The slide you see above is from a recent Sony Media/Investor conference. Please note the third bullet-point: "New revenue stream from subscription." As you might expect many people on the internet seized on that piece of info and were like: "ZOMG! Sony will charge us for multiplayer!" So, does that mean Sony plans to offer an Xbox style monthly pay-to-play service?
Actually, no. The reaction to the perhaps-poorly-understood slide was heated enough to cause Sony's president Kaz Hirai to leap into action. Someone must have shone the Kaz symbol above the city! Anyway, here's how Kaz explained the situation:
"SCE will further increase sales by offering users new entertainment through the combination of hardware, software, peripheral and PlayStation Network. Especially in the on-line area, we are studying the possibility of introducing a subscription model, offering premium content and services, in addition to the current free services."
So if you like The PlayStation Network exactly as it is (and who doesn't??), the immediate plan is to keep it the same, but Sony is apparently looking into providing better services in exchange for currency.
This got me thinking: Let's say Sony really did keep the multi-player gaming free, but charged for extra services -- what would you pay for? Netflix streaming, maybe? Or Twitter access? Use of PlayStation Home (lol)? Do you think this even makes sense as a revenue model for Sony? To give away what is no-doubt the most popular part of the network in order to charge for "premium content" that people don't want as much as they want to ability to game with their friends?
Source: Computer and Video Games
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JunkScope
we better not pay for psn, if we were to pay for psn, screw them, i bought my ps3 cuz of the free online, i would have bought an xbox if i knew this was gunna happen, all my friends are xbox, if we have to start paying for online, screw you, i'm switching over to ps3, xbox would become better than ps3, and Sony is gunna regret the many other who also choose to switch over
Nom_Nom
Do we have to pay now, cuz iv heard we do! im not sure but i hope we dont have to pay!
Someone tell me whats going on, do we have to pay or not?
devobd
To be honest what would make the most sense to me is just to have advertisements while games load... The games usually need to load.. I hated the ads on YouTube but I m used to them now so could really see that being a possibility... And if you do have to pay I will stand by my ps3/pspgo
Was Xbox since I was like 14, 21 when I bought my ps3... gave my xbox to my sister will never own one again maybe take it back to beat gears of war 3 which is the ONLY exclusive by xbox that is even worth looking at.. new halos are not halo anymore I do miss the co-ops... all in all ps3 and psp have amazing exclusives too many to name out of the 15 games I own like 8 are exclusives uncharted, ratchet and clank, GOD OF WAR!, resistance 2(I actually bought my ps3 JUST for this game), infamous (good for its time), kill zone 3, little big planet think like 100 more don t forget the gosh darn blu ray!.. They have brought us great games and a very reliable console... Think I went through 3 Xboxes... there are a few things that could change but ps3 other then the Nintendo 64 is the best console ever!
j[boss]
please someone help sony
j[boss]
this is not fair
N-chizl
I think this is dumb why make us pay were all not going to pay if i wanted to pay i would have bought a xbox 360 dont u think it is kind of dumb
rollindwnlow
i dont mind spending say 25.00 a year to play online i just dont think they should have any map pacs and i dont think the server should be full
cronus70
I really don't know what all the fuss is about, yes the PS3 was expensive when it first came out but to have the 'i'm not paying a penny more' attitude shows a rather narrow attitude, after all, most seem more than willing to spend $50/70 on a game with about 5 hours play time in single player, or buying extra's in the PSN store...how many games do you generally buy a year? It's unlikely that Sony will charge a comparable tariff to Microsoft as the PSN is not as developed as the Live service so you may be looking at $20/25 a YEAR, thats just over $2 a month. I think what you will end up paying for is premium content on the multiplayer end of PSN...especially considering that Sony plan to make the PSN open format, meaning that the PSN could essentially become an app on ANY suitably equipped product...phones, other consoles, blu-ray players, pc's etc so not only are you talking about possible cross game chat but cross platform chat, a world wide connection service which will quite frankly require money to sustain it. Sony are only now starting to make money on the PS3 but if their aspirations are to see the light and be sustained then you may have to help along by paying for the service, you can't expect everything for free just because you paid ex amount for a PS3 which was..and still is cutting edge gaming and entertainment technology and those saying millions will desert the PS3 if they start charging for the service will be surprised when they don't.
Rezanate
The day sony starts charging for PSN is the day I buy an Xbox and subscribe to XBL. Try to charge for it, and watch the masses leave with me,... MILLIONS will leave. Even if its just for premium services. I paid over $100 more for this system than I would have for an xbox for a reason. Take away that reason, and I have no reason to stick with it.
Hueso
Boy am I late to the party... Well, I think it's because Sony plans on housing their own Network and they are going to charge for it. Kind of like Xbox does. So you pay for better service and a couple of freebies, like added material for Home or DLC. That's my guess..but hey, what do I know.
If I was Sony's President, then that's what I would be thinking. Something like Xbox. Then they could say, "It does everything but crash!" (wink wink Xbox). I'm sorry to throw that low jab but it sounded better hearing it.
Utmost_NutsZo
The one thing they can't do is start charging for services that are currently free. In general consumers don't like the idea of forking out money for things they've enjoyed for free up until that point.
I suspect their ideas are probably a video subscription service (though they'd have an uphill battle there), music downloading, MMOs, digital comics, etc. - things they can charge for through PSN, but not PSN itself.
RedObsidion
You know what !? I hope they do start having to charge a yearly service. just so they would have to come out publicly and say "You know we thought we could maintain a free online community. However it's just not possible to provide a constant level of acceptable service with out a premium"
Really guys part of the reason Microsoft service is so good is because the measly 50$ a year goes to making sure that everything runs perfectly. Think about it when you game online with 22 million other people its going to take some money to maintain that service. i think that it's really admirable that sony after jumping into the online pool thought that they could do everything that microsoft was doing and do it for free, but in the real world it really is just impossible. At some point in the future as the PSN grows Sony will start charging a yearly fee.
kujel
I'll bet you they will offer a premium online multiplayer package, sure you'll be able to play for free but all the good features will be in the premium package.
BorderLineStaker
What Sony needs to do is add a subscription service to TV shows. 1.99/2.99 per episode is way to expensive unless your only buying only a few episodes. And a subscription for their digital comics would be a good move aswell depending on how much they are going to offer. Also some of the MMO's will probbly have some type of subscription charge to them.
But look at it from another way if Sony charged for online like Xbox it would effectively cut its user base in half just like with Xbox and with Big Online only games like MAG or "play, create, share" games like LBP or Modnation Racers having to pay extra for online is going to hurt the sell of those games. It would pretty much undermine their own business on just about every level you can think of.
ProjektX13
Enjoy it while it lasts.
RandyMercer
If they do go the Charge route, then they should just charge $10 or $15 dollars, or just keep it free :). We'll love you even if you charge us an insanely cheap price for online content.
Lyr1c
rofl, why no GameFly support yet?
darkuest
Just keep it free. You just can't decide now to just charge, that real be bad business for them and there system period.
jkat1
idk but im pretty sure sony will move to a multiplayer charge system such as xbl in the next console if not this one. its inevitable cuz sony needs some way of revenue and the the month to month pay that m$ offers looks really good. but im not sure it will take off tho. many of the pepl i know that bought a ps3 bought it bc they didnt want to pay monthly for multiplayer. pretty sure that opinion is the same for most ps3 users. ahh well im glad i got an xbox.
ezeraeze
What?!?!?!?! If I wanted to pay for online, I would have gotten an xbox 360! One of the reasons that ps3 owners got their console is because they don't need to pay!! After some people spent up to 400 bucks u expect them to start paying? What If you are a student like me? After having to pay for your internet access every month, then are you expected to pay for this stuff?? NO! If they make us start paying, Sony, you are going to regret it! Many will sell of their ps3's and people would stop buying! After all, xbl offers more stuffs than psn( you can understand why you pay for it). ADAM SESSLER, MORGAN WEBB, could you guys help please us talk to this jerks!!! GOOD GOD!!!!!!!!
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