Dave Horvath
13 Jun 2006 7:01
A recent interview with Sony Computer Entertainment president Ken Kutaragi alludes to the fact that Sony will not charge users for connecting to the PS3 online service. He stated that Sony's current business model will rely on downloadable content as the bread and butter while basic service should remain free.
"You can't charge money for network matching and other basic services. These things are just taken for granted on the PC." Mr. Kutaragi was noted for saying, while reaffirming that Sony' online presence will be a force to be reckoned with.
Unlike Microsoft with their Xbox Live yearly subscription, Sony feels that people should pay for what they want and not be forced to pay a fee, just to connect.
Sony also hinted at the ability to use it's Cell processor in a multi-tiered environment thereby using the collective processing power of all the PS3s connected to their server as the power behind their conceived cyber-world.
According to Kutaragi, Sony will have network services available from launch day and has stated that digital storage and streaming will be a product to come. He hopes this move may eventually get rid of the need for optical drives, allowing the user to store content on an off-site server farm, gaining access whenever they connect. "If you have all the data on servers, you probably no longer need disk drives... But to do this, the server is crucial. It's a difficult problem," said Kutaragi.
An interesting alternative to these claims, however, comes from Sony's Public Relations department in which they were quoted in saying that Sony has yet to release a pricing scheme for online services.
Source:
Gamesindustry.biz