(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Pachter on PS3 online play: Sony “isn’t so profitable that it can afford to be magnanimous forever”

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The rumours of a pricing structure for PSN, and exactly what that might entail, have been snaking around the internet for quite a while now – with no official word from Sony. Talking to Critical Gamer however, Michael Pachter of Wedbush Morgan Securities seems to think that the death of free online play on PSN is inevitable.

In answer to our question regarding a paid – for PSN service, Pachter was quick to put in that he ‘really can’t say’ what Sony will do. Pachter being Pachter however he was happy to give us his educated guess, which amounted to a charge for online play on the PS3 being an inevitability:

It seems to me that online game play can bear a monthly subscription (something as affordable as $50/year)… Free online play is a good marketing tool, but I don’t often hear consumers say “I bought a PS3 because PSN is free”… more often, I hear people say “I bought a 360 because of Xbox Live”… Sony gives a ton of value for free, but the company isn’t so profitable that it can afford to be magnanimous forever.

These comments certainly allow for a ‘premium’ PSN service that complements, rather than replaces, the free one currently running. Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised if a compulsory subscription is announced for online play on the PS3, however; Michael Pachter certainly wouldn’t be…

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I know this sounds like bad news to most of you out there but I see it as good news. Imagine being able to keep your PS3 with PSN being equal or better than Xbox Live. That I would definitely pay $50 a year for.

(post your opinions below)

i will leave in a heartbeat

I hope they make premium service, ill buy it as long as we get better service.
and that we get Xross chat

they are not going to make us paay

I hope more than anything in the world that they don't make us pay for online. PS3. (In my opinion the Ps3 was better than the Xbox because we didn't need to pay for online) Oh well, I'll stick to the Ps3 because the control is more familiar to me. I would pay for premium stuff as long as the basics are free... I guess only time will tell!

I will be super pissed if they make it mandatory to pay. I'd rather go back 2 pc gaming.....

Party chat, or cross game chat, id deff pay $5-6 dollars a month.

people complain so much about being charged its ridiculous paying for online means better online, better servers, less lag, and more features so stop b****ing and put out the cash and for those of you saying youll switch to xbox go right ahead and buy ur 300 dollar liability and the subscription to THEIR online service

They are still going to have the free online. There is just going to be premium which has more benefits. (or at least thats what I heard)

i dont think they will pay because i heard that sony said they will never make us pay for online so i dont think it will happen but you never know +rep if i helped you