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Opposable Thumbs / Gaming & Entertainment

Nintendo and Microsoft are doing it, why isn’t Sony?

Will Sony continue to only pay lip service to online content and play, or are …

I've already posted about how the 360 Marketplace is really just a clever way to get you to purchase content via your 360. You have your system hooked up, and potentially you can buy songs, videos, games, even perhaps movies one day. A clever move. Nintendo is planning something similar with the Revolution, you take it online and pay for ROMs from your favorite classic games. Both of these systems have a way for you to purchase content using the system as a portal that the companies control. The strategy is an old one, but for video game systems with the built in audience there's every chance both companies will make a lot of money off this strategy.

So why is Sony still making noise about keeping their system "open?" The PS2 had lackluster online support overall, with developers and publishers making up their own online strategy as they went. No friend lists, spotty online support in games, and very little voice chat. With more and more people being willing to hook their console up to their home network Sony has everything to lose by not offering a simple, unified solution to the online problem. Every game for itself doesn't inspire hope for a good online experience with the PS3.

Launching consoles is a very expensive process. From taking a loss on the hardware to R&D costs, it can wipe you out. Nintendo and MS both have plans to make profit from day one by selling and supporting content from their online systems, and the early buzz from the Arcade section of the marketplace is raving about how many great games you can buy for the 360 for US$5 or so on day one, shooters and niche titles. The demand and audience is there, ready to cough up cash for some good, cheap gaming. Why isn't Sony taking advantage of this?

I'm hoping they're keeping their online plans a secret, and the open structure isn't their final answer to an online PS3. People are willing to pay for friend lists, voice chat, and game and content downloads. Why not take their money?  

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