Don't pay for Qore, wait for demos
by Andrew Yoon 
{ Jun 3rd 2008 at 11:53PM }
However, what about PSN users that refuse to pay for Qore? They'll have to wait for the biggest demos. SCEA's Susan Panico told Wired that in terms of demos, "Qore is like the network broadcast" of a TV show. The PS Store is like "syndication."
This sounds like a practice currently used on Xbox Live. Free Silver account members have to wait one week to access any free content on Xbox Live Marketplace. For example, if a demo of Madden 09 is available on August 10th, Silver members would have to wait until August 17th to download the demo. The introduction of Qore may cause a similar division within the PSN.
We'll have to wait and see how the community responds to Qore once it releases later this week. In spite of this new development, we're still relieved by PSN's free access to online gaming. Unlike Xbox Live, all members of PSN (paid and unpaid) will still be able to play online.
[Thanks, Ether02!]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
JJ @ Jun 4th 2008 12:06AM
Hm... cheaper version of LIVE. Only $25 a year eh? Not too bad. I think I'll be ok with staying free though. Since I'll still be able to play online.
HektikLyfe @ Jun 4th 2008 11:58AM
Yeah, cheaper, but that is all you get. If Sony offered the community integration XBox Live offers for free, I would be willing to pay to get them on PSN.
Sony doesn't offer that stuff even for a premium fee...
Yet.
kevin @ Jun 4th 2008 12:55PM
think about it its not like xbox live at all for them they are FORCED to pay to play online with friends or they simply dont get it for us its just that people that want qore get everything a week earlier and betas so if you choose not to dont and have patience but if you are impatient like me dont be cheap to yourself and buy the damn thing
loic54 @ Jun 4th 2008 12:14AM
one word: bullshit!
Greg Pace @ Jun 4th 2008 12:44AM
Now I can't say atleast I don't have to play for online to xb360 fanboys :(
Extinction @ Jun 4th 2008 1:25AM
Playing online is still free....
baby sea tuna @ Jun 4th 2008 9:27AM
Then you have truly lost your only reason to live.
Cory @ Jun 4th 2008 12:11AM
No Thanks Sony. Since most demos on the PSN either come out weeks before or weeks after the release of the actual game there seems to be no real incentive to subscribe. AS long as they don't pull a M$ and start requiring a paid subscription to play online i don't care.
Whaaa @ Jun 4th 2008 8:06AM
Something wrong with the title. "demo"
I read the playstation blog and it's not a demo that you can get. It's Beta. But why would people think you are paying for the Beta? You have about 1 to 2 hours of content each month. do most people think you only pay for Demo and the rest of the content in Qore are free?
Cory @ Jun 4th 2008 12:14AM
By the way this is going to fail epically for Sony. When will Sony get it? 1 step forward 2 steps back it seems for our beloved PS3. :(
JAH75157 @ Jun 4th 2008 12:16AM
i'll probably get the first installment just to get in on the socom beta, other than that i don't think i'll be f**king with it.
frankym @ Jun 4th 2008 12:22AM
This seems like a great idea. Qore will offer super high quality content, downloadable games, and more for $3. Seems like a pretty good deal to me. If we don't like what the coming issue will offer, simply don't buy it. Bottom line is that you can continue playing for free.
Welcome to the world of microtransactions people (it's a business model thats here to stay). Home will function similarly (pay for unique clothing, furniture, prime virtual real estate, etc.) Lets hope that some of the money they make goes into continuing server improvement.
XBL currently has a superior online experience...hopefully this will improve PSN infrastructure,
Cory @ Jun 4th 2008 12:33AM
the problem is that all this content is currently and would've been available for free on the regular psn all this is going to do is take regular content and lock it for non subscribers. Bad idea!
Da @ Jun 4th 2008 3:11AM
I like the idea too, i'm interested in the actual program seems interesting.
And I thought all the wingers would be happy, PSN is taking another step towards xbox live, which is what they're always harping for.
benny boy @ Jun 4th 2008 11:59AM
To be honest none of us really know what this will consist of: whether they will take the content that is currently and would've been available for free on the regular psn or whether it will be something else.
I'm glad that this is just for America and not for the UK, in case it is the former.
JoJo @ Jun 5th 2008 10:15AM
We don't even know if home will be launch on PS3, probably PS5. And I don't like the thought of paying to go online. If Sony wants to make a move like that to be like M$? I think I rather go buy a SquareBox 720. Sony should stick with MAKING SOME DAMN EXCLUSIVES!!
frankym @ Jun 4th 2008 12:26AM
Seems like this is a weak attempt to nickel and dime us with microtransactions similar to what we will see in Home.
Think i'll pass
Popfrogs @ Jun 4th 2008 10:34AM
There's a reason why SCEA is the only one doing this. It's called test marketing. If they're going to sell us advertising, I hope their test fails.
The PSN isn't charge-worthy yet, we just don't have squat for content compared to the white box.
dontlikeitmodit @ Jun 4th 2008 12:26AM
$25 AND its has a Burger King ad? Go fuck yourself. If I pay for any kind of subscription, which I won't, there is no way I would ever tolerate an advertisement in the premium area. Again let me re-iterate.... go fuck yourself sony.
required @ Jun 4th 2008 12:44AM
I agree. Paying for ads is wrong. Over the air HDTV is a lot better than paying for HDTV. Ads should subsidize TV, we should not subsidize ads.
Neil @ Jun 4th 2008 1:33AM
Totally agree.....best of luck to them, but count me out.
wisconsinista @ Jun 4th 2008 11:57AM
Yea no. I stopped watching tv and listening to the radio due to the ads, no way I'm paying to get them back into my life.
DrunkRaba @ Jun 4th 2008 12:32AM
No thanks, i'll just continue to get them late as usual with most demos not out till a while after release. I hope this fails miserably so they just make that content free to everyone at the same time.
Toby @ Jun 4th 2008 12:34AM
I'll but this, for the socom beta mostly. 25 a year isnt bad, i can still play online if i dont buy the thing. my gold is about to run out for xbox so i think ill use the cash for that on this instead =)
Ty @ Jun 4th 2008 12:37AM
*sighs* Next year this time we will be complaining about having to pay to play online period. PS3/PSN nickel and diming has started. And not so subtly may I add.
Volomon @ Jun 4th 2008 12:37AM
Ah ignorance, I love basking in the wave after wave of ignorance.
Future US inc does the digital "magazine". Figure it out on your own.
Devin @ Jun 4th 2008 12:42AM
This needs to fail. The main advantage to PS3 is that anything PSN-related is FREE: content & online play. This needs to be made FREE to ALL PS3 owners. Like someone said 1 step forward, 2 steps back.
Eggy @ Jun 4th 2008 6:12AM
There is tons of stuff on PSN that is not free. This is just like paying a subscription for an PS magazine only in digital form. Funny how alot of sites want to turn into something else.
SonofaGunner @ Jun 4th 2008 12:46AM
Screw you and the complainers. It's there for a year and I like the sound of it. Online play is free and this is just something extra. No one but the clowns complaining are losing out.
required @ Jun 4th 2008 12:49AM
From the looks of it, Qore is just one big collection of gaming ads. Advertainment central. My question is why should anyone pay for it? It's like being billed for looking at a billboard.
Jtenma @ Jun 4th 2008 2:26AM
Listen to this man!!!!!
Fiddlesworth @ Jun 4th 2008 12:57AM
So what exactly is this demo that we're not getting at the same time on the PS Store?
Or are we jumping to conclusions as usual?
bluefrog @ Jun 4th 2008 1:07AM
I was thinking about getting this when I first heard about it, and then I thought about it some more. $25 isn't a lot of money, but I already don't have enough time to play the games I own, and any important information will likely be reported by websites like PS3Fanboy before I even have a chance to download the new issue. Locking/delaying demos for non-subscribers isn't something I like the idea of either, so I think I'm going to hold off buying this to send the message that I don't support what this stands for.
Extinction @ Jun 4th 2008 1:26AM
Um, it's timed exclusivity, just like on Live how Silver members have to wait. RTFA
Extinction @ Jun 4th 2008 1:27AM
Oops, meant that for the guy below you
seammonkey420 @ Jun 4th 2008 1:34AM
yea.. seriously stop w/the nickel and diming..
first off, most of us PS3 owners paid $400 up to $600 for our consoles. we also have to pay for our internet (a good $40/mo easy). plus we the ps3 does use that crazy thing called electricity and in turn adds to the energy bill. and to really enjoy nextgen gaming you have to get a full HDTV and Dolby sound system.. so yea.. thats a lot of money w/o a single game.
i'm sick of bending over and my ass hurts..
and like other had pointed out, why should we have to pay to play a freaking demo? its not even a full game. i hope this fails horribly.
i love the PS3 because of the free online and non-tiered hierarchy of services (ie xbox gold, silver). to me it feels like your creating a 'rich' and 'poor' seperation in your gamers.
ok, no more smoking for me! :P
Eggy @ Jun 4th 2008 9:44AM
Yeah outrageous they should offer you free games every week as well once you paid for the console.
BananaBoat @ Jun 4th 2008 1:20AM
Exclusive demo's? Boooooooooooooooooo
Atleast you don't have to pay for demo's on the Xbox 360 (silver members get free demo's too). This is a giant departure from Sony's "Online should be free! Xbox live is the devil!" attitude of years past.
It's a slippery slope when you start talking about having to pay money for demo's. Maybe if I could pay a dollar, and get just the demo I want, and not have to pay for Qore....wow this whole thing is just incredibly stupid.
Extinction @ Jun 4th 2008 1:26AM
Um, it's timed exclusivity, just like on Live how Silver members have to wait. RTFA
BananaBoat @ Jun 4th 2008 2:04AM
I did RTFA. If you had, you'd have noticed that the idea of it being similar to Xbox Live Silver's waiting time, was just speculation on the part of the articles author. Even if it is like silver (I never said I supported that model) it's hilarious that Sony is doing a flip from their old theory that there is no reason people should have to pay for an online service.
The same people that are psyched about this now, are the people that have been saying Xbox Live is a money-grab ever since the service started...it stinks of hypocrisy.
I have a PS3, I won't be paying for Qore, and if that means I have to wait for demo's...after spending 500 dollars on the console...I'm going to be really angry. I don't think I'll be the only one.
adolson @ Jun 4th 2008 10:17AM
Maybe you shouldn't have spent $500 on a console to play free demos. Maybe you should buy real games, and play those.
JaseH @ Jun 4th 2008 3:40PM
Banana. There is one thing PSN will always have over LIVE.
Choice.
I don't have to be FORCED to pay FOUR TIMES the price yearly, just to PLAY online.
We usually have to wait for Demo's to strike the PSN either way, so if this garauntees content & supports the Online experience even more. Good on them.
*Hugs PS3*
*Switches on GTA IV & jumps in multiplayer for free*
________________________________
JaseH.
BananaBoat @ Jun 4th 2008 11:08PM
Two times the price. Xbox live is 50 a year (40 on sale sometimes) and Qore is 25.
So in other words, you'd rather pay for demo's and an online "Magazine" than for a standardized online element like Xbox Live? This is probably why the PSN is so abysmal for most games right now; Sony has most people so far over a barrel that they don't need to make improvements.
Nymo @ Jun 4th 2008 1:42AM
ok, Don't pay for Qore just for the demos...
And you're not just paying for exclusive HD videos of trailers, interviews, and looks behind-the-game...
There's also there's game download, be it add ons or possibly other downloadables, like XMB themes.
And then there's those beta invites, like SOCOM:Confrontation.
Think of it this way:
You paid for those PS2 demo disks before. Don't lie.
You paid either $9.99 or less for those "Jampack" disks or for a particular Official PlayStation Magazine issue just for a demo or something like a game-save.
Qore is the new demo disk, just minus the disk and way cheaper.
Remember when OPM died off Ziff Davis (1up), eventually being brought back with Future Publishing, but without any demo disk? And recall there being mention about how the PSN will replace the physical disk?
Qore is that.
I'm just glad to have a form of the old "Jampack"/OPM demo disk days of sitting back and watching the packaged videos, play games, and other content every month back again, but in digital form...
ok, Paying for the service and having ads at the same time is a bit of a bummer, but I'm glad that it's only a little 5-sec quip of an ad, and not quite an in-your-face banner or something that stays on your screen like other services that you might be paying a bit more for...
i don't know, That just how I see this whole issue...
Aozora @ Jun 4th 2008 1:53AM
It's just a subscription to an online magazine. Where are all you fools getting "we have to pay for online play now wahhh" from?
kentuckyfried @ Jun 4th 2008 1:54AM
Part of what distinguishes the PSN from the Xbox Live Gold experience is not having to pay for these sorts of things.
I hope that Sony doesn't decide to use this as the future model, b/c it's going to bite them in the ass. They need to make Qore so that it's really optional as to whether or not gamers want to buy the content instead of creating that tiered structure that screams of Microsoft opportunism.
Let's just all hope it doesn't compromise our ability to go online. The PSN's been a great draw for me since I don't feel obligated to jump online b/c I paid $50-$60/year to have access. Subscription services are the worst and don't really serve the consumer.
Aozora @ Jun 4th 2008 2:16AM
From the official Playstation blog.
"If you purchase Qore, you will have access to exclusive content that would not be available otherwise - it does not impact the availability of the great content found on PSN, nor does it change our free play model."
Steven @ Jun 4th 2008 2:34AM
Ya know, it's ironic. If anyone here actually bothered to read the announcement, you'd realize that these things are coming in 'issues'. $3 for each issue or $25 for 13 issues. However, people are looking to far into this. I see it basically as a Fileplanet site that gives exclusive beta's and early demo's. Think of it as a PS Magazine with a CD. Not all demos are going to hit this thing early because they're only publishing once every month. Quit your b@$#%#&. We still get demos free.
M$ and Sony don't make consoles because there fun for people. They make them so they can make money.
(BTW, this is published by Future, not Sony)
Quit your b
Coffeendddonuts @ Jun 4th 2008 2:39AM
This is how it begins, for those of you thinking this won't impact whether you pay to play or not. Sony has lost oodles of money on the PS3 and they're trying to find a way to offset to cost of making the big, black, monolith as well as server maintenance of the PSN, ect. If you remember, Sony still isn't making a profit from the system and is, instead, losing quite a bit of money from each system made and sold. To that end, I think Sony is testing the waters by trying various metods of easing us gamers into a pay to play scenario. If it won't be this, then it will be something else a little down the road. This will all lead to the eventual release of 'Home', which I believe is coming a lot sooner than most think it will. It will come, trust me, but it will come a cost.
Rowdehaj @ Jun 4th 2008 2:44AM
Will this now mean that Europe gets content later as *standard procedure*, because we don't have this QORE BS?
If so, there's a finger on my hand just perfect for a certain expression that Sony can enjoy an interesting view of from now on.