Sony "Looking At" Charging for PSN

[WhiteTigerShiro]

"They're breathing down Microsoft's necks and they can see Sony in the rear view mirror."

I know what he's trying to say but it really doesn't make sense if you think about it.

I'd say it's fairly standard Sony Ego. He's trying to talk-up a big game about how the PS3 is selling well, but he's trying to jam way too many metaphors into a single boast. Also, I rather love this line:

"Home is a three-dimensional community and environment that isn't possible on the other platforms and wasn't imagined by anyone other than the folks at Sony,"

I don't see how making an entire game based around the lobby of PSO is such an original idea of theirs. Seriously, you'd think that Home was the second coming of Christ or something the way he's harping-on about it, when really it's just a slightly fancier version of IMVU or some other similar crappy chat program I always see advertised on various sites.

There is nothing even remotely original about Home.

Edit: Looks like the guy above me got the comments on that quote he was looking for, just a little late.

 

[ETW97]

If they make it unfree they better make it better.

 

[LooksPainful]

Fake. His face is clearly shopped.


But seriously, charging for PSN, PSN being free being one of the few redeeming qualities, is a move just far too stupid for anyone.

 

[Jing the Bandit]

You guys know that commercial where a girl is on the Sony Online Help Line and she and a guy are saying that the PS3 pretty much sucks without it?
I feel that to be a good way for Sony to show that they're complete idiots.

EDIT: is this 'Ten-Year Plan' anything like a certain Five-Year Plan?

 

[HyenaThePirate]

This just in...
"Sony Looking at charging for the ability to save your games to the harddrive. Also, the PSP will overtake the IPOD in sales."

I figure it'll only be a matter of time before that is a headline. Seriously, what are Sony execs thinking of? Oh wait, I know what they are thinking of: Ways to make tons of money and ruin their lofty image in the gaming community.

Honestly, sometimes I suspect that Sony is headed by the most arrogant fools to ever grace a corporation or they must have the world's worst consumer analysts because who ever is giving them suggestions on their game division is apparently trying to destroy the company. Maybe Sony is just so used to being the industry leader that they don't know how to react as the underdog. They've made bone-headed decision after bone-headed decision over the past few years, from marketing screw-ups to astonishingly stupid comments. From the Spiderman fiasco to the decision to drop Backwards Compatibility to making the PSP-GO! a completely digital download product Sony seems like they don't have a clue about what people want from them.

This probably explains why so many companies that used to have strong working relationships with them on exclusive titles (Square Enix, Atlas, Level-5, and even Kojima) have started going multiplatform or looking to work more closely with Sony's competitors in the field. Sony acts as if they hate the PS3 and enjoys punishing you for brand loyalty and truth be told, if it continues much further, they'll lose me as a customer altogether.

I do tend to play on Xbox Live more than PSN, but thats because the experience is so much more enjoyable, and being an adult with steady income, the Xbox live fee is a pittance to me.
Sony needs to figure it out fast before they wind up making the PS3 into their Dreamcast, although I suspect that Sony would be satisfied waiting out this console cycle until it's competitors have newer consoles on the market, and then touting how much better the PS3 is selling, since it will have no direct competitors... much like they do now with the PS2.

Get it together Sony, you're running out of second chances.

 

[HyenaThePirate]

"Home is a three-dimensional community and environment that isn't possible on the other platforms and wasn't imagined by anyone other than the folks at Sony,"

This seems to be receiving no comments, and I suppose it is a little out of the topic for this discussion, but: Huh?

I may be missing something, but just how is Home not possible on any other console? Both the Wii and 360 already have player made avatars and I find it rather hard to believe that neither Nintendo or MS could make online "worlds" for them to gather in. Sure, they haven't (yet) but "not possible" That's just a joke.

Oh, and online meeting areas with user created avatars have been around for quite a while last I checked, they just usually take place in fantasy settings and some of the avatars have pointy ears. To say that they were only imagined by "the folks at Sony" is another crock of you know what.

Actually, it's not that people missed that comment, I think it's just that nobody CARES. I don't think anybody but Sony and maybe one or two very lonely people in Ontario give two poops about Home. Certainly nobody I know ever uses it or used it past that first few days it was rolled out.

I think most people just ignore anything about Home out of hand at this point, because quite frankly, there is little to nothing that can make Home "good", "fun", "useful", or "worth my time".

 

[robert022614]

All I know is if this "premium service" lets you access all PSone games for free and still lets you download and keep them like they do now I would get it for a month and download all PSone games I could get my hands on and probably never use it again. I mean themes? not doing it for me as the background of the menu couldn't be further from the reason I own a gaming console. Also PlayStation Home is really nothing more than a novelty, its neat in its own way but TOTALLY unnecessary and I couldn't imagine paying for it while I don't use it. Facebook connectivity? I mean makes sense on a portable device like maybe for the PSP, but I mean even the new PS3 is sort of a clunker and I couldn't imagine preferring to carry my console around compared to say MY LAPTOP!! unless someone out there actually doesn't have a computer and pays for internet just for their consoles (haven't found anyone yet in this category) like most of the stuff they want to charge for neat but totally unnecessary. So as long as basic online multiplayer is free I don't really care if they charge for a premium service. Oh and charging would be a big turn off to prospective console buyers. PSN works ok, but still needs ALOT of work and I will gladly jump on the stop messing around with PlayStation Home and spend the time and effort on making a better online experience playing real games bandwagon.

 

[JaymesFogarty]

I'm never going to pay for online. A huge reason I bought a PS3 was that the online was good, yet free. I think a few people on here can relate to me when I say that this would be a big mistake.

PS3 online is horrible.

How exactly is it horrible? You can play online against friends, download demos, wallpapers, themes and films, all connected intelligently. You can also browse the internet free. What's wrong with that?

 

[jackanderson]

Don't do it Dille! DON'T DO IT!!

Mind you, if I'm still able to play games online without paying I won't care.

 

[soul_rune1984]

The only time I hook my PS3 to the internet is when I want DLC from the PS Store so, I'm paying for it anyway.

 

[Gasaraki]

Home is a three-dimensional community and environment that isn't possible on the other platforms and wasn't imagined by anyone other than the folks at Sony," he said.
How much more of your bullshit are you going to feed us sony?

 

[Tanfastic]

The way he made it sound makes Sony look like they're way too into themselves thinking they're "SO MUCH BETTER" even though a MAIN selling point is being obliterated.

 

[Aesir23]

If they do start charging then I hope there's a way I can cancel my PSN membership. My family's already paying for XBL and so they probably won't be happy if they have to pay for PSN as well.

 

[IDBash]

Moral of the story....... Buy a computer.

urm we all have 1? unless we wouldn't be speaking right now =) you acctualy mean

"Morale of the story, play games on the computer", which most people do, just not online cause their computer might not be the best...

to many holes in you statement my friend

Aaaah... see you hit my point exactly... Also, if your "computer" cannot play online games, then it can't play offline games either... ie you do not own a computer you own a internet media device that runs (insert OS)... Go buy a computer... get an nettop with the ion chip in it for 300$ that can play all games to date... (not perfectly but at a solid 30+ fps and most games can be dialed back to get a solid 60 not to mention can easily be hooked to a tv with hdmi) Thank you for pointing that out for me... I tend to be a bit cryptic..

 

[S.R.S.]

I'm pretty pissed. I usually rub it in the faces of x-bots that I get free online capabilities. Now what? Uncharted isn't that good a game anyways.

 

[13lackfriday]

Honestly, I can see this happening and this man being declared the Antichrist of video gaming, but honestly, it isn't really that surprising.

The free service was obviously too good to be true, and Sony has to make up for its losses on the whole original PS3 pricing fiasco, as well as catch up with Microsoft's profits.

 

[Scenttree]

I'd pay for it I suppose depending on the price. Nothing over $20 though :[

 

[kawaiiamethist]

I have heard that the PSN will be free but you can pay for extras. Like a PSN+ of sorts

Or XBL.

I don't mind paying, as long as there's something worth investing my money into.

 

[Phoenixlight]

Playstation home is the worst investment sony has ever made it terribly boring, they should just delete it. They better not start charging for playstation network, if they do I'm not going to pay for it.