PS4 Will Not Need To Be Always Online

Karloff

New member
Oct 19, 2009
6,474
0
0
PS4 Will Not Need To Be Always Online



Shuhei Yoshida of Sony Worldwide Studios confirms that always online was never on the cards for the PS4.

"Did we consider it? No, we didn't consider it," says Shuhei Yoshida of Sony Worldwide Studios, thus putting to rest any rumor that the PS4, Sony's much-touted next-gen console [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/123749-Sony-Exec-PS4-Versions-of-Multiplatform-Games-Must-Be-The-Best], might require an always online internet connection. It wouldn't be good for Sony's customers, Yoshida explained, which meant that always online wouldn't be good for Sony.

"Many countries don't have robust internet connections," said Yoshida. "It makes sense for people to have internet connections to play online games, but for offline games there are many countries that we saw do not really have robust internet." Controversy over always-on connections have been raging ever since the new consoles were announced, but this is the first time a senior executive at Sony has confirmed, unequivocally, that its console won't need one. Microsoft has yet to positively confirm that its Xbox 720 / Durango won't need an always-on connection, though there have been leaks [http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2013/05/microsoft-next-xbox-will-work-even-when-your-internet-doesnt/] that suggest it might be possible to play single player games without an internet feed.

If the Xbox 720 did ship with an always-online requirement, and if Sony were to follow through on its boast that its launch line-up will be the strongest in its history [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/123530-Sony-Claims-PS4-Launch-Line-Up-Strongest-in-PlayStation-History], the PS4 could end up with a significant advantage over its rival console.

Source: Eurogamer [http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-05-08-sony-definitively-rules-out-always-online-for-ps4]


Permalink
 

BrotherRool

New member
Oct 31, 2008
3,834
0
0
Offtopic, but the first picture we ever saw of a PS4 controller didn't look great, but it looks really sleek in this official picture

OT: I'm glad Sony isn't insane
 

Gearhead mk2

New member
Aug 1, 2011
19,999
0
0
Originally, I thought I was just gonna get a Wii-U because it's the only console that didn't look horrible. But if Sony are actually smart enough to not do always-online, I may buy the PS4 too. Stil keeping my PS3 around though, at least until they make the PS4 backwards compatible and let you use your PSN stuff.
 

Ticklefist

New member
Jul 19, 2010
487
0
0
After spending the current console generation as a PC gamer and seeing a lot more interesting and innovative exclusives on the PS3 than the Xbox, that was the last piece of news I needed before deciding to start the next generation with a PS4.
 

Cowabungaa

New member
Feb 10, 2008
10,806
0
0
BrotherRool said:
Offtopic, but the first picture we ever saw of a PS4 controller didn't look great, but it looks really sleek in this official picture

OT: I'm glad Sony isn't insane
Better yet, it looks ergonomic. Took them some time to realize that it's a good idea to design a controller that naturally fits in a person's hands. But ah well, better late than never.

As for this news, good as well.
 

LazyAza

New member
May 28, 2008
716
0
0
Well I'm certainly glad to have this confirmed, I will never own any console that forces 24/7 internet connection, no effing way.
 

conmag9

New member
Aug 4, 2008
570
0
0
My initial response was a pleasant satisfaction.

My second was a feeling of sadness that this even had to be in debate.

Sony, you made the right choice. I'm not sure I believe the "we never considered it" bit, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt I suppose, given that you made the only sensible choice (as obvious as it was).

I don't particularly care what Microsoft chooses, as I'm only really interested in the PS4 of the big three, but my brother is quite fond of some of their games and that might affect his choice.
 

RA92

New member
Jan 1, 2011
3,079
0
0
I have information, from a credible anonymous source, that the PS4 will feature Massively Single-player Offline games.
 

oliver.begg

New member
Oct 7, 2010
140
0
0
its like every other week a sony exec thinks "hoiw shall we dig at the xbox? I know!"

and Microsoft is like a unmoving target, saying nothing, and as far as many are concerned admiting by refusing to comment

methinks sony is winning the PR war this time
 

Zombie_Moogle

New member
Dec 25, 2008
666
0
0
HalfTangible said:
I find it depressing that 'this isnt always-online' is an actual legitimate SELLING POINT now -_-
Depressing, yes; but a selling point made necessary by Microsoft.

This is one of those moment when capitalism shines. Mega-corporation decides to screw consumers & advantage goes to the guy that decides not to. Beautiful move by Sony
 

Khravv

New member
Jun 8, 2011
70
0
0
Even though I spent this last game generation in favor of the 360... I definitely think that if I ever get around to upgrading to next-gen, it may very well be the PS4. My internet is crap, and I generally prefer offline play (single player and local multiplayer). In addition to this, what I've seen from the ps4 so far looks really impressive.
I think they may have just won me over.
 

Froggy Slayer

New member
Jul 13, 2012
1,434
0
0
Again, why have we reached the point at which it needs to be confirmed that software won't ship crippled?
 

HyenaThePirate

New member
Jan 8, 2009
1,412
0
0
I think people miss something important about Microsoft and their always on threat... we like to think that "well they'll lose big time money and Sony will dominate the console cycle."

But there is one caveat.
We buy these systems to play GAMES, and game developers care only about SELLING games to MAKE MONEY.

So here is how I see things going down:

Microsoft forces always on on it's consumer base. Some will balk, some will still say what's the big deal.
Resell value of Xbox games plummets, damaging used game companies and forcing people to pay full price for new titles.

(Here is where it gets interesting)

The Gaming industry sees a rise in PROFITS due to the larger sales of new titles and lack of the used resale loophole. Resale and piracy of PS4 titles makes that console less appealing to developers who only care about the bottomline.

Call of Duty is the first major title to move to exclusive Xbox due to this.
It will still sell MILLIONS of copies, since most of it's players already use internet to play multiplayer.

Other companies follow suit, preferring to roll the dice with the Xbox knowing that for all its sqawking and belly aching, gamers have an itch that needs scratching, and the dwindling PS4 titles worth playing won't be enough to keep people from giving in and buying Always on Xboxes because PC gaming is still too complicated/costly for the average consumer who doesn't want to deal with OS's and Drivers and Memory and graphics cards and other such potential issues.

3 or 4 years from now, most households will have some basic form of wifi or internet that is always on anyway (nobody cares about undeveloped nations since they don't contribute much to the gaming industry profits anyways.

People will eventually forget why they ever cared about always on because it becomes the norm.

Sony eventually moves to Always on to woo back third party developers to increase and revive their ailing stable of titles. After all, he said that the PS4 will not "NEED" to be always online... not that it CAN'T or WON'T.


That's one possible way things can go down, and I'm not quite confident it won't happen this way. Sure, us hardcore game loving types seem to care about always on, but there's an extremely large casual/mainstream audience of kids, ignorant parents, and people who just don't give a frak about this "controversy" that won't know or care or be deterred from having another Xbox (their current console of choice that is familiar to them) and those are the people Microsoft might be thinking of and who will make Always Online consoles par for the course.
 

Legion

Were it so easy
Oct 2, 2008
7,190
0
0
HalfTangible said:
I find it depressing that 'this isnt always-online' is an actual legitimate SELLING POINT now -_-
I know what you mean.

It's like a restaurant using "Our staff wash their hands!" as a form of advertising.
 

RicoADF

Welcome back Commander
Jun 2, 2009
3,147
0
0
ticklefist said:
After spending the current console generation as a PC gamer and seeing a lot more interesting and innovative exclusives on the PS3 than the Xbox, that was the last piece of news I needed before deciding to start the next generation with a PS4.
Welcome, pull up a chair and enjoy awesome games with no online subscription, ads or other horrible consumer relations, and welcome back to just playing the games with nothing between you and said game.

HalfTangible said:
I find it depressing that 'this isnt always-online' is an actual legitimate SELLING POINT now -_-
It's very depressing that this has even become an issue, I've literally been looking at other hobbies as backup, and yes I'm ashamed as I've grown up on gaming but if it goes down the path rumours are saying about the xbox, well I won't be apart of that.

HyenaThePirate said:
A rather big wrench in that, if people are forced to pay full price without being able to resell the games then sales will drop for the simple fact that most people can't afford many games at full price, so overall the amount of sales will drop. Weather the money lost will be more than gained from new sales is up for conjecture. This is ofcourse assuming people would follow said games, you forget that good game or not there are alot of people who literally cannot use an always online console so they would go for Sony regardless because it's all that would work for them.
I am not affected by the net issue nor do I have issues with money, but I wont get a nextbox if even half the rumors are true on principle alone, considering I didn't get the 360 till a few months ago I already know that ms has nothing worth the price of admission.