Hirai – Current PSN service to remain free, subs for "premium content and s

[epicurean]

TheMarkness said:
I would never pay for the PSN services because in all honesty the service is lacking and stinks in comparison to the features and community of Xbox Live. If Xbox Live was at the level of service and functionality as PSN is currently I would laugh and walk away at the idea of paying anything; you really do get what you pay for.

Anyone with a real job can afford $4.17 a month for Xbox Live (coffee at starbucks is on the verge of that, or a couple of 20oz cokes). I enjoy my cross gaming chat, private chat, voice messages, better more organized achievement system and community. Not to mention multi-user login ability for Xbox Live accounts (greatly lacking on the PS3) so my wife and I can earn our achievements and play online together (yes Sony we like to do that get with the program).

If making PSN a paid service means getting all the great extras and functionality that's missing I say bring it; leave the feature-less freebie to everyone that doesn't want to pay for it simple as that.

I'm pretty sure the PS3 can do private chat, leave voice messages, and the idea that there is a "more organized achievement system" is crazy.  I just dont get why people keep thinking Live is so much better than PSN.  You're right on when you say it doesn't have cross game chat, and if that is important to you (or others), and you deem it to be worth 50-60 dollars a year, then go with Live.  But thats the only difference I see.