Sony Considering Premium PlayStation Network Subscriptions ($69 A YEAR)

[vizionblind]

A survey sent from IPSOS Online Research indicates that Sony is considering premium subscription plans for the PlayStation Network, detailing potential prices and premium services, including full hour game trials, free access to PSOne Classics, and cross-game voice chat.

Reader Brenna sent us PDF files containing the Sony survey, which begins with the following bit of text


    Sony is considering offering a premium PlayStation Network
    subscription in the future. The subscription offering would provide new
    premium features you could choose to pay for and are in addition to the
    features currently available for free such as access to online
    multiplayer gaming (current features would remain free).


Following the introduction is a series of definitions of terms such
as Token Wagering - a set number of tokens given to subscribers per
month that can be used to be on games and exchanged for PSN content -
and Cloud Storage Space for Games, which would allow players to save
their game online rather than on their hard disk, protecting their data.

Other notable services listed as potential premiums include loyalty
reward programs, automatic updates, member-exclusive Facebook
Connectivity, an online music service and music video service, Hulu TV
catch-ups, member-only game content, discounts, demo-sharing (sharing
exclusive member-only demos from your full games with friends), and
Netflix without a disc.

By far the most attractive premiums are full title trials, which
give the user one hour access to full PlayStation 3 games, and free
access to PSOne Classics, PSP minis, and premium themes.

The list also indicates that some eagerly awaited features could be
subscriber only, such as cross-game voice chat. Having waited so long
for the feature, I doubt fans would be particularly happy to have to
pay for it.

The chart below details four potential plans, with three costing
$69.99 a year or $9.99 a month - more than an Xbox Live Gold
subscription, and one running $4.99 a month and $29.99 a year.

We've contacted Sony for comment on the survey, but have yet to hear
back as of press time. Just keep in mind that companies regularly test
the waters by sending out questionnaires like these, and they by no
means represent any concrete plans on Sony's behalf.

It seems as if they simply want to gauge customer reaction to the various plans and features. Your reactions, please?




http://kotaku.com/5429592/survey-sony-considering-premium-playstation-network-subscriptions

[gellar]

I would not pay money for any of those features.

[leo8877]

I would not pay money for any of those features.

+1

[Eel Snave]

Maybe option 2 because it gives you access to PS1 classics, but that's iffy.

[Teggy]

Charging for cross game voice chat? This will not go over well.

[Devil]

I'd pay for something that doesn't suck - I don't want anything else.

Do EXACTLY what MS does with Live and you will have my $50.

[Turtle]

Um, so you wouldn't pay for extra features, but you would pay just for the ability to play a game online?  Keep in mind, the sub fees would finally allow Sony to run servers and features on par with XBL.

Also, the $69.99 price is just for the highest, top tier sub.  Not to mention this is an old research survey.

Challenge tokens sounds like a cool thing.  Just like when achievements first came out, I could see tokens being an interesting community feature.

Also, the cloud storage space would also be a big thing.  Although it's the only feature I'd be interested without seeing the extent of what the other features are.

I would pay at most, $30-$40 a year for a sub provided it had good features.  Throw in a Qore subscription (if it's still around).

[Teggy]

Sony's problem is that the horse is already out of the barn. If tomorrow they decided that it cost $50 to play online games, they might get a good portion of people who only have the one console to pay up. However, people who have both consoles? They'd probably not only not get their money, but a good portion of those people would buy all of their multiplatform titles for the XBOX in case they want to play multiplayer. Not to mention companies like Guerilla Games and Naughty Dog getting really pissed.

[ATB]

Just continuing evidence that Sony has completely lost their way this generation.

[Darren8r]

I heard it would be between $29 to $69 a year and it would be optional and you wouldnt lose any of the features that the PSN already offers. Which is everything I need.

The premium stuff does sound nice though. But they should have set this up from the beginning.

The 360 has already established it's online gaming superiority. And people aren't going to rush out and buy PS3's, unless their friends are, and they wont because they already have 360's.

If the PS3 puts out games like they did over this past year, for the next 2 years, they may have a shot at gaining some turf on the 360.

[disarm]

i barely use PSN as it is, so there's no way they're getting any of my money.  they're way too late to the party in trying to catch up with Xbox Live...

[Koz]

I won't pay for XBox Live so I won't pay for added PSN features. If they keep the current functionality free then I won't complain.

[CeeKay]

i barely use PSN PS3 as it is, so there's no way they're getting any of my money.  they're way too late to the party in trying to catch up with Xbox Live...

this.

[Razgon]

Just continuing evidence that Sony has completely lost their way this generation.

Yeah, they are crazy - who would pay for for online services? oh wait...

[CeeKay]

Just continuing evidence that Sony has completely lost their way this generation.

Yeah, they are crazy - who would pay for for online services? oh wait...

I think he's saying they should have done this right off the bat and provide a better online service with the money they made from subscriptions instead of letting it languish for 3+ years.

[Turtle]

Such was the problem with the Japanese leadership at the time.  Now stringer has control, which is why they're even considering this.

Frankly, this is evidence to me that Sony is getting with the times and realizing how and what people will pay for.  I'm no fanboy, I'm not going to jump on this subscription just because Sony's doing it.  But, if there's good features I may go for it, meanwhile I know all my friends can still play with me online, and the fees should pay for better functionality (hopefully).

For example, cloud storage is a big thing to me, imagine never having to worry about your save files and profiles ever again.  Hard drive or system failure?  Not a problem.  Upgrading, not an issue.  Going to a friend's house and want to pick up from where your co-op session ended?  Just log onto the PSN.

Sadly, before trophies the save files used to be easily transferable to USB storage, now you can't with most games since it tracks trophies based on them.

Throw in free subs to Qore (does it still exist?) along with some other aforementioned features and I might try it.

[ATB]

Just continuing evidence that Sony has completely lost their way this generation.

Yeah, they are crazy - who would pay for for online services? oh wait...

Pay for a service that is entrenched, feature rich and works they way it's supposed to? Sure.

Pay for a service that had more than an extra year to develop after live launched, has not improved significantly since launch and is still behind where live was? No. Way.

[metallicorphan]

hardly use the service as it is...the ps1 access seems like a decent idea,nothing else really interests me

[Thin_J]

If the features were equivalent to or better than everything on the 360 for the same price I would absolutely pay for PSN.

Until then... not so much. As it is right now I love the PS3 hardware. I love the exclusive downloadable games on the PSN. I still hate the controller for shooters and racing games (two favorite genres...). I dislike the unintuitive way things like cross game invites work (or in some cases... don't work at all).

Sony needs to grow a pair and come out and tell developers that there are certain pieces of functionality their games have to have. It's what Microsoft did and it's basically why I buy pretty much all my multiplayer games on the 360. Until Sony has that stuff at least close to where it is on the 360 I wouldn't dream of paying for it.

[gellar]

Um, so you wouldn't pay for extra features, but you would pay just for the ability to play a game online?  Keep in mind, the sub fees would finally allow Sony to run servers and features on par with XBL.

See here's the thing.  I already pay whatever it is per year for XBL.  I play all of my online stuff on XBL because a) it works better than PSN and b) more people I know are on XBL.  In fact, XBL is the only reason my 360 exists, really.

I will not pay twice for this, so no thanks, Sony.  You've lost this battle already.

gellar

[Huw the Poo]

Not stirring or anything, I'm honestly just curious - is PSN really that bad or are you guys exaggerating?  The way I've heard it described around here, it sounds like it barely works at all and is completely broken when it does work.

[leo8877]

Not stirring or anything, I'm honestly just curious - is PSN really that bad or are you guys exaggerating?  The way I've heard it described around here, it sounds like it barely works at all and is completely broken when it does work.

I think most people are talking about voice chat, game invites, and MP gaming in general.  All the rest of the stuff is just as good as XBL.  I play most all of my MP gaming on the Xbox, so I can't vouch for the PSN MP experience too much.  I did play a bit of Uncharted 2 MP when it first came out and it was smooth for me, with no issues.

[TheMissingLink]

In fact, XBL is the only reason my 360 exists, really.

Ditto.

I just want f'n cross-game chat. If I have to PAY for that service, I will not be pleased.

[gellar]

Not stirring or anything, I'm honestly just curious - is PSN really that bad or are you guys exaggerating?  The way I've heard it described around here, it sounds like it barely works at all and is completely broken when it does work.

I think most people are talking about voice chat, game invites, and MP gaming in general.  All the rest of the stuff is just as good as XBL.  I play most all of my MP gaming on the Xbox, so I can't vouch for the PSN MP experience too much.  I did play a bit of Uncharted 2 MP when it first came out and it was smooth for me, with no issues.

Yeah if all you're doing is playing online games solo, PSN is the equivalent of XBL for the most part.  If you're trying to coordinate with other people, XBL is better (though the margin isn't as great as people make it out to be).  The real difference boils down to a) more people I know on XBL and b) all XBL users have headsets.

gellar

[EddieA]

Pay for a service that had more than an extra year to develop after live launched, has not improved significantly since launch and is still behind where live was? No. Way.

This isn't about paying for PS3 online service, though.  Although there are a few multiplayer-related items like cross-game chat and user-to-user challenges, most of the things listed (beta access, full-game demos, PSOne and PSP minis, online saves, music service and Netflix) are extra services that XBox also charges for or doesn't offer.

[biggercup]

Every PSOne and PSP Mini games on PSN ?

[Bullwinkle]

Every PSOne and PSP Mini games on PSN ?

Free access to them, which, technically, isn't the same thing as being able to play them for free.

[EddieA]

Every PSOne and PSP Mini games on PSN ?

Free access to them, which, technically, isn't the same thing as being able to play them for free.

I would assume they mean a subscription service, similar to Gametap or Shockwave Unlimited.  You can play the games all you want while you're subscribed, but if you quit, the games no longer work.