enough to warrant it, and i dont think it is worth the money either, yes xbox live is a lot better than psn, but most of the features of xbox live are no use to me what so ever, i played online occasionally, downloaded updates and the odd demo or full price game, the rest i get free via pc laptop.
i think both have to look at the price of there downloadables as i think most stuff is still to expensive, charging for stuff like themes, wallpaper etc is bullcrap, after all its promo stuff/advertising. retro games are completely skank, we shouldnt have to pay more than 50p for old master system/megadrive/nes/snes/c64 games, after all this is just income to the companies, they made there profit on them years ago and a hell of a lot more people would buy them.
i possibly would buy a low cost subscription if it was benefit enough,
but i dont like the idea of paying for updates, i think that bit needs to be clarified
I can see them adding a charge for online play! as 95% wouldn't pay for any of there subscriptions otherwise! basically having a xbox live silver account is a waste of time because you cannot play online, chat or message friends and don't get any demo's etc!
I think you're wrong. A lot of PS3 owners who mostly play games online will be interested in cross-game chat and will probably pay for it. The fact that you could get some nice extras thrown in is a bonus.
Me? I'll be happy to continue paying nowt as I rarely play games online - usually just looking at leaderboards for racing games, etc. _________________ PSN ID: MarkyUK
360 ID: BobozeTheBear
Wii ID: Imagine a line of data from a 1980s commodore 64 magazine and you'd be close........
Remember guys that this is only a survey, so none of this may actually come true!
Though personally option 2 which includes the likes of "Free access to PSOne Classics, PSP Minis, and PS3/PSP Themes" and "Discounts on Store Content" interest me the most _________________ Gamertag: Racxie
The one where you pay a lot, you get the lot - OR it's customisable so you pay the highest premium and choose x number of options from such a list.
And a second cheap one that has perhaps a similar deal of customisable options - but only limited to what THAT service offers. That would work better than this crap.
Besides, what are 'Trophy Alerts'? perhaps friend alerts or something, Cross-Game Chat, or party chat - should really be a feature available to ALL on PSN if you ask me.
For extra features I WOULD be willing to pay for this kind of thing. If online gaming remained free to those with a 'basic' account (and some of the other features) then I wouldn't mind too much paying a little more to get a little more.
Looks like a total rip off to me...If & when hits UK change the $ for �'s.
Option 1 various cr@p and a extended warranty for
$70 a year or $120 if you pay monthly (could be $360 after three years) .
Option 2 More various cr@p and free ps1 games (I
find most old games hurt my eyes after I get past the rose tinted glasses bit) again for $70 or $120 (monthly) a year .
Option 3 Just various cr@p for $30.
Option 4 less than the first two & token wagering for $70 or $120 a year .
i'd definitely pay �50 a year (which is what $69.99 works at around) for option 2 without a doubt, whens this happening? hopefully sooner rather than later. _________________ 2010 THE YEAR OF THE JRPG WOOHOO!!
C/P: Disgaea 3,
Future Purchases: FF13, FF14,Tales Of Vesperia (hurry up with a western ps3 release), Ar Tonelico 3(If it comes to the EU)
Well part of me thinks the survey could be fake, but if it is real.
Option 1 for me, as I don't give a **** about facebook.
Updates should be free for all as well, if not some games won't work _________________ Darth_Raiden aka (OAP) PNewson666, www.oaps.org
PS3 Slim, 60GB PS3, 40GB PS3
The problem is that PSN being free is its best USP. Get rid of that and you have a level playing field against xbox live. An xbox is cheaper to buy and offers the same current levels of performance as the ps3, and xbox live is a better platform overall. At least gaming online seems to still be free. If that changed I'd probably go back to the xbox full time.
I think they should just add cross-game voice chat (i wouldn't use it, but i can see why it's wanted) then concentrate on the PS4. if they make the PS4 �200 or less, then I wouldn't mind paying the Live rate for PSN. however, i do think there should be a different system- option 1, �15 a year, which gets you just online play and the store. option 2 costs �40 a year, and gets you the full version. Also, I think that they should team up with apple, and have Apple's OS, Safari and itunes compatibility on the PS4. I wouldn't know how to calculate profit/loss if sony did do this, however, I'm sure that there's an accountant or some other mathematician that reads this, so if that's you, my next sentence is directed at you. Could you run the numbers for this (I haven't the foggiest of where to start) and see how it would turn out for sony and apple? I think, as they are the 2 best electronics manufacturers in the world (In terms of quality), if they merged into 1 electro-giant, they could make a fortune from high-end electronics. I don't think anyone could disagree with that, could they?
Also, if anyone from sony is watching, I seriously advise you to bring out the PS4 ASAP (i.e before MS/Nintendo), as you lost a fortune in sales by letting the Xbox become the 'household name'. the Xbox was cheaper, simpler and sooner, which is what most non-serious gamers want. next Xbox in 2012? get the PS4 out Q1 2011. for �190, with twice the capabilities of the PS3, same blu-ray player, and with full apple software and support. impossible? not as long as you get off your flat backsides and get to work!
Back to you, anonymous members of the public.
Last edited by Gaseous Snake on 18 Dec 09 7:31 pm; edited 1 time in total
Meh, as long as trophys and online play remain free I don't really care, and I imagine they'd get quite a backlash if they charged for those. _________________ Reserved space.
Copyright 2006 - 2009 Future Publishing Limited, Beauford Court, 30 Monmouth Street, Bath, UK BA1 2BW England and Wales company registration number 2008885
!
.
