Premium themes to be available for purchase on PS Store
Do you think those free themes for your PS3 are lacking a little spiffiness? Not to worry, Sony's got your back in the form of premium themes for your PS3's XMB. Beginning tomorrow, you will able to purchase premium themes from the PS Store for $0.99 - $1.99. Theme types range from NCAA College teams (such as the University of North Carolina Tar Heels one above) to "beauties on the beach." Of course, these themes will offer "special backgrounds, XMB icons" and for selected themes, even ... sounds! Sony plans to offer 6-10 premium themes each month -- you can view samples of the themes here. What are your thoughts, readers? Are you going to dish out some dough for special themes for your XMB or are you like us, perfectly content with the complimentary ones?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
STIEN @ Oct 8th 2008 5:28PM
i like the graffiti theme
Squirtforce @ Oct 8th 2008 6:09PM
I don't think anything beats the default theme of the wavy-whatnot! IT'S AWESOME. AWESOME TO THE MAXXX.
glitched @ Oct 8th 2008 6:25PM
I use the heavenly sword theme without the wallpaper but with the white/grey wavy background. Better sounds and cool color combo.
vahdyx @ Oct 9th 2008 12:52AM
The only one I like was the UNC one!
I wish they'd focus on user icons instead though
Jay. @ Oct 8th 2008 5:29PM
I'm fine with my free ones.
If I'm desperate theres always google.. or I can try making my own again.
azgjani @ Oct 8th 2008 8:47PM
I can't wait to see people publishing these themes out for free. I mean, even if they disable copying themes onto a USB hard drive, I'm sure there'll be people who will be able to copy these themes with their own little variation to it.
Anyway, it's stupid. Only an idiot would pay for a theme. Premium themes my ass. It sounds like they're overing porno themes lol
Dru @ Oct 8th 2008 7:57PM
I probably won't ever pay for themes and don't really like Sony setting the precedent, but at least there will always be free ones to d/l or create yourself. There are a few really good sites that have some incredible themes. This one consistently has something for everyone:
http://www.ps3-themes.com/
KiraXD @ Oct 8th 2008 11:29PM
lol.. pay for a theme on my PS3? yeah right... ill stick to creating my own(better than they publish)
panickedthumb @ Oct 8th 2008 5:31PM
nothankyou.jpg
Seriously, I've never understood paying for themes/backgrounds on XBL, now I have a NEW platform to not understand it on!
Philip @ Oct 8th 2008 9:11PM
well if you own a franchise of nfl nba etc, wouldn't you want to make money off of it, sport themes aren't free, and i'm sure there will still be free gaming themes
Jack Tretton @ Oct 8th 2008 5:32PM
"This is so not like paying for themes on Xbox Live!"
Right, fanboys?
NightHawk @ Oct 8th 2008 5:35PM
1) you dont have to buy them 2) you can get the free ones which most of the time are way better than themes on the store(allps3themes.com or psu.com) and 3) GO AWAY YOU XBOT!!!!!!
Lars @ Oct 8th 2008 5:49PM
Wow, what an idiot. Whoever said that??!! Paying for themes is stupid, whether it's on 360, PS3, or anything. What's next, charging for backgrounds?!
This really bugs me, because I've enjoyed the themes Sony has offered, and I don't want them to start charging for them. But oh well, at least we still have PS3Themes.com and stuff. Or you can always create your own.
Skyflur @ Oct 8th 2008 6:57PM
Don't feed the troll kiddies.
spikeylee @ Oct 8th 2008 5:32PM
They do look pretty spiffy, but I'll stick with the free ones.
I'd think about it if these premium themes had animated wallpapers.
Popfrogs @ Oct 8th 2008 6:14PM
Seriously. The lowly PSP can animate the ribbon, why can't the PS3?
*disclaimer: I've had a theme applied for 2 years, maybe I forgot.
TinyTim121 @ Oct 8th 2008 5:33PM
Meh, i'm more than happy with the natural XMB to be honest...
Sure i like a change from time to time...but PS3 is for games or DVD's for me so yeah, kinda happy anyway
Daniel @ Oct 8th 2008 5:35PM
There are plenty of free themes, and you can always import your own free self-made theme. If you don't want to buy the premiums, then don't. Simple as that.
Even so, this post will go 3 pages of people bitching like it is suddenly required to pay...
Ted @ Oct 8th 2008 5:37PM
I might if there was a nice enough one.
kevin @ Oct 8th 2008 5:38PM
if they had a different layout or if it was somethin cool id buy one but they are the same stuff... you can get some free ones in alot of places.
prodigy_69 @ Oct 8th 2008 5:40PM
no thanks
R_man_5K @ Oct 8th 2008 5:41PM
I don't know about this. I download themes and use them for a day or two and then always end back up with the origional...
Maybe if they put up a Notre Dame theme I most likely would buy that.
pat1202003 @ Oct 8th 2008 5:41PM
I should have known this was going to happen. What's next Sony? Paying for wallpapers, paying for PSN avatars, or paying for demos (oh what they already do that with Qore)
Jerses @ Oct 8th 2008 5:50PM
i would pay for custome avatar.... 6 of my friends have the same icon as i do.
Kspraydad @ Oct 8th 2008 6:00PM
What do you THINK happened.
Sony offers the ability to upload user created themes (and provides instructions on how)...will continue to provide free and manufacturer themes and now has ADDED a new theme source, the Premium Theme.
There is ZERO reason that you can spin this as negative unless you're just trolling.
stacy daniels @ Oct 8th 2008 5:43PM
will never pay for a theme...even if it few pence.
what a joke!!
Steve Childs @ Oct 8th 2008 5:51PM
Have to agree, charging for themes strikes a little bit of desperation. That said, I can understand why there is a charge if they are of sports teams, as anything to do with a sports team is never free (Image rights etc...)
Think Adrian @ Oct 8th 2008 5:44PM
If there will be new themes with moving background - perhaps. I downloaded some but prefer the original background, but with a cleaner icon pack.
Jerses @ Oct 8th 2008 5:45PM
ill wait till someone make those ones for free...install them and not use them. I like the icons from the home theme...but the background always mess up everything...they should make animated themes like when you put a bluray and the background is moving...but that will make in game xmb more slow
Fraser JK @ Oct 8th 2008 5:46PM
Themes have to be FREE, WTF is this? Give me a Mac version of the theme creator and I'll make 1-10 quality themes every week...
Ok, a bit exaggerated but meh! You get ma point!
zaxonzaxon @ Oct 8th 2008 5:49PM
Do they have trophies?
devilmaker @ Oct 8th 2008 5:54PM
Hah!!! Good one, I liked that. lol.
Gambit07 @ Oct 8th 2008 5:50PM
If it something that looks truly amazing, I'll pay a buck for it... is it possible to use the PSEYE as your background?
Popfrogs @ Oct 8th 2008 7:07PM
I think so...if you can take pictures with it in the XMB or somewhere else, and store it on the hard drive, then you can go into your photos and make it a background.
I've never tried this, good question.
Gambit07 @ Oct 8th 2008 7:58PM
I actually mean background as the live video... that would be cool.
Dirty @ Oct 8th 2008 5:51PM
This is a slippery slope.
Deviation @ Oct 8th 2008 5:56PM
No it's not. There are still plenty of free themes and you can still make and share your own - unlike the situation on the 360 where every theme has to be monetized. And the free themes will keep coming over the PSN as well - developers like using them as promotional materials.
moe24 @ Oct 8th 2008 5:53PM
im perfectly happy with the complamentary ones.... wtf is Sony trying to pull here? they say they are giving out invites to qore subsribers so more people can buy it and now themes wtf are u joking me?
black_ryuk @ Oct 8th 2008 5:54PM
If they have good anime themes i'll consider it
Liquidxtension @ Oct 8th 2008 5:57PM
Really? premium or not I dont really think paying to customize your XMB is worth anything..
TONY C @ Oct 8th 2008 5:59PM
well there goes the neighborhood.
the only way i am paying for a theme is if it is animated. then i'll think about it.
fiziks @ Oct 8th 2008 6:01PM
I'll pay for themes with animated backgrounds but not for a theme I can create in photoshop.
Doghunt @ Oct 8th 2008 6:01PM
this is a bad desicion on sony to charge thy are supposed to release free themes which already support this (and there are) but if ur gonna charge me any thing sony im willing to buy NEW avatars at this point!
fiziks @ Oct 8th 2008 6:08PM
me too
Danny F. @ Oct 8th 2008 6:02PM
I still have the God of War theme on my ps3 since it came out. Best theme in my opinion hands down so far.
Plus 100% free.
iamkid @ Oct 8th 2008 6:06PM
whats so different about the custom backgrounds/icons/sounds? i already have that in my ratchet and clank quest for booty theme, plus the background cycles
izit420 @ Oct 8th 2008 6:08PM
It'd have to be an exceptional theme for me to pay for it. There's alot of talented people out there making themes for free. Does the text in the theme have to be white? Most backgrounds cancel out the text.
Doghunt @ Oct 8th 2008 6:18PM
I no i wish we were able to choose font color. In a psp it does when u pick the backround color but too sligh to tell
Popfrogs @ Oct 8th 2008 6:17PM
Yup, that's what made me quit using the EoJ theme even though I liked the sounds. Half the time you couldn't read anything.
Is it that hard to change the text color Sony?
ChocoDK @ Oct 8th 2008 8:46PM
I 100% agree with you and was going to say the exact same. I am not purchasing these either way but Sony really needs to make an option to make the text in the XMB a different color. A lot of the themes make it so the white text is nearly impossible to read.
As for this news I am dissapointed in Sony. One of the praise I gave them about PSN is that the themes were free unlike XBL but I guess now I can't give that to them. I bet soon they will charge for all themes and soon all demos that are GOOD will be exclusive to Qore. Atleast with a Silver XBL Subscription you can still download all demos.
It seems that Sony is beginning to charge little by little on everything. Either way I am perfectly happy with my DBZ XMB Icons that I got for FREE off of www.ps3themes.com and my Legend of Zelda background. Unless these themes are something AMAZING then I won't pay a cent. The sad thing is that some of these themes will be a dollar less then an episode of Qore.