File this in the "hmm, interesting" folder of your mind's desktop. Sony's polling its customers in the Asian market for ways in which they can improve their PC/PSP PlayStation Store. One of the selectable responses is "Monthly subscription plan (1 price for unlimited download)". Interesting idea. Would you be happy paying a set amount each month, ala GameTap, for unlimited access to the store's PSP and PS1 games? I sure as sugar would. Well...as soon as anyone outside Japan starts getting decent PS1 games, that is.
Sony considering a subscription service for the PlayStation store? [Siliconera]
Sony Considers Offering PSN Subscriptions
9:00 PM on Wed Jan 2 2008
By Luke Plunkett
8,167 views
102 comments










Comments
I would if it wasnt for the lack of decent downloads off the EU store....Hmm every post I make on Kotaku seems to involve me cursing SCEE to the darkest pits of hell.
Depending on whats out there I would. Right now though the line up doesn't justify it. Although neither did game-tap at first but look at it now.
Don't worry, we in America are getting the shaft from SCEA. The hatred goes full circle.
That is a fantastic idea.
If, for $5-15 a month, I could have every Rock Band DLC came out, I would be the happiest person on the planet.
Getting games like SoTN and Wild Arms would just be icing on the cake.
Hmmm as with others the yea / nay would depend on what titles will be available to us.
One word: no.
I just hope this has nothing to do with a pay-to-play plan that some other companies utilize.
Definitely. If it's close to the price of Gametap, I'd love it. The problem with gametap is that I don't have nearly the desire to play those games as I would to play a PSN title. Otherwise, I'd surely pay the $60 a year. So as you could assume, if it was anywhere under $100 a year, I'd probably do it.
I contemplated this before, but than I figured something.. I never in the world would consistently download games, let alone would Sony ever provide a consistent, continuous stream of them enough to warrant such a thing. This is great for those people who are dying to repurchase their PS1 collection in every republished format imaginable, but for the now more casual gamer, I am more than happy with paying per title as I can't comprehend playing much from the PS1 era these days asides from Puzzle Fighter and Hot Shots/Minna No Golf titles (of which already have PSP iterations themselves).
@Balance_In_Life: I agree. After one month you could have everything you want/need, unless they put a limit on how much you can download.
Hmm, interesting. Will file this under, "it could have happened, but won't."
GameTap is one of the best deals in gaming. PSN has a bunch of attractive gaming options. It's a no brainer if they decided to implement it. It seems like a money loser at first, but if enough people go for the flat rate I could see it working.
On a related note gametap now has street fighter 3 (dreamcast version) think it's time to play. If they up the content could be pretty damn cool, put ps2 games up..
VIRTUAL QUARTERS HERE WE COME!
*yes im being sarcastic btw*
Only thing I would be worried about is if it was like Gametap in that when you cancel said subscriptions, you can't play the game anymore.
Once I have it, I'd like to keep it.
But overall, this could be a way they could charge for service (aka XBL) and still give a lot of stuff for it. To the average person, this would look like a lot better deal than XBL's "Pay us $50 and make your own f**king servers" program.
I want Microsoft to do this for the Xbox; I'd gladly pay 3x as much, if not more for an Xbox Live Platinum service. I'll only consider it for PSN because I can't see there being enough on there I'm interested in having.
By monthly they must mean you subscribe for a year and pay month by month otherwise you could drop $10 and download everything in the past year and cancel the next month.
Either that or downloads go away once you unsubscribe.
I think some of you are missing the point to the subscription. Sure it may include a nominal monthly fee for unlimited downloads, but I'm sure that as soon as you cancel your subscription you will lose access to all the downloads you have in your collection. Think of it as a play as long as you continue to pay policy. So is it worth having unlimited downloads if you have to end up paying a yearly fee just to play them? I don't play XBLA or Virtual Console games much anyway. If it is unlimited and unrestrcited downloads then just sign up for a month every few months. I don't see how this would profit Sony though.
well if you alrwady downlaoded them they could not delete them off your hdd
WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH THIS GENERATION?
Microsoft is re-making its Xbox 360 into an ever more expensive version of the PS3 and now PSN is turning into LIVE?
@mr_dimsum: You claim to see it from the Casual gamer's point of view, and then assume that they have all the PsOne classics.
Pretty stupid thing to say when I put it that way, isn't it?
It seems perfect for the casual gamer:
1.One single payment-No hassle with Wallets or measuring prices.
2.If they really are casual gamers, or just getting into gaming, it would be a cheap way to see all the classic PSOne games without searching stores for them, or buying them one by one off the store for a greater price.
I could go on, but I think that illustrates the point clearly enough.
Oh, hell yes! This is something I'd be highly interested in!!!!!
If we can get like the 150 games on PSN in Japan then yeah. It would then be a hell of a lot better than XBL's paying just to play games!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They clearly would have to make it where if you're off the subscription you can't play the game. To avoid people paying one month and DL two-years worth of content.
It would only be a good idea if they could get a huge amount of content on like Gametap. It would be pointless if its only two dozen games.
What would be interesting is if they could get media such as TV, music, and movies on the subscription service as well. Something that could be taken along with you with your PSP or PC. But for a handful of PSN/PS1 games alone it might be a tough sell.
@crazyscreenwriter: The console makers are adapting to cover the holes in thier offerings?
WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH THE WOOORRRLLLDDDD!!??!?!
how about getting some downloads that arent themes demos or wall papers sony
so what will it be ... you pay 30$ a month, and they release 3 games during the month ... just making sure that they will keep profits ?
just pay for the game you want to play .... what if a full month they only release crap
it's like if you were paying for a mmorpg, and one month all of the sudden, people have already payed, and they decide to change the game from fantasy universe to futuristic
sure you have officialy "agreed" because of the "contract" .... but you don't really want that to happen
@Scaramanga: I had an idea.
How about you pay for the month it came out?
You want all the games for November 2007?
Then you pay a month's subscription for that.
Though, then it just becomes normal DLC.
If they had an improved selection of games available, hell yea I would consider it. Couple hundred classic PS1 games on tap for a small fee would be pretty nice, but right now the selection is not worth it.
@crazyscreenwriter: But you're not paying for the service, you're just paying for the downloads that you would have to pay for anyway.
1 fee to download anything I wanted?
FUCK YES.
You aren't paying for the service...
You are paying for the unlimited downloads... which is a heck of a deal.
@DigitalHero: amen.
if they actually added solid PS1 titles on a regular basis, sure, for the right price id give it a go.
theyre fucking sitting on a cash cow, and ive no idea why.
@Witzbold: haha...that's an interesting take on it, now that i think about it. its like an arcade debit.
As long as online play is still free, this would certainly give PSN an interesting edge over Live. To this I say "Hell yes".
The more options, the better. It's not like bytes are something physical, Sony has unlimited copies of every game, so why not.
I think the problem with this might be that they might delay games and other content a month or two so people don't get too much for their money.
I'd do it. I already subscribe to Gametap, and anyone who wants to follow that business model gets a thumbs up in my book. (Mostly because I'll have downloaded everything available in a week.) XD
No, no, no, and no.
Did I mention no? NO.
I wouldn't buy unless they started giving me my classic sega games! Then I'd subscribe But for some reason, Sega really doesn't like Sony. :(
Sure. Especially if they added lots of PS1 classic games that are impossible to find anywhere but jacked up fleabay prices. Would they add others PS3 games too like Warhawk? They'd have to make it worthwhile obviously to keep the subscription obviously. It's an interesting idea.
It's a great idea... I'd pay double what I'm currently forking out for Live if it included access to all DLC without needing to worry about getting points.
@remanance: Sony was personally responsible for Sega being forced to pull out of the Console business.
Maybe that has something to do with it?
I really don't like the idea of subscription download services.
Once you say "Hey, I want to quit my subscription," everything I would have owned gets taken away.
And there's no way it would be anything less than $20 a month.
I wouldn't mind this idea really.It would be cool especially if they have things lined up for online store.
@Kirbytheslayer: Ate too much sour stuff. Now his tongue is ...: HEy what's your psn anyway?
Valve was originally going to do the same thing as an option for their Steam service. They still haven't implemented it and it looks like they aren't going to anytime soon.
Sony, take a hint from Valve and don't bother. They know what they're doing. ;-)
@shindokie: In an insanely sneaky move, something nobody would ever guess:
Kirbyslayer.
Yeah, that's right. On PSN, there's no THE.
I would, seriously the ps1 games alone are worth it.
I currently also hold a gametap subscription, notably.
@Kirbytheslayer: Ate too much sour stuff. Now his tongue is ...: Maybe it has something to do with SEGA killing themselves in the US. Dont shift the blame onto another company. SEGA fucked themselves over plain and simple.
@KirbyTheLongNamedGuy:P:
Lol. Can't we just...shove that into the past? :)
Think about the fans. lol XD
@Witzbold:
WE ARE SEGA. PEOPLE WILL BUY THE SATURN AND DREAMCAST BECAUSE WE ARE SEGA, PLUS WE DONT NEED TO ADVERTISE ANYTHING