1UP:Hirai: PSN Losing Money, Should Turn a Profit Next Year

1UP:Speaking to Reuters Japan this week (via Hachimaki), Sony Computer Entertainment President Kaz Hirai described the PlayStation Network as "in the red" but believed that it would turn a profit during the next fiscal year.

[cliffbo]

so PSN in profit next year as well as the console. no wonder they just bought that factory back

@Ziro: PSN is free. Sony only make profit from PSN from things like HOME and virtual goods. of course they have PS+ now, but that won't be the only reason they are making profit. it's simple: Sony have over 60 million people on PSN and EVERY PS3/PSP owner has somewhere to store purchases

[DFresh]

Sony has been making a profit on PS3 ever since the Slim was released in 2009.
PSN is just another goal to work on for Sony to grow profit.

[Spenok]

Actually Sony didnt start posting profits on the PS3 until about febuary.

[Koolno]

Spenok, you obvisouly don't count millions of ps3 games, right ? :)

(and blurays !!)

Edit: Look at the Lolfanboyz, they are, like many times, trying to spin a good news, in bad news, sony is making a profit next years with a free service, and they only remember "in the red" ...denial/delusional much ? :)

[Guitardr85]

@KoolNo

Actually, I believe what Spenok was saying was that Sony didn't make a profit on the actual PS3 by itself. We all know that they make up for it with software, etc, but in terms of actual profit off of hardware, it WAS around February when they actually started selling in the black. I love the PS3 and couldn't live without it, I'm just trying to get facts straight!

[FACTUAL evidence]

Well like i said, PSN could have waaaay more profit if they make an ID change feature like we requested like only 2 YEARS AGO!! 5-10$ for every name change, but Sony hates money.

[Clarence]

Sony hates money? Are you crazy! How much do you think it cost to make the PS2. They are making a killing of those alone. Now the PS3 has been making them money ever since the slim was released. Also Sony just purchased the Toshiba Cell chip plant back. They will then terminate the partnership between NSM. Thats called cutting out the middle man. This will save them a lot of money, and will be very cost effective. This in turn will allow them to to produce the cell chip for a reduce rate. In turn it will cost less money to manufacture the PS3. Now they could do one or two things, maybe even both.

1. Continue selling the PS3 for 299.99, and continue to have a huge profit
2. Drop the price of the PS3 enough that it sell more because its cheaper, and still
yeild a profit.

Sony doesn't hate money. They showing you how they make money.

[ReservoirDog316]

Haha, Clarence, I think he was joking. He's just saying that charging for a name change would be an easy way to make money for Sony.

A joke.

You know, like SE hates money for not remaking FFVII? Of course they don't hate money, it's a joke.

[TerrorCell]

Yeah Clarence and then quality will drop like every Sony product now

[El_Colombiano]

$5 - $10 a change? This isn't XBL, get those gouging prices out of here.

[nickjkl]

sony gives away to much stuff to turn a profit

[MazzingerZ]

Yeah everybody should love Activision or MSFT where customers are really just that, money

I really don't get it why people wants SONY games division to turn into one of those...I really don't...guess Playstation have never touched their heart with any game :(

[jjohan35]

I don't subscribe to PSN+ because I truly enjoy my free online playability. I always thought I was a scrooge when it comes to buying PSN games and DLC. But since it's the end of the year, I looked back at my expenses on PSN in 2010 alone and I can't believe I spent $200!

[ForceCSW]

That's exactly what psn+ is for. It provides reduced prices on a lot of items on the playstation store. It might cost you $50 dollars a year but for someone like you it could save $100!

[Gam3s4lif3]

yet no one cares that sony makes a jackload from there lineup of exclusives ._., or ppl just forgot...

[NoBias]

... They do?

[crackerjack7373]

pretty sure that a lot of people care about exclusives

[otherZinc]

Now, you SONY Super Fans should understand why XBOX LIVE is $50 a year. Also, LIVE has sales & cross game chat.

We all pay for goods & services, there are people working & someone has to pay for their hard work. This is how things work: people work, they get paid for their work.

[SWORDF1SH]

bell end

[DOMination]

60 million people on the PSN?

[MazzingerZ]

SONY games division must be headed by REAL gamers that own a PS3 themeselves, it doesn't matter if numbers were red or black, they have been producing new IPs and tons of 1st Party games since launch

It's at that level where we customers are really affected by those figures at corporate level and one must say that PS3 owners can give a crap about it! as a customer I don't notice a sh*t!

Thank god for the Playstation brand!

[NYC_Gamer]

making profit with out charging 60 bucks a year

[DigitalRaptor]

Still can't see why they're charging for XBL.

[RedDead]

Sony will make a small profit, for about half of the 360's sold, MS make atleast 60 a year off them. MS makes large profit. Not to say they aren't cu*ts while doing it

[candystop]

"Still can't see why they're charging for XBL."

You sound like Sony! duhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[Killa Aaron]

Because Microsoft knows they can get away with charging it's customers $60, then brag about how much they made off of those customers.

[R2D2]

"Still can't see why they're charging for XBL"

Why do people go to Star buck and pay $5 for a coffee when they can can get it at Burger King for $1.

or

Why do people buy Lambos when they can get a Civic for a hell of alot less.

or

Why do people pay $500 for a hooker when they can get it free form the wife.

[MeanOldman]

"Why do people pay $500 for a hooker when they can get it free form the wife."

you dont understand marriage or havent been married long.

[poindat]

Talk about flawed logic. In each of the cases you mentioned there is a massive different in quality (not sure about the prostitutes vs. wife though haha) which warrants the premium price. In regards to PSN vs. XBL however, the massive difference in quality is simply not there and the price difference, as a result, is not warranted.

[Vherostar]

"Still can't see why they're charging for XBL."
Because they can its that simple. We could argue all day if it's worth it or not but the fact is they came out first and forced people to play online and once they had that initial install base it was all easy street from there. They could increase XBL tomorrow to $100 a year and people would pay it.. Why? Because it's a better service?? No because you have no choice if you wan't to play half your game as nowadays theres more in the online part of games than offline. They got people in a corner and they holding all the cards. People can either drop it and go PS3 (which a lot don't want to as they actually enjoy Halo/Gears etc..) or pony up every year/month.

[visualb]

you cant?

let me help:

[maniacmayhem]

"Still can't see why they're charging for XBL."

Hmmm, let me say this as simple as possible...

Because it's a BUSINESS.

[KotC]

Sony isn't making a profit yet still "in the red" Look ^ up. Did you guys just skip that part or does your mind just block it out?

[8thnightvolley]

they are using the new SDF 5000 glasses ...its some new sony tech it hides sony's failures from you in 3D!!!.

sick shyt man... i tried getting em but couldnt find my size.

[Vherostar]

The fact they are still in the red is a failure?? How thick are you??

Anyways on topic it's making a profit but they are in the red purely because until all those millions of consoles were sold and PSN started to become a dominate horse like it is now (not comparing anything here or knocking XBL) they spent a lot of money hosting all those demos and actually building the service money they have to make up. It's not free to host an online service and until you actually get the service to a standard to make people buy the products on it they was gonna go downhill.

Also the fact they will be making a profit next year shows that they still won't probably be charging for it.

[Redempteur]

or did you miss the PSN part of the title as well ?

it's not like the Gaming division as a whole is making profit since the PS3 slim was released , right ?

[Persistantthug]

we won't know until their fiscal year is up....March 31, 2011.

That's just for the record.

[Koolno]

Lol@poor fanboy, like knightvolley and others, the better games they can play ? comparisons of the games, npd estimation, and articles about sony's future profits (called "a failure", because they don't are able to count : games sold, consoles sold, blurays sold, etc)

[Gamer112]

"making profit with out charging 60 bucks a year"

But aint thats what the psn plus subscribers doing, paying yearly to keep the stuff you brought?

lol i make it sound like a scam.

[the_best_player]

you keep the things you buy/got discount on, but not the free games.

[LiquifiedArt]

i love these xbox responses. Its a typical misinformed pre-teen.

[Zir0]

Must be due to PSN Plus why they are making a profit.

Quite shocking that they have been in the red all this time vs MS who makes $1bn a year on XBL.

[Nitrowolf2]

That's because XBL charges just to use the Online services

[ComboBreaker]

If Microsoft doesn't even make any profit from Xbox Live, then it would be sad.

Sony could easily make a billion a year from PSN too, if Sony charges us to play online. However, Sony isn't like that. And that, is a great thing for PS3 gamers.

Zir0, I don't know why you are so proud that Microsoft is charging you to play online just so Microsoft can make 1 billion profit a year. That's just sad. It's like you are proud that you got rip off.

[acky1]

It's a shame that sony don't make a lot of money from the ps3. I feel so bad for them. Hopefully they make a lot over the next few years.
_____________
Sony 'til I die

[mrv321]

I guarantee Sony has been making money from PS3. SCEE probably lost some but that's due to the fact Blu-ray one the battle and Sony no doubt make a pretty penny from licensing.

[dragonyght]

more like the Playstation Network because it cost money the maintain yet its free to users

[coolstuff]

Here's how much profit/loss Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo have been making. This is from their own financial reports by the way.

http://neogaf.net/forum/sho...

[Bigpappy]

That is a bit too general to show how much M$ is making from 360. This is why some investor were asking M$ to make Xbox a seperate company. The contribution or losses of the 360 are not shown in profit and loss statements. You have Kin and Zune tied in with 360. But even with those losses, the devision still is profitable because of 360. PS3 has has been making back some money since the slim and is also ofset by still good PS2 sales.

[GodofSackboy]

They would take a bullet for us customers
____________
Sony 'til I die

[numberonepain]

Gamers remember so trust me people will take everything into account when they make a purchase next gen. This generation should not end until they have truly drenched every last drop from the systems. Naughty Dogs next project should be to release a launch title on the next console whether it is the PSP2 or PS4. Sony should try and have more first party software at launch.

[Anon1974]

Really, we have no idea how much Sony makes from the PS3, so it's a bit premature to say that they "don't make a lot of money from the PS3".
Back in August before the slim was launched, Sony confirmed that as a platform the PS3 had been profitable for some time. What we don't know is how profitable. The PS3 is only part of a larger division that handles many products, just like Microsoft's Entertainment Division that oversees the Xbox also covers things like phones, Office for the Mac, Zune, etc.

When the company's roll out their fiscal updates, they give us the division as a whole and don't break it down other then throwing investors key highlights. We know the PS3 is profitable because Sony flat out confirmed it was. With the 360, we actually don't know if it's profitable or not. The division turns a profit from time to time but we don't know what part of that, if any, is due to the Xbox itself. In fact, just about a year ago, analysts at Caris and Co commented that Microsoft was still losing money on the Xbox even though the division was turning a profit. It's very possible that that's the reason for the 360s - that the old consoles were simply not cost effective either due to their failure rates or due to contracts with the suppliers over the costs of making the 360. We saw Microsoft sever ties with one of the 360 makers a couple of years ago due to costs, and now we're seeing Microsoft and Motorola go head 2 head as Microsoft no longer wants to pay Motorola's fees for using their tech in the 360. This sounds like a product with some cost issues going on in the background, just like Caris and Co said.

My point is to make a comment like "it's a shame Sony doesn't make more on the PS3"....well, we really don't know the breakdown for either company when it comes to what they make off each console. The exception, of course, is Nintendo. Games are pretty much all they do so when they unveil their numbers we can see exactly what they're bringing in from the Wii, or the DSI. In that case, portable gaming, not the Wii, is what floats Nintendo's boat - but the Wii is certainly no slouch when it comes to bringing in cash.

[mushroomwig]

I'm surprised they're not already making a profit considering the prices of the PS3 games that are available on the store. £19.99 for MAG? £31.99 for Prototype? Pfft. =/

[redDevil87]

They need to make the best offers on the store more "in your face".

I like the store but most of the time you can't see if there are any amazing offers because everything is hidden away.

In the EU store anyway.

[mrv321]

I don't think Sony has much control over Activision, but Sony do get money from the sale.

[flyingmunky]

Yeah certain games do seem pretty pricey considering what they are(I think I once saw a chess game for like 20 bucks).

I'm just surprised that the pricing on the video store hasn't come down yet. 4 dollars for a digital copy rental that expires in 24 hrs after you start it is too much with netflix and redbox around. Then again psn does get almost every major film when it actually releases, unlike netflix and redbox.

[Vherostar]

I think once they are out the red and into the green they can start to make even better offers rather than relying on 3rd partys to make the best offers.

[problemchild84]

A profit is written in black not green

[ForceCSW]

He was thinking in Christmas colors.

[Ruggadagod]

but psn is still free and a quality service. that shows that they care about the fans. if Sony didn't give a fuck, they would have already charged for psn.

[Focker420]

Or just shut it down like MS did with the original Xbox.

[Spenok]

Agreed. Sony is a pretty damn awesome company. And i am glad to own a PS3. Some of the best times i have had with gaming.

[PimpHandHappy]

PSN will become the premium online service for all gaming.. Right now they are still growing. Let not 4get XBL has had a 5 year head start AND was created by ppl that understand how to make a operating system and HOW to make money of it

[numberonepain]

They are planning for the future. I bet you home will be seemless on the next gen console and more intergrated with all things PSN. They have alot of work to do on intergrating all their services. You should be able to go to the cinema in home and watch any paid movie with friends. They have a good platform but the intergration is just not there. If the PSP2 is powerful enough to run home they should make home a choice over the xmb so that home actually makes sense. I really like what Sony has done but all the loading and the lack of intergration hold it back from its potential to be the outright leader. Nothing needs to be upgraded or changed in home. It is a very beautiful place. Online connections are an issue but the power of the future console should offset the loading of different spaces at least. They should have every game that you can get on the store accessible through home with background download and everything etc... Home could have been something really special and since they could litterally transfer the assets to the next system.

[LilMissGoddess]

damn get over it already! just because microsoft knew that online gaming would be huge and done it right before sony doesn't equal a "head start"

if the japanese company, sony, put more care and worth in the future of console gaming, meaning online gaming, then no one would have a "head start".

i guess then since this is ms 2nd console and sony's 3rd, sony has a " head start" since 1995.

everything that has done better than anything sony to you guys is EXCUSED by the bullshit "head start" i guess since samsung t/v's are seen as better quality, then they had a head start as well.

get a clue.

[Mmmkay]

i thought there was an xbox before the 360.....
or are you saying the ps2 could connect to psn ??

[LilMissGoddess]

ok yes the ps2 had "online" but there again is it microsofts fault that sony didn't have a network? and that they created one with live.

it is also obvious that psn wasn't even fully ready when the ps3 was already out- why else do you think you see so many firmware updates to make it better?

why do you think the 360's xbox live use is so much more refined and integrated over the ps3/psn?

common sense. sony didn't believe that online was going to be huge. live released last gen, and with the "starter kits" also sold well, and when the xbox was gaining steam, micro knew that with the deal with nvidia its days were numbered. during this time MS already knew where it was going to go with live with the 360, and they did.

it's success especially in the U..S is mainly because of live. starting last gen the reputation that the xbox brand gained from it's online experience crushed any rep sony had with "ps2 online"

really simple. many today that i know still regard psn as "crap" even when i tell them its not to bad, and it's free. whatever.

come ps4 when sony's online is a lot more like live in ease of use, and more feature rich, then come back and talk to me.

competition fuels ALL industries, and even i think the dumbest of fanboys- even on n4g should understand that.

"head start" or whatever BS excuses they make are just that BS. i guess ford has the biggest "head start" in the auto industry in the U.S. i guess the horses should be pissed off lol.

[JOHN_DOH]

"common sense. sony didn't believe that online was going to be huge."
You know they have a company called SOE right? SONY ONLINE ENTERTAINMENT. They were the ones who made everquest which was the biggest mmo before WOW. They've probably been more successful at PC games than Microsoft. (neither one of them is doing much right now on pc)

[LilMissGoddess]

They've probably been more successful at PC games than Microsoft

hahahahahahahaha that's some funny shit right there. please tell me how many games sony has made and or published for the pc?

the only response to you dude is WTF! also sony online entertainment isn't the same as a network. psn= playstation network, xbox live= microsofts network for 360.

all that i have posted is 100% true. MS knew they couldn't compete against sony and it's game studios. they seen only one hole in the playstation and it was online.

they jumped onto it and it's the reason why the xbox brand is as popular as it is today. with the inclusion of games like halo of course, which if we look back halo 2 on live was a MEGA hit for xbox live, nuff said.

sure ghost recon, rainbow six and others shared success on live but halo 2 kicked that service off in high gear.

funny how ps3 fanboys have such short memories when it comes to anything xbox related. go ahead and disagree more with the facts i don't care. most of you we're pretty young even back then lol.

the rest of us weren't.

[hot111]

Nobody is buying those games,that is the problem
They can charge $100 for MAG,who cares

[Nitrowolf2]

Did you even bother to read the Article?

"According to the report, PSN sales during the 2009 fiscal year added up to 36 billion yen (approx. $434.3 million USD). That number "nearly doubled" in 2010."

Maybe you meant to respond to MushroomWig, in that case sorry

[Bigbangbing]

Easy, all you need to do is: BLOCK THE SHARING.

[Azmacna]

i don't think you are quite understanding here. he's talking about PSN itself, games sold are put under the games division profits. only things like virtual goods in HOME and such can be calculated in with PSN

[hesido]

If they had blocked the sharing, I'd have bought *less than half* of the games I bought now. I share with my brother tho, not some random guy from the Internet. Because we can split the fee when we both want the game, we buy more than double!
In fact, since he doesn't have a credit card, and PSN cards are not sold in my country, he wouldn't have bought anything, because I buy for him in my account. There are several games in my account, some of which I never played because only my brother was interested in them, those wouldn't be bought either. Together, we bought some 40 psn titles, btw. If not for sharing, I'd buy some 15 games (that I really wanted to play), and he wouldn't have been able to buy anything due to the PSN card not being sold factor. I'm doing my part :P

Also, you don't know how "rampant" sharing is. I really wonder how much of games being bought is being shared. I'd really like to know Sony's numbers on this. They should certainly have average PS3 per game statistic (not user per game, tho, because it would and should definitely be shared within the household).

[dkgshiz]

Thats one of the reasons people like PSN over xbox live. Sharing. I do it all the time. Not really a big deal.

[Zachmo182]

I do it with the Xbox also there is a work around...This is how it works i put microsoft points on my account then i give my account to my friend so that he can dl it then after its done i get my account back and then i dl it.

[bananlol]

Well then your friend wont be able to go online, because if he do the game will get disabled. At least that is what happened to me:(

[Dark-Cloud4]

i got 8001050F error on my slim , i can't sign in to the psn ! >.<
i can sign in in my fat ps3 , what should i do ? ... anyoone can help me ? :(

please , it's weekend and i can't play , why i get this error in weekend !! T_T

[Dark-Cloud4]

please , im not trolling here ! T_T

[Xusuyzus]

what firmware,..
http://kotaku.com/5482811/p...

[B-Real206]

Try the usual stuff: unplugging router, resetting your setting on the ps3

[ActionBastard]

That error is the clock error that was resolved on the Sony server side. Check your date/time settings and make sure you have the latest firmware.

[Dark-Cloud4]

i did all of these things but psn don't work :( .. i can get in browser and i can do the update in gt5 but i can't sign in to the psn , i tried via internet and get the error and i restart the ps3 and the router and did everything but still get that error T_T .. i know about this error , alots of people had this problem in the fat ps3 in FEB and sony fixed this but now i can't sign in in my ps3 slim and i can sign in in my fat ps3 .. this is annoying >.<

[RememberThe357]

Honestly, call support.

[problemchild84]

I had almost the same problem the other day

i got my PS3 to work by turning off the auto sign in and turning off the "remember login info".

Next go to settings, system settings, then click on "restore default settings"(make sure you know what your email address and password are before doing this)

After that just follow the instructions on screen and you should be good.

Or do what RememberThe357 said

[ufo8mycat]

Thumbs up to Sony in keeping MP free - LIKE IT SHOULD BE.

When we buy a brand new game, we pay for the SP & the Mp aspect, but if you buy it for 360, you're not only paying for the Mp aspect when you buy the game, but you have to pay for it again, to even use the Mp aspect of that game.

Sure LIVE doesn't cost that much at all, but it's the principal of the thing. Why should we have to pay twice?

PSN will become profitable and Sony will DESERVE it when it happens.

[rezzah]

Its funny how people actually enjoy paying for something they already have access to...Looks at disagreers.

[Mmmkay]

maybe they think it's like having to buy gas after already having bought that expensive car....

[GCO Gamer]

That's one way to put it, but its no longer like that on XBL, its more of you paying for additional services, EPSN, Demos, Videos and LIVE, or as you called it MP.

[xstation79]

Does anyone actually know what their talking about? I can't possible see how any of you knows what profits sony or any other company for that matter makes.

[RememberThe357]

It's really not a complex situation. Were talking about basic business.

Here you go: They are "in the red" so the PSN is not turning a profit, meaning that their costs are higher than their revenues. Which means that their spending more money on the PSN than their making from it. Hirai expects that to change in 2011 meaning that the will start to have higher revenues than costs.

Hope that helped.

And all the console manufacturers are public companies so their finances are public:

http://neogaf.net/forum/sho...

[Acquiescence]

the annual Gold membership for my 360 ran out today and I didn't bother to renew it. I mean, what's the point now that I've got a PS3? That £40 quid is going towards a PS3 game instead. Or more appropriately, I could splurge it all on PSN goodies.

[TheTruth89]

Thanks sony, for prividing us a fantastic FREE service even if you lose money.

[M4ndat0ry_1nstall]

So that explains why the PSN hasn't evolved beyond copying it's competitors. After 4 years Sony are now estimating that the PSN will be profitable? Largely because of PSN+ perhaps?

Although the PSN being free is one of it's benefits, it's also one of it's pitfalls:

http://kotaku.com/5177036/p...
http://www.joystiq.com/2010...

Anyway when Sony has free software (XNA) that will allow indie devs to create PSN games for as little as $100 a year instead of the 1000 or so dollars it currently costs (PS3 dev kit) or adds original features to PSN, then I will be impressed <holds breath>

I would prefer to buy (XBL) my own water instead of drinking my own piss just because it's free (PSN) (no hate)

[HungryGoku]

Your the one drinking piss we don't pay a dime and game online who you kidding?

[GeneGodHand]

I would prefer to buy (XBL) my own water instead of drinking my own piss just because it's free (PSN) (no hate)

LMAO HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH this was a joke right didn't x-box live have a 10$ price hike that ain't water my friend that is a bill.

[gypsygib]

PS4 will not have free online gaming.

[Acquiescence]

but you're probably right.

[GeneGodHand]

Ps4 will have Psn so it will be free :)

[kagon01]

If Sony starts charging for PSN, I'll stop supporting the console. Ever since Sony added trophies support I can't transfer my data, also when online integration was added to consoles most of the single player campaign games became short, and mediocre at best then again it has to do with DLC since a lot of games this date are incomplete, and lack FUN compared to previous generation. I may not support next gen consoles cause I know gamers will be dictated how to play their games thanks to the "must have" online, and they will accept everything this current gen gaming industry its throwing at them.

[theonlylolking]

As long as they keep improving PSN with it still being free I will be happy.

[PSWe60]

that's not surprising, I mean it's been free since it's introduction four years ago. With PS Plus becoming more popular everyday they'll turn a profit before you know it. I say upward and onward Sony!

[sway__z]

'Why are MS still charging for XBL'....?

Because there are plenty of muppets who will happily pay $60/£39.99 for the game, and then get pimped for another $50/£39.99 online subscription just to play it online!

Compliance and Obedience is a truly remarkable thing.

:)

[rezzah]

Mindless followers who blindy do what the leader says.

[XI_-Minty-_IX]

How would you make money from something that is primarily free in the first place?

[Otheros00]

Take it out and add features that are free everywhere else to it and then charge for it.

[Kran]

And this is why Microsoft make money.

[Bounkass]

I would pay for Xross Game Chat. **HINT HINT**

[Otheros00]

I would NEVER pay for the privilege to talk to someone online.

[TANUKI]

Never thought of it that way. Well said though.

[RevXM]

Would you pay for skype?

I would love xgc, but I dont think it is worth paying for.

Playing Online should always be free, especially on XBL considering the lack of servers.

[Bounkass]

It was just a hint guys... Just to get them of their asses!

[KaiokenKid]

Not sure how something thats free could be in the red that much. Anyway, I wonder how many PS Plus subscibers they have, because shouldnt that help them get their money back? Im loving my subscription to it.

[Otheros00]

You know it cost money to have servers, website, online store, andto have electricity running through your building.

[KaiokenKid]

Sony is a intersting cat this gen. In the beginning they were bleeding money everywhere with the PS3, and many argue the only reason they were able to bleed like that and still support the console was due to the money they made on PS2 and money they were still making on PS2. The console, the online, etc bled money. Now that they are making money off the console, they are now going to focus on online. but the thing is this gen really cant go on that much longer. 2 to 3 years max me thinks. So by the time their profitable all around, there wont be much time to make that new profit because next gen will be coming out.

[zero_cool]

Sony will iron out any kinks left to iron out no need to worry.

[blackburn5]

Excuse me. For all who can't read, PSN is in the red. PSN. Not the PS3. I know sometimes the eagerness to say negative things about Sony cancels out your reading and comprehension skills but calm down and think before you write

[TANUKI]

lol, so true.

[OC_MurphysLaw]

I love the comments about Sony doing right by gamers by making it free. Sony made PSN free because they thought they had to in-order to compete with XBLA at the time. Sony since has relized their error and now are trying to invent was to charge $$ via things like PSN Plus.

[jukins]

well i think we can agree on one thing. . . ps4 or whatever its called is gonna have a mandatory online fee just like live.

[floetry101]

Agreed, they'll have to do it. Although I'm sure it'll be beefed up to support xgame chat and a few other features etc.

In all honesty I won't have a problem paying for it. To have been given this much free access over the years is astounding in itself.

[sway__z]

How is it that PC owners never pay to play a FPS online, PC games are significantly cheaper most of the time, and have a smaller demographic in games sales compared to consoles...yet remains subscription free?

MS are you listening???

[Dark-Cloud]

if they just put good things in the psn they would have won alot of money but they put stupid games .... psn have some good things but most of the things in it is bad same goes for xbox live so don't be happy fanboys... only few things in the store that makes me hyped to buy , if they put the best psx games and put ps2 games and really good psn games like battlefield ....etc with good themes and alots of demos , they even can charge us for beta's less then 10 ( because we are playing the game early ) ... they would have won alot but they put alots of stupid things ..

[TANUKI]

It's unfortunate PSN is losing money... considering it's a really good service that is offered for free.

Granted, it's not perfect, but at least Sony isn't panicking and suddenly charging us for it.

[A LIVING LEGEND]

Game sharing,while a nice feature,is also a detrimental one.

[A LIVING LEGEND]

The PSN service is a perfect model for ' because it is free it isn't always free of'
With some changes,it can remain a premium service that is free of premium pricing.
Detractors abound but the PSN is easily worth a small fee,yet as of now requires none.

[GCO Gamer]

I think they should have a paid service. I mean, it would be better, as in PSN overall, and the money that they're losing could be sent in other places, like marketing their titles, etc.

[caliman87]

I think they would make more if the prices on some of the items were lowered. Stormtrooper outfits in HOME $4.99??? a little high... Movies should be like 99cents to watch...not $6 for an HD rental. Shoot look at Blockbuster finally learning to lower their prices or people will go elsewhere.

[oguzsasi]

Then they have to fix this damn wallet/funding system first! I cant use my credit card for allmost a year! I was using it about 2 years between 2008 and 2010! But i cant use it in 2010! Theres thousands of people out there and they still do nothing! If they gonna say " We want your money for multiplayer experience! " some day, then i have to sell my console first cause i cant buy anything with my money for a year!

[EliteDave93]

If Sony just fucking did something about Party chat/Cross game chat and ID changer then they would make more money but noooo i dont get it Sony have to start care more about PSN!

[Adolph Fitler]

If they allow cross game chat, and fix up the abysmal comms situation currently (I don't know whether PS3 gamers do not own headsets, or don't really bother with putting them on, or both, or if the comms. on most titles are just too problematic)I will be in for paying for PS+ if it becomes Sony's only answer to make money. But the comms. need fixing, and cross game chat should have been an out of the box feature considering it was being sold not just as a game machine, but as a centrepiece entertainment hub. I mean the machine does so much out of the box, that it is an oversight by either the PSN designers or Ken Kutaragi that is almost a shootable offence. The ad campaign should say, "It only does everything...except cross game chat, and decent comms. infrastructure in general". I know a lot of people play the whole X game chat thing down and right it off as either an unnecessary feature, or a feature that is sooooo annoying.......but the truth to that is the former are in serious denial about the feature improving online gaming, and the online community, or otherwise in the latter example the people who write it off as a crap feature and would be annoyed by it, have no friends and are sociapathic, future crazed Mcdonalds mass murderers.

Couple cross game chat and improved online chat and general psn features with more free games, d/loadable content, as well as decent discounts on above and to top it off have all developers make all future games incorporate custom soundtracks to games (as well as go back & develop a patch for all the bigger, blockbuster status game to allow custom soundtracks......for a small $2-3 fee), I would have no reservations about paying the current PSN+ asking price