American Ninja Posted March 16, 2006 Share Posted March 16, 2006 Further details of the PlayStation Network Platform announced by SCE boss Ken Kutaragi in Tokyo yesterday have emerged, including the fact that the ability to play games online will be included in the basic free service.Additional information about the service has emerged as the slides used by Kutaragi in his presentation have been posted online, bringing with them a host of details of exactly what will be included in Sony's online offering. As reported yesterday, the PlayStation Network Platform will have a basic free service which will be available to all purchasers of the PS3 from the day of launch in November, and which will be co-created by Sony Online Entertainment (creators of the Station.com system used by games such as Everquest, Planetside and Star Wars Galaxies) and GameSpy. The free service will support a host of communication and community features, including voice and video chat, messaging, unique user IDs and handles, and matchmaking, ranking and data upload and download service for games. Crucially, the basic service will allow users to play games online - a factor which sets it apart from Microsoft's equivalent free service, Xbox Live Silver, which enables community features and content purchases, but doesn't allow users to play multiplayer online games. Sony's system will be handing off significantly more control to game publishers, who will be able to run their own game servers as they see fit. Although Sony will be creating a standard infrastructure for the service, with data centres in Asia, North America and Europe, the system will still run over the conventional Internet and publishers will be able to connect their own servers to it. This opens the possibility that game publishers could charge their own fees for playing games, which is indeed likely to be the case for titles such as massively multiplayer games - a genre which will be well-served by Sony's more "hands-off" approach to the network service, since some MMOG publishers have opined that Microsoft's approach is too restrictive on their business models. However, Sony is pushing hard for publishers to use the network to generate revenue through selling content, rather than through charging users for multiplayer functionality, and the PlayStation Network Platform is designed from the ground up to support a wide range of content sale and payment methods. One slide from Kutaragi's presentation lists a few of the options available to publishers in this regard, which appear to be at least as advanced, if not more so, as Microsoft's Xbox Live Marketplace offering. Click here to read the rest of the story Oh yeah awesome news! :yes: :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dnast Posted March 16, 2006 Share Posted March 16, 2006 Good move by Sony. Now I'm wondering what comes with the premium service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L3thal Veteran Posted March 16, 2006 Veteran Share Posted March 16, 2006 Allowing us to play for free is a big, big plus. However, if their premium service offers something worth paying for, then I will pay for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MGS4-SS Posted March 16, 2006 Share Posted March 16, 2006 Great, great news! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boxster17 Posted March 16, 2006 Share Posted March 16, 2006 Yeah I had read that earlier, and I think that's a great move on their part. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yankee lion Posted March 16, 2006 Share Posted March 16, 2006 Great, Nintendo's WiFi service caught up with LIVE numbers very quickly because it was free. With Sony's install base I think we're going to see some record numbers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
American Ninja Posted March 16, 2006 Author Share Posted March 16, 2006 Allowing us to play for free is a big, big plus. However, if their premium service offers something worth paying for, then I will pay for it. Same here. :) Great, Nintendo's WiFi service caught up with LIVE numbers very quickly because it was free. With Sony's install base I think we're going to see some record numbers. I agree :yes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giga Veteran Posted March 17, 2006 Veteran Share Posted March 17, 2006 So what will be in the premium service? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Anthony Posted March 17, 2006 Share Posted March 17, 2006 So what will be in the premium service? Thats what I am wondering but by the look of the free features I won't be paying for nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laughing-Man Posted March 17, 2006 Share Posted March 17, 2006 (edited) Premium is probably extra content for games or multimedia crap owned by Sony. So Revolution and PS3 will have free online gaming not to mention PC gaming too. Both Nintendo and Sony who nearly do not have as much in the bank as MS, but have found a way to provide the serivce for free, I wonder what the MS followers' excuses will be now. Edited March 17, 2006 by jmole Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snugglepuffle Posted March 17, 2006 Share Posted March 17, 2006 well its all good new for all of us :D this week has been a good week in terms of news for playstion fans. -worldwide launch in november -free online gaming -a massive hard disk :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironman273 Posted March 17, 2006 Share Posted March 17, 2006 I'll take it with a pich of salt considering Sony's track record with promises but if they allow free multiplayer it will definitely be a good thing, although I can't imagine what would make someone pay for a Premium service... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smit Posted March 17, 2006 Share Posted March 17, 2006 This is good. :D The main reason I don't have a 360 is having to pay to play online. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerry Posted March 17, 2006 Share Posted March 17, 2006 Unfortunately it looks like they are basing their whole story on this slide which does not say what constitutes the free and paid services. :whistle: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yankee lion Posted March 17, 2006 Share Posted March 17, 2006 Unfortunately it looks like they are basing their whole story on this slide which does not say what constitutes the free and paid services. :whistle: Basic services for the PSNP will initially be free, like Xbox Live Silver. However, unlike Microsoft's entry-level online service, which doesn't allow gameplay, the basic level of PSNP will provide gamers with the necessary services and functions required for online gaming, according to Kutaragi. http://www.gamespot.com/news/6145981.html Well, I hope that clears up any doubts you had. Kutagari said it himself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kak Posted March 17, 2006 Share Posted March 17, 2006 "..will initially be free.." leads me to think that you will be given a trial. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironman273 Posted March 17, 2006 Share Posted March 17, 2006 http://www.gamespot.com/news/6145981.html Well, I hope that clears up any doubts you had. Kutagari said it himself. Oooohh... ooohh.. Ok, ok, ok. I see. Kutaragi said it. Of course. How could I have missed that. Well, let's take a look at what else we can glean from this master wordsmith: ?The PS3 is not a game machine ??Beating us for a short moment is like accidentally winning a point from a Shihan (Karate master), and Microsoft is still not a black belt. Just like with their operating systems, they might come out with something good around the third generation of their release.? ?I believe we made the most beautiful thing in the world. Nobody would criticize a renowned architect?s blueprint that the position of a gate is wrong. It?s the same as that.? ?Microsoft shoots for the moon. Sony shoots for the sun.? "This time, Microsoft has stated clearly that it is going after PlayStation. However, they're going not after the PlayStation 3, but the PlayStation 2. They were looking at 2, and that's why Xbox 360 became like that." ?With the PS3, our intentions have been to create a machine with supercomputer calculation capabilities for home entertainment.? PS3 is ?for consumers to think to themselves ?I will work more hours to buy one?. We want people to feel that they want it, irrespective of anything else.? ?The PS3 will instill discipline in our children and adults alike. Everyone will know discipline.? ?Microsoft is trailing behind us, but they are not a threat. They are good at improving [on products], but we will be advancing to the next level with revolutionary technology.? ?We?re not going to equip the PS3 with a HDD by default, because no matter how much capacity we put in it, it won?t be enough.? Whoops!! It seems reports Kutaragi said sol not have a HDD because Kutaragi said so! P.S. Excuse my extreme dose of sarcasm, but that guy is a joke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlphaPrime Posted March 17, 2006 Share Posted March 17, 2006 LOL @ Kutaragi's comments. :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerry Posted March 17, 2006 Share Posted March 17, 2006 http://www.gamespot.com/news/6145981.html Well, I hope that clears up any doubts you had. Kutagari said it himself. Even that article looks like its drawing conclusions from the same slide. :/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Teej Posted March 17, 2006 Share Posted March 17, 2006 Funny how the 'architect' fixed the 'gate' once everybody couldn't push the 'gate'. Hehe ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magik Posted March 17, 2006 Share Posted March 17, 2006 Am I the only one that actually read the article: Sony's system will be handing off significantly more control to game publishers, who will be able to run their own game servers as they see fit. Although Sony will be creating a standard infrastructure for the service, with data centres in Asia, North America and Europe, the system will still run over the conventional Internet and publishers will be able to connect their own servers to it.This opens the possibility that game publishers could charge their own fees for playing games, which is indeed likely to be the case for titles such as massively multiplayer games - a genre which will be well-served by Sony's more "hands-off" approach to the network service, since some MMOG publishers have opined that Microsoft's approach is too restrictive on their business models. Remember kids, if something sounds too good to be true... well, it probably is. :pinch: Funny how the 'architect' fixed the 'gate' once everybody couldn't push the 'gate'. What does that even mean? I think this metaphor has gone a tad bit out of hand. :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Anthony Posted March 17, 2006 Share Posted March 17, 2006 Most of them don't charge now why would they decide too all of a sudden. Good News the HD will come bundled in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dnast Posted March 17, 2006 Share Posted March 17, 2006 Re: Magik I don't think many people expected MMO games to be free right along with the rest of the games. Even on the 360, most MMOGs will require monthly payments outside of Xbox Live. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yankee lion Posted March 17, 2006 Share Posted March 17, 2006 Oooohh... ooohh.. Ok, ok, ok. I see. Kutaragi said it. Of course. How could I have missed that. Well, let's take a look at what else we can glean from this master wordsmith: Whoops!! It seems reports are false. The PS3 will not have a HDD because Kutaragi said so! P.S. Excuse my extreme dose of sarcasm, but that guy is a joke. Listen man, who would you believe it from if not Kutagari? He's in charge of Playstation. He's the head of the PS3. I think you don't want to listen. :laugh: Magik: Just because Sony is offering something MS isn't doesn't mean it's too good to be true. Maybe this will push MS to make their online games free too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BajiRav Posted March 18, 2006 Share Posted March 18, 2006 Well you can play "online" Geometry Wars for "free" on 360 to :whistle: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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