...and so, the online war begins.

[Qroach]

gamesindustry.net

Following last weeks announcement of a new push to increase the
installed base of PS2 network adapters and hard drives in Japan, SCEI is to provide an incentive for developers and publishers of online games by making them exempt from any Sony license fee.

Although Sony does plan to charge a 15 per cent royalty on online titles in future, for now it plans to help publishers to make the decision to create commercially risky online games with this major financial incentive.

Combined with the news that the network adapter is to be sold in retail stores in Japan for the first time, this represents an aggressive move into the online gaming business in the Far East for Sony. It's still not clear which - if any - of these moves will be replicated in the USA (where PS2 online services launched last August) or in Europe (where a launch is not expected until at least Q3 this year).

 

[Qroach]

This is an interesting counter move form Sony regarding online. In other words you can make a online game on the PS2 (for now) without having to pay a royaltee per game sold. A nice idea, and this will make things more attractive to publishers (however possibly not developers).

 

[zurich]

So in Japan, by selling the Network Adaptor at retail, does this mean that SCE's online strategy is basically the same as the USs? ie: lowest common denominator, 56k, etc? Or is it still a package deal, ie: NA&Hard drive _only_?

If the former, than I'm pretty disappointed in Sony. I sort of looked at the Broadband Navigator setup with a sense of awe, but to see that they've backtracaked to the 56k is pretty upsetting.

 

[Phil]

How many % of the public in America surfs on something higher than 56k? Sure their "vision" of BB applications is quite juicy, but going the BB only route wouldn't fair well with most part of the online community... It's BB-only in Europe though...

BTW; received an email from Sony (the sony-europe.com site) that their soon going to test the networking and that you could sign up. It's only for UKers though... anyone know if Germany (perhaps Switzerland anyone) is going to do some beta-testing aswell?

 

[CaptainHowdy]

How many % of the public in America surfs on something higher than 56k? Sure their "vision" of BB applications is quite juicy, but going the BB only route wouldn't fair well with most part of the online community... It's BB-only in Europe though...

BTW; received an email from Sony (the sony-europe.com site) that their soon going to test the networking and that you could sign up. It's only for UKers though... anyone know if Germany (perhaps Switzerland anyone) is going to do some beta-testing aswell?

the problem in the US is that Broadband only exists in major citys... the majority of the people have no access to it, as a PC gamer, I am at the point of desperation for Broadband, if someone made an indecent proposal and my gift was to be a T1 line for free, I would probally do things that would make a whore blush....

 

[wazoo]

In Europe, it will be BB only like the xbox and unlike the GC.

At least, I will get DSL next month

 

[jvd]

whats the big deal ? Sega launched the dc with a 56k modem and released a 33.6 modem for the saturn . There was also the sega channelfor the genises. Wasn't there also an atari era console that had internet access to recive games ? This internet on consles is old news .

 

[wazoo]

whats the big deal ? Sega launched the dc with a 56k modem and released a 33.6 modem for the saturn . There was also the sega channelfor the genises. Wasn't there also an atari era console that had internet access to recive games ? This internet on consles is old news .

We are talking about online with serious push behind it like Sony and MS do seem to plan it. It is not only about to deliver it technically.

 

[Lazy8s]

wazoo:

We are talking about online with serious push behind it like Sony and MS do seem to plan it.

Sony better get going with their "serious push" some time soon, because as of now their 600,000+ Network Adapter sales still trail where SEGA was six months before SegaNet.

From SEGA's 2000 annual report:

"Dreamcast network subscribers, as of March 31, 2000, numbered 1.12 million worldwide: 550,000 in Japan, 330,000 in the United States, and 240,000 in Europe."
http://www.sega.co.jp/IR/en/ar/ar2000html/ar2000-04.html

Of course, the subsequent launch of SegaNet and release of its popular online titles like Phantasy Star Online (400,000 subscribers), Quake III: Arena, NFL 2K1, and NBA 2K1 increased the userbase of the Dreamcast network another million or so to an acceptance rate of over 20% (over 2 million users) of the total hardware base.

Seems to me that, not only was SEGA's push "serious", they also implemented the best plan and had the most success before they withdrew from the hardware market.

 

[zurich]

Again, you have to understand that virtually anyone in Canada who wants broadband can get it for the fraction of the cost of someone in the US. This skews my vision a great deal

So who's to blame? American telecoms? Broadband is at near saturation levels in Canada, is said to be growing _very_ quickly in Japan, and certain areas of Europe (ie: German, Finland, Sweden) are also very connected.

If its the US, then, well, I guess we all have something to blame on them besides international instability and another politically motivated (cough OIL cough) war

 

[jvd]

whats the big deal ? Sega launched the dc with a 56k modem and released a 33.6 modem for the saturn . There was also the sega channelfor the genises. Wasn't there also an atari era console that had internet access to recive games ? This internet on consles is old news .

We are talking about online with serious push behind it like Sony and MS do seem to plan it. It is not only about to deliver it technically.

More and more it seems that sega pushes the industry foward and sony and now microsoft scoop up the credit.

 

[Blade]

SegaNet was a major push.

 

[Tagrineth]

Again, you have to understand that virtually anyone in Canada who wants broadband can get it for the fraction of the cost of someone in the US. This skews my vision a great deal

So who's to blame? American telecoms? Broadband is at near saturation levels in Canada, is said to be growing _very_ quickly in Japan, and certain areas of Europe (ie: German, Finland, Sweden) are also very connected.

If its the US, then, well, I guess we all have something to blame on them besides international instability and another politically motivated (cough OIL cough) war

Easy, not all of the States are compactly developed. There aren't Cable offices or phone switchers (DSL) in every town.

AFAIK most of Canada's population is pretty concentrated, unlike the US which is incredibly spread out with a few majour localisations in a handful of big cities and the rest all over the place.

 

[wazoo]

From SEGA's 2000 annual report:

"Dreamcast network subscribers, as of March 31, 2000, numbered 1.12 million worldwide: 550,000 in Japan, 330,000 in the United States, and 240,000 in Europe."
http://www.sega.co.jp/IR/en/ar/ar2000html/ar2000-04.html

IN Europe, as soon you logged once in Dreamarena, you were counted.

PSO had a constant 20k gamers in Europe and Q3 was a flop (very good for ping to play a flop )

I can not talk for others countries

 

[iscariot]

smart move. In the mean time, the recent announcement of SyphonFilter and Destructionderby online games sound great.

 

[Johnny Awesome]

The bottom line is that the real usebase of SegaNet was greatly exagerated. It's all about sustaining the interest level, and Xbox Live has done a better job in this regard so far. They've sold 350,000 network kits in the US and have released great Live titles so far:

NFL2K3, NBA2K3, NHL2K3
Moto GP
Ghost Recon (600,000 sold)
MechAssault (425,000 sold)
Unreal Championship (250,000 sold)
Capcom vs. SNK

Voice-over-IP works pretty well. The lobby interfaces for some games need serious attention, but this should improve over time. The sports games need organized leagues in a big way as well.

Upcoming, you have Phantasy Star Online and Midtown Madness 3 right around the corner. New modes for MechAssault, update for Unreal Championship, and downloads for Splinter Cell and Brute Force.

Broadband is the only way to go for one simple reason: Without good Voice-over-IP, downloadable content, and low ping times, online console gaming is dead in the water as a mass market product. Casual gamers aren't going to tolerate crappy/complex service.

Proof: PS2 US userbase - 22 million. Xbox - 6 million. PS2 online - 570,000, Xbox Live - 350,000. Narrowband isn't helping PS2 penetration at all.

 

[Vince]

Proof: PS2 US userbase - 22 million. Xbox - 6 million. PS2 online - 400,000, Xbox Live - 350,000. Narrowband isn't helping PS2 penetration at all.

And I still can't find a PS2 NA. I think you've spoken way, way to soon.

EDIT:

NFL2K3, NBA2K3, NHL2K3
Moto GP
Ghost Recon (600,000 sold)
MechAssault (425,000 sold)
Unreal Championship (250,000 sold)
Capcom vs. SNK

And Madden 2003 and the $60 SOCOM has outsold all of those... perhaps combined.

 

[iscariot]

570,000 official PS 2 network adaptors have been sold in the U.S.(around 200,000 in Japan) as of January. This of course doesn't include the other available 3rd party modems for th sytem that are not being tracked in sales...

 

[Johnny Awesome]

Vince, you know full well that Madden 2003 sold mainly as an offline title. The 570,000 number is the real stat you're looking for. About half of SOCOM's sales were for the online portion, just like Ghost Recon for Xbox Live. Also, Xbox Live is penetrating at a faster rate than Sony's network adapter since it was introduced.

Sony's major online hurdle is going to be charging money for services rendered. They've already established a bad business model, whereas MS has already levied $50 from each of their users. It's not going to be easy to convert consumers after they get used to playing for free. Ask Sega about that one...

Also, Sony's problems will worsen once Xbox Live downloadable content becomes prolific especially when getting an Xbox + Live will only be about $50 more than getting NA + HD for PS2 users after the next price drop.

The problem is that the more PS2 users want online gaming, the more they want Xbox. Everytime Sony pushes online they end up pushing Xbox as well, since the extra money to get a completely new system is well worth it. This will only get worse as prices lower and half the Xbox stuff has good Live support.

Useless annecdotal evidence: I know two people with Live accounts that don't even own an Xbox, and one PS2 owner that bought an Xbox just for Live and only owns online games.

 

[CaptainHowdy]

"It's not going to be easy to convert consumers after they get used to playing for free. Ask Sega about that one... "

but what you fail to mention is that Xbox live is only free for the first year, after that, its a monthly fee just like everyone else, and Sony is actually hosting servers for games, Xbox live is making you pay for Peer to Peer(only a select few games on Xbox live are hosted by MS, and very few of the servers are supplied on the games that are..)
what exactly are you paying for?
I mean, with games like SWG and EQ that I pay a monthly fee for, I understand why I am paying, I dont understand with these console services.