Told you guys Sorny was gonna start chargin' ya

[ChucktownK]

HA HA

I hate Sorny anyway. POS3

What we heard: The VG247 article cites "a highly placed source" with the tidbit that Sony will unveil a PlayStation Network subscription plan at next month's Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles. According to the article, the service will carry an annual cost less than £50 ($72). For that money, subscribers will get a premium package apparently centered around one free PSN game per month (from a choice of up to four different titles) and access to a streaming music application that will also be unveiled at E3.

A subscription-based premium service could significantly change the PSN landscape.

Speculation in the article suggests that the streaming audio service would be able to run in the background while users played games. One feature that will apparently not be exclusive to subscribers is cross-game voice chat. The VG247 source emphasized that Sony won't "gimp" its free PSN service in order to attract subscribers to the premium offering.

Sony first revealed its plans for a subscription-based PSN service last November. At the time, Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Kaz Hirai released a statement confirming that the current level of PSN service (including online multiplayer and connection to services like Netflix and Facebook) would remain free.

So if Sony isn't charging for online play, what can they expect gamers to shell out for, especially with an annual £50 fee? At a price like that, something amounting to a Game-of-the-Month club might be the only real option Sony has. Even then, without must-have features and assurances that gamers will get their money's worth, a premium PSN subscription sounds like the sort of option that's easily ignored. And if Sony actually comes through with those killer features, won't standard PSN users feel like their service has been gimped regardless?

The official story: "We don't discuss rumors or speculation."--A Sony representative.

Bogus or not bogus?: Not bogus that Sony's already said it would have a premium PSN subscription, and that it will be less than £50 annually. As for the rest, Sony should shed a little light on that at E3.

[Jangler]

I wonder if they will lower the prices of the games.....

[necroplasm]

The PSN that PS3 gamers have known will still be free. As long as the PSN store and online multiplayer is free to use, then I'm happy with no premium service.

I remember you saying PSN as a whole.. will cost PS3 gamers.

[Joscott]

I'd have been paying for PSN the past two years if all the rumors were true, but I haven't seen a bill yet...

Options are never bad and charging for extra content was something Sony started with Qore. It is pretty much a money waster and will more than likely be phased into this with the other additions mentioned.

I wouldn't expect Sony to move to a full pay service till next generation.

[WhoDatJorts]

Just give me party chat. I don't need anything else from the PSN

[C47]

It's amazing how an Xbox fanboy tries to bash the PS3 by posting an article stating the online multiplayer, voice chat etc will still be free when the Xbots have to pay for that stuff.....complete fail by the OP.....

[88 Bronco]

That's some epic nerd rage you're harboring there.

[blackcatgrowl]

Gah... what happened to the days of buying a game for $40 from a store, taking it home and playing it?

Steam, Xbox 360, this "PSN" and other similar services are making those days a fading memory. All done in the name of stopping software piracy.

But you know what... people STILL pirate games, and most people who DL pirated roms aren't going to buy the game anyhow.

[Porn Shop Clerk]

I think the black market for pirated games is driven by overpriced software as much as anything.

[ChucktownK]

It's amazing how an Xbox fanboy tries to bash the PS3 by posting an article stating the online multiplayer' date=' voice chat etc will still be free when the Xbots have to pay for that stuff.....complete fail by the OP.....[/quote']

I'm a developer and have to make games for the POS3. I can tell you from an industry standpoint on behalf of a LARGE amount of developers, that it sucks to develop for. Sony does not provide the right tools, the OS sucks, and it's not optimized. The only time it's good is when it's a Sony developer is making the game. Then Sony gives them everything they need when they need it.

[Brandon]

I think the black market for pirated games is driven by overpriced software as much as anything.

With the budgets games are pushing these days, I'm not sure overpriced is really all that true anymore.

[Porn Shop Clerk]

Considering how much is spent on advertising, I'd say they're way overpriced.

And for every game that spends 3+ years in development and is worth the money you pay for it, there are a dozen pieces of poo that were just pumped out with repackaged maps.

Basically, you end up paying 20% more just to be told about the game every day for a month.

[ChucktownK]

Considering how much is spent on advertising, I'd say they're way overpriced.

And for every game that spends 3+ years in development and is worth the money you pay for it, there are a dozen pieces of poo that were just pumped out with repackaged maps.

Basically, you end up paying 20% more just to be told about the game every day for a month.

And the worse part about that is companies like cracktivision have dumb@ss marketing people calling the shots on what games WILL and WILL NOT be made. Sad truth. It's caused a lot of good game ideas to fall through the cracks and be forgotten.

[Porn Shop Clerk]

Its just so much easier to just throw new textures and filters on an old game and call it Halo 3.