Details on the PS3 Online Service 156
Eurogamer has details of Sony's online strategy for the PlayStation 3. Finally. The long article goes into the process by which you log into the service, some of the things you can expect to find online, the different aspects of user accounts, and finally some details about the PlayStation Store. From the article: "As to the content that will be available, Sony is still playing its cards close to its chest to some extent - but one thing the giant firm is clear on is that the PlayStation Store will grow to encompass more than just new game content and demos. Alongside the free and paid-for game content, the store will also play host to a wide range of new titles developed specifically for download (the first of which, fl0w, was shown off at TGS - dozens more PlayStation Store exclusive titles are being worked on around the world thanks to an initiative which Sony launched at GDC last year) - and as Ken Kutaragi revealed at TGS last month, it'll also be possible to buy PSone and PS2 classics you missed out on, as well as a selection of PSP games, from the PlayStation Store, and download them directly to your PS3." After all this time, it's nice just to know there is an online strategy.
shortsighted. (Score:3, Insightful)
I think he is kind of shortsighted by saying (strongly implying at least) that full games will never be web based.
I certainly can see (as broadband speeds increase) purchasing a game like halo, and you download the 30 mg level in a 30 seconds. Video clips are streamed in real-time instead of being played off the DVD.
Am I just off here, or was that author lacking vision.
The Details For The Lazy (Score:4, Insightful)
"Oh - and it's all free, too. The only place you'll be asked to fork over a penny is when you purchase something in the PlayStation Store - all of the online services, from sign-up right through to voice and video chat, are free, as is normal multiplayer gaming"
"the only things you'll pay money for are paid-for downloadable content, or subscriptions to premium services like massively multiplayer games."
"Unlike Nintendo and Microsoft's offerings, Sony doesn't hide the price of items behind an arbitrary "points" scheme"
"it'll also be possible to buy PSone and PS2 classics you missed out on, as well as a selection of PSP games, from the PlayStation Store, and download them directly to your PS3."
"what we've seen is very promising. Account creation and management, buddy lists and various types of chat appear to be working just fine, the interface is simple and elegant, and the PlayStation Store"
Zonk: "After all this time, it's nice just to know there is an online strategy. "
Pathetic. Just pathetic.
The Wii and PS3 are only a month away and the Slashdot community is missing out on many major console gaming news due to the 'fucked in the head over Sony/PS3' Zonk. It's time for a change. It's not funny. It's not inflammatory. It's just fucking sad.
Zonk, go away. Deal with whatever the fuck issues you have with Sony on your own time. Slashdot is long overdue for a sane games editor.
How much will it cost? (Score:2, Insightful)
The Xbox 360 Just Became Massively Overpriced (Score:1, Insightful)
This amazing and free online network
1080p games - already at least seven 1080p games - and 1080p looks like it will be the standard rez for most PS3 games
Full backwards compatibility with the entire Playstation and PS2 library of games
1080p BluRay movies
HDMI
20 gig harddrive that can be upgraded to any size from any computer store
The ability to buy old PS1 and PS2 games from the online network
The tilt controller
A full Linux distro right on the harddrive of every PS3 system
A full set of dev tools right on the harddrive of every PS3 system
DLNA compliance
And I believe you can just plug any standard USB WiFi device into the system
The Xbox 360 for 400:
Needs to have 50 dollars every year to play online - add 200-250 dollars to the system over four to five years
Needs to have 200 dollars and a clunky addon to play HD-DVD movies - but no HDMI connection and no 1080p or high quality audio output
Plus Microsoft charges you to be allowed to do homebrew - 50? 100?
Can't upgrade the harddrive
The now admitted massive hardware defects - 50 dollars just for an extended warranty
And let's not even go into the ridiculously marked-up 360 peripherals...
Pretty obvious really (Score:4, Insightful)
How well it does these things remain to be seen, but Sony has far more ways of making money than either MS or Nintendo do with their systems. The other consoles have their online systems, but all their other revenues must come from games. Perhaps that is why the PS3 sometimes appears to be a "kitchen-sink" system to catch all those revenues.
Re:How much will it cost? (Score:4, Insightful)
From the article:
Oh - and it's all free, too. The only place you'll be asked to fork over a penny is when you purchase something in the PlayStation Store - all of the online services, from sign-up right through to voice and video chat, are free, as is normal multiplayer gaming. There's no equivalent of the Xbox Live Gold account, where you're expected to pay extra for a further tier of services - the only things you'll pay money for are paid-for downloadable content, or subscriptions to premium services like massively multiplayer games.
Zonk's philosophy (Score:5, Insightful)
When Sony is secretive about its product: "Christ, what the hell is taking them so long to give us information about the PS3? Obviously the only reason they aren't talking is because they have no clue what they're doing."
I'd like to remind Zonk and the other anti-Sony fanboys that most of the important details for the Wii's Virtual Console were only revealed a month ago.
Rob
Re:If Only.... (Score:1, Insightful)
360 = 40
360 + PS3 = 40
Re:If Only.... (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:The Details For The Lazy (Score:2, Insightful)
I think Sony is just doing the right thing and being FAIR to their customers by not charging.
Re:The Xbox 360 Just Became Massively Overpriced (Score:5, Insightful)
You compare:to As others have stated, the Xbox Live does have a free service as well, and I saw nothing in the article describing free online multiplayer gaming (which is mostly what you pay for on Live).
You compare: toThe Xbox 360 is supporting 1080p [slashdot.org] following the fall 2006 update, which I believe is scheduled to be distributed prior to the PS3 launch. If that's a result of the competition from the PS3, great. But it really isn't a selling point right now. Also, the Xbox 360 does support digital surround sound audio. You don't make it clear what is better about the PS3's audio.
- You are correct that the Xbox 360 doesn't have an HDMI connector, but I believe it's $600 for a PS3 with one.
You compare: to The article doesn't say the hard drive is upgradeable. Are you making it up? I remember not putting my PS2 online because I had to pay $50 for a special 10/100 network adapter that fit the PS3, when a generic one cost $10. I'm not convinced there will be an easy way to upgrade the hard drive without buying proprietary hardware. This is Sony after all. (BetaMax, MiniDisc, MemoryStick, BluRay) etc. And are you sure opening the box won't void your warranty?
Are you claiming that the PS3's peripherals will be dirt cheap? (See comment above about $50 PS2 network adapter.)
How is anyone modding this "Insightful"?
Mod parent :) (Score:4, Insightful)
It's not only an excellent point, it's the point. I can't see Sony getting their online service right for another year- they need a unifying framework that all of their game developers can use to provide one login, one matchmaking service and one game update platform.
Microsoft had it 80% sussed with the Xbox (there was no tangible dashboard, but the basic core was there) and are doing extremely well with the 360's service; sony have, it seems, only reached the 30% mark
Shortsighted vs realistic (Score:3, Insightful)
1. Is cheap, reliable, FAST broadband available to the (gaming) masses? No. Its not unheard of to still meet people who surf the net or play online with dial-up.
2. Has anyone ever successfully streamed a DVD quality, full length video over the internet yet without hiccups? Not near the commerical level so that rules out Sony's dream of selling movies directly to customers.
3. Remember when Microsoft initially announced that Xbox Live was going to be broadband only? That didn't sit very well with many people did it?
Re:Same thing (Score:1, Insightful)
Lots of assumptions there (Score:4, Insightful)
With few exceptions, Sony's lineup has nothing on Nintendo's all-star launch and Microsoft "our system is already out so show up or shut up."
Peripherals (like bluetooth TV remotes, headsets, controllers, keyboards / mice (?) etc.
Which are directly tied into the system's success. Peripherals don't sell systems, systems sell peripherals.
Monthly subs from "premium" online services, whatever they happen to be
They just promised not to have monthly subs. And "premium" services are likely to be one-time purchases, not exactly a cash cow system.
Online games, movies & music promote to buy, rent & (sell?)
Unless Sony has some kind of PS3 Online Arcade system in the works, I'm not seeing this happen anytime soon.
Lots of licence fees if Blu-Ray wins the HD TV format war
General concensus is: Don't hold your breath.
Blu-Ray movies.
Thats assuming Blu-Ray takes off in the first place.
Increased sales of HD televisions.
Sony is not a major seller of HD-TVs these days. They don't own the patents either. Sharp is destroying Sony (and the rest of the market) in marketshare as well.
Increase sales of LocationFree wireless room-to-room / internet streaming devices.
The only people who would probably benefit from this would be companies like Netgear. People don't exactly think Sony when they buy a wireless router.