PSN on Struggle Street

"On paper the PlayStation 3 offers by far and away the superior online experience in the console market, so why then do the figures suggest that in reality, it is coming a distant second to Xbox Live?" - gameplayer

[KingKionic]

oh no....

The horror begins.

Let`s all be happy.

look there both great services.

Psn
Lobbies/Matchmaking for instant online gaming
Scores/Ranking for player comparison
Trophies rewarded for achieving goals in certain games
Virtual presence/Avatars
Friend List allowing for up to 100 players
Voice/Video Chat/Cross Game Text Chat (Bluetooth/USB Headset or PlayStation Eye, or an Eye Toy required. Video chat only requires a webcam as the cams have microphones built in. Text Chat can be used in game).
Instant messaging integration
Internet Browser and Google search engine
PlayStation Home
Life With PlayStation
adhoc Party for PlayStation Portable (Japan only)PlayStation Store
Qore (North America only)
OPMHD (Europe only)
VidZone (Europe & Australia only)User Registration of Master/Sub accounts
Login ID/Handlename/Profiles
Portable ID, a user profile card similar in concept to a Gamercard

http://en.wikipedia.org/wik... live

Xbox live

Current features
Mottos for display on gamer profiles
Game achievements, which are earned during gameplay
Reputation rating which is voted on by other players who decide to either prefer or avoid another player. The reputation defaults to 100% (Five stars) over time after one player has preferred you.
Gamerscores, which are a total of a player's achievement points
Friends list, which is a list of a player's chosen friends, up to 100 friends allowed
Recent player list, which lists the last 50 players a user has played with
Complaint filing system, which allows a user to report another user that has broken the Xbox Live Terms of Use
Windows Live messenger integration
Access to Xbox Live Marketplace content, including new game content, games and movies
Voice Chat (wireless or wired headset required, Xbox Live Silver members are limited to two-player voice chat, while 3+ player voice chat has been implemented for Gold members with the New Xbox Experience)
Video Chat (Live Vision camera required, with headset optional for chatting)
Multiplayer gameplay, where a user can link up 4 Xbox's to play together (known as system link), or connect online (Online requires Xbox Live Gold)
Enhanced matchmaking using cumulative gamerscore, reputation, location/language profile, and gamer zone
Bio section in which one can list personal interests, URLs, etc.
Parental controls, limiting children's exposure to other users ("Family Settings")
Inside Xbox is a newsletter about Xbox Live news, events, products, interviews and games that is integrated in the Xbox 360 Dashboard. Content for Inside Xbox is created by the Xbox global marketing team and features streaming video segments "Pick Up and Play", "Major’s Minute" with Larry Hryb and "Game with Fame".
Upcoming features
Social networking sites Facebook and Twitter will be accessible over Xbox Live.
Last.fm will allow users to stream music and radio content through their Xbox 360.
Sky TV (UK and Ireland only) will allow users to access premium Sky TV content and watch live TV through their Xbox 360.
Instant-on 1080p HD movies with 5.1 surround sound will allow users to stream movies from the Zune Marketplace (formerly the Xbox Live Video Marketplace) or Netflix instantly with no delay.
Movie Parties allow for movies and TV shows to be viewable with friends over Xbox Live.
Avatar Marketplace will offer premium items, interactive props and game styles for Avatars.
Music Store offers content especially for music-orientated games such as Rock Band, Guitar Hero and Lips.
Games on Demand offers a selected catalogue of Xbox 360 video games that will be available for download over Xbox Live, utilising real world currency as opposed to Microsoft Points.

[GiantEnemyCrab]

Yikes that PSN list is weak.

"Lobbies/Matchmaking for instant online gaming
Scores/Ranking for player comparison "

Those are benefits? I don't think you can even have a functioning online service without those.. LOL

No mention of Trueskill ranking on XBL?

Dunno where you cut and paste that from but it's lacking bro.

[Sucks2BU]

I don't think the article is about a epeen comp: it is actually analyzing the figures and suggesting paths for improvement.

[Kamikaze135]

It's alright though. As superior as some people may feel LIVE is, I never pay for it and stick with PSN =D

[KingKionic]

It`s from the wiki...you know...usually doesn't have everything on there.

Sorry..

[lloyd_wonder]

The problem with Live is that it's like paying for cable. You pay for all these features and use two or three at most. Not to say it's not a good service.

The reality is that both PSN and Live are quite similar with similar and different offerings. I'd say having a web browser integrated into your console is a big plus for any gamer. Like for example, when I'm looking for all the bobble heads in Fallout 3 for that Gold trophy I can easily look online for a quick IGN guide and hop right back into game. I can also look for quick news updates on N4G, go to Youtube to watch a music video, or post on Twitter. All without having to exit your console experience.

PlayStation Home will be big once they integrate more community features for connecting with friends. Blu-Ray is also another great feature if you want to boast about watching movies, or buying full movies from the PlayStation Store -- something you can't do on Live. Let's not get into the advantages of the PS3 as a media hub...

Live has some nice features like Party chat, some minor community features, and Netflix, but that's about it. imo. Just like Blu-Ray or a web browser are the missing links to Live. Last FM is good too, but you can't use it while in- game, essentially eliminating it as an effective community feature for gamers.

[poindat]

Can I play online? If the answer is yes, then I'm happy!

Really now, I don't even use many of PSN's features, so what advantages does Live offer someone like me who doesn't use any of those extra features and just likes to load up a game and play?

(That was a serious question)

[Stevie Ray Vaughan]

The truth is no fun. Xbox Live does and will always kill PSN. Get used to it.

[ULTIMATE_REVENGE]

PS3:

You forgot to mention the XMB interface which is integrated within the features to make for a far more flaunt and enjoyable experience. Also being a Technical Award based interface is a granted advantage

You forgot to mention Recent player list, which lists over 100 players during your time online gaming against others

You forgot to mention having Access to Playstation Store which includes new game content, games, demo's, viewable HD 720p/1080p trailers with 7.1 surround sound, Themese, Wallpapers and Classic PS1 Games all categorised and laid out in a appealing interface

You forgot to mention the Parental controls accessable via the Internet Browser which limits children's exposure to indecent material and also protects from harmful Virus.

[UnSelf]

Cuz the only paper Microsoft uses is green

and sadly its the only kind it accepts

[Blaze929]

lol wut? Someone must've been high...or drunk....or both

[JL]

I'm with you man. Even PSN offers more options/features than I ever even begin to consider using. All this bickering and flaming about extra lil fluff features is just beyond me. There are things I've heard people claim are "ESSENTIAL" (usually something live has that psn doesn't) that I just sit there and think "What in the world would I ever use that for". I'm of the same frame of mind: as long as I can connect and play a game with a community of people (doesn't even have to be thousands upon thousands upon thousands, like some use as proof of "dominance") then I'm fine. That's all I can ever ask for, and all I ever will. I'm more of a single-player gamer anyways, just like to jump online once in a while for stuff like SOCOM or maybe a sports/fighting game from time to time. And I have NEVER had a problem whatsoever doing any of this efficiently and easily on PSN (or if I have it wasn't a fault of PSN, more the game or the developers).

[Arnon]

XBL has been doing that since the launch of the 360. So I'm not entirely sure what point you're trying to get at here.

[DMason]

I lol'ed at this quote: "the PlayStation 3 offers by far and away the superior online experience in the console market"

[JL]

lol What's there to disagree with in my above comment? Somebody beg to differ and say that I do use all of the features that PSN offers me? Or maybe one of you thinks I'm lying when I say I have no use for some of these "essential" features that PSN is always ridiculed for missing? Or maybe someone disagrees that I am content with being able to just simply get online and play a quick round or something without the need for all the "fluff" that evidently so many of you need? No, wait, I know what it is. Someone here would beg to differ and assume to tell me what I like and say that I'm wrong when I admit to being a mainly single-player gamer and that's more my preference, with the occasional online match here and there, huh? lol You people are good entertainment, will give you that.

[MazzingerZ]

but instead of listing what you missed it's easier to list what XBL has that PSN doesn't...the only features that have to do with gaming are the last ones and really the only advantages (and great featurse) XBL has over PSN, the rest is nothing I care about, when I bought the console I bought it for gaming and nothing else...I can do without the XBL party stuff...we have yet to see how those coming features will work...will the XBL party for movies allow me to watch a film with my buddy without me having a NetFix account? all the way from Europe to the US?

Reputation rating which is voted on by other players who decide to either prefer or avoid another player. The reputation defaults to 100% (Five stars) over time after one player has preferred you.

Complaint filing system, which allows a user to report another user that has broken the Xbox Live Terms of Use.
Windows Live messenger integration.
Bio section in which one can list personal interests, URLs, etc.
Social networking sites Facebook and Twitter will be accessible over Xbox Live.
Last.fm will allow users to stream music and radio content through their Xbox 360.
Sky TV (UK and Ireland only) will allow users to access premium Sky TV content and watch live TV through their Xbox 360.
Instant-on 1080p HD movies with 5.1 surround sound will allow users to stream movies from the Zune.
Movie Parties allow for movies and TV shows to be viewable with friends over Xbox Live.
Avatar Marketplace will offer premium items, interactive props and game styles for Avatars.
Cross-game voice chat and game invites.
XBL Party

[Syronicus]

Let me ask you this...

Does Xbox Live let you play online?
Does the PSN let you play online?

That is the single feature I need so that I can play the game I paid 60 bucks for online with my buddies.

Now, which of these two is free?

Live is great for those that "need" all those extra features but me, I need only one thing. I need to play online and since both services let me do that it all comes down to price.

[JL]

Couldn't agree with you more, Syronicus. Plain and simple that is basically the only purpose of either system: to let you play games online. And since I can do that for free on PS3, I'd never even consider paying for it on 360. Hell I'd never even consider paying for it if both of them charged, I just wouldn't play online. I honestly just don't see the big deal is with all these superfluous features.

[Syronicus]

Exactly. I too would drop support for PSN if I had to pay for it and would go back tot he free online play on my PC. I supported Live for a couple years and found that after the initial feeling of how it was something new and cool to do on my console that it was just not worth the money and since the PC and PSN were free to use, they were and are the better choice - for me.

People can say all they want that Live costs so little and that I should skip out on that #1 Value Meal at Mickey-D's but when there are other services out there that allow me to do what I want and do it for free, I will eat that Value Meal and play online at the same time. Why should I sacrifice when there is an obvious choice to be made? I will have my big mac and eat it too!

[talltony]

And it is exactly the same as the 360 version. Send game invites and join up in your squad and keep moving from match to match in the same squad. In reality PSN really is not trailing that far behind live, that is just b.s. dont forget psn is free and that really makes the difference.

[Anon1974]

The article mentions that 485 million bits of content has been downloaded by PS3 users and 1 billion bits of content by 360 users in it's lifetime.

That's a completely meaningless comparison. Throwing in "active accounts" doesn't prove anything because the services differ greatly and there's plenty of active but duplicate accounts out there. I personally have an active account and my wife has an account, as I'm sure in different households each kid is going to have a different account - that's why there's more accounts than PS3's out there. Obviously only one account is going to be buying content.

To get a true sense of how the services compare, shouldn't we look at the services at the same point in each services lifespan? Wouldn't that make more sense to see how the PSN was doing at the 2 1/2 year mark vs how XBL was doing at the 2 1/2 year mark - instead of PSN numbers at 2 1/2 years vs XBL at 4 years?

It takes time for the networks to build momentum and to build up the content available, so obviously 2 1/2 year numbers aren't going to match 4 year numbers. How can this article ignore so basic a concept?

[DarkAzureIIIX]

also on the PSN that you forgot:
-Recent player list, which lists the lasts players a user has played with and the game title
-Bio section in which one can list personal interests, URLs, etc.
-Parental controls, limiting children's exposure to other users ("Family Settings")
- News ticker
- remote play/view Game/movies on PSP
- Share PSN games/movies upto 3 consoles.
- Photo gallery can replace wallpaper as slideshow(not in game)
Upcoming features
-using home as the lobby for some game. to plan out battles and setup teams. (you can already launch in to some games)

[Daoshai]

Lol, Where do you get a year and a half?

In truth, it wasn't even a full year in difference between the 360 and ps3 launches (though it was close). Now your making it a year and a half, haha. Next I'm gonna see you saying 2 years.

[likedamaster]

The majority of us lol'ed.

[YogiBear]

no i did not lol. i nodded in agreement.

[Jack Klugman]

"The truth is no fun. Xbox Live does and will always kill PSN. Get used to it. "

that wont stop the denial and ignorance unfortunately.

[Poopface the 2nd]

for me I say, if they were both free Id say live would be better. Now I have to look at the price of LIVE and see if im willing to pay 3-4 dollars a month. I am, so Id say live is better for me. I can see how people would disagree and say that PSN is better simply because it is free. I see their point too.

I can see both sides to the argument.

It is funny to see the ps3 fanboys rag on people and call them poor and suggest that the reason they have no ps3 is the money, but the next article they will talk about how much more expensive every useless add on for 360 is and that live is a rip off.

LIve is like dunkin donuts coffee, and PSN is the free coffee you get at church. Which is better?? Depends on what your tastes are, and how much of a value you place on the fact that one is free. Some swear DD coffe is great, others cant taste the difference, some think the free coffee tastes better. Some dont think coffee is worth any money at all cause they dont like it.

At the end of the day LIVE is a service and its your choice to pay or not. We make decisions every day whether something is worth our money or not, why is it a huge deal that people are willing to pay for live??
I for one, dont mind paying because I truly believe that paying for LIVE has helped improve the service. I can tell that live right now is better than LIVE a year ago.

Being upset at people for paying for live is like being mad at someone who pays extra for a DVR or extra channels. MAybe you dont value it but others do. What if I think TV isnt worth it? Does that make you a moron if you have cable? does it make me a moron for not liking TV? NO

Should we attack people who pay for MMOs, call them stupid for paying 120$ a year to play JUST ONE GAME ONLINE. NO, because they place value in it and its their money. Even though I would never pay for a MMO I understand taht some get alot of enjoyment out of it, and honestly I dont give a rats ass how other people spend their money. And If you care about how others spend their money, then you need to get a life.

EDIT-- also I must add that no matter which service is better I dont think it matters as the Wii is trouncing both systems as far as sales go. I think we can all agree that the wii has a horrible online system, and yet ohh so many people dont care?? strange huh.

[Rainstorm81]

XBL started - 2002

PSN started - 2006

PSN has made great leaps and bounds in its short time out. Who knows what it will look like once it reaches the same age as XBL.

Thats right XBL started on the original xbox for the fanboys that dont know. PSN started on PS3.

[randomwiz]

gameplayer.au
no bias
no bull

"Despite being clunky and ugly, the Xbox 360 dashboard... The PSN on the other hand feels cold and desolate and on face value is more complicated to operate... Sony would do well to bite the bullet and to do some copy and pasting."

[Lfmesquite]

Yeah sure, key word "ACTIVE", whatever you say. blah, blah, blah

[RememberThe357]

This article blows...

Flame bait at its best.

[Sucks2BU]

The article is simply comparing the facts listed by the two companies themselves.

It would seem to me to be quite a good analysis of the two services. It takes a shot at neither of them and actually shows how both are quite good, only suggesting that Sony needs to sharpen their direction a little to begin making inroads.

While I am sure there will be users here who turn it into flameage, the article itself is quite level headed I thought.

[The Lazy One]

facts like "On paper the PlayStation 3 offers by far and away the superior online experience in the console market" and "Unfortunately a large part of what’s wrong comes down to design. Despite being clunky and ugly, the Xbox 360 dashboard and user interface is still warm and accepting, as well as easy to navigate." really aren't flamebait.

No mention of the fact that PSN users span 3 platforms and there's no limit to the number of accounts any one user can have.

The bias in this article is horrible.

[Stryfeno2]

WAIT, WAIT, WAIT!!!...Take this droids before you read the article

http://www.splendicity.com/...

[KingKionic]

...

tissues.

I fell for that.

[Jack Klugman]

they are not even worth a kleenex maybe a slighty used one that i wiped my ass with. they deserve psn and would you really want any of these douchers on xbl? i dont

[Poopface the 2nd]

Playing on PSN is like blowing you nose with toilet paper, playing on LIVE is like using super soft tissues.

hows taht for a retarded analogy. Seems to fit in good at N4g.

Also anyone who doesnt have a PS3 is too poor to buy one, especially the xbots who pay for overpriced addons and the ungodly sum of 3.50$ a month for LIVE.

[Dark360]

Patchstation 3

JAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJA

[chasegamez2]

bottom line

[Spike47]

PSN is free and rich in quality, so imo, PSN is way better, however, it is debatable of course.

[ChrisGTR1]

psn isnt better. anyone thats played both consoles online knows live is better, just that it costs money. its like cable tv versus just an antenna over the tv. you watch tv on both of them one just has more features and costs money, not that theres anything wrong with an antenna.

[dktxx2]

Ive used both, and i can honestly say that neither one is better than the other. Sure xbox live has a few more features, but personally, i've never used them, nor has any of my friends that use xbox live.

Cross game invites? - still got to get up and put a different disk in. Cross voice chat? - i have a phone. more people on live with headsets? - more a-holes on live with headsets.

The only difference is that one is worth it, one isn't. Oh and one has advertisements, one doesn't (and believe it or not, the free one has no ads).

[Parapraxis]

I'd say it's more like paying for cable/satellite, or watching shows online for free (especially if you use bittorrent).

One is paid TV viewing has commercials and many cool but useless features, the other is free TV viewing, has no commercials and you can watch whenever you please.

(of course you have to pay for the internet use in both cases with LIVE and PSN, but Live is basically like paying double)

[HDgamer]

Except by bittorrent or for the smarter people, direct download, you can watch tv for free and even in HD.

[The Lazy One]

you probably have a car too. Why play games at all online when you can go to your friend's houses and play games with them.

But, I suppose calling your friend, asking him to play, getting up and switching cds, and then playing is so much easier than pressing 2 buttons and switching cds without having to even stop what you're doing in whatever game you're playing.

Let alone if you wanted to invite 15-20 friends to try to fill a room quickly.

At the end of the day it's still more convenient. You could go to a library instead of using google. You could go to the store instead of amazon, you could use a landline phone only instead of a cellphone etc.

[mastiffchild]

Played extensively on both and would take PSN everytime even if they cost the same. Mainly for the reasons that I despise that's really DESPISE cross game party chat and if it ever lands on PSN IDK what I'll do. TF2 wrecked on two platforms? Noooo! And also that I don't like the NXE avatar cenrtic dash-I'm not ten so why force me to behave like I fekkin am. I'm syre some folk like the little Mii rips but I just find them tackier than Blackpool prom and not to even allow me to shoot mine means that, increasingly, the only games I'll put in my 360 are exclusives.

Bloody avatars. People who HAVE to rabbit on even in the middle of team centred games can eff off too! Bast4rds!And that's without the bloody cheating.

[Syronicus]

If you can play online with both services, then they both do their jobs. Only difference is that one forces you to pay for features that not everybody uses or needs while the other lets you play online for free. It's just that simple. Anybody else that argues this is a fanboy that cannot see the value of saving a few bucks and making the switch to a free online service, especially when it lets you play online no differently than the other.

[Anon1974]

I've often heard people say XBL is far and away superior to PSN, but for the life of me I could never figure out why. Maybe at first friend management was better, but the PSN now is far different from the PSN when the PS3 launched. I eventually switched from XBL and have never looked back, and that was after 2 years of XBL on my 360.

If anyone would care to comment on what I've missed that makes XBL better, I'd be interested to hear your opinions. I always see plenty of people saying XBL is better, but no one ever says how it's better.

[ChrisGTR1]

exactly, The Lazy One said it perfectly.

yea you can just call people up, if you only have a ps3 its about all you can do cause you have no options other than annoying text messages. what about talking to 4 friends at once? what do you do then? how about those voice messages you can easily send in 20 seconds instead of typing for 5 mins with an onscreen keyboard.

MS is ripping us off though, thats why i want the ps3 to catch up. on live they put tons of ads everywhere on the dash despite me paying for live. its some sleazy corporation shiit. they charge us 10$ for gears maps when epic wanted em free. they charged for the braid theme when he wanted it free. i do want the ps3 to catch up and surpass the 360 in terms of online cause sony is a much more "consumer friendly"(?) company that doesnt keep nickel and diming its customers for every little thing, at least from what ive seen with the ps3 online.

[-MD-]

Struggle Street lol I like it.

[NegativeCreep427]

*rolls eyes*

[-MD-]

Get a sense of humor

Nirvana is terrible.

[NegativeCreep427]

Don't go mistaking Nirvana for Rare now.

[-MD-]

Nirvana is a band and Rare is a developer how could anyone mistake garbage for genius? The guy killed himself for a reason.

[DelbertGrady]

I wish we could keep Layne Staley instead. Much better singer in a much better band.

[II Necroplasm II]

I think Phil Anselmo should sing for Alice In Chains. That be cool

[DelbertGrady]

He could probably pull it off. Pantera used to be power metal as f#ck lol!

[Sez]

to what????the wii. is this guy kidding or what.

[n to the b]

sure we'd all like to have Nirvana or Alice in Chains lead singers back but I'd still rather have Bradley Nowells.

[Poopface the 2nd]

sublime rules.

[ULTIMATE_REVENGE]

http://www.gtplanet.net/for...

REAL dedication

XBOTS will be indeed of Men Size Tissues after those screen shots

http://img.en.china.cn/0/0,...

[-MD-]

Nice jaggies you have there.

[II Necroplasm II]

Now show in game.

http://ps3media.ign.com/ps3...

[-MD-]

Damn check out the detail in that dash! Amazing graphics!

[Oner]

Not much to say but just to show ~ http://img41.imageshack.us/...

[dustgavin]

Look at all the angry bots crying because GT is the better franchise. They should be more worried about what else they are going to cut from Forza.

2d trees in forza. Niiiice.

[JasonPC360PS3Wii]

Jaggiestation 3rd

[likedamaster]

You seem real butthurt about Forza 3 taking the crown from GT series. We understand, you grew up on GT. Sadly, I did too. Still not a reason to spam like that.

Reporting every one of your comments no matter what. Grow up.

[Jack Klugman]

lol necro! that is embarrassing compared to the fake shots he tried to pass off. it seems like every year the grasping gets worse and worse for the droids. look at that pitiful attempt to say forza has 2D trees!! what a lame attempt of pure fail.

Jaggiestation 3rd hahaha just take a look at infamous for the king of jaggies only on the Jaggiestation 3

[dagreatest41]

PSN IS FREE. A lot of people (including me) don't believe in paying to play online so for us, PSN is just fine.

Can I download demos? yes. Can I plan online? yes. Can I play PS1 games? yes. Can I download and watch movies? yes. That's ALL I care about so I'm perfectly content with PSN.

I bought a 360 last year to play Mass Effect Gears of War and I still haven't paid for LIVE.

[HDgamer]

You're supposed to be paying because if you don't fanboys will say you're just another fanboy like the pc gamers who have been playing games online for free since the snes era.

[Syronicus]

So true man! So true!

I have spent countless hours playing DOD ont he PC for free and never thought twice about what it would be like if I had to pay for it. Not paying for online play was just second nature for me so the PSN is my PC experience on the couch. I can't see what it is about paying for Live that gets fanboys so excited. I pay for my ISP and don't want to pay another company to do what I have been doing on the PC for over a decade.

[keysy420]

advertising through companies on home eat some of that cost. the funny thing is about all this is it seems that sony is really setting the stage for the ps4 think.
the cell can be doubled so that will make it cheaper to develop jits will make the games easier to make because of previous work from ps3. the ps3 is going to sell for 10 more years and no mention of anything coming besides breif mention of motion controls.

SOny can pull strings to make themselves competitive throughout this console life but they will shine with the ps4 because its set up for that

[ThatStankyDrank]

They should also add these to Psn list: 1080p movie downloads, some games on demand(gt5:p,socom, burn out) facebook lolo twitter lololo via web browser

***edit*** I also forgot to add unlockable clothing for your avatar in home (sf4 shirts etc.)

[Syronicus]

When you install add-ons like PlayOn to your PC. Figuring that you have internet at home, you more than likely have a PC and if you have a PC you can get PlayOn for 40 bucks, one time fee. You can watch all your Netflix Instant Watch movies at no extra charge on your PS3 or Xbox 360 if you so choose.

[tonytouchx]

those this fanboy thing ever ends? why ppl cant just be true gamers and support games period!

[Grandreaper9999]

Aside from the audio cross-game chat feature, there's not a whole lot PSN lacks when it comes to playing games. Quality of connection is almost always spot-on as well.

It still blows my mind that people even consider paying for Live, (PLUS the content on top of that) even though they already pay for internet (just to access it). If PSN ever goes the dark path of subscription fees I would gladly not bother with it. As long as internet costs me money, I'll never opt for pay-to-play online with a console. ESPECIALLY when there are usually better alternatives in the PC gaming scene. See: TF2 on 360 and TF2 on PC.

Maybe it's a pride thing though? Since people are paying for it, they want to defend it/justify their subscription, while spewing out a huge list of NON-GAMING features (that you're paying for whether you use them, like it or not). I dunno, dusty bells and whistles are of no use to me when my intention is to play games.

[BaSeBaLlKiD721]

I'm having no problems with Battlefield 1943 on PS3 but the odd thing is that I am having problem with the demo on 360...

[NeoCloud]

Where is my pic comment?

[Theodore87]

1. MS does reap profit off DLC on Live (except their own freebies). That's why Valve couldn't develop free DLC for TF2 because MS didn't let them do so (I believe MS earns a few percents of each download)

2. MS pays for those exclusive DLCs mentioned in the article.

[Claudinho69]

that website never fails with this stuff

[Thoreau]

pay to play games online with the ps3 should speak volumes. i am sure that some of you actually believe in man made global warming.

[JL]

Speaks volumes for me as well. Especially since it does everything I essentially need for gaming online when I so choose (and then some). It's funny cause I bet these people who sit here and bicker back and forth over different features and whatnot (namely xbox guys trying to brag) probably don't even use half these, ofttimes dubbed "essential", features that are available.

And bubbles for the dig on "global warming" conspiracists lol Whatever happened to climate change for the sake of climate change, because the Earth as a whole is just one huge living organism. It isn't expected to stay stagnant at all times barring any outside interference. I guess humans are to blame for the first Ice Age too huh (being as how that's what this process of "global warming" they like to rant about will ultimately lead to). People do make me laugh. And I mean laugh AT them, not 'WITH' like you did there Thoreau.

[SaberEdge]

I think Live is better but if I'm honest with myself I wouldn't pay for those extra features if Microsoft let you play your games for free and charged you separately for x-game chat and party chat. I don't like paying for Live and I hope Sony's moves force Microsoft to make it free.

[Lumbo]

urg, i feel dirty for agreeing with you

[Thoreau]

those gt pics looked D@MN good.

[-MD-]

Yeah they do.

[ricoloco]

you should not have to pay to play online with a game that you already own

[JonnyBigBoss]

A few more community promoting features would go a long way. PSN definitely is a terrific service though. Oh, and free is undeniably awesome.

[Homicide]

You guys are missing the point. The reason why PSN lags behind Xbox Live is because of the content. Like the article states, that fee Sony issued to developers/publishers for downloads didn't fare well for Sony. Many don't want to put their DLCs/demos on PSN - that's why many DLCs are exclusive (timed) to the 360. They want to test the water whether it'll be worth putting it on the PSN.

[Lumbo]

There is zero evidence for your claim, as demos STILL get released the same day as on xbl unless exclusivity deals are made by one or the other platform holder, and free content is STILL handed out. Content wise PSN is not lagging, it has less features, one beeing the most requested one namely: cross game VOICE chat. Other than that? Not much difference.

I don't care for most of the features.

I want to play games online, thats about it. And both services offer that.

[Homicide]

Why does PSN rarely get DLCs first? Why isn't there a demo for PSN games or every other game? Read the article or search the web about that fee. Publishers/developers don't like that fee and are pulling or not putting stuff on PSN. PS3 fans are scared of the truth.

[likedamaster]

Xbox live gets DLC/Demos 95% of the time first(excluding exclusives), fact! Xbox live = Tuesdays. PSN = Thursdays.

A recent example is Battlefield 1943. http://gaming.hexus.net/con... Just one day earlier but still first.

An upcoming game is Marvel vs. Capcom 2, xbox first. http://g4tv.com/thefeed/blo... It's a shame too cuz PSN got the demo and xbox live never did.

[PiTCHBLaCK]

There are times when PSN gets DLC Last and I know
some of this is because MS pays them, like in the case
of GTA.

PSN does everything I want it to do and thats all that matters.
Play games online, Surf the Internet, stream movies
from my PC to my PS3 so I can watch it on my TV, watch blu-ray
movies/or DVD's, and last but not least, warms up my room
in the winter time :)

[karlowma]

I just wanted to point out that you don't need a PS3 to have a PSN account... I have had a PSN account (formerly Playstation Underground) for years and haven't owned a PS2 or a PS3. I have a PSP. It seems that the assumption is that every PSN account comes from a PS3 customer. The article even insinuates that PS3s must have multiple PSN accounts to make the math work. Journalism at its finest.

[ryano23277]

I have both and can't justify paying $80AUD for 12 months + $150AUD for a wireless adaptor to connect to live.

The features on the PS3 I don't even use, I just play online against anyone who is available. If I play someone I respect I can easily find them in my long list of currently played players and friend request them.

I already have facebook, twitter its called a PC. Why would I waste 3 minutes of gaming with all those features.

I also own a flash car with GPS, sunroof, leather, mags, spoiler, gas, solar power, V8 with the option to cut down to 4 cylinder. I live in a small town and walk to work, but its great to have all those features doing nothing but cost me $$$$$$.

[rockerboy]

24 million accounts , yeah psn is struggling real bad .

[DMason]

Most people have more than 1 account, plus you dont even need a PS3 to have a PSN account. I have 3 accounts, my friend has 2. So the whole "24 million users" isnt a valid argument.

[Theodore87]

That would compensate for people like me who owns a PSP and a PS3 but has only one PSN account for both. I also share my PS3 with others but we never need a 2nd account to buy stuff off PSN.

Live accounts are a different story though. The least active accounts you can have for an Xbox 360 is the number of controllers you have (2 controllers for most Xbox 360) although only one account is Gold.

Anyway, I find it funny when publishers asking to upload their goodies for free on services like PSN(Don't Community Game Publishers have to pay good dollars for their games to be listed on Xbox Live as well?). Free stuff like Demos and Themes help advertise the games, and isn't it normal to pay for advertisement in business? And if they make profit off of those downloads, shouldn't the service providers (MS and Sony) benefit a few percents from it? Say Amazon and Ebay for example, sellers does not only pay for each entry of listing but also have to pay a certain percents of their products' value.

It's a common sense for Amazon to charge the sellers/publishers for each MP3 song listed on their site, but it would be outrageous if costumers have to pay to visit Amazon's MP3 store and listen to the samples. So MS is basically charging you to window shopping on Live. And people still think that's normal.

[PiTCHBLaCK]

What gets me is the stupidity of people.

Sure 24 Million PSN accounts = Yeah but most PSN users have
more then one account because them accounts are free they
say.

20 million Live accounts = because you need to pay for each
account they say.

so to sum it up, why in the world are people knocking a
free service like PSN?, I Bet if Live was free you'd
see well over 30 million accounts, It's Logical.

So when people say: PSN is free so there 24 million accounts
don't count etc, I Say yeah and Live users pay so what's
your point?

Why the heck would people bash a free service and yet praise
a paid service that "maybe" should be free?

[Silly gameAr]

Since we have to pay for it, Live should be superior. PSN is free, and gives me all that I need to game online.

I mean, we do still use or consoles to game....right?

[gumgum99]

"I mean, we do still use or consoles to game....right?"

sometimes, I wonder..

[Kurt Russell]

Never had a complaint with my Xbox live - But the comparisons in the article are not valid to what I like to do... Boot and play! I think PSN would let me do that too.

[cyclindk]

First, dumb title

Second, everyone has their reasons for choosing one or the other, outside of the fact that they may only own one console or another.

My reason, plain and simple is that PSN is free, done deal.

I say compare the two free online services, the default PSN available to all PS3 users with an internet connection and the Xbox Live Silver membership (free) available to all Xbox 360 users with an internet connection.

[PantherDST]

Homicide - You are way off the point. Clearly you have no idea what is actually offered on the PSN. As a gamer I could care less that a software company has to pay a download fee for me to check out their product. I don't pay Ford to test drive one of their vehicles so why should I pay CAPCOM or any other company to demo their game. MS has simply conditioned you as a consumer to accept paying for something that should be free. You don't pay for demos and videos that you download from the internet? So how can you support the only service that charges its users for online service? Understand that you’re paying for the internet twice…. So I can simply not understand how you can support paying for something that should be free. You go ahead and keep paying, and MS will continue to collect your money. Sure they may buy the timed exclusive here and there but as a consumer I can wait 6 months for the additional content to make its way to the PSN.

[onanie]

I agree. I do not subscribe to the notion of having to pay for the ability to play my own games, on my own connection.

As has been pointed out before, if online gaming was available for free, few people would care to pay for those extra features on Live. Really, Microsoft chose to hold online gaming to ransom this way.

[Sez]

to what????? the wii. thats the only console it has an superior online experience to.

[kewlkat007]

It's hard to reverse, when your making money of your business strategy. Currently XBL "trumps" PSN in terms of communication, content and features(whether used or not). I use both and that's my opinion.

XBL is a service that piggy backs on top of another like many other services out there, thats (Pay to Play or whatever)

I call it, like I see it. Sony is playing catchup and I'm not sure why they have not added certain functions that are vital to the online gaming aspect. Just like the PS3 hardware(there is extra added fat). The same goes with XBL and what it offers. Doesn't mean everyone will use everything but it makes a good case for "VALUE"

If I was a gamer paying 4$4--$50 a year since 2002 and have never seen much improvements, then yes, I would already have cancel my subscription but looking at XBL, that has not been the case. XBL has gotten better and continues to do so, which is why the subscriptions grow every year. So MS can measure XBL's success in many ways.

While you can never argue "free" things. I hate the fact that some use that as a case for quality. If you do not ever want to pay for Online gaming that's fine. That's your principle. Plus, in a capitalistic society and not everyone will be able to afford everything.

[PiTCHBLaCK]

Every company at some point plays catchup.
even MS, They'll need a BR Player next to hold more
content.

as I stated before, PSN does what It needs to do, so why are people trippin?

[Automat]

facebook
twitter
messenger live
etc
etc

if these features find themselves on my PS3 i'm gonna throw up.
now go f¨ck yourself!

[DARK WITNESS]

i hardly ever use psn or do anything on psn.

I agree with some of the other posts, the most important function is being able to play online.

the only other function that i find useful is the party chat system. for the paying for live is worth that alone. quite often i will come home from work, i may not be in the mood to play something, but i will see all my friends online and i can just jump in their party and chat with them while they are all off doing their own thing.

for me gold membership is not paying for live, its paying for unlimited voice calls to all my friends in any country. and for £27 a year, how could i complain.

everything else is just a bonus.

[karlowma]

This argument will be settled soon with one word... Primetime.

[maxcer]

i almost forgot, 1vs100 starts giving away prizes today and its open to UK XBLgold members too

[likedamaster]

PSN will be playing catch-up for a very long time...or not. One things for sure though, Xbox live is destroying the competition. Xbox live is the service to have right now.

[PiTCHBLaCK]

Buy a 360 just to pay another $50 a year just for Live?
The only people who care are people who already own a 360.

I Don't think Live is a selling point for a 360.
I Think Live is a great service and does what It needs
to do, but so is PSN.

[maxcer]

this is a bit off topic but, its $80AUD for live down there? wow and i thought us canadians got reemed on game and hardware prices.

back on topic... im guessing these trends might be related to the fact people pay for live and feel obligated to get their money's worth and spend alot of time logged in to the service.

and i can also see how publishers might be wary of sony's bandwidth fees, why pay yourself when the userbase can subsidize it for you at $50/yr? it's not much really, most of us can afford a year of live before luchtime today anyway

[yorkie]

It's not really the cost thats the issue, the point is they are charging everyone for a set of features that you may not want nor ever use, but you you still have to pay for. The one thing I want from an online service is to be able to game online, thats it, everything else is a bonus but not a bonus worth paying for, regardless of how much (or little) the charge may be.

[kewlkat007]

how many of that do most use?....

As I recall it some say the PS3 is a better value than the Xbox 360 when purchased, now how much of that extra sh!t besides playing games do those take advantage of?

Same fn difference, it''s all about Value and right now XBL is well worth it.

But then again, you can always rationalize value. The facts are posted on very first comment, the differences.

[yorkie]

I dont pay for a 1000 channels, the channels I watch are the ones I pay for. And the feature sets of the consoles are the reason I pick PS3 over 360, it has the features I want without the on going monthly charges just to be able to use it to it's full potential. With a 360 you pay for the console then keep on paying month after month just to be able to use it for it's intended purpose, playing games on and off line. If you pay to play online you are getting fleeced and all the reasons for defending the charges are more to convinces yourself than anyone else.

[kewlkat007]

Now you can call me whatever you want but XBL is that worth it.

I wonder what kind of cable you have, must be basic maybe you enjoy the NASA channel.

[PiTCHBLaCK]

I Figure if you got the money then thats cool.

But I'm already using my internet that I pay $50
a month for, I Just plug in my PS3 to the router
and be done with it. no need to pay extra to go
online with my PS3.

[yorkie]

Well if your so interested in my TV package I get all the channels apart from movies. These I rent thru Lovefilm, cos that way I pick the ones I want to watch in full glorious 1080p, so no it's not pretty basic. Anyways if your happy paying for a service that no other platform charges for then fine, but if you think your not getting fleeced sorry your wrong, but keep trying to convince yourself. Remeber Thomas Tusser's quote "A fool and his money are soon parted". Enjoy

[Stoney22]

Really who in their right mind thought us PC gamers care?

[PotNoodle]

I'd be worried if PSN was still free and was better than xbox live.

[lancer8869]

Am I the only one that uses voice chat on xbl every day? All my friends go to different colleges so we all hop on cod4 daily and have us a party chat. Way easier than having to call 10 different people every day. Whether you use it or not, it's an amazing feature for those of us who actually have friends and many, many people use it. I'm actually shocked that it's not standard to both consoles yet.

[PiTCHBLaCK]

Sony did say they are working on bringing voice chat etc
to PSN but first need to get around the barriers.

[akaFullMetal]

how is the xmb complicated???

[ian72]

I only use PSN due to only having PS3. I'm glad its free cause I wouldn't pay for it. Bad enough paying for broadband. I wouldn't use online with 360 as it should be free. PC and PSN are free so why should we have to pay for 360 online.

[Nemesis54]

will anyone whos smart knows PSN sucks on earth, it likes eating out of the trash. free, yes, sucky, hell fu*kin yes. xbl = gold restaurant. you get what u pay for.

[StraightupGee]

Right.... says the guy with a Halo 3 avatar.

[Jack Klugman]

its just no competition xbl is superior to psn when you stack up what you get. keep on trying sony you might one day catch up.

[PiTCHBLaCK]

Quit being a Fanny pack, both services do what they need
to do, just some people like you are blinded by your
Fanny pack Goggles.

[Morgue]

Twitter, Facebook, LastFm.? Who cares I have that on my iPhone and don't have to worry about the RRoD. Besides these are the same arguments that have been going on since both systems have been out and the only difference is how the article's are phrased and the comments that are posted. I can't believe I still read the garbage on this site and how mis-informed and gullible the public is today.

[MysticStrummer]

The truth is no fun, and the truth is that there's a load of people who bought a technically inferior console and refuse to admit it. They pay for their online play and seize upon features that many just don't care about to justify it. Then, when someone states their own personal experience and says that they can't tell the difference and don't care about the missing features, this same crowd of psychic geniuses disagree. LOL Too damn funny. I couldn't care less what XBL does, but go ahead and make your lists and tell yourselves you have anything other than what Microsoft gave you, which is the Xbox 1.75 floor demo model.

[Tron_Rocks]

Games Suck, System is overpriced and sucks, online experience sux...

This isnt news, it's been a given for almost 3 years now..

[cliffbo]

why is it that the features that Live has that PSN doesn't are used to prove that Live is better, but the features that PSN has that Live doesn't are never taken into consideration? i think it's about time we PS3 owners switched this argument back on the 360 owners:

when will Live be as good as PSN? when will it be free? when will i be able to browse the web? when will Live get HOME? when will Live get a 'lifewithplaystation' copy? when will games be as big and with as many players online as PSN? when will Live get fully fledged DVD quality games as standard? when will Live get Vidzone or be able to download TRUE HD movies (for rent or purchase)?

as a game player, i want those things. you can keep cross game chat