Sony drops PlayStation Network details

  • By Walt Wyman, GameSpot
  • Posted Oct 26, 2006 2:51 pm PT

Japanese office of electronics giant outlines AV Chat and puzzle games headline services and content from the PS3's online service.

Sony has stated that online capabilities will be an integral part of their strategy for the PlayStation 3, but up until last weeks' Sony Gamers Day, specifics were hazy. With the PS3 launch just over two weeks away, Sony Computer Entertainment Japan today further clarified what gamers can expect from the system's out-of-the-box online capabilities. Covered in the statement are basic online services and games that will be available through the PlayStation Store using Sony's online infrastructure, the PlayStation Network.

In addition to account creation and the ability to sign in or out of one's account, Sony listed a number of basic, free services provided by PlayStation Network. These included block and friend-list features, and a message box for storing messages and file attachments from other users. Furthermore, the chat feature will allow users to talk to each other via video and voice.

Online gaming features will consist of a matching service, lobby where players can exchange pleasantries, scoreboards, and a shop service for purchasing game items. The press release gave Ridge Racer 7 from Namco Bandai and Resistance: Fall of Man from SCEA as examples of launch titles confirmed to support online modes.

Downloadable PS3 games that will be available through the PlayStation Store were also detailed. On November 11, when the system launches in Japan, three games will be available for download: Blast Factor (working title) and the free game Mainichi Issho from Sony Computer Entertainment, and a Ridge Racer 7 demo from Namco Bandai. Sony is also working on flOw, Lemmings, Kazuo, and Puzzle (working title) for this service, but release dates are as of yet unknown. Free demos of all the pay titles will be available so players can try before they buy.

Next, the Game Archives service, which will bring retro games to the PS3 and PSP, was discussed. Sony also states that 10 new titles will be added to the lineup each month from the start of the service sometime in late November. Initially the focus will be titles for use with the PSP, but PS3 titles will be added later. Below is an initial list of 10 PlayStation titles slated for the PlayStation Portable, which includes two compilations of MSX games ported over to the console in the late 1990s.

Resident Evil Director's Cut (Survival Horror, Capcom)
Konami Antiques MSX Collection Vol. 1 (Miscellaneous, Konami Entertainment)
Konami Antiques MSX Collection Vol. 2 (Miscellaneous, Konami Entertainment)
Bishi Bashi Special (Miscellaneous, Konami Entertainment)
Arc the Lad (Role-playing, Sony Computer Entertainment)
Jumping Flash! Aloha Danshaku Funky Daisakusen no Maki (Action, Sony Computer Entertainment)
Hot Shots Golf 2 (Golf, Sony Computer Entertainment)
Silent Bomber (Action, Namco Bandai Games)
Tekken 2 (Action, Namco Bandai Games)
Mr. Driller (Puzzle, Namco Bandai Games)

Sony also said items and expansions, such as characters, levels, and costumes, would eventually be available. However, the details are still to be announced. A service for distributing video content is also in the works, but, again, the press release did not go into specifics.

Finally, regarding payment for all these downloadable goodies, Sony stated that users would have access to an online "wallet" through their master account. For now, the only way to move funds into the wallet is by using a credit card, but Sony says other payment methods will be adopted in the future.

262 Comments

  • classicfan

    Posted May 5, 2007 1:49 pm PT

    Imports on the PS3 to PSP would rule! Especailly The MSX Collection 1-2 lets have it Japan quit being so damn greedy! Bring them over here.But Unfortunely The Wii is killing the PS3.Well what ya expect $599.99 is a big mistake from SCEA!.They even have rude tech support! Contact the Webmaster? Bull!.They need a better way to contact the people who make there products and a better server!.Hint Hint Socom 3!

  • Gunfan9x19

    Posted Dec 25, 2006 1:41 pm PT

    So, Sony, where's Resident Evil?

  • el3fitness

    Posted Nov 9, 2006 9:34 am PT

    CAN I USE MY PS2 USB HEADSET WITH MY PS3 ?

  • lrsp

    Posted Nov 5, 2006 9:09 pm PT

    Everybody likes free stuff. Alright! Eventually the XBOX 360 WILL GO DOWN.

  • _Sam_

    Posted Nov 3, 2006 8:34 pm PT

    The fact that it's free put sony ahead in my book

  • GodLikeLee

    Posted Nov 2, 2006 9:42 am PT

    Oblivious everybody know's that Microsoft dominate's the online gaming service , their mile's ahead of sony in that department. But with time and LOTS of patients , (along with some growing pains) eventually Sony might get with the program. Will they ever rival Microsoft in that degree ? probably not but let's hope they at LEAST try !..

  • shockg2000

    Posted Nov 2, 2006 7:19 am PT

    Yeah PS3 is the better system. Microsoft rushed their system so they could get ahead in the competition. As far as PS3 online goes. That is the only place I can admit where Sony falls behind. I mean I love playing online and it sucks to have it ruined by people who want to cheat and do whatever it is that ruins the online gaming experience. I wouldnt mind paying for online service from Sony. For great online game most of the time, I'd pay that 50 bucks EASY!. I mean what IS 50 bucks a year. Hell, people blow big money on cigarettes every day. Just imagine how much they spend on cancer in a year. Way over 50 buck,LOL 50 bucks is lunch money. I can tell you that much. Even though everything with Sony is high priced, that what your getting yourself into when buying from this company. Remember Sony isn't cheap now. None of their electronics are cheap. I'm a Playstation fan but as long as the service online is free, XBOX will always be on top when it comes to online gaming. Unless Sony does something this time that makes the free online service impressive as hell. PS3 is going to be the SHI*. DAMN I CANT WAIT TILL LAUNCH!

  • apu99992

    Posted Nov 1, 2006 3:42 am PT

    this is what i've been hearing about why the online service is free:

    1) It's not good

    2) the download are expensive

    3) it's copying xbl and will never live up to it. Look guys put urself in a consumers shoes, yuo've just got a PS3 for $600, and resistance fall of man (I'm an insomniac) for $60. What would your reaction be when u turned on the playstation online, and saw that u had to pay $50 a year ON TOP of that? Sony doesn't want to kepp on chraging the consumer. The PS3's price is good for what it is, and the materials to build it, the games are priced good (this was the cost of some xbox360 games when they first came out). Sony only wants to price where it's neccessary. PS2 game downloads are great because u don't have to go 2 the store, no shipping and handiling, and they're only $20. They could do the same things with PS3 games, couldn't htye? If u look at it this way u can see that the three statements above are false

  • gimlifn

    Posted Oct 31, 2006 10:35 pm PT

    Well if it turns out like the PS2 online network Xbox will have things rapped up. I just hope they follow through with a good online match playing system that is similar to Xbox live. PS3 looks like a really cool system though, I just want to know who is going to win between Blu-Ray and HD-DVD.

  • kljohns2

    Posted Oct 30, 2006 10:24 pm PT

    wow, at some point everything is going to cost something, free service equals insanely priced downloads. i love sony, but i wish that they wouldnt conform to xbox standards. whatever happened to paying for a game, playing it, and thats it. online multiplayer is fun but paying for online downloads isnt. anyone else agree?

  • theKSMM

    Posted Oct 30, 2006 2:00 pm PT

    I'm more excited about the online possibilities for the PSP than for the PS3. Not only do I think that old-school games are much more suitable for gaming on-the-go than on a 60-inch HD screen, I also think it's about high time that Sony offered a simple, easy way to get multimedia content (i.e. videos and music) onto the PSP. Apple and every cellular carrier in the world is way ahead of Sony in this regard.

  • Dan_Lero Site moderator

    Posted Oct 30, 2006 1:17 pm PT

    at least its free

  • manolobrown2

    Posted Oct 30, 2006 5:28 am PT

    I don't think sonys online service is going to be as good as xbox live, so for I am not sold on the idea!

  • Hayabusa_san

    Posted Oct 30, 2006 4:12 am PT

    Hmm...this is some very good news...

  • buccfan

    Posted Oct 29, 2006 5:10 pm PT

    Been waiting for the PS3 to come out, not sure about the price; but the equipment it comes with make it worth while.

  • APEZE

    Posted Oct 29, 2006 3:34 pm PT

    U R RIGHT I LOVE SONY PRODUCTS

  • Patelaka

    Posted Oct 29, 2006 1:31 pm PT

    who cares 360 was rushed everyone knows that microsoft were trying to get a headstrt on sony so they cn boast whereas sony learnt their lesson and chose not to rush, no1 can critise sony as the ps3 is yet to be realesed
    BTW........................
    PS3 RULZZZZZZZZZZZZ

  • jimjim350

    Posted Oct 29, 2006 12:38 pm PT

    playstation box live

  • darkangel_78589

    Posted Oct 28, 2006 10:04 pm PT

    I see alot of "XBox Live may be "such-and-such amount of money", but to look at what it offers...But, let me ask this off-hand, then....What if...say...I get the system...and, Live....Which, truth be told, I rarely, if ever, play any games via online. Anyway, how exactly would be worth it for one, such as myself? (In other words, why should I pay for something continuously, that I would rarely ever use?) Yeah, sure...There's also the Silver version of Xbox Live...But, then, even that would be on the same boat as Sony's online service. Would it not? Either way, we only know what has been stated of Sony's "free" service...However, since anyone's yet to log into it, one really can't judge it, much less criticize it at all.

  • lee7373

    Posted Oct 28, 2006 4:40 pm PT

    where can i get these downloads?

  • Squall_Griver

    Posted Oct 28, 2006 4:38 pm PT

    the lemmings have been owned ...RIGHT?

  • mall69

    Posted Oct 28, 2006 1:03 pm PT

    Paulf001. no. it's a little more involved than that. MS uses proxy servers and subordinate client servers to stabilize online play. Although one player may 'host' ....the games are still run through proprietary channels on xbox live...that's just one of the reasons why they charge for the service. Sony, on the other hand, took a sorta wild west approach with the ps2. ask anyone who's played both systems and they'll attest to a huge difference in online playability and other connection issues; lag, dropped games, etc. I'm not knocking what the PS3 is going to accomplish, I'm just trying to point out to all the naive fanboys that Sony's 'free' pitch is nothing more than that.... a sales technique.... smoke. If the playstation network truly is going to be free... it's not going to compare. $50 a year is nothing when you look at what's offered. You can play for one hour, or 3000...along with all the other features that xbox live has. I'm not a Sony hater by any means, I hope the PS3 does well.... that serves everybody, I just hate the pathetic fanboy logic that forces people to knock what they don't have. It's stupid. Xbox live is light years ahead of anything else out there right now for consoles. If the PS3 is serious about competing with it..... they're gonna have to charge you.

  • ocdog45

    Posted Oct 28, 2006 8:15 am PT

    OMG!! glad i took days off for this. looks like I will be busy come nov. 17

  • Ace_Gunner

    Posted Oct 28, 2006 3:04 am PT

    @mall69
    Looks like someone just renewed their subscription and is now in denial.

  • 0rin

    Posted Oct 28, 2006 2:53 am PT

    WOO! Free demos! Free free free free! Guess that takes one argument away from the lemmings. Oh wait, GrimBee is still trying to use that. LOL.

    Anyway, I wonder if we will be able to transfer money from our wallets to other user's wallets...

  • Paulf001

    Posted Oct 28, 2006 2:21 am PT

    mall69, you realize on Xbox live that the lag and gameplay is dependent on the hosts connection. All MS does is have a lobby server for matchmaking purposes. So PS3 games online would be very similar to Xbox live, in that how laggy a game is depends on the hosts connection.

  • GrimBee

    Posted Oct 27, 2006 5:35 pm PT

    I dont like "free" free sucks. Its not concrete. £40 a year is NOTHING. Especially for what you get, free demos and content... and not forgetting silver is free (limited but free).

    And that xbox live will let you connect with your own pc, organize stuff on there, and even on mobile phones.

    You get what you pay for I guess.

    Sony hope to cut its losses with the online, offering it for free will entice more users to take advantage of the psp/ps1 stuff (increase psp interest) and not only that, but make money from the extras like pay for timed demos etc etc ETC.
    And who knows how lag free its going to be, you get lag on a PAID FOR service, so not sure how its going to work out very well. Unless of course you PAY EXTRA on the side for some intense online matches with no lag etc, or to use certain privilages which ease up on the lag.

    Im going to pay for xbox live, its going to be well worth it for me because of the connectivity and the content that I dont have to worry about costs.
    With the ps3, i will have to total up all those extra demos and content. And I will probably rank up about £4 a month on it... making that out to be the same kind of price as xbox live gold!

    Strange....!!

  • RaiKageRyu

    Posted Oct 27, 2006 5:13 pm PT

    RE:mall69

    No need to get insanely jealous, just because you already paid $50 for it when you could have gotten the same essential service for free.

  • fatal_dmc99

    Posted Oct 27, 2006 2:34 pm PT

    im a sony fan boy but i don't care for there online plans were i live we can't even create a acount . thanx to xbox we got a working internet consol or will have in the next few weeks. note im still only buying a ps3 and i live in sa

  • thefjk

    Posted Oct 27, 2006 2:18 pm PT

    Cool!

  • spaceworlder

    Posted Oct 27, 2006 2:11 pm PT

    Thats why for years and years Mac people have had very small worries surfing the Internet.

    http://******macad.ytmnd.com/

    Lack of interest: the secret to the Mac's impenetrable security!

  • CrashSpyro123

    Posted Oct 27, 2006 2:06 pm PT

    Ze fanboys. They slay me.

  • snarple_basic

    Posted Oct 27, 2006 2:04 pm PT

    hotdork70minus1 browsing the internet isn't going to be dangerouse. I doubt you will have much better security with Microsoft's 360. Your much more likely to get a virus using Windows machines then you are any other computer OS. More people know how to code for Windows then any other OS. Thats why for years and years Mac people have had very small worries surfing the Internet.


    If anything your going to have more to worry about then Sony people, its going to be similiar to the Mac as most people wont be able to code virus's for something thats none Windows.


    BE AFRAID BE VERY AFRAID LOL =P

  • mall69

    Posted Oct 27, 2006 1:29 pm PT

    when are people going to figure out that for all of Sony's hype, if they are going to produce an online system comparable to MS Live.... eventually, they are going to CHARGE you. The only reason they're playing up the 'free' aspect of their service is to buddy up to all the IDIOTS that think $50 a year...(uhhh 14cents a day folks) is too much to pay. That absolutely kills me. Anyone that complains about MS Live's price ought to locked in a room where common sense is pounded into their head on a daily basis. Sony's going to charge you. Period. One way or another. If they never get around to, and leave their online play completely fee...... you can bet it's gonna suck. If that's the way it goes, the Playstation Network, when compared to Live, is going to be a frustrating, lag-filled, featureless service that will make you wanna pull your hair out. It's simple. YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR. NOTHING OF ANY VALUE IS FREE.!!!!!
    All you PS3 fanboys.... you'll figure it out.

  • spaceworlder

    Posted Oct 27, 2006 1:11 pm PT

    Oh boy, Resident Evil 1 is being ported to yet *ANOTHER* system.

    YAY.

  • PattyL_uk

    Posted Oct 27, 2006 12:11 pm PT

    FFS credit card and other Payments???? jezz just bring out a Pay Topup phone like card ##Playstation Card## so i can top up how much i want on it ,and buy some addons demos etc..... i ain't Trusting my personal bank or credit card. When i don't know how trustworthy the security is...

  • JimmyChalice

    Posted Oct 27, 2006 12:05 pm PT

    Ok, one major thing also is that right now MICROSOFT is coming out with WINDOWS VISTA, will the PS3 be compatible with this OS, on E3 MICROSOFT already stated that the XBOX360 will be backwards compatible with WINDOWS VISTA and also trhu this OS we get connectivity on our mobile devices like Cellphones & PDA's, we will be able to get XBL updates anywhere at anytime....

    Will SONY do this for free ?

  • rulo_rezn0r

    Posted Oct 27, 2006 11:09 am PT

    Resident EVil 1 and Tekken 2?
    great classics
    but i already own them on their original PSX cd

  • Ivoryblaze

    Posted Oct 27, 2006 10:10 am PT

    *Yawn* PS1 games for my PSP.........booooooorrrrrriiiiiinnnnngggg how about some freakin original content!

  • hotdork70minus1

    Posted Oct 27, 2006 9:58 am PT

    $50 a year for Xbox Live is penuts and I bet you we get much better security. Think of all the security isssues that can come up from using your console as a browser....on top of that think who's system you are using ( caugh, caugh, root kits ! caugh ).

    Don't forget about the cummunity created by Xbox Live either. Raise your hand if you have made some pretty damn good friends on there.

  • hotdork70minus1

    Posted Oct 27, 2006 9:47 am PT

    Hey it's a Sony 36Wii !!!!!

  • GTCzeero

    Posted Oct 27, 2006 9:44 am PT

    The only game in that list that interests me is Silent Bomber and I still have the PS1 version!

  • Sydwynder

    Posted Oct 27, 2006 9:40 am PT

    I own a 360 and will never own a PS3 and I'm happy with that. I love playing on Xbox Live and I think the price is worthwhile considering it is a first rate service. The only problem is that Sony claims their service will do the same things, but be free. Granted that remains to be seen but I can't help but feel kinda ripped off if Microsoft continues to charge so much for Xbox Live Gold. Maybe they could cut the price in half or make it cheaper when you renew each year.

  • Slash_out

    Posted Oct 27, 2006 9:37 am PT

    Hmm... oh good, there is nothing that interest me in this list ...

  • Paceydre

    Posted Oct 27, 2006 9:35 am PT

    I was hoping they would launch with more than only this for their online services

  • SavoyPrime

    Posted Oct 27, 2006 9:28 am PT

    Doesn't sound bad for just starting out. Hopefully it will improve as time goes by.

  • SqueekyC1ean

    Posted Oct 27, 2006 9:19 am PT

    maybe they will add more stuff latter

  • OPOLO

    Posted Oct 27, 2006 9:08 am PT

    As far as I'm concerned - things do not sound very good at this point. I can't wait to read all the user feedback after launch

  • qiwihead

    Posted Oct 27, 2006 9:04 am PT

    I'm a big fan of XBL, but I have to say that what little I've seen of PSN looks pretty good. It doesn't have the cohesive feel of XBL's design, but it seems more robust. Just the fact that there's a web browser makes a huge difference. If mouse control is reasonably well-implemented, being able to surf the net will be a very nice addition. They also mentioned being able to send messages with attachments to friends, which I don't think you can do yet in XBL. And the Game Archive idea is very cool, being able to dl games onto your PSP. Of course, a lot depends on the pricing structure, especially since the damned console already costs so much. I probably still won't get a PS3 because of the price, but it looks like they're doing some interesting things with it.

  • emanson101

    Posted Oct 27, 2006 8:43 am PT

    You can't blame sony for a XBL knockoff, Ps2 service was so craptacular that they had to look at XBL for "inspiration". In one way i'm upset because XBL had to evolve to what it is today, it wasn't just overnight. For example the Xbox Live Arcade Idea didn't work on the original xbox. So Microsoft had to work hard to come up with better ideas, and us "XBL fanboys" have been with them from the start (well i have been), so when we see sony just copy all the ideas that took microsoft years to come up with and redifine, now sony comes and just copy it. So thats why we us "XBL Fanboys" feel cheated. However, the only good thing about this is that, now XBL has some competition (if you are willing to call it that), and i can't wait to see what Microsoft has up its sleeves; When there is competition the consumers always win.

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