Sorry But PSN Is No Xbox Live...Yet

PlayStation Gamer UK Writes: "As many of you readers will know, the writing staff at PlayStation Gamer UK are all gamers and play games not systems, so don't sound surprised by the title. The reason for writing this is simple. Now and then i will scan some of the popular forums such as N4G, Official EU PlayStation community forums and OXM UK and one topic in recent months is that users believe that PSN is now better than Xbox Live. To be fair they have some valid reasons with PSN being free and offering many features Xbox Live does, however while it offers many of the features, it doesn't offer all of them and some of the ones they do offer are of a lower standard."

[ape007]

is overall better,of course

everything in xbl is cross everything,it's like a fully connected world

psn has strong points and.......kz2......no lag.....free.......home(which enhance every week,has endless potential)

psn you are just a few steps of matching or surpassing xbl

kz2 is one of the best online experiences in this gen.

[resistance100]

completely agree, i suspect by the end of this generation PSN will be better than Xbox Live, providing Sony don't slow down on the rate they are improving PSN at the moment.

[mint royale]

but the fact that both experiences, live and psn, are awesome whats the point in arguing over this topic. Its not as if neither are inadequate.

[lociefer]

oh well , he's right, but at least he's just talkin about psn , god knows whatll happen if a ps / xbox fansite wrote a dont buy this console article ,,,,, Oh wait ....

[INehalemEXI]

I'm glad PSN is no XBL. I has both and prefer PSN it may lack some features but it has the games I want, and free 2play like PC.

It all comes down to the games and PSN has what I need.

[Sitdown]

"i suspect by the end of this generation PSN will be better than Xbox Live"

I really would like to hear your reasons on why you believe this. Is Sony more dedicated to psn than Microsoft is to Live?

[thenickel]

"I'm glad PSN is no XBL. I has both and prefer PSN it may lack some features but it has the games I want, and free 2play like PC.

It all comes down to the games and PSN has what I need. "

This is about live being a better overall service than PSN and not your gaming preference. Next gen Sony will be all about online from ground up and only then will they be no different.

[slak]

They both have there ups and downs

[DelbertGrady]

"psn has strong points and.......kz2......no lag.....free.......home(which enhance every week,has endless potential)"

Killzone 2 is not an online feature, it's a game. That's like saying Halo 3 or Gears 2 is what makes Xbox Live great.

No lag? That solely depends on what games you are playing. People said that the PS3 version of SFIV lagged more than the 360 version. Many PS3 games are completely deserted when you get online. Play something else than Sony published exclusives, and that is more than a year old, and you'll notice the absence of gamers. Much more people online on Xbox Live.

Free. That is awesome but also probably what separates it's quality from XBL.

Home? Really? It's more or less already flopped. Hyped up to be something revolutionary ended up being a big 'meh'.

"psn you are just a few steps of matching or surpassing xbl"

Umm...no. PSN is behind XBL and will probably never catch up as MS generates money from it's gold accounts, which they can spend on improving Live. If anything Live will keep improving over PSN.

[UnwanteDreamz]

You are sad man. Ape007 didn't say one negative thing about Live, hell he complimented it, and you still have to run in and spout all this negative crap about PSN.

Whatever

[GWAVE]

I'm puzzled by people (even PS3 gamers) who willingly consign to the idea that PSN is automatically inferior to LIVE.

As for me, I'd rather take the stable servers of PSN to the (generally) immature community and laggy Peer-to-peer of LIVE, even if it means I have to forgo cross-game chat and invites.

[Israfel]

In other words, I don't have to PAY 50 dollars,for roughly the same service. Where even in some aspects PSN is superior to xboxlive.

[Eddie20101]

I agree with much of what he said except the demo thing, but I live in the U.S.. here in the U.S. most multi platform demos are released within a couple of days of each other on each platform, with a few releasing earlier on PSN and a few releasing earlier on Xbox live.

The head set issue, the games that really need it support it, as for most everything else your still able to communicate with the virtual keyboard or a USB keyboard, and sooner rather than later we will have cross game chat and invite using a head set across the majority of games. Not really missing it that much on PSN. other than the two things I just mentioned there pretty much equal in what they offer, and PSN offer a couple of things that Xbox live does not offer, YouTube support, and in game video recording, although its not mandatory for developers to use it.

The difference on either is not enuff to say that one is way superior than the other, and you can have a real good experience on both.

[2EXS]

I really don't think so, why do we have to give these sites free hits? why do we fall for the same $hit over and over again?To me PSN is great as it is,I don't need to brag about it , I just need to play games online.
PSN does what I want it to do and that's all I need, period

[pippoppow]

Is it free? Yes. Does it have the most dedicated servers for a better online experience? Yes. Does it allow developers and users to create mods? Yes. As a gamer these are the most important aspects of an online service which to me and many other makes the PSN better. Funny how Netflix is seen as such a great feature. PS gamers can use the PS3 browser to view all kinds of videos, including Netflix and be able to download all kinds of content,play flash games, etc.
PC is the best followed by the the PS3 which edges out the 360. Why people keep paying for a service that really isn't better than a console rival is ludicrous. Even if one prefers the 360's service the fee is unjustified and shouldn't be tolerated.

PS3

[likedamaster]

"As for me, I'd rather take the stable servers of PSN to the (generally) immature community and laggy Peer-to-peer of LIVE, even if it means I have to forgo cross-game chat and invites"

I beg to differ. http://www.ps3center.net//a...

[Zeus Lee]

IF Sony fire some of the people running the PSN and hire some people who understand,from a marketing and gamer perspective,the importance of social gaming-Then the PSN will easily surpass Xbox Live.

Since Sony are stubborn with letting go of underachieving employees,it appears that in this generation of gaming,Microsoft will have the superior Online offerings.

Just the cold hard truth.

[thor]

No...

The reason people perceive PSN as inferior is down to a couple of reasons:
1) The PS3's OS is lacking in features
2) Many things are not standard in games
3) It's a free service

It's nothing to do with the network structure itself, that's how a simple firmware update can add OPERATING SYSTEM functionality. Similar to in-game music - that's effectively the same thing, but it doesn't come under the umbrella of "PSN" to most people because it doesn't pertain to online gaming, when actually it's the same problem.

Many things are not standard - voice chat is proprietry for each game, custom soundtracks are handled in a different way for each game, trophies aren't in every game, the list goes on. This means that you can't have cross-game voice chat because the games use radically different systems for handling it. This is a planning problem, and cannot be remedied because games have already released and they will not support these features.

Lastly, because it is free, people perceive it as an inferior service. If you pay for Live, you feel like you're part of some exclusive club, like it's some kind of special service; you're a paying customer. PSN being free gives the impression that it's tacky, cheaply run and amateurish.

Standard headsets might have some part in it as well; but again, this is just a planning thing. They better start thinking ahead for the PS4.

[heroicjanitor]

But the problem might be patenting, Microsoft did patent in-game music after-all, which is a basic thing so as long as Microsoft patent every piece of crap they stand in then psn will be slowed down.

[IdleLeeSiuLung]

Then it is time for Sony to innovate and patent their own stuff. I'm sure Sony have no lack of talent that can come up with ideas.

I just think that Sony didn't foresee that online gaming was such a big factor and MS coming from a PC background understood this well. Thus the landscape we have now.

[somekindofmike]

@ heroicjanitor

Did MS really patent in game music? (serious question) because it seems like such an everyday feature it'd be impossible to patent,

a bit like saying Dreamworks patent CGI Animated Movies, therefore no one else can patent it?

I would of thought more likely MS developed a software to deliver in game music and that is what the patent is for, but it doesn't stop a competing company producing it's own software which delivers the same feature surely?

A bit like MS have a patent on Windows Media Player, but it doesn't Stop Apple Developing iTunes.

Just my thoughts, Correct me if I'm wrong :)

[heroicjanitor]

http://patft.uspto.gov/neta...

That is microsoft's patent, and it stops Sony from introducing any in-game soundtracks without microsoft's permission. That is why I said microsoft patent absolutely everything. But Sony may have already found a loophole in the patent to allow them to provide custom soundtracks for particular games, as long as the functionality is not system-wide(ie if it is associated only with single games that the developer put in as a feature, since it is the game doing it not the ps3).

Look at this too
http://www.ripten.com/2008/...

[somekindofmike]

interesting read, it does seem to sound like a patent for the method, and therefore not stopping anyone else creating there own method for in-game music, or loophole as you put it.

It's could be a bit like Nintendo have a patent for the d-pad, but it doesn't stop Sony & MS creating there own style of d-pad.

Either way I'm not going to loose sleep over it :)

[locos85]

Of course its not..... it's better because it's FREE!!!!

[resistance100]

Free doesn't always mean better ;)

[table]

better on your wallet though ;)

[resistance100]

Can't disagree with that lol

[Sitdown]

only because I have always had the convenience of having somebody else pay for live...therefore my wallet was never harmed in either case. Technical wise...some might say Live is better.........but perception wise is subjective. If somebody cares less about all the other features and just wants to log on and play online...then to them, both might seem fairly equal.

[Bren86]

psn STILL doesn't allow us to send or received game invites via the friends list.

[rhood022]

Considering the fact the PSN is a 2 year old service going against a 6 year old service, its amazing how close it's come to parity with LIVE.

For me, the services offer exactly the same thing based on my needs--online play, dlc, and movies/tv content. Anything outside of that is pointless to me.

[resistance100]

I agree with the article about Party Chat. I would love to have that on PSN when playing Killzone 2 =D. Still i guess its a feature which will come in time

[spunnups]

my thoughts exactly, althought cross game party chat would be nice, and it is my only gripe at the moment

[anubis12]

agreed

[PotNoodle]

Actual online gameplay for both PSN and XBL are pretty much equal. Feature wise and the overall experience of XBL is much better than PSN.

XBL: Death roW247
PSN: DeathroW22

[pippoppow]

The more dedicated servers the better the online gaming experience. PSn is therefore better when it comes to playing games. XBL may be better in a socializing aspect but that is all.

[Gothdom]

I must be the only person in the world who doesn't want cross chat. I can still invite friends to join in my games, but if I watch a movie, I don't want to speak to anyone because I'M WATCHING A MOVIE!

voice messages though would be nice. Takes less time than typing. But I don't think cross game chat would be fun. If I'm playing Warhawk, I don't want to hear anybody from SOCOM.

[creeping judas]

I agree with the movie thing. I have my notifications off when in media mode. I dont even know who just popped online.

but the cross game chat. well what if you wanted to invite your buddie to a game of Killzone2. On XBL you send a chat invite, talk to your buddy and arrange what ever you need to. On PSN, I have to send a message, which is practically the same thing, but is more cumbersome. And if you were in the middle of intense MP game, who says you have to accept the chat invite?

[games4fun]

they are right its better.

Dedicated servers supporting 60 player matches with no lag and killzone 2 awesome graphics with 32player matches with the same slowdown that 4v4 on xbxlive has which people pay for.

I'll sacrifice cross game chat and cross invite system that can be patched in sooner or later for huge mostly LAGLESS multiplayer battles

but i'd rather know my shots hit him and its mostly my skill level and not my problem connecting to the host all the time.

top 3% on killzone 2

[Guitarded]

If there are one million players, that is only in the top 30 thousand. One million is a conservative number so if you do the math, it's not that impressive. For instance, Battlefield:Bad Co. doesn't even start rankings until you get to the top 50 thousand. I am in the top 1600 with a skill rank of 2 in Battlefield. Do I get a cookie or something. In conclusion, LIVE is better than PSN if you have "real life" friends, or want to make new friends that play games.

[games4fun]

good comeback you really provided some proof against my whole Dedicated Servers argument with your derailing of my rank online golf claps abound.

[divideby0]

for me I play games online and thats what is important.
I dont need the chit chat features of Live for the cost.
I hardly ever use any of the Live features. When I am in a game, I play that game, I dont need to get an invite for a party or to join another game.

[kewlkat007]

These days, a Free PSN + a High-priced console cancels each other out.

At the end of the day, MS's xbl again is more "unified", excels at "communicating" and there is "consistency" amongst developers.

From wha tI hear, this is what most gamers want to improve on PSN. NOT HOME.

[TheMART]

Sony said it would match XBL at the launch of the PS3.

Fail.

2.5 years later its still not on par.

It won't be on par for the coming years.

Now thats Sony. Overpromising & underdelivering.

[Major_Tom]

Looks like you have three too many bubbles. Everyone with a brain please bubble him down, use N4G against him.

Not just him, all fanboys who are to ignorant and degenerate this website of healthy discussion.

[Wenis]

Steam beats both

[gdguide]

I give the overall nod to Live for now, but it PSN is just way more open and has way more potential.

-No limits on game sizes
-Everyone has a HD, doesn't have the 128mb limit that MS seems to have with just offering arcade with that much memory (in other words, they can't get much bigger than NXE by having such a small amount of space)
-Browser allows visiting of clan sites, sites like this, while Live users still need to jump back and forth.
-Nice value software that would be impossible for Live like the new photo album software that would take up more space than what is available on Arcade units...

Basically, the PS3 really is open more to the future, and the 360 is not. Even just with the fact that MS has to always lower the common features to Arcade owners. Sony could add a gig of features if they wanted to. MS has almost already capped themselves with the arcade users. I think MS made a good move for the short term to cut prices, but long term could be a totally different story. If Home does catch on, MS doesn't even have the space to counter it on the 360 unless they provide another upgrade to the Arcade. How many times can they do that though?

[Eddie20101]

You make very good points, and I agree.

Most articles I see comparing the two never mention what PSN can do that Xbox live cannot do or does not do.

[UnwanteDreamz]

Now that's TheMART. Running his mouth about everything Sony PS3.

[thematrix1298]

Sorry But Xbox Live Is No PSN...Yet
Why? Because PSN is free.

[-EvoAnubis-]

Any anyone with two brain cells to rub together would also have to agree. XBL>PSN, at least for now as far as services are concerned. I think that PSN will be playing catch-up for quite some time, but I also think that PSN is improving by leaps and bounds, while XBLs improvements come at a slower pace. Inevitably, PSN WILL catch up to XBL, and, well, that'll be an interesting day.

[-EvoAnubis-]

I am going to post this article on the PS3 General board on GFAQs. It is my contention that within the hour of my doing so, a poster called TheBorderCollie will post in it as well with some fanboy rhetoric. After he does so, I will link back to my comment here.

[-EvoAnubis-]

http://www.gamefaqs.com/boa...

[Cajun Chicken]

PSN is better for me. Not being conned here.
Besides, PSN is really pretty close to catching up with XBL and then well, that'll be a megaton.

[Socomer 1979]

like why?
Why do I need it?

Xboxlive is microsofts gimmick. I have full retail digital distribution of games & movies.
psn connect the ps3 to my psp. It has a awesome browser that I use everyday for everything.
The games allow me to save spots for my friends, has in game messaging & a powerful video chat program.

The trade off is more than fair & I believe trophies are better than achievements.
I dont cry or feel sad that it takes me 2 steps to cross invite someone. Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to download some mods for ut3 & some movies to my usb drive & sell the data to friends.
all I need is the browser to do it.

Seriously, stop acting like live is all that it really isn't when I have the world wide web inside my ps3 with a globally unified network.

[JOEdANGEL]

Xbox live may be slightly better, but like so many have said before me, PSN is free..

[Socomer 1979]

metal gear online: though konami handles the online, its shows what the DEVS are responsible for to keep friends connected.
resistance 2: insomniac created a fine system of online friends.
ut3: epic worked on allowing friends to join other friends immediatly.
killzone2: everything is possible & has separate sections for friends & clans.
socom confrontation: probably the worst launched game in history yet slant 6 is responsible for the management of invites, messages & keeping people connected.

Sony allows the devs to create thier own personal style with online gaming.
it varies & I very much appreciate it. Games like burnout paradise & killzone 2 are shining examples of the big difference.
open network vs closed network
of course the closed network feels more personal when your confined to its limitations.
open network gives you freedom & it feels like you are manually in charge of your online gaming.
Throw in a bluray drive for kicks & giggles & you are a psn abuser when you are using bd connectivity.

Sony has mics in many styles & even game themed mics like mgs style & warhawk stlye.
if your serious about it , buy it & learn the difference. If you need it laid out for you & user friendly then pay for xboxlive. Just dont be stupid & swear to god that its better when you are handicapping your own gamer lifestlye.

[GiantEnemyCrab]

It's coming along nicely for Sony. The PSN is growing by leaps and bounds since the PS3 launch.

But as an owner of both it does lack in features and the overall package but when it comes down to bare bones playing a multiplayer game it performs as well as XBL no doubt and in some cases better (more dedicated server hosted games).

[Bumpmapping]

PSN in some areas is better,free online,dedicated servers,no size limit, but is also lacking in a lot of others....That's where M$ has the upper hand.I do not understand why Sony hasn't try to match there features, especially when a lot of ppl have complain for Ingame chat and many more features that 360 has.Sony have been to concentrated on Home, which should have never been released in the first place.

[ForROME]

Live hands down, we are talking exp not price or your feelings

Live, content, planning, functionality, looks

they planned, they were ahead of the game, the won the online this gen

Now hardware........well thats an entirely new forum ......