Ps3 Online How It Works

[Shifty Geezer]

THe "real currency" thing isn't a good idea imo for any online service. Using a points system means points can be given via promotions, gift cards, even thorugh games. Real currency means a credit card is required. Sony can't offer the same functionality to those without credit cards (which is how the first iteration of xbox live worked).

Everyone else has already replied to this post, but I want to join in too!

The 'real currency' thing could be handled many ways, but to me the most obvious solution for Sony is when you create your PlayStation Network account, they create a real bank account at their bank. You'd then have options to credit that account in many different ways. You could pay via a credit or debit card, or maybe even PayPal. You could set up Direct Debit payments or bank transfers. You could buy vouchers/cards with codes and enter them online to credit the account. So in no way at all are they limiting customers to having to have a credit card just because they're using real money. The only difference is the way the figures are represented on screen. On Live! they take your real money and display a virtual currency. On PSN they just show the money as paid instead of converting it to a virtual currency. Whether you buy a card for $5 and enter a code and get credited with a figure for 500 points or $5, the same techniques can be used.

An integrated account will also be better for Sony to sell content, in that users will have credit paid in (accruing interest!) that they can spend on say a music track without needing a credit card as required for other music download services. It'd also give Sony the option to offer credit facitilities too, if they want to go the whole hog and rip off every single penny that can take from customers!

As for the messaging, voice chat/video chat in game is something of a requirement I think for reason others have mentioned. It didn't seem clear though whether the current setup means you have to exit the game to check messages, or pause it and switch to a different menu. If the latter that's no big deal.

 

[Arwin]

I figure they will release ps1/ps2/psp greatest hits collection for PS3 download. And for beginning I will be happy with only first party titles...



IGN has posted their "PS3 HANDS ON ARTICLE". Nothing really new there...
http://ps3.ign.com/articles/738/738858p1.html

Yeah I just read that. But some things are new. For instance:

so we'll just tease you with the news that the PS3 text input menu (identical to the slightly cumbersome nine-square mobile phone-style layout found on the PSP) now features fully-fledged predictive text. While the PSP stopped short, offering simple suffixes for things like web addresses, it seems that the PS3 has a complete dictionary to cross-reference, taking much of the pain out of the process. And when we say complete, we mean complete - three digits into sticking in one of the IGN team's name, the PS3 kindly suggested we might be trying to type "Ejaculations". Sadly, we weren't.

Neato.

 

[bystander]

Anyway I think the points system is more simple for the average consumer. People see the price of something and even if it's cheap they get scared away. You see something for $10.99 or 800 points and it takes the fright away from using that credit card.

Using points IMO is probably better from a business perspective, as you said, you avoid scaring people away by disassociating the point value of the product with it's actual monetary value, so hopefully you be able to bring in more sales. Also getting customers to purchase points in quantities that differ from the actual game cost, means that customers might have some remaining points left over that they'll want to use and have to top them up to purchase something else.

It's also probably easier to have promotions with point values than with an actual currency (saying you'll get an extra 1000 points is more eye catching than saying you'll get $5).

I would think though that from a consumer perspective that using real currency might be better for us, as it could force whoever wants to sell something to drop the price lest no one will buy it otherwise as it might appear as expensive. It's obviously sort of a reverse situation to the above as you can't hide the cost of something (as easily).

 

[cthellis42]

THe "real currency" thing isn't a good idea imo for any online service. Using a points system means points can be given via promotions, gift cards, even thorugh games. Real currency means a credit card is required. Sony can't offer the same functionality to those without credit cards (which is how the first iteration of xbox live worked)

Why does that matter? They would just assign "dollar credit" to your account. It doesn't matter if it's labelled "100 SonyPoints" or $1 on their network. Unless you personally can cash in your online dollars for real-life currency, there's no issue. It just makes it easier to know the actual price of something, rather than try to remember a conversion ratio.

Just because credit on their network has the same symbol, it doesn't make it "real currency."

I'm guessing you can't cross boarders with this system since each region has a different set of certification rules, currency, and laws regarding credit transactions. think you get around most of this by using points.

Still doesn't matter. Your currency buys you equal credit on an online network. Why would it matter if it's given one name over anyother? $10 could buy you $10, 800 points, or 1 Trigonic Pew... it only matters to the end product. Some markets may have different considerations, but that would affect their Xbox Live point value just as much as their "Sonybucks" value. (You'd just be off by a few fractions in the end, since they may not divide easily, or might round to "nicer numbers." )

I do agree, however, that credits are a much easier way to mask the true cost of things and is less thought-about for consumers than knowing the direct currency value. Dave & Busters, anyone? Hehe...

 

[cthellis42]

As for the messaging, voice chat/video chat in game is something of a requirement I think for reason others have mentioned. It didn't seem clear though whether the current setup means you have to exit the game to check messages, or pause it and switch to a different menu. If the latter that's no big deal.

On that right, they should give you options:

No communication at all.
No in-play interference, but will point out messages/etc when you exit the game.
No in-play interference, but will point out messages/etc when you pause the game, go to a main menu, etc.
In-game audible cue to let you pause and check messages immediately if you want.
In-game audible and visual cue to let you see who it is first to know if you want to bother pausing.


And it should DEFINITELY let you audiochat/videochat in-game (meaning "between different games" of course) as well if you want, but I imagine they don't have that system fully worked out yet and are waiting to roll it in later.

 

[Nesh]

Sounds great that ps1, ps2 and psp games can be downloaded. Though, don't like this phrasing:



I'm guessing only a few game will be available?

It would be totally awesome though if you can play the psp game on the ps3. Will probably never happen though.

Well I find impossible the possibility of making all PS1/2 games available.

We are talking about thousands of titles here (perhaps even surpassing ten of thousands?) of which a great deal is from small, unknown developers or in general bad games. I dont think every developer will care to put every game of theirs online or Sony waste time making every game available for download.

Great games on the other hand are less, and usually from big developers that will care to make their games available for download

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Using points IMO is probably better from a business perspective...

I would think though that from a consumer perspective that using real currency might be better for us...

I agree with all that

 

[flick556]

Points usually scare me away to some degree. It feels shady like I'm going into a casino or something. Not that this keeps me away from the casino entirely .

 

[inefficient]

This is better than I was expecting for launch.

 

[mckmas8808]

agreed.... it all sounds pretty good but that was very surprising... I almost always end up reading and responding to friends while in game. You need to be able to find if /when you're playing, if they want you to drop what you're doing to join an online match or if they're just telling you that they bought a new game that they like.

It does say they may add the feature later though, but it's not got all the features that I'm used to on 360 XBL.... right now... of course by the time I am able to find a PS3 (next year sometime) It will most likely be updated.

edit: (oh and on 360 you can have a private voice chat as well with anyone or send/receive voice messages while in game)

Didn't read this whole thread yet, but can you or someone with a 360 explain something to me?

How does the messaging in-game work on Live? If you are playing Madden 07 and somebody shoots you a message, how do you respond? And what is this private voice chat and messaging while in-game? What is that about and how does it actually work?

Thanks. :smile:

 

[pipo]

If you are playing Madden 07 and somebody shoots you a message, how do you respond?

You hit the guide button.

And what is this private voice chat and messaging while in-game? What is that about and how does it actually work?

You've got chat channels which work no matter what you do (watching a movie, playing a game, etc). So you can chat non-stop with a mate while switching and booting games for example.

More at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xbox_360

 

[Titanio]

I think what mckmas8808 is angling at is that it's not 100% clear what Eurogamer means by not being able to respond to those pop-ups. Can you not respond directly to them (i.e. with a reply option on the pop-up itself), but still hit PS3's 'guide' button to access the XMB with the friends list there (i.e. respond 'indirectly' as you do on Live)? Or can you not access that friends list at the moment? Or can you access it, but your options are limited?

There are resistance videos showcasing its online functionality on GameInformer..it doesn't really elaborate on this, but it does show your buddy list integrated into the Resistance interface, possibly in a similar fashion to how game can integrate a custom interface to the Playstation Store in-game. The video doesn't explicitly address what you can or can't do with that list in terms of messaging, though.

You might also be wondering why Resistance has its own custom interface to your friends list in the game if you can access it itself by hitting the 'home/guide' button - I know I was - but when you take into account that Resistance extends the core friends list functionality with some Resistance-specific stuff like clan/party invites etc. and that starts making sense. So within Resistance, using Resistance's interface to your friends list, you can do more things that are specific to that game than you can with the XMB version. At least that's how I think it works.

 

[mckmas8808]

So does the Guide button work sorta like the Select button works on the PSP while surfing the internet? Sounds good.

And by the sounds of things isn't that exactly what Sony has too? We already seen this happening in another game. I think it was Untold Legends.

 

[Titanio]

And by the sounds of things isn't that exactly what Sony has too? We already seen this happening in another game. I think it was Untold Legends.

We saw the XMB overlayed on Untold Legends, with the friends icon, but we didn't see what you could do with the list..

 

[mckmas8808]

We saw the XMB overlayed on Untold Legends, with the friends icon, but we didn't see what you could do with the list..

I knew I wasn't crazy. Now what thread was that screenshot in? Can you find it?

 

[Bad_Boy]

I knew I wasn't crazy. Now what thread was that screenshot in? Can you find it?

Ign weekly 21
http://media.games.ign.com/articles/693/693580/vids_3.html
but note that was a old dev kit build of the OS, far from the retail GUI we will be seeing in november.

edit:
youtubed
http://youtube.com/watch?v=tmn5a0X1-Gg

 

[cthellis42]

I knew I wasn't crazy.

Hmmmmmm....

<about to comment, then looks away and whistles innocently>

 

[NavNucST3]

I think what mckmas8808 is angling at is that it's not 100% clear what Eurogamer means by not being able to respond to those pop-ups. Can you not respond directly to them (i.e. with a reply option on the pop-up itself), but still hit PS3's 'guide' button to access the XMB with the friends list there (i.e. respond 'indirectly' as you do on Live)? Or can you not access that friends list at the moment? Or can you access it, but your options are limited?

There are resistance videos showcasing its online functionality on GameInformer..it doesn't really elaborate on this, but it does show your buddy list integrated into the Resistance interface, possibly in a similar fashion to how game can integrate a custom interface to the Playstation Store in-game. The video doesn't explicitly address what you can or can't do with that list in terms of messaging, though.

You might also be wondering why Resistance has its own custom interface to your friends list in the game if you can access it itself by hitting the 'home/guide' button - I know I was - but when you take into account that Resistance extends the core friends list functionality with some Resistance-specific stuff like clan/party invites etc. and that starts making sense. So within Resistance, using Resistance's interface to your friends list, you can do more things that are specific to that game than you can with the XMB version. At least that's how I think it works.

The way the 360 works is when you receive a "toast" you have until the toast message goes away to press the guide button, which then takes you directly to the friend that sent the message and your options regarding that message. The guide button on the controller is also flashing the toast as well, all in-game/media center/dashboard. The screenshot, pipo, used is not what one sees when they respond to a toast, it is the default guide screen.

The way EuroGamer worded it, it does not seem like they have a toast method as of yet on the PS3 service. It was worded as such that pressing the PS button would drop you from the game and then you could go to your message to read it.

 

[mckmas8808]

The way EuroGamer worded it, it does not seem like they have a toast method as of yet on the PS3 service. It was worded as such that pressing the PS button would drop you from the game and then you could go to your message to read it.

Is this what you are talking about?

If this was the way to check your messages would you guys be mad?

 

[cthellis42]

Not much. Tho--again--I prefer the ability to set a lot of options.