Sony to add paid tier of PSN - Canadian TV, Computing and Home Theatre Forums

TorontoColin · 2009-11-20, 08:51 PM

SCE CEO Kaz Hirai confirms premium level will be added on top of PS3 and PSP's online service, which will remain free to play online.

So maybe features like cross game voice chat, party chat and a party system, and maybe dedicated servers or who knows what else, will be a part of this paid service.

I'm of two minds on this one. On the one hand it seems pretty scummy to promise it would always be free and then introduce a paid tier, obviously they're not lying but it still seems a little unfair to all those who chose a PS3 because the online is free. On the other hand Live has shown that people are more than willing to pay for a quality service.

One of the things I've heard a long time from PS3 fans is that the PSN is just as good as Live or "good enough," something I've never fully agreed with. For the PS3 owners out there, what would this paid service need to include to be worth your money (if necessary for the sake of this argument assume the cost to be the same $60/year as Live)? Is this something you'd ever consider, is it something you just don't care about, or is it a slap in the face to all those who were promised a free service?

Eluder · 2009-11-20, 11:15 PM

Finally, a potential reason to actually use PSN! I've always felt it was terrible, especially after being spoiled for years with good service on Live. I'm one of those people that doesn't mind spending money on a service, as long as it works well...

TorontoColin · 2009-11-21, 01:01 AM

Would you be willing to pay for both though? I happily pay for Live but there aren't enough PS3 exclusive games to justify paying for both for me, and too many of my friends play on Live to switch.

Steve604 · 2009-11-21, 03:34 AM

I don't see myself leaving live for a better version of PSN,
maybe if PS3 gets some really good online multiplayer exclusives,

I did the game on each system thing, its too much, into CoD 5 for like $200 with a copy for each system and all 3 map packs for both, rather rank up on a single system

Xbox is my main gaming system, PS3 is going to have to do something epic to make me switch,

upgrading the PSN is a big push that the PS3 needs to compete as a true gaming system, and no longer be a BluRay player and Media center that you can game on

Eluder · 2009-11-21, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TorontoColin

Would you be willing to pay for both though? I happily pay for Live but there aren't enough PS3 exclusive games to justify paying for both for me, and too many of my friends play on Live to switch.

I wouldn't mind as I never pay full price for live, I always end up stocking up on a card or two when they go on sale. So I'll likely follow suit with the PSN cards and grab them on sale.

asif9t9 · 2009-11-22, 07:56 PM

They'll force you to buy this upper tier because it'll have some feature that even occasional gamers would want. Maybe like access to demos or betas.

TorontoColin · 2009-11-22, 09:57 PM

Perhaps early access like Live Gold vs Silver. I doubt they can get away with removing all access from free users without feeling too much heat.

DSgamby · 2009-12-18, 04:47 PM

According to a recent survey sent out by Sony, we may soon see a $69.99 yearly fee for a premium PlayStation Network service. Now before you get all up in arms, hear me out. While I think the price is steep, you’re actually getting some quality content here for your money. Kotaku got the scoop on some of the listed features in the survey.

Some of perks for your cash that caught my eye include hour long demos for all games, unlimited access to PS1 Classics, PSP Minis, and premium themes, discounts on PlayStation Store purchases, and cloud based storage for game saves. If these turn out to be true, you can sign me up… if it’s not $70 a year. That’s a lot of clams.

To really compete, I think Sony needs to aggressively price this against Xbox Live Gold. Yes, you will undoubtedly get much more bang for your buck with a Premium PSN, but critics and fanboys will surely attack the service for being priced entirely too high. Sony has a long standing history of pricing things out of the ballpark at launch (PSPgo anyone?), so hopefully they really think those one over.

A little while back, I pondered if it a Premium PSN would be worth the cost. Now that we have a bit of an idea on what Sony is thinking, has this changed your mind?
http://loot-ninja.com/2009/12/18/cou...nd-the-corner/

Luis_A51 · 2009-12-18, 05:08 PM

Im a PSN user. From what ive heard, the new pay service will basically still be like Qore is right now, although likely expanded to include PSN movie service features.

I dont think cross game voice chat or dedicated servers will be part of the pay service.

dezzpayne · 2009-12-18, 06:54 PM

Cross game chat was in the list they sent out as a survey. I hope that comes down as a free service. It shouldn't be in the paid tier. There were some really nice features as well as some that require some explanation.

Let's be clear though and state that everything that is currently free will remain free. You will not have to pay for online play.....ever.

Nice Features:

Free PS1 classic games
Full Title Trial-1st hour is free
3 year warranty

May or may not be worthwhile:

Exclusive experience with Sony Brands (say whut?)
Access to Betas
User-User challenges
Online Music service
Online Music video service
Loyalty Program rewards
Catch-up TV

Should not have to pay for:

Netflix access without disc
Cross game chat

Steve604 · 2009-12-19, 04:15 AM

,

I'll probably pay for the premium cause i'm a sucker and like to spend money like it has an expiry date

but the PS1 classic, the trials, and little stuff like that would probably make it more worth while for me, I'd like to see some better network reliability, I've heard its now a lot better than it has been in the past,

I still really want to be able to play my large stack of PS2 games on my PS3,
corded controllers upset me, and the wife absolutely hates wires, she was actually happy when I got my 360 since the controllers hide nicely on shelf below the coffee table, me playing the 360 is another story

TorontoColin · 2009-12-19, 04:31 PM

$70 a year is not that expensive, it's a little more than the cost of a game. Whether it's worthwhile really depends on if you'll play PS1 games and how those things on dezzpayne's middle list turn out. If they suck then you're paying $70 a year for PS1 games and cross-game chat.

Gord Lacey · 2009-12-19, 09:15 PM

I think the 1 hour game thing would be great, though how exactly would that work? Would developers have to create an entirely separate "1 hour" version of the game? It's easy for a linear game, but think of something like an open-world game where you can do whatever. How would 1 hour of Fallout 3 work?

I'd be really pissed if they included the cross-game chat in this. I have very little interest in the feature, but I view that as a core-feature which should be available for everyone. This premium thing should be bonus stuff, like Qore has bonus features along with it.

Gord

dezzpayne · 2009-12-19, 09:30 PM

I think the 1 hour game time thing will be on Sony's plate, not the developers. They will introduce a time bomb of sorts I guess. I can only see this working properly by downloading the full game up front which is bit of a turnoff. Shall see.

bdoyledimou · 2009-12-21, 02:27 AM

Keep in mind that, at least in Canada, Sony has no "media services"..
No Movies, no Music and no Netflix (as Netflix isn't even available to Canadians)

So, items such as:

Online Music service
Online Music video service
Catch-up TV
Netflix access without disc

Would be moot. Would we be expected to pay the same amount for half the service as our friends to the south? Probably.. and mosy likely a little bit more.. (Sony isn't exaclty exchange rate friendly)..

2009-11-20, 08:51 PM	#1
TorontoColin Moderator Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Toronto, Wind Mobile, Rogers Cable, Teksavvy Extreme Cable Posts: 3,255	Sony to add paid tier of PSN SCE CEO Kaz Hirai confirms premium level will be added on top of PS3 and PSP's online service, which will remain free to play online. So maybe features like cross game voice chat, party chat and a party system, and maybe dedicated servers or who knows what else, will be a part of this paid service. I'm of two minds on this one. On the one hand it seems pretty scummy to promise it would always be free and then introduce a paid tier, obviously they're not lying but it still seems a little unfair to all those who chose a PS3 because the online is free. On the other hand Live has shown that people are more than willing to pay for a quality service. One of the things I've heard a long time from PS3 fans is that the PSN is just as good as Live or "good enough," something I've never fully agreed with. For the PS3 owners out there, what would this paid service need to include to be worth your money (if necessary for the sake of this argument assume the cost to be the same $60/year as Live)? Is this something you'd ever consider, is it something you just don't care about, or is it a slap in the face to all those who were promised a free service?

2009-11-21, 03:34 AM	#4
Steve604 Join Date: May 2009 Location: Maple Ridge BC Posts: 605	I don't see myself leaving live for a better version of PSN, maybe if PS3 gets some really good online multiplayer exclusives, I did the game on each system thing, its too much, into CoD 5 for like $200 with a copy for each system and all 3 map packs for both, rather rank up on a single system Xbox is my main gaming system, PS3 is going to have to do something epic to make me switch, upgrading the PSN is a big push that the PS3 needs to compete as a true gaming system, and no longer be a BluRay player and Media center that you can game on __________________ Panasonic 65" GT30, 5.1 Klipsch, Onkyo Receiver,Gateway, HD PVR, Xbox 360, PS3,

2009-12-18, 05:08 PM	#9
Luis_A51 Join Date: May 2007 Location: Calgary Posts: 785	Im a PSN user. From what ive heard, the new pay service will basically still be like Qore is right now, although likely expanded to include PSN movie service features. I dont think cross game voice chat or dedicated servers will be part of the pay service. __________________ Sony KDS-60A2000, Sony Playstation 1/2/3 (60gig) and PSP, Sony STR-DG910, Pioneer/Sony 7.1, 39 PS3 Games, 120 BR movies

2009-12-19, 04:15 AM	#11
Steve604 Join Date: May 2009 Location: Maple Ridge BC Posts: 605	, I'll probably pay for the premium cause i'm a sucker and like to spend money like it has an expiry date but the PS1 classic, the trials, and little stuff like that would probably make it more worth while for me, I'd like to see some better network reliability, I've heard its now a lot better than it has been in the past, I still really want to be able to play my large stack of PS2 games on my PS3, corded controllers upset me, and the wife absolutely hates wires, she was actually happy when I got my 360 since the controllers hide nicely on shelf below the coffee table, me playing the 360 is another story __________________ Panasonic 65" GT30, 5.1 Klipsch, Onkyo Receiver,Gateway, HD PVR, Xbox 360, PS3,

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2009-11-20, 11:15 PM	#2
Eluder Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Toronto Posts: 1,446	Finally, a potential reason to actually use PSN! I've always felt it was terrible, especially after being spoiled for years with good service on Live. I'm one of those people that doesn't mind spending money on a service, as long as it works well...

2009-11-21, 01:01 AM	#3
TorontoColin Moderator Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Toronto, Wind Mobile, Rogers Cable, Teksavvy Extreme Cable Posts: 3,255	Would you be willing to pay for both though? I happily pay for Live but there aren't enough PS3 exclusive games to justify paying for both for me, and too many of my friends play on Live to switch.

2009-11-22, 07:56 PM	#6
asif9t9 Veteran Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Oakville, Cogeco Posts: 3,036	They'll force you to buy this upper tier because it'll have some feature that even occasional gamers would want. Maybe like access to demos or betas.

2009-11-22, 09:57 PM	#7
TorontoColin Moderator Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Toronto, Wind Mobile, Rogers Cable, Teksavvy Extreme Cable Posts: 3,255	Perhaps early access like Live Gold vs Silver. I doubt they can get away with removing all access from free users without feeling too much heat.

2009-12-18, 04:47 PM	#8
DSgamby Veteran Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Thunder Bay, Ontario Posts: 3,932	According to a recent survey sent out by Sony, we may soon see a $69.99 yearly fee for a premium PlayStation Network service. Now before you get all up in arms, hear me out. While I think the price is steep, you’re actually getting some quality content here for your money. Kotaku got the scoop on some of the listed features in the survey. Some of perks for your cash that caught my eye include hour long demos for all games, unlimited access to PS1 Classics, PSP Minis, and premium themes, discounts on PlayStation Store purchases, and cloud based storage for game saves. If these turn out to be true, you can sign me up… if it’s not $70 a year. That’s a lot of clams. To really compete, I think Sony needs to aggressively price this against Xbox Live Gold. Yes, you will undoubtedly get much more bang for your buck with a Premium PSN, but critics and fanboys will surely attack the service for being priced entirely too high. Sony has a long standing history of pricing things out of the ballpark at launch (PSPgo anyone?), so hopefully they really think those one over. A little while back, I pondered if it a Premium PSN would be worth the cost. Now that we have a bit of an idea on what Sony is thinking, has this changed your mind? http://loot-ninja.com/2009/12/18/cou...nd-the-corner/

2009-12-18, 06:54 PM	#10
dezzpayne Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Barrie, ON Posts: 1,374	Cross game chat was in the list they sent out as a survey. I hope that comes down as a free service. It shouldn't be in the paid tier. There were some really nice features as well as some that require some explanation. Let's be clear though and state that everything that is currently free will remain free. You will not have to pay for online play.....ever. Nice Features: Free PS1 classic games Full Title Trial-1st hour is free 3 year warranty May or may not be worthwhile: Exclusive experience with Sony Brands (say whut?) Access to Betas User-User challenges Online Music service Online Music video service Loyalty Program rewards Catch-up TV Should not have to pay for: Netflix access without disc Cross game chat

2009-12-19, 04:31 PM	#12
TorontoColin Moderator Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Toronto, Wind Mobile, Rogers Cable, Teksavvy Extreme Cable Posts: 3,255	$70 a year is not that expensive, it's a little more than the cost of a game. Whether it's worthwhile really depends on if you'll play PS1 games and how those things on dezzpayne's middle list turn out. If they suck then you're paying $70 a year for PS1 games and cross-game chat.

2009-12-19, 09:15 PM	#13
Gord Lacey Veteran Join Date: May 2003 Location: Edmonton Posts: 1,746	I think the 1 hour game thing would be great, though how exactly would that work? Would developers have to create an entirely separate "1 hour" version of the game? It's easy for a linear game, but think of something like an open-world game where you can do whatever. How would 1 hour of Fallout 3 work? I'd be really pissed if they included the cross-game chat in this. I have very little interest in the feature, but I view that as a core-feature which should be available for everyone. This premium thing should be bonus stuff, like Qore has bonus features along with it. Gord

2009-12-19, 09:30 PM	#14
dezzpayne Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Barrie, ON Posts: 1,374	I think the 1 hour game time thing will be on Sony's plate, not the developers. They will introduce a time bomb of sorts I guess. I can only see this working properly by downloading the full game up front which is bit of a turnoff. Shall see.

2009-12-21, 02:27 AM	#15
bdoyledimou Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 233	Keep in mind that, at least in Canada, Sony has no "media services".. No Movies, no Music and no Netflix (as Netflix isn't even available to Canadians) So, items such as: Online Music service Online Music video service Catch-up TV Netflix access without disc Would be moot. Would we be expected to pay the same amount for half the service as our friends to the south? Probably.. and mosy likely a little bit more.. (Sony isn't exaclty exchange rate friendly)..