View Full Version : Sony Brings Up Monthly Fees Again
During an interview with Nikkei Japan, Sony's CTO Masayuki Chatani touches on the growing number of ways the PlayStation 3 (http://kotaku.com/tag/playstation3/) has to accept payment, including the dreaded "monthly fees (http://kotaku.com/tag/monthlyfees/)."
http://kotaku.com/5425997/sony-brings-up-monthly-fees-again
Now PSN is basically on par with XBL why don't they just add a fee to use it?
Sky_Dragon
14-12-09, 16:13
I have read on the official playstation forum, that they were planning monthly fees but that they would be for a premium account.
If they provide a better service, I would happily pay a subscription fee, since I find downloading from the PSN store is terribly slow in most cases and I frequently get logged off during online matches, in one instance I could not play at all because it was so incredibly faulty on their end.
Sony is naturally trying to keep on par with their competitors, this is understandable, but the services I've used so far are significantly different to the Xbox360, and using a debit card to pay for it all is pretty appealing since Microsoft only accept credit cards.
If they provide a better service, I would happily pay a subscription fee, since I find downloading from the PSN store is terribly slow in most cases and I frequently get logged off during online matches, in one instance I could not play at all because it was so incredibly faulty on their end.
Sony is naturally trying to keep on par with their competitors, this is understandable, but the services I've used so far are significantly different to the Xbox360, and using a debit card to pay for it all is pretty appealing since Microsoft only accept credit cards.
I agree the download is terrible from PSN for me(took me an hour to download bayonetta demo, but on XBL got it under 5 minutes). Much prefer it to be a system like XBL to subscribe to.
I always used a Debit card on XBL even on the original Xb:confused:
CaptainCortez
14-12-09, 16:22
They better not, as that's one thing they have over 360..........free net is a selling point.
If they do, I won't be playing people online. It'd spoil my fun, and I'm not prepared to pay subscription fee's.
Once you buy a game, and have internet in your house, you shouldn't have to fork out to be able to use both the game and internet together.
chaosriotzero
14-12-09, 16:27
I have read on the official playstation forum, that they were planning monthly fees but that they would be for a premium account.
just like xbox, if you want some of the content you can have a silver account.
I don't mind paying for a better online experience
They better not, as that's one thing they have over 360..........free net is a selling point.
If they do, I won't be playing people online. It'd spoil my fun, and I'm not prepared to pay subscription fee's.
Once you buy a game, and have internet in your house, you shouldn't have to fork out to be able to use both the game and internet together.
You best go buy a Wii then....lolz
They better not, as that's one thing they have over 360..........free net is a selling point.
If they do, I won't be playing people online. It'd spoil my fun, and I'm not prepared to pay subscription fee's.
Once you buy a game, and have internet in your house, you shouldn't have to fork out to be able to use both the game and internet together.
I think have a subscription for PSN is the way to go as it cost a lot to keep the servers running and maintained to get the best possible game-play from them. As it is Sony are loosing money on this and with still not making a profit from the PS3 slim it has to be consided IMO.
I never play my PS3 online, I the majority of my friends that play games have them on Xbox360, so I buy all my multiplayer games for that. I'll probably pay for a premium account, because I'd feel inferior without it =p
CaptainCortez
14-12-09, 16:42
just like xbox, if you want some of the content you can have a silver account.
I don't mind paying for a better online experience
You best go buy a Wii then....lolz
You know I already have one, lol. *face palm*
I think have a subscription for PSN is the way to go as it cost a lot to keep the servers running and maintained to get the best possible game-play from them. As it is Sony are loosing money on this and with still not making a profit from the PS3 slim it has to be consided IMO.
Well yea, but if you launch with free internet, then you should stay with the free internet. you shouldn't make people pay extra to play online. It's just ridiculous.
I don't have money to keep forking out on things like this, and I'm sure a lot of people don't.
It may cost them money, but it was their own decision to go through with free online play in the first place. I don't approve.....at all.
You know I already have one, lol. *face palm*
Well yea, but if you launch with free internet, then you should stay with the free internet. you shouldn't make people pay extra to play online. It's just ridiculous.
I don't have money to keep forking out on things like this, and I'm sure a lot of people don't.
It may cost them money, but it was their own decision to go through with free online play in the first place. I don't approve.....at all.
They said from the start that one day it may end up a subscription service.
i personally think its an okay thing to charge for online play but still i really hope they dont do this as that would be more money i would have to fork out. you guys are absolutely right about the download rates though, they are eridiculously slow :(
I agree the download is terrible from PSN for me(took me an hour to download bayonetta demo, but on XBL got it under 5 minutes).
I usually get download speeds of about 500kB/s, which is near the maximum that my connection can handle. 1.6GB/5 minutes I want a connection like that :cry:
CaptainCortez
14-12-09, 16:59
They said from the start that one day it may end up a subscription service.
Well that's the first I've heard about it.
At the conferences they have, they can't ever express enough that PSN is a free service, and it makes them happy to show it to us, as they can't ever stop talking about it.
Jack - Lol, I hope they don't either.
I usually get download speeds of about 500kB/s, which is near the maximum that my connection can handle. 1.6GB/5 minutes I want a connection like that :cry:
I am on a 50MB download speed. I test it at speedtest.net on the ps3 browser I get around 45 to 55MB DL and 1.6 MB upload but when i do a conection test on the Ps3 it gives me 5MB Dl and 1.6 upload:confused::confused::confused:
Mine is about 200kb/s which isnt all that bad, it takes me about 10 minutes to download bayonetta demo.
About the subscription, well, my friend has a xbox payed account and he said that he has many games free thanks to that. If PSN should be payed, it should be payed only if i can get free content such as free ps1 games or small games like pixeljunk shooter.
Mine is about 200kb/s which isnt all that bad, it takes me about 10 minutes to download bayonetta demo.
About the subscription, well, my friend has a xbox payed account and he said that he has many games free thanks to that. If PSN should be payed, it should be payed only if i can get free content such as free ps1 games or small games like pixeljunk shooter.
XBL does not have many free games.
two i can think of is Dash of destuction and the Vision camera game Totem something or other.
Every now and again they will reduce a price of a arcade game to free for a short time if the service messes up as compensation.
My friend got test drive unlimited and blur for free, i think thats pretty neat
My friend got test drive unlimited and blur for free, i think thats pretty neat
How did he get those? Thats nothing to do with the Live subscription though.
How did he get those? Thats nothing to do with the Live subscription though.
Well, he has xbox only for like 4 weeks so i dont really know but probably from live, i dont see any other way than that
yeah hardly any free stuff on live, you even have to pay for avatar clothes now, not that im complaining, i've sunk a good 1000 g on new threads for my virtual me :D
maybe if they started charging for home they could actually do something decent with it, turn it into a propers second life style thing, its not something i woul dbe interested in but it might work for those that are. still if they do start charging for online play i hope they would consider charging for different things seperately, eg, normal online play, ad hoc and home seperately so you could choose specifically what you would like.
Nik is right however, Sony have very much given themselves a pat on the back at everyone feasible opportunity for offering free psn and actually gone out of there way to criticise microsoft for charging for live so it would be a bit hypocritical to start charging, but imo a good business move now that ps3's are selling well, so they would need to implement a tangible improvement to the service on launch of charging i feel, purely for pr purposes.
On a similar note i think i might try out phantasy star online on the 360, diogo wil be pleases to here this!
junglist_dnb
14-12-09, 17:31
Free to play online is the main reason I spend more time on PS3 over 360 (and the exclusives).
If this subscription thing is just for early access or exclusive access to extra content then I can live without it, but charging for all PSN features (MP, web etc) at this stage...no.
Sony said that they plan to bring out a service nigh on identical to the gold and silver accounts used by Microsoft on XBL.
However unlike the silver account on XBL where you can't play online, Sony said this won't effect their equivilent type account, meaning the PSN will continue to be free.
IMO i think the subscription type account they will be offering will offer the user beta invites, early demo's, exclusive content, faster downloads, better servers, etc.
just a little update
http://kotaku.com/5429592/survey-sony-considering-premium-playstation-network-subscriptions
I barely ever play the PS3 anyway, the fact that it's free is the only thing that appeals to me about it. I'm not too bothered if they do start to charge, but surely if anything it'll emty up servers.
but surely if anything it'll emty up servers.
20+ million XBL users may say other wise.
It would re-coup a lot of lost revenue for Sony.
Sky_Dragon
19-12-09, 19:42
I would suggest he meant that having to pay would push away the people who mainly have a PS3 because of the free online gaming.
i think it was mentioned that the most premium version will cost $70 USD per year and it will include free psp minis, psone classics, and themes which i really like.
if this comes out i actually will give it serious thought as i download many minigames and such off the psn and a discount could really save me a lot of money.
EDIT: i think some people are confused.... but with the premium subscription, they will not take anything you already have now. with premium you just get more...
deadmensboots
22-12-09, 12:10
While Sony may consider this a profitable move, it does make me wonder how much business they shall lose as a result of it. Just look at LittleBIGPlanet for instance. One of the PS3 championing titles and one that brings in sony and Media Molecule a lot of revenue through its downloadable content-- yet if it were subscription based, that would undoubtedly cripple their own market.
20+ million XBL users may say other wise.
It would re-coup a lot of lost revenue for Sony.
Alot of my brothers friends choose the PS3 over the 360 because they can't afford/aren't allowed to pay for membership. While Sony will make money regardless, it'd hit(assuming they charged for actual online play) some customers hard.
Also some of my friends merely picked the PS3 for free online even though they prefer some of the 360 exclusives.
thezombiemessia
22-12-09, 15:37
EDIT: i think some people are confused.... but with the premium subscription, they will not take anything you already have now. with premium you just get more...
Yeah, the IPSOS Survey suggests that the free stuff will still remain, such as free online play, etc.
If you want to pay, you'll just get access to more stuff, such as free PS1 Classics, etc.
To be honest, I think that sounds fantastic, and would be a system I'd be happy to pay for...
More details.
http://www.thesixthaxis.com/2009/12/22/psn-premium-option-details/
More details.
http://www.thesixthaxis.com/2009/12/22/psn-premium-option-details/
If the download speed is improved I would pay for that.
Nothing worse than waiting over hour for a 1Gb demo to download when i can get the same demo in under 10 mins on XBL or waiting half an hour for games updates to download and install.
i think some people are confused.... but with the premium subscription, they will not take anything you already have now. with premium you just get more...
I was taking it out of context and saying that if they were to charge for playing online...
Anyway, while some of the stuff sounds pretty cool, it's nothing I'd pay for. Xbox Live Gold to me is purely online play with extars tacked on the side. Extra stuff is welcome even if it doesn't appeal.
I dont play online but for the price cuts, free ps1 classics and early betas, its a win for me.