Sony Considering Subscription Service For Games?
Questionnaire might well highlight just what Sony's thinking.Published 29/12/2009 at 9:00 by nofi
Greg’s already discussed at length the various options Sony are considering for what has been dubbed PSN Premium, but one of the features not mentioned on the list (which did appear to cover every other angle possible) is paid subscription for games. Currently the closest thing we’ve got to a continued, steady revenue stream for developers is the episodic content model (such as that seen in Blue Toad or Siren) but going down the route of a full subscription service is one step ahead.
Over the weekend some PS3 users (including myself) were asked to take part in a survey by a third party, and one of the questions relates to this very matter. “How likely would you be to subscribe to a service like this in the future?” asks the questionnaire referring to a hypothetical paid subscription service for films, music or games. Well, this could infer a number of things – an ad free Vidzone (as Greg pointed out) or some kind of Netflix-esque affair for European PS3 owners.
Regardless, it’s the ‘games’ bit I’m interested in. Massively multiplayer online games like World of Warcraft could easily run on the PS3, both in terms of online infrastructure and visual grunt, but without a paid subscription service in place it’s unlike to tempt the likes of Blizzard. If Sony can get a decent monthly sub model up and running then there’s no reason why such games wouldn’t find their way onto the PlayStation platform. Not that we’ve not had such options on consoles past.
What the PS3 really needs is a decent online community title, with persistence and a sense of consequence. The Dreamcast, bless it, introduced me to Phantasy Star Online and it’s still the single most played game I’ve experienced in all my gaming years. If Sony can come up with something equally engaging (and over broadband, this time) I’d happily put down a tenner a month – it would be a welcome change of pace from the me-too FPS flooding the market. How about you?
Comments
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Rad4Life | 29/12/2009 17:30
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99 TSA Points | Member since: Dec 2009
Most of us are missing a BIG POINT.
In most of the lists and surveys we’ve seen, Sony has not been talking about charging to play online.
It mostly subscribes you to some really nice perks.
As a former Microsoft supporter (I turned over 2 yrs. ago), I always gloat about free to play online service.
If Sony keeps that unchanged, this would be a huge opportunity for them to make some of their money back while still rivaling 360’s online service.
The ability to play downloadable games for an hour without purchase is awesome.
Free PSOne games, though I doubt all will be included i.e. FFVII and Metal Gear Solid.
These two features alone will save a lot of people money every month as well.
Gladiator007 | 29/12/2009 22:29
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8 TSA Points | Member since: Dec 2009
@bajere
Early adopters of the PS3 were idiots. Pick up a game and an extra controller and any accessory and you paid $800 for absolutely nothing. Your argument is one of someone who feels they got ripped off and that’s exactly what happened. You are the very reason the PS3 is around today. You my friend are a PS3 hardcore fan and you guys were the ones who’ve kept the PS3 in the game thus far. You’re also total evidence that none of the PS3 exclusives are really moving systems. That explains the low sales numbers for big exclusive like Killzone2 and Uncharted2. The primary people buying them are early adopters and hardcore fans. I’m saying low compared to the 360 exclusives. This also explains the roughly 4to1 ratio of people that play Modern Warfare2 online via the 360 versus the PS3.
Sony has had nothing yet other than the latest Final Fantasy (and that has primarily been in Japan) to come out that has truly pushed system sales. Sony has had to introduce the slim and reduce the price way before they were ready in order to move systems. They are still losing money and continue to be a low return system to exclusively develop for.
bunimomike | 29/12/2009 23:48
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4791 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009
Ignoring your “idiots” reference there’s a lot of truth in it. I know many PS3 owners who begrudingly felt cheated early on. So-so games with a massive hardware price-tag to boot. It really does smart. Hopefully, Sony will learn never to release such an expensive console again and get something more reasonable churned out so it’s the equivalent of the £300 price mark we saw on both the PS1 and the PS2. Also, as good as the PSN is, it’s still playing catch-up to the online gaming on XBL (from a server/infrastructure point-of-view). Or at least that’s all I ever read about.
xdarkmagician | 30/12/2009 01:19
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498 TSA Points | Member since: May 2009
to say that “Early adopters of the PS3 were idiots.” is just childish fanboy hate. People keep forgetting that when the PS3 launched it was the cheapest Blu-ray player around… that could also play games. I don’t think anybody who buys any system feels ripped off until it breaks. If you want to talk about spending $ on absolutely nothing why don’t you mention all those poor bastards that bought an HD DVD player for their 360.
Gladiator007 | 30/12/2009 01:55
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8 TSA Points | Member since: Dec 2009
Fair enough… the “idiot” remark was a little harsh (although I’ve been called worse).
My point was simply as “bunimomike” put it “So-so games with a massive hardware price-tag to boot.” The entire reason the PS3 was so expensive (and late to the show) as we all know was because of blu-ray. Sony thought they could apply the same PS2 DVD business model to the PS3 with blu-ray. Problem was, is that blu-ray is no way the leap and bounds in video viewing DVD was compared to VHS at the time. Couple that with a crippled economy people just weren’t buying it, especially when you had a lower cost altertative be it the 360, the Wi or even the PS2.
Fast forwared to today… the damage is done. The 360 has gobbled up massive market share and the Wii has enforced its mark on the causual gamer and done the same. Sony’s left playing catch up.
Last point: wether you ove them or hate them, you have to give Microsoft credit for doing something right. I mean look at where they started:
The year was 2001, dead last, new kid on the block, going up against the largest gaming corporation around – the mighty Sony. Fast forward to today. Microsoft has done an amazing thing given the gigantic install base and head start Sony had when Microsoft came onto the scene. The one question I would ask to all the Sony execs, if they’ve still got jobs is: “How in the world could you muck that up!” I’ve said it before and will say it again: That’s like an NFL football team being up 42-0 at the half and loosing the game.
Gladiator007 | 30/12/2009 02:02
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8 TSA Points | Member since: Dec 2009
@ xdarkmagician
Your comment about the HD DVD system may have a little merit, but I’d bet you were one of the same people yelling before the blu-ray hd dvd war was over that “HD DVD sales are down!”
which they were. And which also means that not that many people bought them. And lastly, at least people who bought the HD DVD had a choice. It wasn’t forced down their throats with a hefty price tag. Looks like it worked to me given where the PS3 is and where the 360 is right now.
name | 30/12/2009 07:55
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116 TSA Points | Member since: Jun 2009
no thanks!
i think the 1K i gave sony on launch for a ps3, the $500 i gave them on launch for the slim, the $120 im giving them for the exclusives i buy, the $100 i give them for the 7 controllers i have bought is more than enough.
the day sony starts charging for the PSN, is the day my ps3 goes on ebay and i go back to where games are meant to be played.
on the PC.
hazelam | 31/12/2009 10:12
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3950 TSA Points | Member since: Feb 2009
maybe they’ll launch an onlive type service for the ps3.
though with the state of scee i don’t think i’d sign up for it in europe.
TheShepanator | 31/12/2009 15:07
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561 TSA Points | Member since: Nov 2009
I would be better to choose what you want from your subscription and only pay for what you want.