Sony Says the "M" Words About PSN Again: Monthly Fees
Fanboys, warm up your internet rage engines: Sony technical platform boss Masayuki Chatani has become another voice indicating that the console's online service may be getting subscription fees sooner rather than later.
Speaking with Nikkei Japan [http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/article/HONSHI/20091126/178049/?P=1], Chatani admitted that the company would face difficulties if it remained 100% committed to providing a free service to its customers: "Servers and the like have running costs, and we would face difficulties if our business depended solely on the sell-and-forget model."
Though Chatani said that he expected to see an increase in their digital business, he indicated that the company was also looking at charging a subscription fee for premium PSN content, echoing sentiments from a Sony investor presentation last month [http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/IR/info/strategy/pdf/200911presen.pdf].
"We can also accept payment in a growing number of ways. In addition to single-payment packaged software, there are also schemes like monthly fees or per-item charges. I think this variety of payment methods will bring about a diverse range of playing methods, too."
There you have it, folks - yet another Word-of-God confirmation that PSN will be charging cash for extra bonus goodies. Still, it's not as bad as it could have been - when rumors first broke last month, Kaz Hirai [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/96224-PSN-to-Get-Premium-Subscriptions] was quick to step in and caution that the subscriptions would be for premium content, and online gaming would still be free of charge.
(Via CVG [http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=229543])
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Fanboys, warm up your internet rage engines: Sony technical platform boss Masayuki Chatani has become another voice indicating that the console's online service may be getting subscription fees sooner rather than later.
Speaking with Nikkei Japan [http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/article/HONSHI/20091126/178049/?P=1], Chatani admitted that the company would face difficulties if it remained 100% committed to providing a free service to its customers: "Servers and the like have running costs, and we would face difficulties if our business depended solely on the sell-and-forget model."
Though Chatani said that he expected to see an increase in their digital business, he indicated that the company was also looking at charging a subscription fee for premium PSN content, echoing sentiments from a Sony investor presentation last month [http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/IR/info/strategy/pdf/200911presen.pdf].
"We can also accept payment in a growing number of ways. In addition to single-payment packaged software, there are also schemes like monthly fees or per-item charges. I think this variety of payment methods will bring about a diverse range of playing methods, too."
There you have it, folks - yet another Word-of-God confirmation that PSN will be charging cash for extra bonus goodies. Still, it's not as bad as it could have been - when rumors first broke last month, Kaz Hirai [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/96224-PSN-to-Get-Premium-Subscriptions] was quick to step in and caution that the subscriptions would be for premium content, and online gaming would still be free of charge.
(Via CVG [http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=229543])
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