PS3 online play is free?
by David Hinkle 
{ May 19th 2006 at 2:00PM }
PS3Land is stating that they have an actual PR source claiming that the PS3's online multiplayer will be available for free right out of the box. Now, as much as this blogger would love to believe this statement, no factual evidence is presented by the website other than an unnamed Sony Computer Entertainment America PR Manager informing them to "Please note that online gaming will be free right out of the box."
Considering Sony's past of leaving online play and upkeep to the third-party developers/publishers and refusing to adopt a unified online structure like MIcrosoft's Xbox consoles have, should we expect Sony to shift more towards the online model of Microsoft or assume this is just another drop in the well that is internet speculation?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Cage @ May 19th 2006 3:26PM
I just hope people keep hyping up the "free" online service. It will be just another let down for the PS3. No way can a service do half the things Live does for free. Even for a poor service you would be dealing with crazy amounts of advertisement, a different gamertag for each game (because it will use third party servers), and there would be exponentially more microtransactions. Add to that the fact that Sony didnt want to touch it at E3?!?! The biggest event of the year?!?! This thing wouldnt be done till late 2007...if that. You better have a bunch of single person titles to hold you over. But wait...thats right...these titles everyone "buys the PS3 for" (MGS, FF) wont be out till late 2007 anyway (if that). Heres an idea...launch when your signature titles are ready!!! LATE 2007!!!
jon @ May 19th 2006 6:41PM
Sony needs to be called to task on their online offerings...or lack therof.
No online offerings shown at E3 is only preceeded in rediculousness by the fact that they won't have rumble in the controllers.
Fan @ May 19th 2006 11:57PM
"I just hope people keep hyping up the "free" online service. It will be just another let down for the PS3."
Why do you sit around and hope something will be a letdown? Boring?
If your not paid by some guerilla marketing firm im really baffled that you bother commenting with some super negative bs every time.
Anyway Im not taking anything for granted when it comes to the PS3. If they do not include free online ill stick pc online play, im not paying to play with my own bandwidth. Only if they include divX support will the PS3 be worth a purchase on launch. Sony makes dvd players with dixX support so why should they not give the PS3 divX love? If not I wont buy one until there are some good games out, especially assasins creed.
Stupidest comment I read today: "I want a console NOT a computer!". Sorry but wtf do you think a console is? Magic in a box? All consoles are computers.
PS3Fan @ May 20th 2006 2:30AM
I think Sony would eventually need to roll a "Live" competitor if it wishes to survive, gaming is moving in that direction and so should PS3.
Derek @ May 20th 2006 6:42AM
So basically Xbox Live SILVER, just with video chat and voice messaging...wow...
Free account managment? I wouldnt think this would be a "feature" I think this would be a "standard".
/rant
Luke @ May 21st 2006 2:48AM
www.x-tremegaming.com
ps3 preorder
Kendal @ May 21st 2006 4:08PM
The only thing we know is that Sony has told us that they will have a free unified online service with the release of the PS3.
If that will really happen? No one knows. Sony hasn't given any details on it yet. Once they do we will know. They'll tell us before it's released, just be patient. I would really hope for it to be free though.
Always,
Kendal
SuicideNinja @ May 22nd 2006 11:50AM
"im not paying to play with my own bandwidth."
Looking at it that way is the wrong idea. They would be providing you access to a "service" you would otherwise not have access to. You are going through someone's servers, even if it's likely not to be Sony's.
jigzat @ May 22nd 2006 2:09PM
with a 599 price tag they better have "free" online service at least basic stuff without music store or downloads but with account managmnent friend list and a/v communication. It is ridiculous charging for an online service like that, you paid for the console you paid for the game you paid for the broadband service and you have to pay to play online?
Fan @ May 22nd 2006 2:36PM
"They would be providing you access to a "service" you would otherwise not have access to. You are going through someone's servers, even if it's likely not to be Sony's."
I allready pay for that service, its called the internet. The PC works great with free servers and so should the PS3. If they charge me to use their unified login so I can get a "gamercard" or something useless like that I would rather pass on it.
Steam works great as a free unified login distribution channel. Use their business model or lose. Also steam for the PS3 would be a good thing.
Nik @ May 22nd 2006 10:38PM
If Sony really did say that (which I doubt, many many people like attention, and many of those have discovered the internet) then there was probably some typical sony "aside" going on there, such as
please note that online play will be free right out of the box
ASIDE: for the first 10 days
Andir @ May 24th 2006 11:12PM
Gamesradar's Retraction:
http://www.gamesradar.com/us/ps3/game/news/article.jsp?articleId=20060524162421512039§ionId=1006&releaseId=20060314115917309058
Jdoki @ May 25th 2006 8:43AM
I suspect Sony are almost telling the truth .
The XBox Live Silver service just provides a means for people to have one identity online - the cost to MS to maintain this is negligable and more than made up for by micro-transactions.
The Gold service provides access to the MS hosted game servers - which covers the vast majority of titles available on the 360. The cost of the Gold membership contributes towards the use of their bandwidth and the maintenance of their servers among other things.
It seems clear to me that Sony will shift the hardware/network issues on to the publishers/devlopers, in which case, why should Sony charge? Their overheads won't be much different from Microsofts Silver membership. I suspect that Sony will just act as a authentication point for the consolidated online identity before redirecting the user to the developers/publishers servers.
I have no problem with this as long as the publishers/developers run good servers. The Xbox Live set up is great, pretty much lag free and a reliable gaming environment. Sony is just relinquishing any responsibility if we get a poor service from a particular game.
The cost of Gold membership is so low that I'm more than happy to pay it to receive a robust online experience. I have no issue with Sony's idea, I'm just a little nervous about how effective it will be, and how many developers might have to water down their online efforts because they don't want to fork out extra to maintain game servers.
Which in turn could lead to each developer/publisher charging for access... It doesn't take a huge leap of imagination to see a 'pay to play' model appearing - where a gamer may have to pay Developer X to play game X, and Developer Y to play game Y etc.
Just because Sony may not charge, doesn't mean it'll be free to play online.
vikram @ Oct 23rd 2006 1:50AM
is the ps3 going to need a direct internet connection like the ps2? Do you actually have to get an internet wire and stick it into the back of the ps3?