"You can't charge money for network matching and other basic services," Ken Kutaragi, then chairman of Sony Europe, told the PC Impress Watch site in 2006. "These things are just taken for granted on the PC.
On the PS3... content will be the bread and butter of our business." So was signed the constitution of a free Network, cited time and again as a chief advantage over subscription-based Xbox Live.
Cut to November 2009. At an otherwise mundane investors conference, a single slide sends PS3 fandom into uproar. The PlayStation Network slide reads, 'New revenue stream from subscription.' Had Sony broken its promise? Just hours later, new chairman Kaz Hirai urgently addressed the online pitchforks and torches.
Here's the thing. There's a flaw in Kutaragi's original statement. It speaks of 'content' and 'basic services' as if they're distinct. But they're not. Multiplayer, especially, is a fusion of the two; PSN is the conduit, but when it comes to actually joining a server, the cost isn't Sony's to decide. As online increasingly becomes the place for publishers to make money, just how 'free' can those 'services' remain?
The first threat to free PSN is the online pass, a one-time code to access multiplayer (and other stuff ) for each copy. A direct attack on the used game market, it's proving increasingly popular and is now becoming standard - it's favoured by Electronic Arts for its EA Sports games plus Need For Speed Shift 2 and Mass Effect 2; by Ubisoft, whose online Uplay passport is £7.99; and by Warner Bros in Mortal Kombat and Fear 3. This, however, is not actually a new situation.
PAY TO PLAY
An aggressive approach to piracy - and resale - has been a part of PC gaming since publishers started using CD keys. It's why used PC sales have all but died over the past two years; almost every game requires authentication just to work, and shops simply won't buy them back, knowing the disc is useless. This push, then, is consoles catching up - and at least we're getting something extra.
"As a community, we've come to an understanding: games that deliver a high-end online experience elongate the average playtime, which increases the value," says Jesse Divinch, VP at Electronic Entertainment Design And Research. "It is only right that publishers explore additional opportunities to generate revenue, well past the point of purchase."
We did a little research of our own. At a branch of Blockbuster, the assistant (who insisted on anonymity) painted a different picture. "I'm not aware of any price difference, though we have had a few complaints," he said. "The latest Need For Speed, FIFA 11... because we sell those used for around £5 cheaper at launch, there isn't much of a discount. So when people get them home and can't play online... We've made suggestions, things like an extra discount or free PSN Store cards."
Comments
25 comments so far...
groble on 8 Sep '11 said:
I can't believe I wasted my time reading this non-story
only_777 on 8 Sep '11 said:
+1
ensabahnur on 8 Sep '11 said:
+2
bennyboi1979 on 8 Sep '11 said:
+2
clayf1ghter on 8 Sep '11 said:
I'm not even gonna read as I read the other comments first
Slacher007 on 8 Sep '11 said:
this article was written by a very lonely person who no-one communicates with, maybe not even their parents. the internet is a wonderful outlet for drivel and stating the obvious. it would be sad if this made it into the printed version of PSM. it would no longer be wasting a readers time but also the paper and ink its printed with.
i'll pay for a service if it uses dedicated servers but i won't if it uses P2P. i wonder what they'll go for with the PS4? if its just as powerful for the time its produced in and networking improves as much as BT says it will then i believe it will continue to be a free service using P2P.
if the author had discussed the future and not the blatantly obvious then this article might have had a few redeeming points.
this is what happens when you work in Bath. you become pompous and spend your weekends in wine bars away from the rif raf.
KAPKAP on 8 Sep '11 said:
+3
I thought N4G was bad... damn.
kirankara on 8 Sep '11 said:
it's logic and arguments were all pretty flawed
Marlonjb on 8 Sep '11 said:
I didn't read this article after the first few comments but I wouldn't pay to download patches whatsoever. Considering the fact that games are supposed to be finished before they're released anyway no one can expect someone to pay for a fix to games that have been sold unfinished. If that actually happened I'd get rid of my ps3 and I play that more than my Xbox and Wii put together.
sakaspuds on 8 Sep '11 said:
so whats the bottom line here? you shouldnt have to pay to get free content (demos vids patches free dlc)
i am happy to pay for online play on 1 system, i think most people would be, but if i owned 3 or 4 gaming systems (including pc), would i be happy to pay to play all of them all year around, no chance,
if sonys psn was a better service than xbox live i'd drop xbox live and only pay for psn, at the moment xbl offers me a better service so i wouldnt buy psn if it became a subscription, i have far too many coop games on the xbox this gen to 'do without' xboxlive,
i also believe it should be based on usage and not 'buy it for 12 months' because i will go a few months between games before i buy one i want to play online a lot. say if you could buy 25/50/100 hours of online play and it only counts down while youre actually online playing, that would be a better way i think
damoxuk on 8 Sep '11 said:
This is a copy and paste job from the recent issue of PSM 3 (in there news section).
Maybe do unique articles CVG? Instead of copying all Future mags features/news stuff?
spam23 on 8 Sep '11 said:
me either
Headsrinker on 8 Sep '11 said:
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
starsail on 8 Sep '11 said:
What a waste of light reflected into my eyes. The biggest threat to PSN is Live. Established as an online force thanks to Bungie and its Halo 2 that laid the foundation to the community that exists today. On top of the solid structure of Live, Sony has been perplexed on how to topple it. Sony never had a Halo 2 offer a stash of freebies but this seems to be not enough and mqny online gamers are happy to pay into MSs account. But why? Despite Live offering a more solid experience online than PSN in connection and cross game chat etc, its actually a poorer service when it comes to content. Its hard to criticise PSN when playing titles such as Resistance 2 online but look to the wider free services on PSN and you can see how lacking the subscribed Live servive is. BBC iPlayer, 4OD, PS3Divx, Youtube,Vidzone, Life, Home, free online multiplayeing etc is just the foubdations of what PSN offers and Live just cant compete. But it appears gamers want to pay for less a service that doesnt reward its audiences with other fantastic services that offer benifits through a TV over a monitor.
MrPirtniw on 8 Sep '11 said:
Wait... Did you really use Home as a reason to big up PSN??
Ror1984 on 8 Sep '11 said:
There are ads in WipEout HD? I've never even realised lol.
Very_Silver_Ownz on 8 Sep '11 said:
+1+2
+4
milky_joe on 8 Sep '11 said:
With this and the other feature that I've just read that contradicts itself at least twice, I suddenly realise why I very rarely bother to visit this website these days. You've gone down the toilet. I'm out.
Sammy_bham on 8 Sep '11 said:
"in the authors opinion"
yawn.
im hungry!
salmonpie on 9 Sep '11 said:
I just did a count of all the 360 and PS3 games I've played, 146. If I couldn't trade those in or sell them I would have a very unhappy wife looking at rows of games I never play. My days of collecting are well over.
wasted-again on 9 Sep '11 said:
and yet you couldn't stop yourself spending more time posting a comment about it...
chancy319 on 9 Sep '11 said:
"Please, click NEXT to install 'Trying to give a f*ck'. Installing...10%....40%....70%...Installation FAILED. Please, try again."
Mmmmgrolsch on 9 Sep '11 said:
Luckily I was having a s**t reading that s**te.
mrlittle77 on 10 Sep '11 said:
In a word, no
On a similar subject (that's probably been touched on many times) but what's so special about Xbox Live that warrants paying for it???? Not trying to troll but thought this would be a good enough subject to ask it in. Is the PS3's online play missing something that Live has?
Windowlicker79 on 10 Sep '11 said:
Is it missing something? Try a stable and standardized service for a start, along with security that actually stores your personal details, email address and card details in a responsible and secure manner. I'd say these are pretty important factors.