Why PS3 Online Is Going To Be 'Free'

[Blaze Lord]

Executive Vice President of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe gave some new information about Sony's upcoming strategies during his GDC speech. Along with talking about subscription models (Monthly fees for something other than playing..?), merchandising, and connecting devs with players, he talks about in-game ads, which will play a "significant role."

“We’re moving from a disc-based business to a network-based business, with more complex revenue streams,” Harrison said. (Emphasis mine.) “PlayStation Network Platform can augment the current business model with content downloads, episodic content... Games can have the same social currency as a great TV show, like Lost or 24. ”

Linked from Next Gen (http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2557&Itemid=2)

[Killer 57]

there is always a catch with Sony.

[Ryan]

Well theyll need it to be free, will be the only benefit ove Live :D

Na, I heard it was going to be free ages ago, fair enough, but as I say they need something major to = Live.

[Blaze Lord]

No, we know. This post wasn't about it being free. The post was about them making in-game ads apparently.. oppressive, as a way to compensate for that. It's one thing to have Pepsi ads on the walls of a race track in GT4, or GoldenPalace.net playing cards in XBLA's Texas Hold 'Em.. But I'd hate to see Snake smoking Newports, or worse Dante wearing a North Face jacket and Cingular Chocobos in Final Fantasy.

[AfroJoe]

Revolution online is going to be "free" as well, so it wouldn't surprise me at all if it is indeed free. They need something to try and draw people away from Live.