With PLAYSTATION 3 Online getting propped up by Xfire, Microsoft blogger Ozymandias weighs in for the requisite thunder stealing. Sony mentioned that Xfire is not replacing SCE's PlayStation Network Platform, but simply be "complementary" in that it will provide additional features and connectivity with the Xfire network. Cool, huh?

Not so, says Ozymandias:

What we end up with is a bit of a mishmash of online accounts, logins, and services. For example, now when I play a PS3 title I simply can't depend on having a single Friends list. Sony will manage the 'master' list, which should have presence in every PS3 title, and Xfire will be a plugin that some publishers integrate into some games. This means gamers can't depend on finding their friends in one place (if the game even supports Xfire)...

Another challenge is that Xfire is now effectively middleware—and that's not free. Had Sony purchased and integrated Xfire into their SDK I could see the effective cost of integration being 'free' to publishers. Now, unfortunately, each and every publisher has to look at their budget and decide whether adding a second online service/friends list/presence is worth it. I have no idea what Xfire's licensing costs are, but whatever it is, it's not free—Sony lost that opportunity. And that means publishers have to decide whether to spend extra dollars, effort, and time in an era when game costs are already spiraling higher and higher.

Sadly, this appears to be an artifact of Sony's online service being late to the game and likely underwhelming.

We're a little less than a month away from when the console launches in Japan, and we're still largely in the dark. Or rather, feel in the dark. Obviously, Sony will illuminate more on its online service for the PS3 at its San Francisco presser later this month. My concern: The PS3's online functions have been lost in a Blu-ray haze. Yours? Brian Ashcraft

Not So Cool, Dudes [Ozymandias]

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