So the PlayStation Network is free, right? Well, nothing is free. Somebody's got to pay for it, and if it's not you or me, it sure as hell ain't gonna be Sony. It's a business, not a charity!

Several industry insiders report that to cover demo download costs, Sony is currently considering charging third party developers. Here's what Sony is apparently thinking: Every time an individual downloads a demo, a service charge will be passed onto the third party developer. So they will pay for you to try out their games, instead of vice-versa. Unconfirmed, but it seems that this way the PS3's online service stays "free," Sony cuts its loses and third party developers get reamed.

A decision has yet to be reached, and Sony is hashing things out at the moment. But, if this sails through, expect the PS3 to have few third party demos, but loads of Blu-ray movie trailers. Brian Ashcraft

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