Submitted by Broll 187d ago | opinion piece

PlayStation Just Screwed Up Big Time

CCC Says: "Sony just blew a lot of goodwill. How, you ask? Well then, clearly you haven't heard the bad news over which PS3, PS4 and Vita owners are lamenting and Microsoft and Nintendo fans are gloating. The PlayStation Now Beta is now a paid program, and the prices aren't cheap. To give a general idea, the basic price for a PS3 title that was originally sold at retail can range from $2.99-4.99 per 4 hours, $5.99-$7.99 for a week, and $14.99-$29.99 to have it for 90 days. Even PlayStation Store exclusives, like Crazy Taxi, follow the same pricing model as the low-end retail games." (PlayStation Now, PS Vita, PS3, PS4)

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shallowpoint  +   187d ago | Intelligent
They have no set prices yet
randomass171  +   187d ago | Well said
I think it's fair for people to respond to the prices with their opinions, but I think some people are being very melodramatic about them. These are test prices and are not final.
shallowpoint  +   187d ago
Agree 100% If Sony sticks to these prices then lets raise hell. Im sure after seeing the back lash they will change.
mkis007  +   187d ago
Its just plain bad that all these stories are claiming bloody murder when these are beta prices...they have changed throughout the beta...
There is no story until they come out of beta.
fr0sty  +   187d ago
Not to mention this is the hundredth opinion article about this exact same subject. N4G should put a limit on the number of days after a piece of news breaks that an opinion piece can be written about it or something... this is getting ridiculous.
kamisama  +   187d ago
People don't understand it's a beta and Sony is trying to find the sweet spot for pricing literally the email they send out for the beta states that there listening carefully to what customers think and will change accordingly
abzdiine  +   187d ago
when will these haters realize that prices aren't final?
Army_of_Darkness  +   187d ago
Whatever the price may be,it doesn't really matter to me because I'm gonna stick with digital and physical disc to play my games.
DragonKnight  +   187d ago | Well said
"Sony just blew a lot of goodwill."

How many of you are ditching your Playstation devices over place setter prices?

I'm not. Anyone else not getting rid of their PS devices?
justy112  +   187d ago
The PlayStation now prices are not 100% controlled by Sony. the prices are set by the publishers and Developers of the games. Just like the DRM is also set by the publishers and developers and not Sony. This is part of Sony's policies of giving complete free to those that want to use it. There are articles of this for PlayStation now pricing and other Sony related stuff. If I can find them I will post it.
Death  +   186d ago
So third parties are dictating first party game fees? If what you say is true, wouldn't first party games be cheaper?
Joe913  +   186d ago
Not really as long as it is a beta and not real prices then all responses are melodramatic you have a right to bitch after the real prices come out don't rent anything in the beta that will send a clear message to Sony lol.
SilentNegotiator  +   186d ago
Why are so many "journalists" latching onto the idea that PS Now beta prices are the end of the world for Sony itself?
Joe913  +   186d ago
It is not fair because these may not be the real prices so anyone crying about this could cause people to not even try PS Now and it will all be because people jumped to conclusions yea these prices are stupid but lets see what Sony really does before we cry about it give them a chance they have stood up for gamers since the PS4 was announced and the first mistake or misstep you people want to cry about beta prices like it is the end of the world vote with wallet and see if the prices don't come down bout time the service really roll out. Sorry for double post did not see my first post until the second post was already up.
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amiga-man  +   186d ago
It is in Sony's best interest to make a success of this but it is also in their interest to make it as profitable as they can,

there is a balance to be struck and Consumers will be the deciding factor in that, too high they won't bite too low and Sony are not doing whats best for the company..

Ultimately the consumers will decide if it has value or not and Sony will follow that lead, so I'm not sure why some people are making such a fuss over something good that Sony is bringing to the Playstation.
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sonarus  +   186d ago
Agreed that these are test prices and not final but sony needs to recognize there is absolutely no way anyone will pay these prices. So I will say the melodrama is necessary here.
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Mr_Writer85  +   186d ago


How dare Sony charge prices for a service I will never use!

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GribbleGrunger  +   186d ago
When are people going to wake up to the fact that PSNow is not for the audience who posts on sites like this. The prices will change, without a doubt, but this service is for people who don't really game as much as you or I. Yes, it will appear on the PS4. Vita and the PS3 but the main focus in the future will be TVs, Laptops, Phones, Blu-ray players and Pads.
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kreate  +   186d ago
I didnt know ppl cared about this program that much. If it fails, oh well.
BX81  +   186d ago
Agreed. They should voice there disapproval for the prices, buts lets not act like Sony isn't in beta and said these are the prices like it or not.
Prime157  +   186d ago
I agree, melodramatic.

What's worse, PlayStation Now BETA PRICING, or the absurd amount of ads on this site.
Pogmathoin  +   186d ago
Frosty, agreed, even when a million of the same MS stories get through for the pleasure of fanboys...... There should be more strictness on what gets approved. Self policing...... We know that has never ever worked..... It only benefits those with an agenda to push.
Razputin  +   186d ago

Test prices really.. WTF do you think this is 1865?

This is 2014. They have betas, focus groups, Q&As for this kind of stuff.

Playstation Now should just be included with Playstation Plus. They are getting $50 from millions of people already. This could be even more incentive for people to move onto a different console. They should just have a small premium of maybe a few dollars, because you won't ever really own the game -- you don't already, but at least you had a disk to show for it, and this is just a streaming service.

I'm not here to bring the whole debacle of which console is best, or that PC is better.

But this is essentially why the PC model of online services is better.
Claudinho69  +   186d ago
why the hell would u test these prices though, you must not be from this planet
jebabcock  +   186d ago
in many cases... the prices aren't great.. but they aren't the only option... I don't think anybody is going to ignore sony because they offered an additional alternative that no other console manufacturer is offering despite how unfavorable the pricing is.. How can MS or Nintendo Gloat when they have nothing in place to compare with this? this article smacks of butt hurt fanboy..

Maybe Sony's initial proposal is not the best, but from a business standpoint its better to start too high than too low and find out you need to raise prices in order to not be in the red. It is much easier to lower prices than raise..

In the land of the blind, the One Eyed man Is king... Right now in this space for better or worse, Sony is King by default...



I guess you missed the whole part where THIS IS A BETA STILL!!!!!!
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k3rn3ll  +   186d ago
The problem is the Publishers have a huge input on the price. Sucks cuz I had high hopes for this service. Before beta there was lots of articles about PS signing publishers to include games on service. This is most likely the result of that. Even if it is Beta those prices are high mainly due to the pubs. Hopefully it changes but they dont need to use a beta to define their prices.
DOMination-  +   186d ago
PSnow should be a subscription so whilst its fair to say these prices are subject to change its alao fair to point out that nobody asked for this
UltraNova  +   186d ago
People need to realize that Beta, as in not the final product - being tested for further improvements via user feedback also includes pricing when available...

So can we please hold our horses and gladly rip Sony a new one if the final release is actually priced that ridiculously?

Thank you!
starchild  +   186d ago
Well to be fair, if people don't react negatively then these prices very well could be the final prices.
Bimkoblerutso  +   186d ago
If it is a beta, then people NEED TO LET SONY KNOW that these prices are outrageous. That's the point of a beta, for god's sake. As some of the more level-headed commenters have suggested, those prices probably would stay the same if Sony and the other publishers thought they could get away with it.

It's the nature of the beast. These companies are NOT your friends, dammit.
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warczar  +   186d ago
These prices may not be final but that doesn't make them suck any less. How can they expect people to pay more for Now than they do for gamely? I'm as big a Playstation supporter as there is but I'm not willing to overlook f'ed up business practices, that's why I don't buy Microsoft crap anymore. If Sony expects me to throw down money for Now they better get serious with the pricing because right now it's a joke.
Hayabusa 117  +   186d ago
"test prices" lol.

@ DOMination-

I agree, I'd much rather pay for a subscription service.
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Kidmyst  +   186d ago
What a joke of journalism this article is written purely for flamebait. No one is forced to pay these prices, it's not a requirement to pay for PS Now. Some people get so over dramatic! If the price is too high then don't pay it, I can buy older games cheaper from Amazon VS through the PSstore. We gamers speak with our wallets, I won't support high prices and neither should anyone else. if Sony fails to make money off this, they will make changes.
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spacecat5050  +   186d ago
Instead of some of you defending these absurd prices you should be mad and letting Sony know that this isn't right and these prices are ridiculous.

It obvious that Sony will listen as they also changed the TLOU price when they thought they could get away with screwing their users over. This should be no different.

and I am seeing a lot of excuses saying the prices are like this because they are not aimed at gamers like us...so that makes it right? These prices are still a rip off for a non gamer or gamer alike.

Please stop with the Its OK Sony♥ mentality and lets tell Sony that they need a better price structure.
MELMAN26  +   187d ago
First of all, this is a betta.

People should not be charged ANYTHING to test out your product and give you feedback. In fact it should be the other way around, or free for testers.


You guys seriously think this cool to be charged to betta test this??? WOW....Sony owns your minds...lol. If anything these prices should be place holders...not actually charging people
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ziggurcat  +   187d ago
there's no chance that beta testers are actually being charged. and there's not even a shred of evidence to support that claim from the author.

edit: people are disagreeing with you because you're assuming that people are being charged (when they're likely not) based on an article that has clearly not done any research nor has it presented any evidence to prove that people are being charged.
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spaceg0st  +   187d ago
i have the beta. They used to be free... but since a week ago, they brought in new games WITH the prices attached. If you attempt to play it does want you to add funds to your wallet.
Dolf045  +   187d ago
I think if they need to test run price models it has to be done in real money terms, if it was done with place holders it wouldn't mean anything you'd just play anyway and the numbers would be of little use to them.

Beta testing the functionality has been ongoing for a while. Now they need to test the pricing model.

It's a beta anyway! If you don't want to pay DON'T PAY! No ones got a gun to your head to be a tester.


I don't particularly think the pricing is great myself, although I'm Irish so dollar value would have me confused anyway really, but NOT buying is what will be seen internally. You have a choice! Free stuff is always good but the betas there for a reason, to me it's the same as playing a beta and complaining about bugs
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XBOTTOX  +   186d ago
First people are saying the pricing will change.

"Its just a Beta, Sony will make changes after hearing the backlash"

Then people say your not really being charged in the beta, even though these are the BETA PRICES.

No people are disagreeing because the forums are filled with Sony trolls.

How is it possible for Sony to "change" the prices when its alreadybeen established that they don't control them to begin with?

Somy just copied and developed some mo **** that nobody wants. read PS Vita read PS Tv read SonyVaio read PlayStation Move continue reading
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MELMAN26  +   186d ago
I don't know about you but I don't need to actually buy something to be able to see that the pricing isn't fare, or doesn't make sense.

If I were a beta tester I would play a few games and in my feedback I would let them know if the service is good/bad/ok then give them my feedback on the pricing.

@zigguracat...so much for your theory.

They could have shown the adjusted prices and got the same feedback. Actually charging people in a betta is a little grimmy don't you think?
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morganfell  +   186d ago
Pricing and cost were only recently instituted when they changed the game lineup for the 4th time. Likely they are using this to sense feedback. I don't have an issue with the titles or cost it's just that my PS3 library is fairly extensive.
randomass171  +   186d ago
I personally don't agree with the prices either, but again, they are not final. And people are making it out to be the end of the world for Sony. It's silly.
k3rn3ll  +   186d ago
This would be a completely different situation if these were new games. Alot of these are either old or just not good. But the Pubs arent gonna budge Sony basically just gave them an option to get the money back that they are losing to resells at places like Gamestop
UltraNova  +   186d ago
Charging for a Beta is wrong. Sent a feedback report that includes possible pricing schemes and ask those users to fill it out.

You cant charge for a service being provided to you since the beta testers are doing work for you.

Sony’s not that stupid there has to be another reason to start charging like that in a beta nonetheless, I don’t know maybe it was to get the real, genuine reaction from users? Which they got clearly…
warczar  +   186d ago
There are plenty of examples of people paying to be beta testers, Destiny and Windows Vista come to mind but with this pricing structure sony's trying to implement they'll be lucky to get 100 people to even try it.
Hayabusa 117  +   186d ago
Unless, as some of the comments have pointed out, Sony are "testing" the price ranges as well, in which case, they shouldn't complain about people complaining, the beta testers need to give their feedback. That's the purpose of the beta.
rdgneoz3  +   187d ago
They may change in the future but if people are having to pay those prices to play the games, then those prices are currently set and people have the right to be pissed. A lot of the games available currently can be bought on Amazon or in gamestop for life, for less than what you'd have to pay for a week or 30 days at times. Hell, you can redbox a bunch of new games for $2 for 24 hours and spend on gamefly for a month, what you'd spend on a 1 week or month rental for 1 game....

And if the prices do change, you'll have the same thing that happened with Last of Us price reduction happening again. People are gonna feel screwed on paying more when it gets dropped and demand to be reimbursed.

As for the beta, I'll enjoy the free games for now till the prices get reasonable.
BlackCountryBob  +   187d ago
I don't think anyone is having to pay those prices, it's called capitalism, if you don't wanna pay it then don't and the service will change or die.

And why should someone need to be reimbursed, it's a rental service, once the rental period ends then who cares.
cgoodno  +   187d ago
I think people are missing the thing here:

Sony doesn't set the prices. Publishers do. There are people with $3-14 rentals and people with $5-30 rentals. The publishers decided to go with the more expensive options. Not Sony.
Darkstares  +   187d ago
We know that, trouble is the public image still points the finger at Sony since it's their service. And don't think for a second that Sony doesn't have any input on that pricing, otherwise why are the prices the same for the 4 hour rental for example?
cgoodno  +   187d ago
***We know that, trouble is the public image still points the finger at Sony since it's their service.***

That only happens because people here point the finger at Sony as well. If people actually talked about this properly, there wouldn't be "public image" issues.

And, honestly, people don't know that.

***otherwise why are the prices the same for the 4 hour rental for example?***

They're not. Some are $3 for 4-hours and others are $5 for 4-hours.

I will agree that there are likely pricing plans that Sony suggests, but publishers decide to go with the cheaper options or the more expensive options.

Depending on the game, even the low/high costs aren't that bad compared to buying the game outright on Amazon.com

Alpha Protocol for 7 days is $6. Costs $10 on Amazon.

Deus Ex: HR for 7 days is $7. Costs $15 on Amazon.

FFXIII for 7 days is $6. Costs $20 on Amazon.

FFXIII-2 for 7 days is $8. Costs $18 on Amazon.

If you're going to play and beat games in only a week, PS Now might be an opportunity to save you some money and free you from having to sell it back or send it back.

It definitely isn't for everyone.
DragonKnight  +   186d ago
Darkstares: Sony charges a percentage fee of the final price for hosting the game on their service. That's the only influence they have over the price. If the publisher/developer wants more money, they'll factor in Sony's fee and raise the price of the game so they make more. If they don't care, then the price won't be as high.

Square-Enix are trying to charge $30 to rent FFXIII for 3 months when you can buy the game for $20 online. What does Sony gain from that? They only receive a percentage fee, probably something like 20% which only amounts to $6 for them. That's just a drop in the pond to them.
Darkstares  +   186d ago
Both of you are probably right. Sony likely has some pricing plans for them to look at as a suggestion. However whatever the publisher decides on the consumer will still question the whole service (meaning Sony) if prices are not very good.

Where this service needs to go that other services like Onlive didn't is for new games. That is where I can see the impact and interest occurring.
Volkama  +   186d ago
People are also possibly forgetting that the service and prices are not aimed T Playstation owners. This is Playstation Now as it will be on Bravia TVs and later who-knows-what else.

I expect their will be significant discounts for Playstation plus subscribers.
ALLWRONG  +   186d ago
But Sony does set the prices for 1st party, and they look to be just as expensive.
cgoodno  +   186d ago
***But Sony does set the prices for 1st party, and they look to be just as expensive.***

Interesting considering there aren't any first-party titles available since they moved to the priced items.

Of the current 29 games listed, none are first or second party titles. If you access the old titles that were first-party, they are listed as free still.

Edit: The fact that people agree with the comment right above mine means that people don't want the truth, they just want to continue being biased and hypocrites.
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Imalwaysright  +   186d ago
That just further proves that turning games into services and giving total control to publishers is not on our best interests.
cgoodno  +   186d ago
@Imalwaysright: Agree with that.

The sad thing is, it's a no-win situation. There's no way around not giving publishers their cut. And, sometimes, they determine the cut should be more than we think it should. But, without the publishers, we wouldn't have these to begin with.

So, have no games or have them at their pricing.
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Dolf045  +   187d ago
They've already stated that the price is set by the publisher, and the fact that it's still in beta means that they have yet to gauge what price customers are willing to pay.

We don't have much in the way of context yet with regards overheads on Sonys side too. It could cost x amount per session just to run the service.

It's very early to be freaking out over pricing just yet
FanboyKilla  +   187d ago
Thats why they let the info out, to see how you would react. Most sony fans say the prices arent final dc. Others say wtf. Depends on if you let your fanboyism screw you in the end. Speak up. I would have thought the games they are renting would be games i would get for free with plus.
colonel179  +   187d ago
But it's a big problem when you have to PAY those insane prices if you are in the beta! That's the biggest problem! Will they refund everyone when they already set them right?

I think it's also a huge mistake that they are charging during the beta! It's supposed to be to try out the service and see how it works. With those prices nobody will want to try it out!
iamnsuperman  +   186d ago
You have misunderstood the point of this beta. Charging in the beta is a vital move for Sony (Sony have already trailed the server load before in previous betas). Sony can then gauge if the prices work and which ones work better than others (refining the pay structure before release)

Without this trail Sony would have no idea which ones or if any work. Beta testing pricing is very important before releasing a service. Surveys don't give a realistic picture of how far Sony can push it before things become unpopular. If no-one uses it then they know it doesn't work. It is up to Sony to react to the findings
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Bowzabub  +   186d ago
This is great that the media got a whiff of this. All of the publishers are seeing the responses that the prices are getting. Now the ball is in our court. This is the time to be very vocal and stick together.
LoTuZ  +   186d ago
People pay these same prices to rent movies and can't play them back outside of 24 hours from first play back. These prices take male back to the blockbuster days. For a week rental Ide pay $5-$7. I thought i heard it was that price for 4 hours. Now that would be bull.
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Aceman18  +   186d ago
soooooo these so called "gaming sites" are complaining about prices that are not set in stone.

Sony themselves said they are not set in stone at E3, and they'll be taking consumer feedback during the beta about pricing, and stuff.

hey "gaming sites" go write about something more interesting instead of complaining about something that's not set in stone.
DLConspiracy  +   186d ago
This is true but why even put a price at all then? People keep saying its not Sony's fault about the prices. No its their job with this service to figure it out. They need a subscription based service like Netflix does with streaming movies only much more along the lines of gamefly. These companies work out the details behind the scenes while we as consumers pay a flat price. Let Sony work out the prices not confuse the consumer. Yes, we get that its a beta. Beta is the final stages of testing software and servers. Not testing prices. Though I am sure it will change.

Subscription based is the only way to go with this service. If not it will quickly fade. Just an unfortunate ending to a great idea.
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wsoutlaw87  +   186d ago
I dont get how now could be in any way bad for sony. If the prices are 10000$ who cares, dont use it. Its not bad since ms and nintendo dont have their own service. I dont know who these writers think were just buying a ps4 for now. If anything its more for making it cheaper for people who never bought a console.
SpideySpeakz  +   186d ago
How about this:
New AAA titles:
Play up 3-4 games for 3 months for $29.99, 60 days for $19.99, 30 days for $9.99

Indie titles:
Play up to 5-6 games for 3 months for $19.99, 60 days for $9.99, $5.99 for 30 days

Old AAA games (maybe more than 2-3 years old):
4-5 games @ Same prices as new indie games, but $15.99 for 90 days.

Classic games (older than 7 years): Play ALL classic games free if you have a PS+ subscription.

ALL YOU CAN PLAY subscription model for 1 year @ $139.99 to play everything on PSNow.

ALL YOU CAN PLAY subscription model for 6 months @ $69.99.

I don't know, this pricing could save you a lot of money, or play more by paying less. But I believe only hardcore gamers who play 24/7 will like this service. No more paying $60.00 for 9-10 hour games.
JayD-1K  +   186d ago
I wonder how this stacks up to something like Game Fly?
WickedLester  +   186d ago
That's WAY too many pricing options. Sony would need to simplify it more than that.

1.) 1 year subscription 99.99 (for plus members)
2.) 1 year subscription 129.99 (for non plus members)
3.) 2.99 48 hour individual rental (plus members)
4.) 4.99 48 hour individual rental (non plus members)

That's it! That's all the pricing Sony needs.
Eejanaika  +   186d ago
sounds like the prices are just to much when its cheaper to buy a physical copy. which people will let them know about and hopefully they make the service better. if not then move on to the next innovative idea
HaveAsandwich  +   186d ago
when they see the blacklash, it'll be fixed.
lelo  +   186d ago
If PS Now is not offered for free with PS+, then I'm not interested in PS Now, no matter what price it is. And that's that.
I'm definitely not paying for two online services on the same console.
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chaosx  +   186d ago
these are the prices they want you to pay, to make the service financially viable. I would say , if they shifted too much they would be close to losing money.
Bobby Kotex  +   186d ago
I'm in the beta, and Sony wants our opinions on the service. If people just shut up, these ridiculous prices would stand, I'm sure they will be lowered.
gamer7804  +   186d ago
yah not set prices, but would be good to let sony know that we expected much more reasonable prices, myself i was hoping for a purchase option, not just rent.
kenshiro100  +   186d ago
Oh the freaking drama. Seriously these people need to get a clue.
CuddlyREDRUM  +   186d ago
They list prices effective once it launches, and you guys still say they haven't.
seraphym88  +   186d ago
Just like when sony said they wont be developing anymore 1st party games for PSV recently, or when they said 'dont expect as many AAA games on ps4 as ps3'....there are a sea of 'nuh uh' sony fans. gatta love n4g.
RosweeSon  +   186d ago
Beta!! Says it all. They'll never stick to these prices end of. Rent a game for 90 days at more expense than just buying it, uh not likely.
2cents  +   186d ago
The funniest thing about this whole thing is that I thought Sony were going to be doing backward compatibility, so that I could somehow use the 100+ ps2 and ps3 games I own through some system on the ps4, but all we are getting is reasons to spend more money on games most of us already own.

This is not backward compatibility, its backward thinking. If this is backwards compatibility then why cant I play all the games in my playstation library that I own without having to pay sony again for the pleasure?

Playstation Now is nothing more than a rental service for old games that are worth peanuts, yet command an extortionate fee to access. Regardless of the pricing structure, Im not paying a rental fee for a game that I already own just to play it on my PS4. sheesh. I'd rather spend my money on new games and keep my old consoles if I want to play some classics. Considering how many quality games are coming out for the wiiU, x1 and ps4, I think I will survive without this bank account draining service thankyou.
masonmcglasson  +   186d ago
I understand these aren't set prices. I'm not worried about that. I just hope this isn't the future of games. I don't want to rent and never own a game. Digital is iffy right now. Physical is the best option if you're worried about the future and owning your games for life. Digital purchase is the next best bet as long as the company doesn't go out of business and you have access to download these games for life (excluding online only games that get shutdown). As long as it has a single player game then you should be able to download it whenever you want. Even if it's an online only game, you should be able to download it as, you just won't be able to play it. Also, imo if an online only game goes out of commission then you should be able to host servers to still be able to obtain trophies.

PlayStation now will be great if they just make it a $10 a month subscription allowing you to rent 1 game at a time. $15 for two games at a time. $20 for 3 games a time. That would be great. For new games (that have been out less than a year)... Then they shouldn't be available for renting imo. Make it similar to Netflix.

I also don't think this should be the replacement for backwards compatibility. To my understanding it's not. It is a good way for previous Xbox owners to play older PS3/PS2 games. There always should be some way of playing your old library locally on the machine, no matter if they game was purchased digitally or physically.
dmitrijs88  +   186d ago
I think prices will change accordingly, if Sony sees a lot of negativity coming from public, they will act.
TheoreticalParticle  +   186d ago
All your people in here defending Sony, and telling everyone to shut up are missing the goddamn point.

All of these articles bitching about the pricing ARE TRYING TO GET YOU LOWER PRICES. And you're thanking them by calling them bitches. You have to get angry NOW, because if you get angry LATER, they won't think you're that upset.

Personally, I'm most outraged over the fact that they're trying to have 4-hour pricing. Who the hell wants to play a game for 4 hours?


"I just need a hit of some Uncharted. Just give an hour, man!"

This should just be a monthly/yearly fee to let you access whatever the hell you want, like Netflix, or Amazon Instant Video, or Hulu, or AppleTV.
#1.27 (Edited 186d ago ) | Agree(0) | Disagree(0) | Report | Reply
donnieboy  +   187d ago
This is ridiculous...
BattleTorn  +   187d ago
Charging $29.99 for 90days of a 2011 title that no goes for $19.99 used (and also was given away free via PS+) is ridiculous.
Sabo  +   187d ago
Yeah, the current test prices are insane, hopefully they understand this.
incredibleMULK  +   187d ago
tell that to sony and look at the confused look they give you. They don't get it. bunch of eggheads.

I will walk my dumb ass down to my library, which is about 2 minutes away, put $2 in the redbox machine, play it for a day, then walk my dumb ass back, return it, put in another $2 and rent a differnt game for 24 hours.

48 hours for $4. they cant top that. To think they wasted $380 million on this hairbrained scheme with gaikai is infuriating. They closed down zipper and cut countless jobs to subsidize this stupid project. I still don't have drive club and that was supposed to drop last november. Bunch of backstabbers. e tu brute?

not to mention most people I know seem to play their same 2 or 3 games over and over. I know people who just play call of duty all day everyday. Plus alot of people i know are broke (thanks Obama) so they buy a game beat it and immediately trade it for another on craigslist...never owning more than one game at a time.
#2.1.2 (Edited 186d ago ) | Agree(6) | Disagree(18) | Report
wsoutlaw87  +   186d ago
people who had a ps3 and got it on plus would obviously not be the target here. But yes there obviously wont be too many buyers at that price.
#2.1.3 (Edited 186d ago ) | Agree(1) | Disagree(1) | Report
iamnsuperman  +   187d ago
"The fact that Sony expects people participating to pay is. The idea of a beta is to determine if a service is working"

It is also to see if people are willing to pay for it. A Beta isn't just testing the product (i.e. is it stable) but testing the service as a whole and paying is a big part of the service (considering this type of service on a grand scale is fairly new so pricing is initially going to be a bit iffy). Sony have already come out and said these prices are on publisher input and are subject to change. The question is will they? Which I hope so as the price is too much.
#3 (Edited 187d ago ) | Agree(10) | Disagree(6) | Report | Reply
Bundi   187d ago | Trolling | show | Replies(2)
KinjoTakemura  +   187d ago
Who wrote this crap?

@"The high prices aren't the only problem with this change to the PlayStation Now beta. The fact that Sony expects people participating to pay is. The idea of a beta is to determine if a service is working. Charging at this stage is going to deter people from doing something very important: trying the games. If people aren't playing the PlayStation Now beta titles because they aren't willing to shell out $2.99-$4.99 for a few hours of a dated title, Sony won't know if the servers can stand the load. They also won't get valuable feedback on how the game is running for customers depending on the platform, internet provider and service provider."

"Sony won't know if the servers can stand the load"

? What the hell do you think the closed beta was for?
Handle the load? The service has been tested and it works. I was part of the beta testing and there was little to no lag. I have a 25/10 mbps connection and the service works just fine.
The second thing is these prices that are being quoted by the author aren't final. What a jackass.
Aceman18  +   186d ago
yea apparently people completely skipped over the part at E3 presser where they said prices aren't set in stone, and they are relying on customer feedback.

i didn't think majority of the people could be this dumb, but i'm not surprised by these articles, and people who decide to jump on the bandwagon to bash a beta.
Tito08  +   186d ago
I was looking into the writer, happens to be some dumb chick, that girls does nothing but play dating sims, and stealth trolling in the comments with two more accounts, lol.
Robearboy  +   187d ago
cue Jessie James "its all about the money, money, money"
DualWielding  +   187d ago
Playstation Now is not Now, is more like 5 years in to the future, the service will suck in the beginning, right now they are only looking for suckers to help them fund research and development of the service
grashopper  +   187d ago
Why will it suck?
DualWielding  +   186d ago
the infrastructure is no there for it, ISPs will try to screw gamers by limiting bandwidth for game streaming service, pricing structure is wrong, there would probably be latency issues.... these issues would be sorted out with time but I'm pretty sure the service will initially suck... Remember Steam? it also sucked when it started
sic_chops  +   186d ago
Well, I don't think Comcast is gonna limit me sknce they just upped my speed to like 90 download and 18 upload. I could be wrong.
grashopper  +   186d ago
I agree the current pricing is a bit crazy but people without a console playing on Bravia TV's might think it's decent after saving 300 not buying a console.
The service itself works great. Played a few extended periods with friends online and never even thought about it being a streaming service. Which is really quite amazing to me.
Aceman18  +   186d ago
which is why Sony said at E3 they still need customer feedback during the open beta. nothing about the price is set in stone.
60FramesPerSecond  +   180d ago
well said
system22  +   187d ago
they better change that stat if they want it to succeed. especially when you factor in the only people getting a good experience out of this will be people with a really high bandwidth connection. thats going to limit experience/availability even more.
DarkZane  +   187d ago
That won't influence the PS4 sales, so Sony is still gonna beat Microsoft and Nintendo, they have nothing to gloat over, it's just an optional service that's offered on every sony platforms.
MetaReapre  +   187d ago
The 4 hour choice of rental should not be an option. Like really, why rent a game for 4 hours? Is anyone else thinking that too or is that just me?
Hellsvacancy  +   187d ago
I wondered this, maybe it's just to try the game out, but then surely that's what a demo is for, do we still get demos, can't remember the last time I downloaded one
cgoodno  +   187d ago
It's a paid demo, essentially. I think the 4-hours isn't bad, but that it should only be a max of $2 for those four hours to demo a game and see if you want to play it more.
nope111  +   187d ago
Guacamelee! $14.99 for 90 days.

memots  +   186d ago
Lol , meanwhile it was on steam for like $4
Hellsvacancy  +   187d ago
Will anyone actually use the service? I know I won't, my monthly rental service only costs me £9.99 and month, for two games at a time, admittedly i'm not currently using it (played everything) but I will again at some point
#12 (Edited 187d ago ) | Agree(5) | Disagree(1) | Report | Reply
SpiralTear  +   187d ago
I might try it a few times just to see what it's all about, but rental prices aren't the only issue that Sony should address.

I'm more worried about how good the streaming itself is. I've heard promising impressions about the service up till now, but once it's available to everyone and the servers are more populated, that could cause technical instability too.

We'll see. I want this service to succeed, but Sony is gonna need a lot of preparation and management to really get it to take off.
Darkstares  +   187d ago
The prices will come down when nobody buys it, that's usually how things work, but for a starting point the prices are really out of whack for many of the games. Nobody is going to go for those 3 month plans in the first place when the prices are higher than just buying it. The 4 hour and 90 day plans are the real eyesores, the other options aren't bad.
hkgamer  +   186d ago
i think its a structure that can suit some people. 90 days is more then enough to complete a full game. full games cost $60 when they come out and if i bought it digital its not like incan sell it back to psn.

i do have to question the prices in a few years time when all ps3 games would feel ancient.

4 hours is a good structure, it sort of like pay to play demo. i purchased hitman and deus ex on psn. played both games for like 30 minutes then decided that i didnt like the game. downloading the games took way longer than actual play time for me. 4 hr rent sessions will save me money. but by the time ips ow is out in uk i would probably not have the urge to impulse buy ps3 psn games.
Darkstares  +   186d ago
I see no games listed that are new, so yes, $60 is a lot more than just paying upwards of $30 for a 3 month window to finish the game. But if none of the games are new then comparing it to $60 games is kinda pointless.

Maybe that is something Sony should be offering, a rental service for new games. Then those prices would be much more in line with reality.
hkgamer  +   186d ago
it is pointless, but look at psn prices. there are many games that hasnt had a price drop.

psnow atm would not reslly be renting out any new games due to it being ps3 games only and i new
s3 games are getting less and less as time goes on
pyramidshead  +   187d ago
Luckily I won't be needing this service for many, many years. Still have native physical hardware and will be like that until I literally have no other choice. The streaming thing just sounds so unreliable.
hkgamer  +   186d ago
its not for everyone, a small percentage of people would actually use this. but im guessing they would probably love it.

i would probably use it for ps2 games when its out
welly300  +   187d ago
If this is there pay structure wow its like they want it to fail.
DirtyPimp  +   187d ago
the prices will change
Mikethejew  +   187d ago
yeah as soon as they look at their beta and see no one actually used it lol
S2Killinit  +   187d ago
why would xboners be "gloating" they don't have anything like PS Now.

"PS Now is now a paid service" are you some sort of smart guy? It was always a paid service. what you thought it was going to be free?
T2  +   187d ago
Because more choice is bad remember? Just like how indies don't count Lol
#17.1 (Edited 187d ago ) | Agree(12) | Disagree(1) | Report | Reply
MNGamer-N  +   187d ago
I'd rather just buy a physical copy on ebay for cheaper and keep it forever. I've been testing the beta, it works great, but the pricing is not worth it. Unless you are a rich person.
Ultr  +   186d ago
I rent a movie for the same prices. And games are definately worth more. I see no problem here. Let them test it man.
They actualy want to make money you know. 1$ per game is not going to pay the bills
Mikethejew   187d ago | Trolling | show
hkgamer  +   187d ago
4 hours? is that 4 hours of actual game time? or 4 hours once you pressed the rent button?

it does seem a little expensive, but does make sense in a way. definitely would save me a lot of money since i purchase crap on impulse all the time.
assdan  +   187d ago
This is why they've stated the prices aren't final. If no one is paying these prices, they'll lower it.
Apocalypso  +   187d ago
Story quality? WTF?
Like this website? No
MonstaTruk  +   187d ago
I'd pay up to $50/month for the service honestly, if it was an UNLIMITED access to PS1, PS2, & PS3 games. But...it's not. So... I won't.
WeAreLegion  +   186d ago
Same here. Let Sony know.
colonel179  +   186d ago
PS Now will NOT work unless it becomes a subscription service like Netflix. Netflix wouldn't have worked had it been like PS Now. It's simple.

I don't see PS Now working otherwise. I don't see a right price to rent a game. It's very complicated. If a subscription model depends on third parties and all, then they should have started negotiating with all parties involved before they green lighted the project.

I am not against PS Now. I love the idea, because it will allow me to revisit older games without having to actually purchase it, but as everyone has said, they need to price it right, and a subscription model is the only right way to do it. If they charge prices like they are doing it now (even if lower) people will still prefer to buy a game on the bargain bin, or even used to own it instead.

Netflix worked because people love the idea to watch every movie they want. Netflix became popular for that reason, and it has improved their offerings overtime, until it became the streaming giant it is now. Had it charged to rent a movie, it wouldn't exist anymore.
uth11  +   186d ago
LMAO at all these articles that are quick to say that "Sony really screwed up big time this time!".
mrpsychoticstalker  +   186d ago
HOW dare you Playstation??????

Gamer666  +   186d ago
Honestly, I don't know how they are going to make this service work for a profit.

The beta prices show that this service will struggle until it finds a better model. (Assuming this is the actual model)...

I like the idea, I just don't know how they can make a model that people will buy.

Renting a game for a few hours is ridiculous. What if I rent and 5 mins later I lose my internet connection for several hours? What if the stream on my connection is slowed during that time... 4 hrs just isn't enough to take into account networking issues.
DaleCooper  +   186d ago
Here's the thing, when these prices don't work (and they won't) Sony will change them. Simple as that.

I do think having some rentals be part of the PS+ subscription would be a good idea, but if that were to happen, who's really making any money? It's not like PS+ subs would skyrocket if that were to be announced. I'm still not sure who this service is for.
desertpunk86  +   186d ago
ONLIVE!ONLIVE!ONLIVE! a streaming video game service only works with a subscription model onlive is till alive and kicking because of subs sony is on top they need to act like they care.
Juangie3  +   186d ago
If you listen closely you would have caught that sony is testing the market for pricing, and will seriously consider adjustments. Its also always been obvious that this would be a paid service. Instead of complaining folks can contribute constructive feedback to sony to out pressure on them for a better pricing scheme. (You don't start a negotiation at rock bottom)
Ultr  +   186d ago
You dont even need to listen closely. It's like some people don't even understand it when you smash the infos into their heads with a m72rocket launcher from the top of one of those dune-sandworms as a homing missile boxed into pandorras box itself!
uth11  +   186d ago
yeah, it's better to start high then go low than the other way around- can you imagine the wailing if they tried that instead?
Juangie3  +   186d ago
Yeah cause SONY is not in the business of staying profitable. (like any other business). That makes total sense
GW212  +   186d ago
This is like the people who hated the Destiny alpha.

"Destiny sucks. I know that because I played the ALPHA, which represents probably 5% of the game, and did so over a brief weekend. I know exactly what Destiny is and how it will play. Bugs? Those aren't getting ironed out, no way. Because that's not what an alpha is for."
#30 (Edited 186d ago ) | Agree(5) | Disagree(1) | Report | Reply
Tito08   186d ago | Trolling | show
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