Sony: PS4 multiplayer fee 'will fund improvements'

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Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida has defended the company's decision to charge customers for online multiplayer on PlayStation 4.

In an interview with CVG at E3, Yoshida explained the move was necessary to maintain a high quality service and facilitate improvements and expansions.
"That's [was] a big decision," he said, "what we internally discussed and decided is that we will continue the free access to online play on PS3 and Vita, so that's clear. But because on PS4 the online connectivity features such as second screen, auto downloads and share features - these are one big pillar of the PS4 experience and we will continue to invest in this area to expand and improve these online features and services.

"If we keep giving away online access for free, the natural pressure is that we have to cut down on the cost to provide this free service. But that's conflicting with our goal of being able to provide very robust and great online services going forward. So we decided that on PS4, because we want to continue to invest and improve our new services, we've asked the most engaged consumers in the online activities to share the burden with us so that we can continue to invest."

"IF WE KEEP GIVING AWAY ONLINE ACCESS FOR FREE, THE NATURAL PRESSURE IS THAT WE HAVE TO CUT DOWN ON THE COST TO PROVIDE THIS FREE SERVICE"
During its E3 press conference Sony revealed PlayStation 4 owners must subscribe to PlayStation Plus for $5 a month to play online multiplayer and access a number of additional benefits.

"To make the pain a little bit less we will continue to offer free content with instant game collections, discounts and early access to betas on PS4 as well," Yoshida continued.

"So at the beginning we typically picked from older games for the instant game collection on Vita and PS3, but because everything is new on PS4 we decided to make a smaller version of Drive Club with all the online features open, included in that instant game collection on day one.

"In addition to that we add one digital game every month, so they get high quality indie games as well on top of what they get on PS3 and Vita. So hopefully that makes people's decision easy to join PS Plus."

During the press conference Sony confirmed PlayStation Plus memberships will carry over to PlayStation 4, so current members will have access to all of the benefits across PS3, PS Vita and PS4 for one price.

Sony later confirmed in a Tweet that PS4 users that aren't Plus members "can still enjoy single-player games and access to media services won't require Plus".

PlayStation 4 will launch this Christmas in Europe and North America for 399 USD / Euros or £349 GBP. A free PlayStation Plus version of Drive Club will be available to Plus subscribers at launch.

Posted:
Related Forum: PlayStation Forum

Source: http://www.computerandvideogames.com/413823/sony-ps4-multiplayer-fee-will-fund-improvements/

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"Sony: PS4 multiplayer fee 'will fund improvements'" :: Login/Create an Account :: 107 comments

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aBoxOfMintsPosted:

Now Sony is finally seeing that online payments will help their servers and community by preventing system and server hacking so what happened to then a couple years ago won't happen again! Reason Xbox Live has a smoother online play!

armagedon122Posted:

pitythefool
armagedon122 My thoughts on this "$5 a month" thing is that it will still cost $50 a year as it did for PS3 just like how a month of live is $10, 3months $25, and a year being $60. So I think it going to be $5 a month if you choose to pay monthly or the cheaper decision of buying a year at $50.


Since when was a year 10 months? 5x12 = 60 dude.


Dude did you even read the comment, $50 a year or the option to pay $5 a month like live $10 a month doesn't mean you pay $120 a year....

DJxReWinDPosted:

NoggerMcGoo
milkxking
kal45
RTE
mysterious PSN will now be equal to Xbox Live in 2005, Sweet! At least it wont get hack again. Hopefully..

I know lol. But now ps3 fanboys can't say. We are free so we are better -_-


but they don't have to always be online and they own what they buy and pay cheaper for online than Microsoft, so ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha


Oh so is that gonna be the excuse for this generation? Last it was,"Ps3 is better because it's free". And now it's gonna be "PS4 is better because you don't have to connect ONCE every 24 hours which isn't a big deal at all but PS4 is still better". You fanboys are so stupid.
You can't play used games either, oh and you know the fact that when Microsoft decides to stop supporting the Xbox One all the games you own for it will be unplayable. OH YEA and that 24/7 kinect watching you.
You're also forgetting that Microsoft is a lot richer than Sony haha plus they said they are still going to support the Xbox 360 for years too come I didn't hear Sony say anything like that about the PS3 so I highly believe the Xbox One will be supported past this next generation and into the future generations ...... Sorry to say but I'm really tired of all the hate the Xbox one has been getting from all the PS4 fanboys its time for the Xbox people on here to start saying sh*t back to you guys..... I've only seen a few people doing it so far......

StonerzardPosted:

NoggerMcGoo
milkxking
kal45
RTE
mysterious PSN will now be equal to Xbox Live in 2005, Sweet! At least it wont get hack again. Hopefully..

I know lol. But now ps3 fanboys can't say. We are free so we are better -_-


but they don't have to always be online and they own what they buy and pay cheaper for online than Microsoft, so ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha


Oh so is that gonna be the excuse for this generation? Last it was,"Ps3 is better because it's free". And now it's gonna be "PS4 is better because you don't have to connect ONCE every 24 hours which isn't a big deal at all but PS4 is still better". You fanboys are so stupid.
You can't play used games either, oh and you know the fact that when Microsoft decides to stop supporting the Xbox One all the games you own for it will be unplayable. OH YEA and that 24/7 kinect watching you.


I'm an Xbox fanboy, and I think that the once every 24 hour and the DMR features are stupid. I'm glad they both have to pay, so winey PS fanboys will shut up about that. But Kinect doesn't watch you 24/7. That was just a false rumour, because you can turn it off you cretin

NoggerMcGooPosted:

milkxking
kal45
RTE
mysterious PSN will now be equal to Xbox Live in 2005, Sweet! At least it wont get hack again. Hopefully..

I know lol. But now ps3 fanboys can't say. We are free so we are better -_-


but they don't have to always be online and they own what they buy and pay cheaper for online than Microsoft, so ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha


Oh so is that gonna be the excuse for this generation? Last it was,"Ps3 is better because it's free". And now it's gonna be "PS4 is better because you don't have to connect ONCE every 24 hours which isn't a big deal at all but PS4 is still better". You fanboys are so stupid.
You can't play used games either, oh and you know the fact that when Microsoft decides to stop supporting the Xbox One all the games you own for it will be unplayable. OH YEA and that 24/7 kinect watching you.

milkxkingPosted:

kal45
RTE
mysterious PSN will now be equal to Xbox Live in 2005, Sweet! At least it wont get hack again. Hopefully..

I know lol. But now ps3 fanboys can't say. We are free so we are better -_-


but they don't have to always be online and they own what they buy and pay cheaper for online than Microsoft, so ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha


Oh so is that gonna be the excuse for this generation? Last it was,"Ps3 is better because it's free". And now it's gonna be "PS4 is better because you don't have to connect ONCE every 24 hours which isn't a big deal at all but PS4 is still better". You fanboys are so stupid.

Scared_of_WaterPosted:

kal45
RTE
mysterious PSN will now be equal to Xbox Live in 2005, Sweet! At least it wont get hack again. Hopefully..

I know lol. But now ps3 fanboys can't say. We are free so we are better -_-


but they don't have to always be online and they own what they buy and pay cheaper for online than Microsoft, so ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha


If you buy a console these days and don't play online, whats the point.

BarclaysPosted:

Right you fan boys over each console need to calm the **** down it has been proved that the 360 is better than PS3 but we don't know how the PS4 or the Xbox one will compare to each other yes the prices are at a difference but the Xbox one has so many more features and Microsoft aim for it to be the center of the living room whereas Sony just want it to be a gaming console so both companies have different view points and both have to pay for online and while watching e3 Microsoft when you but gold you are going to receive two games a month i dont know what these games will be like but it shows Microsoft are thinking what they can do to make there service better so in conclusion both consoles will have there downfalls but both will have advantages so just calm your farm and get along with each other

!

kal45Posted:

RTE
mysterious PSN will now be equal to Xbox Live in 2005, Sweet! At least it wont get hack again. Hopefully..

I know lol. But now ps3 fanboys can't say. We are free so we are better -_-


but they don't have to always be online and they own what they buy and pay cheaper for online than Microsoft, so ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

kal45Posted:

KarmaRambo
Blu3n0va I don't see how people complain... I have xbox360 now and I pay more than 5$ a month and what do I get? Multiplayer access and internet browser and thats pretty much it... I dont Get free games, I dont get all the share functions, I dont get the download cloud thing I get nothing of that!! So 5$ to help sony make the ps3 experience better is nothing for me considering all the stuff we actually get for 5$! Its even cheaper that having gold on this site -_- The ps4is such an awesome console (will be) so who cares ?! Once again its only 5$!! I rather pay sony than microsoft honestly... Xbox one is such a fail I mean dis microsoft listen to us gamers? No! They stabbed us in the back, we pretty much dont own our bought discs.... What do they do to make it better? " lets relseas another halo game and the fanboys will fall for it..."


"I like men"You do not have an Xbox 360 "I like men"if you're going to sing Sony's praises "I like men"like that. You are the epithamy of fanboys.


Don't listen to him he is just upset that micro soft made a bad console


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