http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6030&Itemid=2

Sony Sizes Up Xbox Live

By Tom Ivan
Eric Lempel, director of PlayStation Network operations, has said that the company may one day charge for PSN. He also feels PSN and Xbox Live are currently operating on a roughly level playing field and reveals improvements to the service currently in development. More within...

Speaking to Geoff Keighley on the latest edition of Gametrailers’ Bonus Round, Lempel said that there was little to differentiate Xbox Live and PSN offerings to consumers bar the price. However, Lempel indicated that as the service grows, PSN may not always be available for free.

“Microsoft had a year jump on us for the launch and essentially we’re offering a lot of the same stuff. I don’t think there’s a big difference in exactly what we’re offering when it comes down to the nuts and bolts of what’s actually there for the consumer… We’re not charging money for our service. That’s a key differentiating factor.”

However, that could be open to change in the future.

“Right now that’s our model. In time anything can change but right now we’re happy with it.”

Lempel did concede that Sony was working to replicate a number of Xbox Live’s most successful features including cross-game invites, the ability to access the cross-media bar in-game, and an achievements system.

“I like how their marketplace is integrated directly into their user interface….Talking across games is fantastic. That definitely builds momentum for games and actually migrate users to other games and keeps you in touch with your gaming community.

“We’re working on an achievements system... I can’t say if it’s definitely tied to a gamerscore or something like Xbox does but that is an important feature.

“We’re continuing to build on this. We’re definitely going to have all of those features at some point. We know that they (consumers) want it and we’re building to get there… It’s not in the next firmware update but it’s something we’re working on."

Lempel also stated that the notion of a unified PS community hadn’t been forgotten and that efforts were being made to that effect.

“We’re definitely going towards this one unified community. PlayStation Network doesn’t mean PS3, it extends to the PSP, it will extend to the PSP (we think he meant PS2). That’s something you’ll see in the future. There’s a lot more coming.”

you wish.

nice troll title.

Your a dumbass...

source #2

 http://www.gamersreports.com/news/5881/sony-says-psn-may-not-always-be-free/

 I agree 100%.

All he said was. They have 0 plans to go pay. But that dosent mean 5 or even 10 years in the future, they might come out with a premium pay service of some sort. 

 Once they get their moves, shows, music on there they will want every single PS3 owner to have free access to it.

to charge for PSN would limit their audience. 

 
"Sony Sizes Up Xbox Live" - thats the title of his link, he just made that title to troll.

If you think I'm trolling, REPORT ME.

The article itself says in the text, PSN may not always be available for free.

Whether it has a yearly cost or not, is that really a big issue? I mean, maybe its because I come from the MMO world where monthly charges are upwards of 15 USD a month, but xbox live is what 50$ a year?

Anyway, regardless of the title (which I think is perfectly valid since price was a big part of the first half of that article), I think the details are pretty interesting.

Even if you don't like it Blue, which is perfectly fine, at least you could actually provide some discussion instead of just being your usual pro-sony, anti-everything else self.

No, that's not all he said. This was his quote, “Right now that’s our model. In time anything can change but right now we’re happy with it.”

He said nothing about time tables, premium services, or 0 plans to go play. He said it's free now, but that could change. You added your own spin to it.


And I don't see how this is a troll title. Sony's always touted the fact that their service would be free, now they're saying that could change. The title of this thread reflects that, so where's the trolling exactly?

Unless things become really out of hand, I'm doubting paying to be online. However, I can understand paying for other things (similar to Xbox Live). As long as I can access online and play Resistance (for example) for free, then I'm not thinking that much about it.

Same thing for Home, if I can get access to it for free and use it for free, then I would have the choice to put X amount of money on the extra stuff.

It also makes me think of when Sony was talking about working with other companies that want to use the PS3 in a similar way to Folding at home. Things like that would help keep the network free. However, the only way I'd really want to loan my PS3 out to a company to run research on would be if I could get free stuff in Home or something, like X amount of hours would allow you to get x amount of things instead of paying for it.