Only a short time ago, Microsoft’s Xbox Live ruled the online gaming world. It was packed with innovative and easy to use features and it looked as if this would be the one area Microsoft would have locked up. At around $50 a year, the price tag was somewhat hefty. For around $4 a month one would have access to online play (and the many features that accompany it) and Xbox Live Marketplace where everything from Themes and Gamer Pictures to demos and newly released movies were just a few button presses away.
On the other hand Sony’s online service for the PS3 debuted back in 2006 and was harshly criticized for its overall lack of features and low quality. But it was free.
When prospective buyers wished to compare the two online services, Xbox Live would usually come out on top for the above mentioned reasons. But the cost of the different networks has played a large role in the mind of the consumer. And for this reason the quality of the Playstation Network seemed right behind, if not equal to that of Xbox Live.
But PSN is closing in on its two year birthday and as of late has been making rapid advances to the previously feature-less service. Rumours have been swirling for months that an in-game messaging system would be implemented some time this summer along with a custom soundtrack feature, similar to that of Xbox Live. Also, the virtual network HOME appears to have a firm release date in the fall, and it looks as if PSN will soon be getting its own version of Video Marketplace. Here’s what Sony Computer Entertainment Europe’s President David Reeves had to say when asked about a video on demand service:
"I can’t give you a time but it is not in the distant future, it will be within this calendar year."
Clearly Sony is trying to catch up as quickly as they can and if all this can get done by the end of the year, we may have a new online leader. Here is the full article by IGN UK.
The thing is all these features will cost big money. And Sony can’t keep PSN a decent service if they continue to keep it free, out of the goodness of their hearts.
The obvious answer to these future financial problems would be more advertising. Both PSN and Xbox Live already have a substantial amount of advertising, but from personal experience the ads are hardly noticeable (which is good for us gamers, bad for the company’s advertising). The Playstation Network could very well see an increase in advertisements, especially when you consider the incoming virtual world. With its expansion in general there’s a good chance the entire interface could get a overhaul or two which could in turn lead to larger empty spaces, eagerly waiting to be filled with obnoxious ads.
The downside of this alternative way for Sony to make money would be the fact that the ads would visually surpass that of the actual content. Many websites practice this philosophy and they tend to be an eyesore. While essentially these ads could improve the service, no one wants to be bombarded with constant messages of what you should purchase next.
Another idea to keep PSN a self-sustaining service is the recently announced Qore. The annual subscription will be $24.99, or $2.99 per episode. It is being described as a highly interactive, monthly lifestyle gaming program, giving buyers exclusive access to things that aren’t available on the free-of-charge PSN.
It’s yet to be seen if this is just another money-making scam or a legitimate service that’s worth the money and can retain its true exclusivity.
And lastly, the only other potential idea would be to push micro-transactions to the max. Things like Themes and Gamer Pictures would have to cost money and probably have an exaggerated price. Themes and pictures would mostly be for current retail games, but Sony could start making (and charging) themes and pictures for PSN games and even older PS2 classics. And of course the entire idea of a virtual world is any advertisers dream. Ad space would be almost unlimited, but more importantly an infinite amount of objects could be micro-transactioned (I’m copywriting that term). Anything and everything imaginable in a virtual world such as clothes and furniture could be charged at a small fee, a must buy with millions of users and the urge to stay unique.
The Playstation Network has only slightly improved in the eighteen months it’s been on the market and as of now the loser of the online component in the console war. As with other components, the Xbox 360 is the clear winner and all of the above features (and more) that may come…will only come in the future.
The term Delay seems to have a personal conflict with Sony, so who’s to say when these new and exciting features, that will match and most likely leapfrog those of Xbox Live, will come? Even the President of SCEE hasn’t always kept his word.
If Sony truly does wish to stay in the online race, at least one of the above mentioned techniques will need to be put to use so that PSN can remain free.
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