Playstation Network - Xbox Live Killer?

After weeks of white noise, Playstation Network, which you might know by its former name Sony HUB, cleared up most of thePS# ambiguity surrounding Sony's counterstrike to Xbox Live. Its online services for the PS3 will offer owners some free gaming at the basic subscription level and allow members to host their own game servers.

Sony's hopes lie in the ”more games, pay less” strategy will help it catch up with Xbox Live. Aside from the free game playing, the PSN buffet will include voice/video chat, messaging, matchmaking, ranking, game data uploading/downloading, shopping, content downloading, micro payments and subscriptions.

Do you think they will surpass the excellent Xbox Live Service?

I'm not sure it will surpass Live and it certainly won't for a good while but if it's all but free that's good...it must drive the price down for Live so in the end we all win!

MS are in the far better place financially so they should drop Live price, preferably make it free, and get really agressive with all other 360 costs forcing Sony to try and keep suit and struggle in recouping the PS3 dev costs.

I'll still get a PS3 (ideas on sneaking it past the missus more than welcome) and I hope Sony does well but I do hope they lose soem of their market share so it's more even between them MS and Nintendo.

I dont think so when it's for free, think how much money every game producer will put on, to setup and run the game servers and all this for free. Maybe in the beginning and maybe to give people one more reason to buy the PS3.
For gamers if it continues for free that's cool, then people that have both 360 and PS3 only have to pay to MS, the prices can also drop in the future.
That could a nice x-mas present a free LIVE service, maybe!

Originally Posted by mjmaskrey I'll still get a PS3 (ideas on sneaking it past the missus more than welcome) and I hope Sony does well but I do hope they lose soem of their market share so it's more even between them MS and Nintendo.

It looks like a bread bin so you should have no problem sneaking it past the Mrs

Xbox Live is "solid". Price is another point though. If the PS3 retails for under £400 I think they will bump up the online fee to make up for costs but to be honest I cant see it beating LIVE

Originally Posted by mjmaskrey I'll still get a PS3 (ideas on sneaking it past the missus more than welcome)

Tell her you got a new 360 faceplate when she asks...and to explain that 350pounds on you're credit card bill claim it a suprise for her that you will give to her when she does some "special" stuff for you (nothing will ever be special enough) in you're eyes so she never get's it, alas you're out of the trouble.