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| Sony to charge for PSN? |
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| Written by Adam McAllister | |
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Rumors are spreading on the Internet about Sony preparing to charge for the use of the PlayStation Network*.
Sony has always said that the PlayStation Network will be a free service. We also used to believe the world was flat and look what happened. An article on Tech Radar first sparked my interest and having searched Google News I have found that this rumor may have some truth in it. Since Xbox Live took off into the realms of online gaming and brought online multilayer to the masses, Sony and Nintendo have been trying to catch up with more features and faster connectivity. This is all well and good but Xbox Live comes in at £40 per year for the ability to play your friends online and the Wii service, while free, isn't exactly packed with content at the moment. This brings us neatly to Sony's corner. The PlayStation Network is a free service for those who own a PlayStation 3 games console. It allows the user to download content, videos, themes, pictures, trailers, demo's, beta's, films (In the USA) and firmware updates as well as playing your friends online for free. This is the same service Microsoft offers on Xbox Live but this is 100% free. I can understand why Sony would want to charge for their service, the potential to make millions of dollars is there but a big feature of the Network is the fact it is free. Taking that away removes a big part of the offering for PlayStation owners and potential buyers. One possibility mentioned is that Sony charge for extra content while leaving the Network as it is for the free users. Paying could give you Beta access, offers, demo's before other users and a whole heap of other features if a user is willing to pay a monthly/annual fee. This would be a very good idea. Having the current Network free and charging for optional goodies is a good idea, removing the online play aspect of the network to those who don't want to pay is a very bad idea. Whatever Sony decides to do could potentially make or break the PlayStation 3 and the PlayStation Network, we will have to wait and find out. *Do note, this is a mere rumor and has not been confirmed or denied by Sony. |
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