Sony Announces FirstPlay

Exclusive PS3 interactive HD show revealed.

Published 15/02/2010 at 8:00.
By Alex C [nofi].

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TheSixthAxis is delighted to reveal FirstPlay, Europe’s first on-console, interactive show. Firstplay will be available in HD, directly through your PS3, and will come weekly from March onwards from Future Publishing in partnership with SCEE. Firstplay will roll out across Europe later in 2010.

FirstPlay’s bespoke content is being created by a hand-picked team of TV and gaming veterans with the reviews and previews coming from the team behind the respected Official PlayStation Magazine team.

PS3 registered users will be able to buy a three month subscription at £8.99 or purchase single episodes for 99p, and will contain just six video advertising slots. Advertisers are in for a treat – we’re told FirstPlay delivers the impact of TV along with the transparency of the web with total user views and other key user data available as well as click throughs to deep web links and to the PSN Store.

Sony’s excited about the service – with over 3 million PSN accounts, the network is an “increasingly important way of adding value” for gamers, and recent stats from the BBC suggest the PS3 is responsible for 8% of iPlayer traffic and we all know how powerful VidZone has become in terms of content – over 200 million videos served in the first six months.

In short, PS3 owners want content, and FirstPlay is going to bring it to them. Ray Maguire, Senior Vice President of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe and Managing Director of Sony Computer Entertainment UK said:

“It becomes critical that we’re offering gamers the very best content and services through this channel. FirstPlay is a great example of this. Future has an outstanding track record in producing content for gamers that is informed, impartial, relevant and with the right production values, so we see them as a natural partner to work with as we move to on-console media development.”

Robert Price, Chief Executive of Future UK added:

“FirstPlay is a ground breaking development, not just for gamers, but for the media industry, and we are delighted to be partnering with Sony on this pioneering project. On-console delivery is an exciting next step in Future’s strategy of providing high quality content for readers and integrated media solutions for advertisers.”

“We believe that we’ve created a product that will appeal to gamers in a uniquely effective and targeted way.”

A trailer for FirstPlay is available now at http://www.firstplay.co.uk

Comments

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3shirts | 15/02/2010 08:02
Member
3850 TSA Points | Member since: Aug 2008

Sounds great, can’t wait to see what this looks like when it launches
mynameisblair | 15/02/2010 08:03
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4205 TSA Points | Member since: May 2009

Does it offer exclusive games and betas like Qore?
If so I’ll probably get it, if not, that’s not too great.
Also good morning everyone!
- mynameisblair | 15/02/2010 08:06
  Member
  4205 TSA Points | Member since: May 2009
  
  “from the team behind the respected Official PlayStation Magazine team.”
  An extra team, team.
  - Doddsy | 15/02/2010 08:58
    Totally Oscar Mike
    1263 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009
    
    See! It’s easy to do ¬_¬
- drgoodier | 15/02/2010 10:58
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  Watch the video on this page:
  
  http://www.firstplay.co.uk/how-to-get-it/
  
  It will answer your question ;)
Kamokazi-UK | 15/02/2010 08:03
Member
424 TSA Points | Member since: Sep 2009

Very interesting.. Probably go by an episode basis to start for me, but the subscription price doesn’t seem so bad.

I’ll just wait and see what sort of content they’ll provide..
besidavi | 15/02/2010 08:05
Member
103 TSA Points | Member since: Aug 2009

The phrase ‘world exclusive’ has been cheapened beyond all recognition by Gamesradar. They had the world exclusive on their own product… they should be ashamed.
- besidavi | 15/02/2010 08:06
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  103 TSA Points | Member since: Aug 2009
  
  Will def have a look at the first one though…
jimmyjrg | 15/02/2010 08:08
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269 TSA Points | Member since: Feb 2010

it’s like paying for the internet :0
- EXC355UM | 15/02/2010 08:11
  Member
  114 TSA Points | Member since: Jan 2010
  
  We do pay for the internet. =P
  
  I wonder if Australia will get anything similar?..
- Dar-Kaus | 15/02/2010 08:55
  Member
  198 TSA Points | Member since: Apr 2009
  
  I gave up buying OPM because I can get all the same content for free online, this will end up on you tube no doubt.
  - jimmyjrg | 15/02/2010 21:28
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    269 TSA Points | Member since: Feb 2010
    
    yeah Qore is on youtube so I guess someone will put this one up too.
Radboud | 15/02/2010 08:12
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Looks very good in the trailer….
Any info on the roll-out to the rest of Europe?
- besidavi | 15/02/2010 08:16
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  The trailer’s just some clips from Sony games? it doesn’t show anything of firstplay at all.
  - darknight88 | 15/02/2010 08:19
    Member
    348 TSA Points | Member since: Feb 2009
    
    http://www.firstplay.co.uk/how-to-get-it/
    
    Watch that one. It shows the actual feature
  - besidavi | 15/02/2010 08:20
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    103 TSA Points | Member since: Aug 2009
    
    Cheers
  - besidavi | 15/02/2010 08:24
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    103 TSA Points | Member since: Aug 2009
    
    And it does look really good!
  - Radboud | 15/02/2010 08:24
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    What trailer are you talking about, besidavi?
    The only trailer that is linked in this article shows the actual feature, doesn’t it?
    
    As I was saying, looking good :P
  - besidavi | 15/02/2010 08:29
    Member
    103 TSA Points | Member since: Aug 2009
    
    The link in the article is for their homepage video which is a quick bunch of game clips and nothing more. The link in the reply above is the right one.
  - Radboud | 15/02/2010 08:34
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    1299 TSA Points | Member since: Nov 2008
    
    Okay okay, you’re right ;)
    I had already clicked to the next page :P
sesameseed | 15/02/2010 08:32
Member
574 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009

Sounds promising. Would like the 1st episode to be a freebie though, then if it’s any good it’ll be worth putting my hand in my pocket.
- skibadee | 16/02/2010 02:08
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  same here test the waters first then jump in.
theturtleking | 15/02/2010 08:33
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138 TSA Points | Member since: Feb 2010

I think £8.99 is a bit steep for only 3 months subscription Unless It’s a weekly process.
- Radboud | 15/02/2010 08:41
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  It is a weekly process, so you get 12 for the price of GBP 8.99
- Kevling | 15/02/2010 08:46
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  Yeah, 2nd sentence of the article: “…will come weekly from March onwards”. ;)
- carson321 | 15/02/2010 08:46
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  It has to be, work it out. At 99p an episode it would be more expensive to pay for a subscription even if it was bi weekly. It has to be a weekly thing unless subscribers get a load of extras
hairfreax | 15/02/2010 08:35
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1717 TSA Points | Member since: Jun 2009

So we pay to play demos now
- cc_star | 15/02/2010 08:45
  Team TSA: Writer
  11320 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
  
  O.o
  
  I’m confuzzled
- Radboud | 15/02/2010 08:46
  Member
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  No, we pay to hear about demo’s now :P
  - cc_star | 15/02/2010 09:02
    Team TSA: Writer
    11320 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
    
    Cool, think I’ll just stay tuned to TSA for that… Might subscribe if it’s actual early access
- minerwilly | 15/02/2010 09:46
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  This old cynic is with you on that Hairfreax , I see nothing I cant already get for free ie:- reviews and HD videos and now I have to pay to participate in betas to help companies test their unfinished products . Oh yea and either we now likely get demos later than subscribers or possibly not at all .
  Great announcement ! This is what that survey I filled in for Sony was all about then but I clearly said to keep it as it is as I have no issue with what I already receive for free . Oh well if I cant play demos then I will more likely rent the game instead only hurting the developers moore.
  - cc_star | 15/02/2010 10:02
    Team TSA: Writer
    11320 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
    
    Think I’d part with 99p if they have something huge, and first. Reviews, previews and content is available all over the net for free… but for the right beta or demo its gotta be worth 99p, although the big stuff will be for subscribers only, like Qore
  - hairfreax | 15/02/2010 10:16
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    1717 TSA Points | Member since: Jun 2009
    
    If the demos are plentifull then 75p a week over the 3 months wont be to costly in the end but how long before the demos are few and far between.
  - minerwilly | 15/02/2010 10:23
    Member
    1197 TSA Points | Member since: Feb 2009
    
    But the point some of you seem to be missing is that its only “First” because of this stupid new service. We have always had it first the way it was and for free, they are just using us .
    The machine is trying to keep the good guy down man !!
  - hairfreax | 15/02/2010 10:23
    Member
    1717 TSA Points | Member since: Jun 2009
    
    and i would suspect that the reviews would only be of AAA titles and im sure they would be paid enough to gloss over any flaws. I want objective reviews not biased content
  - drgoodier | 15/02/2010 11:05
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    It’s just like buying a magazine isn’t it but maybe with a bit less content, a cheaper price and more interactive features. They aren’t just gonna be giving away demos and betas etc.
    
    They’re going to have articles and reviews just the same way you would get them in a magazine (except you listen and watch them instead of reading them).
  - s0602277 | 15/02/2010 11:07
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    I’m going to stick with the magazine, I like having something to read in the bath!
Foxhound_Solid | 15/02/2010 08:39
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1402 TSA Points | Member since: Dec 2009

Cool – looking forward to seeing this :o)