Is it time?

[MrGFunk]

I think maybe SONY should start charging for PSN, even if it's £10 a year. People would pay and it's untapped revenue that their competition is getting. Surely, this goes someway to making each 360 profitable.

Do you think that would lead to uproar?

I really do.
As a 360 owner, one of the 'perks' of a PS3 that is thrown at me often is the free online. It's touted often and everywhere. While adding a small fee would change that 'perk' to 'the online is cheaper', people would still be genuinely pissed.

I think it's a good idea for Sony to get some revenue, as you said, so I'm completely agreeing with you that they should start charging. But I do think that there would be some very pissed off people, and some noticeable backlash.

I also think SONY needs to drop the price of the machine. So...

I know it wouldn't benefit me as I own one but if the RRP was dropped by £50 and an online fee was introduced I think it could be an incentive for people who only see the 'massive', but not really, £280 price tag. It should be assumed the machine would have a five year lifecycle in someone's home so, with £10 per year as the example, the initial cost would (admittedly without inflation) be recouped.

More uproar?

Cue Southpark "rabble rabble rabble"

 

[Brokkr]

I'm getting mine when kratos roars his way onto it.

My sentiments exactly.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

I'm getting mine when kratos roars his way onto it.

My sentiments exactly.

Yep, judging by the epic 'gameplay' trailer on youtube this is shaping up to be a contender for greatest fucking game ever made.

 

[Zac_Dai]

Since the days when I owned both a SNES and a Megadrive, I've always found it beneficial to own all current consoles. That way I've never really missed out on good exclusives.

 

[Valiance]

The only exclusive I want is Valk. Chronicles.

Dunno what you want. But it is backwards compatible with PS2 games...just not PS1 games as far as I know.

 

[Sir Ollie]

The only game i wanted to play on the PS3 was MGS4, which i did and i found it well rather disappointing.

Of course its all up to you if you got the spare cash go for it, there are a few good games i heard

 

[Xvito]

J/K do what you want. But if you want my opinion, they lack good games.

In my opinion no console lacks good games... That's just the voice of the fanboys.

 

[tiredinnuendo]

J/K do what you want. But if you want my opinion, they lack good games.

In my opinion no console lacks good games... That's just the voice of the fanboys.

I'd say it would depend on what you consider a "lack". If you assume that he already has a 360 and would purchase most of the non-exclusive titles for that system, that only leaves the PS3 exclusives. Taking personal taste into account, there may be a very limited roster of games to currently interest some players. For instance, I currently own less than five PS3 games. Was this worth a $500 setup cost? Obviously it was for me, but only because my PS2 gave out and I wanted to keep playing those games. Others might not see it that way.

Can you point out good exclusive titles for the PS3? Of course, but your "good" might not match my "good", and I still feel that a good deal of the PS3's potential is resting on future promise. This year, for instance, looks like it could be pretty decent if Infamous, GoW 3, and White Knight Chronicles are all good.

- J

 

[Shadow Law]

If you have the money (and not old enough to go to Las vegas) then just get the thing, the more the maryer

 

[fix-the-spade]

I have a wii, ugh, so boring, I don't find any of the games much fun, only Ghost Squad, I'll probably enjoy House of the Dead Overkill.

Start buying Gamecube games.

Plenty to chose from, should kep you occupied at least until the PS3 gets a price cut, won't cost you very much, will cost even less when the Wii remakes of them come out and make the Cube version redundant.

 

[Uncompetative]

Is it time to buy a PS3?

I have a 360 from launch, which I think is great, some fantastic games.

I have a wii, ugh, so boring, I don't find any of the games much fun, only Ghost Squad, I'll probably enjoy House of the Dead Overkill.

I wonder if it's time to get a PS3, sadly Sony have dropped so many features, usb ports, backwards compatibility etc. I HATE the controllers. However, LBP, Killzone 2 and some older games I'd like to play; Uncharted, Heavenly Sword.


Just getting a new HDTV so I wondered if it's time to take the plunge and get a PS3. £299 LBP bundle with Far Cry 2. Though I wonder if Blu-Ray will ever come down in price, I'm not prepared to pay over twice the price of dvd when upscalers really make DVDs good enough.

No. This time next year, if at all.

 

[Tony Grande]

J/K do what you want. But if you want my opinion, they lack good games.

In my opinion no console lacks good games... That's just the voice of the fanboys.

Sure, I own both yet my PS3 has dust on it. I think that shows the quality of games they produce.

I prefer my Playstation because of the games on it, I had it since the launch and it never gave up on me, has backwards compatibility (sorry), never had any problems online. Love my MGS4 because it was fuckin' EPIC! Loved the 3rd act clips, brilliance! Resistance, online massacre! Uncharted, meh!
My 360 has dust on it, mainly cause I don't like the controller... Should dust it of though for some Ace Combat or should I enslave some more people in D.C.!

 

[beddo]

I have a wii, ugh, so boring, I don't find any of the games much fun, only Ghost Squad, I'll probably enjoy House of the Dead Overkill.

Start buying Gamecube games.

Plenty to chose from, should kep you occupied at least until the PS3 gets a price cut, won't cost you very much, will cost even less when the Wii remakes of them come out and make the Cube version redundant.

I have the best Game Cube games already. I'm not really interested in anything Nintendo is doing anymore. They haven't come up with anything new in terms of gameplay in years. The DS is ok but even that is stale now, apart from Layton.

 

[beddo]

I've decided against getting a PS3, there's simply not enough good games to warrant it and the blu-ray issue is just ridiculous.

I can't be bothered to waste my money on it. I have a decent gaming rig and a 27" monitor so I'll just stick to PC/Xbox 360 gaming. I just got Left4Dead half price from steam!

 

[sorry user name taken.]

this will be the year for ps3 i think..didnt do well last year it has to at least get more than 2 games to make me want one...


~coughs~ heavy rain ~coughs~

 

[Frizzle]

I'd say go for it. I waited 'till just before this past christmas to get a system for myself. I looked at the merrits of both and all that. I ended up going with the PS3 and don't regret it one bit. The games I DO have for it, I think are almost all exclusives: Resistance 2, MotorStorm: Pacific rift, Valkyria Chronicles. I enjoy them immensly. I don't wish at all that I had an Xbox.
If there's anything else I want to play (fallout 3 FINALLY downloaded from Steam) then I get it on my computer.

Go for it. Let your Xbox rot

 

[Simriel]

Buy one. I personally wouldn't but if you have the cash, and want one, get it.

 

[MrGFunk]

Spoiler: *snip*

It's your choice.
Personally, I'd wait a few months. By then the price could come down and you'd be able to get a Playstation before Sony goes backrupt :\

SONY going backrupt. I wouldn't hold your breath for that. Do you really want them to though?
I reckon buy a PS3 and help them out.

Well they do try really really hard to screw everyone with their products. Also, I think when the next Xbox comes out they'll have lost. They just cant compete with that fan base. Even if they manage to bring out a newer console before Microsoft, their own fans would feel cheated and that would be a big money flush. Only way they can come back is if they skip a generation and launch some sort of viral campaign for a product that is sensibly better than it's competitor and at the same time cheaper. So far, I think they're still in the deficit, while Microsoft is starting to gain profit.

It's going to be a tough road ahead.

I can't and don't want dispute your speculation but when you say SONY couldn't 'compete with that fanbase' you're suggesting people wouldn't change manufacturer. If this was the case wouldn't the PS2 SONY fanbase be pretty intimidating when they move up to the current generation.

Also, as has been noted numerous times the PS3 sell rate over console life tracks or is faster than that of the 360. Their fanbase should/could be larger by the end of it's lifecycle which is reported to be longer than the 360. I would say, anything is possible especially in the economic climate.

It is not usual for SONY to be making losses so they could just shut it down. I doubt that though as videogame sales are seemingly less effected by the economic downturn than other industries.

I think maybe SONY should start charging for PSN, even if it's £10 a year. People would pay and it's untapped revenue that their competition is getting. Surely, this goes someway to making each 360 profitable.

Do you think that would lead to uproar?

Don't start charging for something that was previously free. Imagine if your fast-food restoraunt started selling ketchup packs. "Would you like to buy ketchup packs with that?" Hell no. It's dumb, but it's the truth.

Personally, I feel like the 360 is a transition console, and with it's current fanbase, if it releases a new console before Sony, its over. Especially if this hypothetical console is cheap, better, and fixes rrod.

I've started a thread for the price drop/PSN charge question.
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.88314

Wouldn't the next (after transition) console have to be significantly better than the PS3, cheaper than the PS3 and fix the RROD to truly be game over.

It'd be bad for me if it was game over though because I find the 360 controller painful after a short space of time. I'm probably just not used to it though as I hear a lot of people no question prefer it.

 

[scotth266]

I'm really starting to want a PS3 now that they have some truly awesome games out, and it would be nice to have Blu-Ray, but I just don't have the money needed right now.

Edit: On whether or not Sony should charge for PSN, I say not, as this would drop a serious amount of their fanbase. All the PS3 elitists always say: 360 CH4RG35 FOR ONL1N3 S3RV1C3 n00bz, g37 4 r34l c0ns0l3!
Pffft. If Sony went and started charging for online service, it would destroy them. The free online is one of the serious reasons why the PS3 is still a viable choice as a console (cost-wise).
If the do charge for online, it'll have to be with the next machine, so that no-one feels cheated.

Honestly, I agree with Pyronox: the 360 wins this duel of consoles, and if MS brings out their next machine after the typical 6 years is up, they could rock Sony out of buisness... It all depends whether or not the PS3 will actually possess the staying power of its great ancestor.

 

[Frank_Sinatra_]

I've decided against getting a PS3, there's simply not enough good games to warrant it and the blu-ray issue is just ridiculous.

I can't be bothered to waste my money on it. I have a decent gaming rig and a 27" monitor so I'll just stick to PC/Xbox 360 gaming. I just got Left4Dead half price from steam!

Dude you will be missing out, but its your call and I respect it. Just be sure to get a PS3 when God of War III comes along.