Why do we pay?

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6623d ago

Breakfast6623d ago

I dont want to pay...but im more then willing to pay...if that makes any sense.

sonarus6623d ago

Exactly breakfast no one wants to pay, but we want to play online. You aren't going to forfeit your online options simply because of 50 bucks. If ps3 had way better online features than 360, we would still pay that 50 bucks or not play online. Those are the rules set by msoft you either pay or don't play

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Lifendz6623d ago

I can hop online and play PS3 multiplayer games for free. I can talk to my friends for free. PSN may not have all the content that XBL has but that's something that time will fix. Remember, XBL had some years ahead of PSN and when it first launched it was a graveyard.

But yeah, how you guys pay for Live is b3yond me. If you got a 360 back in 05 and have been paying for live since you're at around 150 bucks. 150 bucks just to play online! Ridiculous.

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Breakfast6623d ago

@ lifendz

Trust me ps3 online service is inferior. Maybe at least until the summer. Go play xbl and youll see a very big diffrence in how you play. Thinking other wise is just crazy

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Lifendz6623d ago

it's not as inferior as you're trying to make it out to be. I can play COD4 online with my friends for Free. That's what I want to do. I can use my blu-tooth headset and it doesn't cost me a thing. I can download videos of games and (very soon) other forms of media as well...for free.

And PSN has never been down for an extended period of time as Live has. Last holiday season anyone? Yeah, so stop it already.

And FYI, I've played on live quite a bit. My last roommate had a 360 and we played quite a bit of Gears online. There may have been more bells and whistles and things to spend your money on, but in the end what matters most is the ability to play games online with your friends and others.

I can do that for free on PSN. YOu pay on 360.

chaosatom3336623d ago

"However, the Playstation Network has one advantage and that is the fact that every game has its own server."

How does xbox live work? Could Anybody explain?

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Breakfast6623d ago (Edited 6623d ago )

Its free on MY ps3 too. Your seeing things so one sided its not even funny. Im talking in game of course you can download crap i dont care about that. Just look at what your friends are doing, message them, in-game talk to them, invite them even if theyre playing diffrent games, you can do so much that psn doesnt have. You just fail to realise that because you see things from one side.

@above
p2p. The game picks a host, and you play off him

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Lifendz6623d ago

You're being so defensive that you're not understanding what I'm saying.

The main thing I want online is to play with friends and others. I do that for free with PSN. You have to pay to do that on 360. Yes 360 has the in-game messaging. Cool. Would I want to pay to have that feature? No. Yes 360 has the arcade games and other games like Uno (which I really liked btw). Do I want to pay to have those features? No.

I'm not alone on this either. I get just want I want out of PSN and I'm very happy with it. It may not have all the extra features but for a free service that is young and always improving it's almost unfair to compare it to live.

Is it inferior? Sure. But not by much and when you factor in that it's improving, it's only scratching the surface of what it'll be, AND that it's free I'd say it's a superior service to XBL.

And I didn't even mention dedicated servers.

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Shortstop6623d ago

@1.9

I agree entirely. Maybe it's the younger generation that wants all the bells and whistles, but playing online should never cost more than having an ISP. Just hope Sony knows that one of the main reasons it has so many fans is because it doesn't treat it's customers like walking wallets (well, not to the extent that M$ does anyways ;) )

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Lifendz6623d ago

I think you hit it right on the head. The bottom line arguement that I'm proffering isn't sinking in. I'll make one more analogy on this subject before I move on:

Let's say wanting to play games online with friends is analogous to wanting to go buy groceries. Now let's say there are two stores: one that is a major super store grocery store-XBL- that requires you to pay a membership fee on an annual basis to shop there. Now lets' say there's a smaller grocery store that hasn't been around as long but has all the food you want at the same price as the major store but without the mandatory membership fee-PSN.

Now if all I want is to buy food I can do that at either store. Sure the major store may sell other things there like clothes, furniture, and tvs but I'm here to get food. If all I want is food, then why is the smaller store inferior. And just go with me in this hypothetical scenario because I know how capitalism works and that a smaller store can't compete with a major store in terms of prices. Forget that for the purposes of my argument if you can and perhaps you'll see my point on Live vs. PSN.

Bottom line: I want to play games online with friends. I do that for free on PSN. That said, PSN is not inferior at all to me. In fact, the money I saved on not having to play online is money I can use to buy more food...I mean games.

PSN: Lifendz

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FordGTGuy6623d ago (Edited 6623d ago )

But wasn't it Sony's excuse that the Sony PS3 cost so much to force people to work longer hours to buy one?

Who treats who like a walking wallet?

Xbox Live doesn't use servers for separate games instead its entire service(with all the games) are run on a group of servers. This allows for a unified playing experience which you cannot have on PSN. Not only does Xbox Live have many times the Content of PSN but has a guaranteed feature list that trumps PSN altogether.

Xbox Live Guarantees features and that is why people pay for.
These include:
*Voice Chat.
*Friends List.
*Private Chat.
*Custom Music(This includes interfacing with MP3(USB storage devices), Computer & HDD).
*Players List.
*Incoming and Outgoing text, audio & picture messages.
*Friend Invites.
and this list grows with every update.

Is it worth it? That is up to the consumer but with over 11 million Gold Members strong it must be.

BTW Grocery Store analogy = EPIC FAIL.

@St0

PSN does not guarantee any of those features let alone are they on par with Xbox Live.

Can you private chat on PSN cross game?

You cannot send and receive messages in all formats while ingame on PSN the same goes with accepting invites.

BTW voice chat in the game is a choice by the developer/publisher of the game on PSN not guaranteed by PSN.

Its going to have it in the future is not an excuse.

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St06623d ago

FordGTGuy

*Voice Chat. (PS3 also has)
*Friends List. (PS3 also has)
*Private Chat. (PS3 also has)
*Custom Music(This includes interfacing with MP3(USB storage devices), Computer & HDD). (Will have in the future)
*Players List. (PS3 also has)
*Incoming and Outgoing text, audio & picture messages. (PS3 also has)
*Friend Invites. (PS3 also has)

Everything you said there the PS3 can also do apart from ingame music which will be added in the near future.

XB live is a ripoff imo

crck6623d ago

I agree with you. Its mostly the teenagers that care about those extra features. I don't give a damn about them. I go online to play with or against others. And for that sole purpose PSN is superior because of the dedicated servers. I have no desire to chat, invite people, gossip or make friends online.

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Delt46623d ago

You both made good points. The discussion here shouldn't be Who is inferior it should be why? what are the reasons that we pay and do we all believe that is fare. And So far millions of people who have been playing xbox live sense the original xbox are saying yes. If others don't think it is tell us why don't pull crap out your butt about PS3 and how great they are, cause that had nothing to do with the article.

let the disagrees come! i know they will

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sonarus6623d ago

@fordgt: But wasn't it Sony's excuse that the Sony PS3 cost so much to force people to work longer hours to buy one?

This is a false statement. When ps3 announced the price to be 600 what they said was when you think about the value you are getting for the machine it is actually quite cheap. We want you to want our system so much you would take another job to buy it.

Every company wants you to love their system. Sony may have stretched it with the another job but they didn't say you can't buy a ps3 unless you have 2 jobs and they have been more than supportive of the customer eating up huge losses by dropping the price

Lifendz is correct. Msoft should NOT charge for online gaming but they do and you either pay or play it is that simple. The essentials of online gaming sony does for free sure msoft may do it in a fancier manner but sony does it for free. 3yrs owning an Xbox 360 that is already 150 dollars added to your console. DO you know how much B.S. there is to pay 250 dollars to play online for 5 yrs?. No one else charges except for microsoft and that is B.S. they could offer live for free if they wanted but those are the set rules

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chaosatom3336623d ago

I am not going to call on xbox because they have to pay 50 per year because i guess that's ok consdering it's per year.

Now you mentioned that
*Voice Chat.
*Friends List.
*Private Chat.
*Custom Music(This includes interfacing with MP3(USB storage devices), Computer & HDD).
*Players List.
*Incoming and Outgoing text, audio & picture messages.
*Friend Invites.

Ps3 can do all of this just not in-game. Also, it vaires from game to game, resistance can do most of it in-game. It's just that ps3 doesn't have a center Home to connect all of those features. Home, how ironic.

edit: hahaha

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wallace10006623d ago

We pay because xbox live is a sweet service and $50 a year is nothing in the grand scheme of things. For me personally, someone said free on PS3 is an option but i can't play halo 3 on it so it isn't really an option at all.

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wallace10006623d ago

Did two people disagree because they can think you can play halo 3 on a PS3 or because they think xbox live isn't the best online service for a console?

Richdad6623d ago (Edited 6623d ago )

Paying is not bad if we get the best LIve has great feautres to make us pay but the thing is that the concept of spending point on game guide downloads etc should be for free since we have already paid its going that way i.e getting cheap but I think still they should reduce the price less than 50$, as they are raising money by selling game may be a 20-25$ would be a good price.
Although PSN is free now, but Sony is itself putting servers for it so how much longer they are gonna cope up with the burden. In PC case is different you can advertise and earn their are different mehtods and the publsiher has the burden of the online scheme, but Sony is trying to make PSN better I dont how much longer it would be free. Although not soon but its gonna be a pay service too.

dantesparda6623d ago

Voice Chat. (Is this really a feature of Live or just a BIOS/Firmware feature? Come on!)
*Friends List. (Same as above)
*Private Chat. (Same as above)
*Custom Music(This includes interfacing with MP3(USB storage devices), Computer & HDD). (This is definitely not a Live feature, its a 360 BIOS/firmware feature)
*Players List. (BIOS/Firmware feature)
*Incoming and Outgoing text, audio & picture messages. (BIOS/Firmware feature)
*Friend Invites. (BIOS/Firmware feature)

Almost all these features can be done by the PS3, (except in-game music, and even that can be done on some games). People these are not Live features but rather features of the 360. The PS3 will be able to do all these with firmware/BIOS updates. You are simply paying to play online, that's it. Accept it! And that is a rip off, but if you wanna play online on the 360 you dont have no other choice but to pay!

kr90916623d ago (Edited 6623d ago )

I agree with lifendz. I can see why 360 owners pay for online but personally i would rather not pay for features that i most likely wont use such as in game messaging. That's just my opinion. That's why i like PSN so much...because it doesnt charge you for features that you may not use.

But i agree that LIVE has more features than PSN...but it should because it's users are paying for it. plus that should change in the near future. PSN will be on par with xbox live by years end, hopefully sooner.

eh, just my two cents.

DRUDOG6623d ago (Edited 6623d ago )

The bottom line that I don't think anyone here has stated clearly is if you are happy with what you're paying for or getting free? Admittedly I've had a limited amount of time on Live, but I have experienced it enough to know that some things it offers are more than I need or even want.

If I had a large amount of friends that played games or if I actually wanted to chat with other people while trying to play than I probably would pay for some of the things that Live provides. I felt strongly about paying to get online with the original Xbox. I hated the idea of it. I felt back then that no matter what extra content was being provided it still didn't justify being charged to access it.

So, back to my original question: Are you satisfied with what you're paying for or getting free? Whichever service you use that satisfies your needs is going to be superior in your mind. Live is not superior to me because I don't value the extra things is provides over PSN. That doesn't mean it's not superior for others, it's just my opinion so take it for what it's worth (nothing!).

I don't think it's superior because PSN provides me what I need for free. Do I wish I could do things on PSN that Live does now (e.g. chat cross-game with friends)? Sometimes, sure, but I also really like to play games without being bothered. I also like that I pay nothing for a service that works like a charm, no lag, no dropped service and plenty of content that keeps getting better. PSN is superior for me because I get what I need and it's free. Being free is a major factor in deciding how much I need. Lifendz' example about grocery stores wasn't maybe the best, but it was true. If you don't need what the pay-to-play service is providing and can get the same value (for what you need) at the free-to-play service than which would you choose? Which would then be superior? I guess in the end there will be no argument about it once Sony implements Home/in-game XMB and provides most, if not all the same, services that Live does.

I do find it odd how much Live members have to pay for little things(e.g. themes) or the ads on the blades when PSN has no advertising (for now) and themes/backgrounds are free. I don't like being nickeled and dimed for little things or add-ons to consoles that are overpriced, but that's for a different post...

kr90916623d ago

I agree with you DRUDOG. That's pretty much what i just posted above you. Nice to see someone here who can look at this rationally.

Bubbles for you!

DRUDOG6623d ago

Back at you kr9091. You knocked out the response much shorter and much more quickly than I did!

fredy6623d ago

comparing XBL to PSN, man your a Joke. hahaha

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player9116623d ago

See p2p gaming is the way to go. Sony Fanboys always try to spin it by saying games having "Dedicated Servers" are the way to go. This is completely false in everyway. What happens in a few years when the game loses popularity and they take down the servers for a new game?

What happens then? You see this all the time and not just with the PS3 but also with the Wii. Metal of Honor: Heroes 2 doesn't have multiplayer in Australlia because they didn't want to pay for servers.

Companies will only upkeep a server if its profiting them. After a few years they'll yank the server to use for a new title.

With p2p, even if there are only 2 people in the world with the game... they'll connect and play. I mean people still play original halo 1 and 2 games on their original xboxs.

Plus dedicated servers get maxed out and bogged down. In a Peer 2 Peer network, it'll pick the best connection to host and that person only connects with people playing in the game... not hundreds of thousands of others.

Trust me, I'm an IT Administrator and have been in networking longer then most of you have been alive. P2P is the way to go and is becoming the norm more and more.

And another thing like stated previously with Live, is that it is like a standard to have all those features in every game. Just about every game supports live now, even the arcade games. And with that you get the whole enchilada, not just this and that and a little bit of this.

Plus you guys make it seem like $50 a YEAR is alot. I know right now if Sony said we'll include all these NEW options for a flat rate per year... most of you would jump at the offering. Anyone would.

mistertwoturbo6623d ago

Player 911, yes $50/year alone doesn't seem like much. But you must realize, for 360 owners or just console owners in general. Will buy that one console and stick with it. So that person who wants to keep playing online on they're 360 for 6 years, basically just paid $300. The cost of a new console.

$50 isn't much, but it adds up. Also considering they have to pay the initial price for the 360, plus the ISP they use.

HOWEVER, for those that find the features very useful to them, and they LIKE having those features, are the ones that don't mind paying. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.

It's just that others, prefer to play online games for free, since the PC gaming era. People never had to pay to play UT2k3, starcraft, counterstrike etc. (except those MMOs.) So why be FORCED to pay for services that not everybody wants? Except to hop online, join your buddies in a server, and just play the game.

Shankle6622d ago

Imagine if the Live service was reversed. Say that, like PSN you could play online, download demos and trailers, and interact with your friends to the extent you can on PSN, all for free. This would be silver membership. Then, gold membership would give you all the extras like the arcade, ingame messaging and fast downloads. Would you then pay $50 a year for gold membership?

slowlearner6622d ago (Edited 6622d ago )

my friends own a 360 and that is who i want to play with. It's also an easy communication tool. Plus I'm an adult and i can do whatever I please with my money. Bells and whistles has nothing to do with the younger generation crck and shortstop, when you don't go to school with your friends anymore it's much easier to keep track of them by a gamertag than a phone number or address. K thanks for asking.

@sonarus 1.16 fordgtguy is right krazy ken wanted people to work more hours for it -
"…for consumers to think to themselves ‘I will work more hours to buy one’. We want people to feel that they want it, irrespective of anything else."

le killer6622d ago (Edited 6622d ago )

i've been paying since 04. call me what you want. it's a great service, and i personally think it's woth the £3+ a month. and 10+ mil seem to agree.yeah, a couple of games sony have released have dedicated servers. but try hosting 40 players on anything less than 2.5meg up, and you won't do it!

although i think games with matchmaking should run on dedictaed servers to cut down the host avantage. plus games with high player counts also.

but as someone else said, this really is the bash the 360 site nowadays. when is it gonna stop i have to ask? or will it only stop when sony are finally siting in a comfortable second?????

wallace10006622d ago

Stupid fanboys make me feel sorry for them

tuaamin136622d ago

Yeah, I agree that the dedicated servers are very nice. However, you missed one important thing: The PS3 games with dedicated servers also support P2P. So it's not like Capcom shutting down RE:Outbreak or Konami killing the DDR servers. You can still play P2P, even with the dedicated servers gone. This allows Sony to keep supporting the game, but minimize the number of dedicated servers in the future. Sony can take like 75% of their Warhawk servers, port them to KZ2, and Warhawk will still work. It won't have as many dedicated servers (or maybe even none) but people who still want to play have the option to play ranked player (p2p) servers.

Shortstop6622d ago

@1.27

P2P is not the only way to go forward, and it should not be. For example, in Warhawk, there's tons of dedicated servers. Many with up to 32 players allowed. If I am to host a P2P game, I am allowed a maximum of 8 players, and that just isn't enough.

If you're not getting dedicated servers from M$ then you're getting ripped off, plain and simple. That's absolutely where the money should be going first.

jadenkorri6622d ago

ya, regardless of which console they own, they are gonna defend it whether they like live or psn...those that have tried both have a right to express what they think...it irritates me that people say this is better and they haven't even tryied both....that aside 360 players pay to play and psn players don't..granted theres more stuff on live, and thats why you pay, but if psn offers the exact same thing and its free, i think thats where this article is trying to get at...but personally if MS continues to charge and sony stays free, not really gonna affect me besides i don;t see live going free, be like WOW going free...not going to happen

wallace10006622d ago

Well said jadenkorri, bubbles for you dude. People shouldn't be running something into the ground unless they have used it.

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Mr Playboy6623d ago (Edited 6623d ago )

simple

for best online experience in this generation

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Sir Ken Kutaragi 36623d ago

Simple...
Because your idiots

+It says - 'The PC has free and much superior online play'
;-D

Bill Gates6623d ago (Edited 6623d ago )

You pay because you are BABOONS...........AHAHAHHAHHAH HAHA

$150.00 since 2005 just to play online, and counting.....

What a bunch of BLIND BABOONS.....AHAHAHHAHA

mikeslemonade6623d ago

MS has brainwashed the bots into thinking that $50 a year is okay and it's not. There are people who buy 3 or 4 games a year and paying $50 is rediculous if you just want to play online maybe once a week. XBL will not grow past 20 million people if they stick to the $50 a year tag. Only half of the owners of 360 have xbl gold anyway.

TheTerminator6623d ago

"We get what we pay for"

They need to stop saying that, they get the features for free, but the multiplayer costs

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Breakfast6623d ago

hopefully when HOME comes out theyll rethink theyre position

Gondee6623d ago

man, this has realy become bash the xbox360 site.lol

I pay beause i get all the fetures now. I pay beause people at my school play as well. And its extreamly easy to send a privite chat or cross game invite.
I pay beause theres nothing better out there, and it continues to grow and expand, its devlopment is the key.

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The_Engineer6622d ago

I bought a second 360 for my son just so we can chat during the week when he is with his mother, we have been able to voice chat all of two or three times, the rest of the time it would just FAIL.

this is what Im paying 2 subscriptions for?? SO I can't even voice chat with my son?? F the 360 and F msoft and most of all F all the moronic bots out there who support this crap. I actually had 3 subscriptions (one left over from my previous 360, you know the one with no HDMI) which I transferred over to my pc for use with gears on pc. I just let it expire and have no plans on renewing. will do same with the other two when they are up, my kid already says the 360 bores him and he wants a PS3.

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niall776623d ago (Edited 6623d ago )

you pay for something, there for you think its better then something thats free, even if it isnt better then the free thing you have to feel you are not wasting your money so you think its worth it.

TheTerminator6623d ago

hmmm, good point

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player9116623d ago

Thats not always the case. At first glance maybe. Looking at 2 energy drinks... one is $1 and the other is $5. You may THINK the $5 is better because of price but you can only truly know until you try both of them.

In the case of Live vs PSN, Live wins.

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jadenkorri6622d ago

if you look at live when it first came out, how bad was it, or even a year later.... thing is time is what made it good, it wasn't great when the 360 released obviously and the same goes for psn...however live has had 3 years and is still having problems happening, random freezing, long logins or inability to log in, or even downloaded content on new/repaired/switched console...anyways theres a list of problems....psn, i rarely hear of major problems other than the rare outage which ive never experienced...since day 1, I've had no problems connecting, chatting, multi-player has never disconnected on me with the exception of when someone logins to Diablo 2 online...man its a hog and it only happens when he plays that game....anyways no problems yet and im glad for the free service...people will have to wake up and realize that MS is ripping you off......

Shortstop6622d ago

Actually, there have been studies that prove that when people consume the exact same product at different prices, the person consuming the more expensive product feels more satisfaction. I know there's been a few studies on this and the one I specifically remember used wine as the product. Can't recall the source though, sorry, but honestly, use google if you doubt me.

wallace10006622d ago

That makes sense but the problem is that PS3 owners will say PSN is better and 360 owners will say live is better. Just look at the people arguing and see what console they own :-P

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Meus Renaissance6623d ago

You pay because you choose to.

LJWooly6623d ago

Exactly. That's as simple as it gets, and anyone who comes up with anything more deep or complicated than that is just looking too far into a simple thing.

Anyone who has that much of a problem with it would have gotten a PS3 by now. They're not even that expensive anymore.

shelbygt336623d ago

And, all of my friends own Xbox's. I am the only one of my "real life" friends that own a PS3. I'll gladly pay the $50 to play online with all of them - it's money well spent in my book.

(And not to start a flame bait - but my PS3 online experience has been less than stellar - lagging and poor to no found connections with Army of Two and UT3)

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Timesplitter146623d ago (Edited 6623d ago )

I'm not even sure if PSN is that much inferior. I only see in-game messaging and... I dunno. I wouldn't even use that. Just use MSN if you REALLY want to contact your friends during their games.

It's not worth the price.

On top of that, I find PSN much less complicated and the games cost less

TheTerminator6623d ago

I agree

I don't care for all those online features, I just want to play with someone else

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Breakfast6623d ago (Edited 6623d ago )

Thats what you say on the internet, but in reality the xbl features makes it so much better and easier. When i first got my ps3 i was shocked with the lack of features. When someone messaged me i had to log out of the game to see it...thats just dumb. Or log out just to see what games my friends are playing. Theyll eventually make it but right, but now its just shotty as hell.

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FordGTGuy6623d ago

These features then you've never used them. BTW I text with people on MSN using my Xbox 360 chatpad.

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player9116623d ago

I completely agree. PS3 owners "don't care" about extra features that we've grown to be used to.

It's only when you've used them, gotten used to them, and then had them taken away.

Its like special ordering a car and given the High Performance car as a loaner until yours comes in. You get used to all the bells and whistles that your stock car doesn't have... then you know.

Like the old saying, "You don't miss what you never had".

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eagle216623d ago

period.

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Delt46623d ago

And your a TROLL!!!

CONGRATULATIONS

eagle216623d ago

Trolls are not close to being this gorgeous...read this:

http://www.gamasutra.com/ph...

and then tell me why I am so NOT dumb for refusing to pay for live. :)

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eagle216623d ago

He is getting a PS3 for GTA IV, and no more subscription to LIVE...
He found the light....

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power of Green 6623d ago (Edited 6623d ago )

Its something one shouldn't worry about if you are not paying for a unviversal identy on a rented server space.

Why so many Sony fanboys in here?.

Wouldn't worry about intill there is a service that offers as much and is all free.

Its as if folks are saying people are paying $19.95 a month or something.

I'll pay as long as I feel its still pushing the evolution of XBL.

Who knows where some of that moneys is going towards to... Example what was shown at GDC this year....

power of Green 6623d ago (Edited 6623d ago )

You keep dissagreeing. XBL is far more advanced and offers so much more. XBL is like an advanced communication platform. I was playing LP yesterday while talking to a buddy playing COD4 I invited him to a game of LP.

If Sony doesn't figure out how to pay for advanced features they're stealing from MSFT they will not be able to follow(better hope HOME is littered with ads).

gambare6623d ago (Edited 6623d ago )

with ads? sure, just like M$ is planning with the ingame ads?

General Pinky6623d ago

Pc Gaming is for you...we pay because we know everyone got mic and we can talk to team mates...but if you dont like the feaures then PC is for you mate...
We all know gaming is much better when you talk to the other person.. without getting your keybroad and typing...
And sending invites without going out of the game...the PS3 dont have that...and when it does it will cost you money...i am not taking the piss...just holla at me when the PS3 gets it...you will see.

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games4fun6623d ago (Edited 6623d ago )

i'm typing your username down so when ingame launches without a price i can say how wrong you were if i am wrong i will say that you are right

but i know i'm right:)

also shouldn't sony be charging us for the dedicated servers that warhawk and others games have... oh look they didn't

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Gondee6623d ago

I agree with pinky, there realy is no consol comparsion to the PC. Its in a lege all its own. Its completly open to anything anyone wants to make.

Beside this, the live is the best.

Adamalicious6623d ago

I choose not to pay for XBL (anymore) and to play for free on PSN. If Microsoft's goal was to ensure that I buy all multi-platform and online games for the PS3 then they are succeeding.

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Lanontscuz6623d ago

you know since it will give you more to boot with live service you will pay to get it like getting demos earlier than the other types of membership...ok i dont own a 360...i have a ps3 and its great the online is free i dont see any reason for them to add a yearly fee like live does and do not say ingame xmb is worth the fee...

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Lord Anubis6623d ago

since you have to pay for the service Microsoft should have the decency to have dedicated servers rather than leeching from P2P users.

player9116623d ago

p2p is vastly superior. Dedicated servers can get shut down after a few years and get bogged down.

With p2p, you'll always be able to find someone to play with no matter what.

tuaamin136622d ago

Like I said in my other comment, Player 911, the games with dedicated servers also have P2P, so even when they're shut down, you can still play.

Check your facts 911.

heyheyhey6623d ago

because we have been led to believe that 50 bucks is worth paying to get a couple extra advanced messaging features and acheivements

have fun paying for XBL, while i get server-based online play with excellent software such as UT3 and Resistance 2 and those NCsoft MMO's and the SOE MMO's like The Agency

and things like Home and Ingame-XMB coming soon- ALL FOR FREE!!!!!!!!

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Delt46623d ago

Hey aren't you suppose to be posting in the TROLL area of N4G.. Its at the top they disguised it as PS3 Forums....tricky trick huh. Just glad i could help.

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heyheyhey6623d ago

i dunno

but your gonna regret it if you plan on being an XBL gamer for too long

say you pay for XBL for 4 years (the expected life-time of the 360 before the 720 launches)

your paying $200!!!!!- the 360 won't seem so cheap when you make that realization

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FordGTGuy6623d ago

Have a cellphone?

$120/month compared to $50/year.

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Ghoul6623d ago

sorry ford your comparing 2 completly different things

live is a (normally) free service
psn offers Online for free
Live charges for Online

that makes 200$ more on the 360 dont you realise that ???

heyheyhey6623d ago

yes i do

how about $50/year vs $0/year

you loke that one?

LevDog6623d ago

Finally an article that proves Ps3 servers are better for online play.. Ok so you pay for faster DL.. Good for you..I can video chat will up to 6 peeps free.. CAn you? You have In Game messegeing.. Yay.. we are gettin that.. Maybe late.. but it will be a feature soon.. So what exactly are you paying for.. Achievments? Getting that as well.. So you pay for Faster DL.. Ill take that 50 bucks and go buy another game.. Thanx.. LevDog out

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heyheyhey6623d ago

yeah and the acheivments we get are much better

they are 3D representations (trophies) rather than a score

plus Home provides a lot more and it's free

and there's all that excellent online software out and coming like Warhawk, Resistance 2, NCsoft MMO's, MG Online, The Agency, UT3, LBP, GT5, Motorstorm 2 etc etc

all that's left is bringing out ingame-XMB and M$ will have to rethink they're strategy

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ooop6623d ago (Edited 6623d ago )

Because your either

1.Too rich to give a flying crap about paying for something that should be free

2.Too stupid to relaise that your paying for something that should be free,

Oh and of your disagreeing that means your pretty much accepting your either really spoiled or really stupid or both.

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FunkyBunch6623d ago

They have always said they're giving players a "choice" for everything they want on the 360, unlike the PS3 which "forces things down the gamers throat."

PS3 FORCES free decent online play for their games down their gamer's throat if they play online. So gamers are forced to not have to do anything or pay anything if they decide they want to play their games online.

360 Owners have a CHOICE. They can either play not online for free or they can CHOOSE to pay for a good online system. Since the 360 owners are paying for it, they are really convinced that the PSN isn't worth being free, b/c if you can't pay extra for something, it can't be as good...right!? right?

What are they going to say when in game XMB come to the PS3?
"We pay for, for uhhh, non-dedicated servers and P2P play instead of those free DEDICATED servers on the PSN..."

Just because HAVE to pay for something, doesn't mean you SHOULD HAVE to pay.

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FunkyBunch6623d ago

I wonder if the people who disagreed with me, thought I was bashing the PS3...

mistertwoturbo6623d ago

lol i can see people not understanding your post, because sarcasm doesn't translate well onto the internet.

however I agree.

Says you6623d ago (Edited 6623d ago )

That XBox 360 fans pay for have online lag? like !wow! you guys win you guys have the best service the best service that "lag" alright no wonder you guys brag about it so much and you know whats retarded FunkyBunch is that you are contradicting yourself and saying that Microfony is giving you a choice when infact when you buy a computer they built in there software in there so how is that a "choice?" so I guess you guys don't have a choice after all ?huh? like you guys have no choice to pay for that lame service.

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Delt46623d ago

one bubble huh....ever wonder why??????

OJ_juice6623d ago

Microsoft wants money

FordGTGuy6623d ago

they all want your money.

INehalemEXI6623d ago

The best online mp experience on a console ive had was on warhawk and its on free psn. Cod4 was second its on psn free as well.

I pay for xbox live as well and.... Exactly ...why do i pay. Im rarely on xbl anyway because im on pc or ps3 more often.

General Pinky6622d ago (Edited 6622d ago )

"you paid for XBL but you dont play"...
why go there and say something like that...we all know you dont have a xbox 360 man...so give me a break...

But its because we know that we get something back when we pay...like GTA 4 content...maybe...or free movies and XBLA games..so every thing is sweet son

FirstknighT6623d ago (Edited 6623d ago )

Well Xbox Live has many features that are better than PSN. I'll give you one. Now I may be incorrect so any ps3 owner please correct me if I'm wrong. One thing that kills online gaming is cheating. And COD4 has recently been plagued by cheaters using aimbots, shoot thru walls, unlimited clip, etc... With the 360 it's easy to avoid or report any player you come across so you'll never see that person again in matchmaking. That alone is worth the price.

But seriously we're talking about $30-$40 a year for fantastic online service. I rather pay $40 for a year of second to none online service than buying a $40 demo. ;)

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Close_Second6623d ago

...and they all eventually get booted. However, in New Zealand XBL cost me $100 per user per year (I have two sons that also want to play on-line on my 360).

At what point do you say XBL is too expensive for what you are getting?

CaliGamer6623d ago

I guess your referring to GT5P, it's a game that you can only dream about buddy, so don't even worry about it. Not to mention the fact that you don't have to buy Prolog if you don't want to, you do however have to pay for LIVE to get all the features, sorry to point that out to you.

Bubble Buddy6623d ago

I'd rather not pay 120$ for wi-fi, 60 dollars a year for live (Canada), dealing with all the hardware problems, and i don't like the colour green :).

FirstknighT6623d ago

Ahhhh but like I said...with Xbox Live you can avoid and report cheaters with ease. After awhile their 5 star rating will turn into a 4 star or 3 star rating. Meaning they can't play with players with a 5 star rating. Can you do that on your ps3? As far as I know, cheaters are not a big problem on the Xbox 360.

The Wood6623d ago

without cackin it up with stupidity. Your point about reporting cheaters and whatever is a good point. The rest is just stupid. The demo you're refering to doesn't have to be purchased. Will it kick a** ? yep, will I be able to play it online for free? yep. Do I really need to speak to somebody whilst they're playing one game and me another ?? err nah. That there is an extra not a core feature. Anyway its your choice and the progression of PSN is moving quicker than XBL in my opinion. That may have something to do with XBL's successes as a more than worthy blueprint. Would you prefer dedicated servers or cross game chat. My point is PSN will eventually catch up in some aspects, falter on some and surpass on other aspects. The features that are truly GAMING related like different channels for speech, reporting twats and true in game invites are some of the real enviable features of XBL where as dedicated servers is a huge plus for PSN (not on all games, I know) There will be differences and that will always be the case. Can anybody tell me what the silver membership is lacking because I'm sure more people like to know

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tweaker6623d ago

The report system is flawed. Anybody can report you no matter what if they feel like it. They can falsely accuse you of cheating or even just not liking you at all and they'll still report you.

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mistertwoturbo6623d ago

lol $40 demo.

Is that all they could come up with?

Ri0tSquad6623d ago (Edited 6623d ago )

Even though its patched up so no one can cheat, that was pretty weak.
Remember Halo? HALO 2? Does that ring a bell? Paying for Xbox Live and people were still cheating.

"I rather pay $40 for a year of second to none online service than buying a $40 demo."

Ouch. Trying to bash Sony by comparing the price of a Service to a full game? Nice one, POG. That one takes the cake. You make it seem like Sony is forcing us to buy GT5P, like the way M$ forces any one with Live to go Gold.

So instead of actually answering the question "Why do we pay?", you bash Sony's option to make us pay for a full Playstation 3 game? Wow, nice childish tactics you have, sir.

Next time why don't you bring up an actual valid argument.

FirstknighT6622d ago (Edited 6622d ago )

LMAO. Damn you see that lil wink in the end? I was messing around. I swear it's like throwing a piece of chicken in a pond full of piranhas. RELAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAX PEOPLE!!!

Anyway back on topic...

The report system is NOT flawed, Yeah I'm sure some fools will tag you with a low rating but your safe as long as the majority of people you play don't do it. The majority of people will report a cheater. The ps3 version of COD4 has already suffered from cheating. It's not a problem on the 360.

And Halo 2 had lots of cheaters but that was on the original xbox with last gen Xbox Live. The Xbox 360 uses a newer version of Xbox Live that has tons more features. So far Halo 3 does not have a problem with cheating. This alone is worth the price.

Riot....You think I'm Power of Green??? Funny kid.

Ri0tSquad6622d ago (Edited 6622d ago )

I didn't mean to call you POG. Sorry about that.

FirstknighT6622d ago (Edited 6622d ago )

Riot...it's cool man.

But yeah like I was saying...being able to avoid and report cheaters is just one of many reasons why Xbox Live is better than PSN and why it's worth the extra cash.

tweaker6622d ago (Edited 6622d ago )

O trust me people will definitely do whatever it takes to ban you if they hate you and its quite easy to do. They can get their whole clan or friends list to ban you. I've been banned on Forza for not letting some random guys play with me at the time. I told them nicely to leave so I can let my friends join. They left without saying anything too. Then the next time I logged in I'm suspended. WTF do you call that?

The Wood6622d ago

thats harsh and definitely a flaw in the reporting process. Thanks for the honesty

+ Show (10) more repliesLast reply 6622d ago

BlackCountryBob6623d ago

I think Live is an ace service, I really do but IMO the criticisms of the service as a gaming platform would be nullified if it moved forward at all and tried new things with the membership fees it raised. However, the service has been basically at a standstill for 3 years with the only new online stuff coming has been the ability to buy more online stuff. The actual nuts and bolts of the game linking and chat service has remained remarkably static.

Maybe if there were more moves to make the service closer to the superior ones available on the PC then it would be worth it but at the moment I think the PSN offers a service that is 'good enough' in that it does the basics of connecting gamers together to play and has chat features.

Close_Second6623d ago

...because there was no way I was going to pay a monthly fee for everyone (i.e. my children) in my house that want to take console gaming on-line.

XBL was a great service however, the costing model just was not an option in my house. However, since joining PSN I can't say I have any complaints. COD4 is the same experience on-line and I love the way I no longer have to be logged into XBL to play downloaded games (I had purchased a second 360 after selling my first one).

Oh yes, the icing on the cake for me is that I can still create an overseas PSN account to get all the goodies off the American Playstation Store.

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pp6623d ago

why pay it proves how dumb ps3 fan boys are because Xbox LIVE is the Ultimate Broadband Gaming Experience which you can only get on wbox 360.so jump in and stop complaining

gambare6623d ago

so, if I pay for something that another company gives for free makes me a better human?

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FunkyBunch6623d ago

No according to that guy above you, it makes you "smarter"

HarryEtTubMan6623d ago

LOL Too bad PSN will have more people on it than Xbox Live in about a year... maybeeeeeeee 2. Lets wait and see BOT.

There are ALREADY over 3.5 million just in the U.S.... there are more than that in Europe on PSN... then maybe 1 milloin in Japan.... PSN is catching up quick and soon will have EVERYTHING XBL does and more.

Go away BOT your embarrassing yourself we all know u are Power of Green.

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PopEmUp6623d ago

eh?

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 6623d ago

Ghoul6623d ago

its ok that you guys decided to pay for live
BUT you cant smarttalk people that these costs are necesary to offer live. ms makes loads of money with games, addons, microtransaktions etc. there is absolutly NO NEED to charge for live

especially since i had (i had live gold but quit after a few month)
ADVERTISING in my dashboard something i DEMAND to be removed when i pay for a service

CaliGamer6623d ago

Nothing that has been said justifies paying for Live thus far. A lot of the things touted as essentials really are only extras that don't add anything significant to the game play experience.

About the only argument that makes any sense and only slightly at that is that you have more friends on live and like playing with them.

And what is with paying for P2P? Aren't dedicated servers better all around? Why would you pay for an inferior infrastructure? And the most important thing about online play is online play, strip away all the little extra crap and you still have an inferior P2P setup that you pay for. I would rather have smoother online PLAY and less optional features than a crappy connection just so I can text or download demos faster. I would rather keep my $50 thank you.

Ghoul6623d ago

@cali

totally agree

+ you guys gotta realise that those so called "features" you talk about where free ever since.

friendslist
msn
voice over ip
p2p

Even archievements arent something you have to pay for especially since you payed for the archievement when you bought the game. Or do you really wanna say taht live is worth paying for because it tracks your archievements ?

You guys are far to easy to milk imo.

Honestly guys

if i had enough resources at hand i would only charge you 50 cent per user to do the same via a serverclusterand scripts.

that makes me like 10 million a month with nearly zero costs

FunkyBunch6623d ago

"Last month, Judge Marsha A. Pechman granted class-action status to the suit, which is scheduled to go to trial in October. (Microsoft last week appealed the certification decision.)

Anyone who bought a PC that Microsoft labeled “Windows Vista Capable” without also declaring “Premium Capable” is now a party in the suit."

This is taken from another article. And after reading it, I had an epiphany as to why they charge for Xbox LIVE.
You pay for Xbox LIVE so Microsoft can pay all its legal woes and Vista screw ups.

Delt46623d ago

yeah cause this legal problem has been an ongoing occurrence sense november 15 2001. Good call genius.

FunkyBunch6623d ago

I never said it was THIS specific legal problem you were paying for.
It was an example of ONE legal problem you are paying for.

They have had legal problems since before XP...(patent infringement)
And they have had legal problems during XP...(European Union and Information Charges)
And they have had legal problems since Vista...(Class-Action Vista F*** up)

I don't know about you, but I'm seeing a pattern here. Someone has to pay the M$ legal bills. Who is more logical than their customers who expect to be charged for something that's already available elsewhere for free.

Rhezin6623d ago

I've never heard those words in one sentence. Quit Bullsh!tting yourself, you brat.

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BLUR1116622d ago

wow paying 4$ a month is retarded right fanboys , yea all the free dlc. hd movies , game add on's and millons of ppl to play online games with

Kaz Hirai6623d ago

Do you CRETINS actually enjoy being milked by those SATAN WORSHIPPERS at Nazisoft?

MWAH-HA-HA-HA!!!

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themyk6622d ago

your right man i wish sony would offer free dlc, game ad ons and millions of people to play with. oh wait they do.

BludoTheSmelly6623d ago (Edited 6623d ago )

No dedicated servers, no exclusives, only thing we manage to get over silver is instant demo downloads and mp which we shouldn't be charged for anyways.

CaliGamer6623d ago

your honest. If you have a 360 you have no choice and thats understandable, but when the 360 fanatics come on here touting Live as superior to PSN and the most important part of online gaming is the inferior option on the 360 meaning P2P I question their logic.

As I said before all the other stuff just seems like fluff, but when it comes down to it PS3 games more often than not use dedicated servers over P2P and for free. Just as with the other things that are problems on the 360 nothing changes because 360 users don't demand change. At least tell them they should have dedicated servers, MS owes it's consumers that much if they are going to charge for a service.

synetic6623d ago

because microsoft need to make some money since they spend billions in fixing rrod from xbox 360 ...

where i live its 60 euros year ( almost 100 dolars )

MaximusPrime6623d ago

stopped reading after "inferior"

Yea rite.

*carried on playing burnout online FREE on PSN*

mayberry6623d ago

In washinton(seattle)the only (cable)high-speed service is provided by one company! In my opinion and by recent news stories there is a monopoly here and i imagine other places around the country!
My point is I already pay over 100$ a mo. for cable(tv+online)
I've bought my game sys. ttl 740$ games 60$,by the way most games have online capabilities if not more enjoyable when played online!
All I want to do is play my game online for free! I.E. PSN!
And I can be objective about xbl! Has anyone mentioned that the no.1 online game on psn (cod4) doesn't use dedicated servers but p2p!

Oilers Fan6623d ago

Its not a matter of paying ornot anymore, there are a lot of xbox 360 live users, and they are continuing to pay. Its not like the masses are dropping xbox live because of the charge. Sure no one wants to pay, and microsoft still charges. But the fact of the matter is, people are still paying and hardly anyone is complaining. I doubt micrsoft cares about the few gamers on this website that have stopped subscribing, they care about the millions of people that continue to pay. Unless there is some mass descrbing (is that right word) by people, we are going to continue to pay. Its as simple as that

Pain6623d ago

thats why.

Supporting M$ = getting what u Get. Crap.

ThaToNeKiiDKaBaW6623d ago

Not everything is free.. it's life, get over it.

jackie chann6623d ago

The only thing I like about live is one gamertag for all games, private chat and in-game invites.

To me that isn't enough reason to charge since I enjoy changing my name to stupid things on a frequent basis. I'm always on msn thanks to my laptop and can voice call anyone on psn or live.

This leaves me with in-game invites, now I do like then alot but they're not worth 40 pound.

zonetrooper56623d ago

I pay £3.33 a month for XBL which is £40 a year for me, I'm 16 years old and I can afford it and so can you. Another point, both PSN and XBL use servers and P2P for different games and don't give me crap about PSN being totally lag free all the time etc.

ASSASSYN 36o6623d ago (Edited 6623d ago )

Hey sony boys go online on your ps3 and send an invite to a friend that is playing in warhawk while you are in resistance. And voice chat with your other friend who is playing unreal while you read a message sent 2 days ago by another friend. And try all this while you are downloading game content and listening to your own music. Reality says ps3 can not and 360 always was able to. Thats why I pay!

Delt46623d ago

WOW!!! they got served :P

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eagle216623d ago

Why don't you go on the web browser (the real online) and download a divx movie file straight to your hard drive, while a friend sends you a message, you answer, send, it back, while listening to your favorite CD and downloading off the PS Store, then go to youtube and watch a lag free video (hearing both your CD and the video play in sync)..get the message that your divx file is done, go on the xmb without leaving the browser, load up a 15 second clip if you wish that will display the movie clip on the xmb and name your movie. Watch the movie while another friend sends you a message. Invite him and up to six people to join in a chat (or video) chat. How about putting in the internatioanl version of a CD and AMG http://www.allmusic.com/ automatically recognizes it and every other edition of the CD, the tracks, and everything. It could be a 1980 CD, 1992, or 2008. Dual Disc, Super Audio CD. Set up a dedicated server in Warhawk for just your buddies to play in a level alone NO LAG!

Then when BD-Live comes out, chat with a friend while watching a 1080p HD movie!

Then download HOME when it comes out this Spring, or in game xmb that will be better, or enjoy the 1,000 other features of the PS3. FOR FREE. Why I REFUSE to PAY. LMAO

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ASSASSYN 36o6623d ago (Edited 6623d ago )

Eagle is that before or after you update for an hour. And we can voice chat and instant message (at the same time) while we download and watch a High Definition movie. And I think I mentioned all this while YOU are playing a game. Have fun downloading your home homeless boy. When you set up your deticated server for warhawk make sure you call your friends on the phone so they don't have to leave a game to look at a message. The wait for this and that still continues.

JasonPC360PS3Wii6623d ago

Because it's better.

ReBurn6623d ago

The thing I do like about Xbox Live is that there aren't dedicated servers, so as long as someone is willing to play you can strike up a game. There have been several PC games that I really liked that I can't find a server for now because it isn't economically feasible for them to continue to be hosted.

People say that the peer-to-peer method is too laggy, but in all of my time playing DOA4 and Burnout Revenge online I only had a handful of games with lag. Some games like Gears or Halo 2 do give the host an advantage from time to time, so balance is something that does need to be addressed in places.

That being said, I'm don't understand why I'm paying to play matches that I'm hosting. Exactly what am I paying for? Is it the matchmaking? I can see charging for a Gold subscription that allows people who pay to have access to marketplace content sooner or give them faster dedicated download servers. Or even dedicated game servers. But I have to think that PSN will ultimately erode Live's market share. PSN isn't as feature filled, but it does support the one basic feature that gamers want. And that feature is free.

thehitman6623d ago

But all games now or that I played have P2P in it along side with dedicated. IDK how you ever experienced dedicated servers but this is how most games with it works on the PS3. Best example Resistance all the ranked games are server based. Meaning if your playing competitively you dont have to worry about lag or games dropping due to host or any other factors. Then lets say you like to just play for fun or the game is extremely old and dedicated servers are not support Resistance has custom game section where users can make their own games and go P2P so. Also games like Warhawk work the same way they have certain servers for ranks and others just for fun I think.(I think, Not really sure how the rank thing works since when I go on Warhawk I just play for fun and not ranks).

And most of Ps3 big games/exclusives have dedicated servers. Also I dont really think xbl is that much ahead of psn. Yes XBL has in-game messaging BUT its not like Sony isnt working on it either and wont be out within the next couple of months. What happens when PSN has in-game messaging whats going to be the reason for paying then? To think that in-game messaging is the only real defense for paying for it is not really a good 1. Like som1 said before what if you got a family 2-3 ppl using your xbox thats 150 dollars around your paying just for online, it gets more than just the 50 a year and you have to worry about renewing it. If MS was smart they make there service free because I know a lot of ppl who wouldnt pay to play and is reason they dont have an xbox.

stennexxx6623d ago

I have used that crap and it sucks. So what if they have better arcade games screw that. On the free PSN and home i am able to access online much quicker than xbox live. There is hardly any lag to complain about. Xbots don't follow those wannabe game journalist, go and seek the truth. PSN is more like a PC network, able to implement and adjust on the fly. Look at games such as UT3, Warhawk, look at Home and COD4. M$ already having trouble with implementing 1080p hi-def video. M$ are not the ones who are offering broadband services why haven't they invested more money into bringing higher bandwidth at cheaper prices so that their digital online will flourish. Ridiculous, blu-ray for now. If we just talking about the essential workings of both networks PS3 PSN clearly is the winner. For content it is xbox live. For now.

P.S. Home is amazing! It will bring 3D interaction into mainstream.

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thekingofMA6623d ago

im happy you made me laugh-because you put (PSN) after PlayStatiion Network

i just think its hilarious cause everyone reading a videogame website like this would know what the acronym was

sorry if thats off topic, but thanks for the laugh

ASSASSYN 36o6623d ago

Home is amazing. lol. You and everyone else are still homeless so how do you know.

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BLUR1116622d ago

homeless lol

Stryfeno16623d ago

Why is everybody getting so worked about Xbox Live? I pay because is one of the best if not the experiences. I was a member from day one and I have no intentions of cancelling my subscription.

$50/yr is no big deal and it's simple...If you find live to be to expensive or you dont like the service for what ever reason, Nintendo and Sony offer free online play. Remember you have a choice and stop worrying about the people who pays.

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quiquitos6623d ago

i relly dont know what happened to gaming i mean i used to play games like zelda back in d days of the n64 where online gaming was a privilege for those using pcs and that was a blast!!!!

Now times have changed, and it seems that developers are more focused on developing multiplayer games rather than single player experiences. this means i never get to enjoy 100% of almost any game.

Take for example halo 3, i own it but the only way i can get the most out of it is if i have live, i payed £40 for the game and if i wanna play online i have to pay £40?!?!? WTH i finish the fight in like 10 hours or so and have nothing else to do unless i have live!!!!! thats just ridiculous i dont care about friends list or even knowing what games people are playing because it doesnt affect me in any way, shape or form, i just wanna get my £40 worth out of the game!!!!

i find it just ridiculous and stupid and people that pay for it just cant see this, thinking its not that bad, Sony does it for free why cant Microsoft a company that just spent billions on the 360's rrod(because its a badly designed console) just so it could launch the 360 1 year before the ps3 to boost sale figures!!!!!!!!!!!!! give me a break man im just sick and cant take it anymore im selling my 360 and bying a ps3

ps: sorry for the long post and bad spelling but this has been in my head for so long and i had to say something because it just makes me angry :P!!!!!!

ichimaru6623d ago (Edited 6623d ago )

My OPINION( do not abuse mr. disagree)

Sony can not afford to run dedicated servers(that constantly require matinance)free home and keep up with the available content and features offered on Xbox Live without charging for long( they are still not making profits from consols sold from my knowledge, just software) so please don't parade PSN like it is the second coming, even if it does remain free, enjoy it do not bash theirs.

thehitman6623d ago

First dedicated servers are hosted by the studios. 2nd even if Sony did host the dedicated servers it wouldnt cost them that much a multi billion dollar company can afford like 100 thousand a year on dedicated servers if that much. Also Sony makes there money off the DLC they offer on the PSN which im sure is good enough to break even with upkeeping cost.

Fatmanp6623d ago

Look at it this way. You don't have to jump through hoops to play with friends on XBL. The service itself is superior to the PC other than the dedicated servers.

waldopepper6623d ago

I currently have a 360 and soon I'm getting a PS3. I've played both online and even friends that only have PS3s that agree with me - Live is simply better than PSN. More people chat in game which adds a lot to the experience. Seeing which friends are online, joining their games and messaging during games just makes it all more seemless and enjoyable.

Sure p2p has its problems - but noticing the massive difference between games like COD4 (great net code) and TeamFortress2 (lagorama), writing good net code seems to differ massively between developers - it's certainly not all bad.

Incidentally I've lost count of the amount of people saying that Live doesn't have dedicated servers. Live DOES: most EA-written games have dedicated servers. Personally I think it speaks volumes that people don't really notice any difference between online matches with EA games and other developers using p2p - clearly there's not a massive difference otherwise it would be more well-known.

As others have said, being able to slap in a really old 360 (or Xbox 1 game) and find others who still want to play online is a feature worth paying for alone.

If millions of Xbox owners are willing to pay for Live then obviously they're doing something right!

thehitman6623d ago (Edited 6623d ago )

EA DEDICATED ??? THEM CHEAP SCAPES I got to see this to believe it!! No EA online game has been good that I played! I going to check this out 2morrow. BETTER NOT BE LIENG!

Also yes those features are important but the thing is that sony is working on it, regardless of the fact it should already be there and will be here in the near future. Those features still dont justify the subcription fee for the service. Like I said before when Sony gives us the update what will be the reason you guys pay now?

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waldopepper6623d ago

hitman, re-read my response. Playing old (right back to Xbox 1) games and demos over Live regardless of developer server support is reason enough to pay for Xbox Live. I don't want companies telling my that I can't play only the latest games online just because it's no longer profitable to keep particular servers running.

EA running their own servers is how they get larger number of players on Live games like Battlefield 2, or more recently Frontline: Fuels Of War (THQ) supporting 50 online.

It's a few months old but here's a list of EA servers shut down near the end of 2007 - as you can see, it includes some 360 games. Still think it's 100% positive to have dedicated servers? Nice way of EA getting you to always buy the latest version me thinks.

September 1, 2007 Online Service Shutdown-

Arena Football for Xbox
FIFA Soccer 06 for Xbox 360
FIFA Soccer 06 for PC
FIFA06 for PC
FIFA Soccer 06 for PlayStation 2
FIFA Soccer 06 for PlayStation Portable
FIFA Soccer 06 for Xbox
FIFA World Cup 2006 for PC
FIFA World Cup 2006 for PlayStation 2
FIFA World Cup 2006 for PlayStation Portable
FIFA World Cup 2006 for Xbox
Fight Night Round 3 for PlayStation Portable
Fight Night Round 3 for Xbox
Madden NFL 06 for Xbox 360
Madden NFL 06 for PC
Madden NFL 06 for PlayStation 2
Madden NFL 06 for PlayStation Portable
Madden NFL 06 for Xbox
Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects for PlayStation 2
Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects for Xbox
MVP 07 NCAA Baseball for PlayStation 2
MVP 07 NCAA Baseball for Xbox
NASCAR 06 Total Team Control for PlayStation 2
NASCAR 06 Total Team Control for Xbox
NBA Live 06 for Xbox 360
NBA Live 06 for PC
NBA Live 06 for PlayStation 2
NBA Live 06 for PlayStation Portable
NCAA Football 2005 for Xbox
NCAA Football 2006 for PlayStation 2
NCAA Football 2006 for Xbox
NCAA March Madness 06 for PlayStation 2
NCAA March Madness 06 for Xbox
NFL Head Coach for PC
NFL Head Coach for Xbox
NFL Head Coach for PlayStation 2
NHL 06 for PC
NHL 06 for PlayStation 2
NHL 06 for Xbox
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 06 for Xbox 360
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 06 for Xbox

November 1, 2007 Online Service Shutdown

Burnout Revenge for Xbox
Burnout Revenge for PlayStation 2
Need for Speed Underground for PlayStation 2
Need for Speed Underground 2 for PC
Need for Speed Underground 2 for PlayStation 2
Need for Speed Most Wanted for PlayStation Portable
Need for Speed Most Wanted for Xbox

thehitman6623d ago (Edited 6623d ago )

I dont think you know what dedicated servers are. Just because the online service has shut down doesnt mean they were dedicated which they werent for most of them. Also if you owned a ps3 game with dedicated servers you seen that they all have P2P as well for fun play while the dedicated servers are for rank matches and competitive play. When your playing a game and your playing ranked matches you shouldnt have to worry about lag and the host dropping or any other stupid thing that could interfere with your game. Which is why I like that Sony allows dedicated servers.

BTW almsot all companies if not all games run their own servers I dont see any other method they could use.

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TrevorPhillips6623d ago

umm we pay so we can play online duhh

LinuxGuru6623d ago

I refuse to pay to play over the internet, when my internet connection by itself is quite expensive.

I also refuse to subscribe to pay-per-month MMORPGs.

Do you have any idea how much extra cash a company rakes in by charging a certain amount to be able to use their service or game?

We're talking about multi-multi-millions of dollars here, people.

It's all coming from your pockets, and everything they provide you with is not anything you should have to pay for, regardless of whether you think it's justified or not.

You already paid for the system, you paid through the nose for adapters, cables, routers, internet connections, and everything else under the sun...for god's sake why must they also lump the usage cost onto it as well?

It's a complete and total abuse of your loyalty, and I can't stand seeing people fall for it.

The BS Police6623d ago (Edited 6623d ago )

We pay for maintenance, we pay for features, we pay for upgrades, we pay for content and exclusive content.

We also pay for Bandwith and so Microsoft cn keep employees working on it.

Thats how we the gamers keep the service going.

To sume it all up we pay so it keeps working, and pay to make so Microsoft will actually invest money into making things even better.

Sure Microsoft could do it if the service was free, but the money going to them makes things easier for both camps.

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LinuxGuru6623d ago (Edited 6623d ago )

HAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAAHHAAHAHA and you think MICROSOFT doesn't have enough money to maintain Xbox Live without charging for it?

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

They could EASILY set aside a couple few BILLION dollars from their yearly revenue, and use that to maintain it instead.

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thehitman6623d ago

You just pay to play. MS made it more obvious that they dont need the money when they made it mandatory for all gold subcriptions which the only difference is that you can play online games over the silver. You get everything else XBL has to offer but that.

The BS Police6623d ago (Edited 6623d ago )

But think about it, if they gave everything away for free, they would eventually go out of business.

Mcdonalds for example could start giving away free food, but they would lose alot of money in the process, everytime you buy a big mac your not jsut paying Mcdonalds, but your also giving Mcdonalds money so they can not only open up new resteruants, but they can also offer more jobs and pay more employees.

Thats how businesses run.

kewlkat0076623d ago

Why do you pay for CABLE TV, When you have FREE TV?

Why do you pay for anything that is not a Necessity?

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revsnake6623d ago

b/c i pay for quality!

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princejb1346623d ago

i prefer psn anytime over xbl the
1.first reason is because im not always home playing video games online, so why would i pay for a service if im not always home playing online thats just money thrown out the window for something i rarely use
2. $50 is more than enough a year for me, not everyone is well funded even though i work there are those who aren't and those $50 is almost a brand new game or a extra controller
3. im already paying monthly for dsl internet, so people are telling me to pay a extra $8 monthly fee for live thats just a extra bill

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tethered6623d ago

I don't and won't.

meepmoopmeep6622d ago

i hardly play online but it's nice to have whenever i want without paying for it. i've started to like online play since i got Hotshots Golf and but when i get a 360 i won't get a gold membership. i'll do my online playing with PSN as long as it's free.

but it's a choice they make. some people don't mind paying for online play. i know i wouldn't though since i'm not a big online gamer.

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FKN Unbelievable6623d ago

Cause this sh1t is Crack!!!!!

Nobody wants to play alone anymore period.
Beside with all the features and services i could care less cause im only paying 40$ once a year.

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tethered6623d ago

I no longer play alone on the PS3 and its free.

Even at $40.00 a year (over 3 years) is still $120.00 you are paying for something that you can get free somewhere else. Logic please?

joeynox6623d ago

its amazing how people say paying for xbl is a bad thing or make it out to be alot of money. Its like 4 bucks a month. I doubt anyone here cant afford 4 bucks a month. I have had xbl since day 1 and have never regretted it since.

tethered6623d ago

No one said its a lot of money.

We say its money that shouldn't need to be paid.
Even if it was a $1.00 a year I would complain.

Its the principle of it.

Ri0tSquad6623d ago

Why do you pay? Cause I sure as hell don't.

vhero6622d ago

I agree every game needs its own server but MS is just putting them all on a shared server to save on money simple as really MS are ripoffs they should at least invest that money you pay for online in online services and also all payers shouldn't have ads its uncalled for! I d/c my 360 when playing crackdown so I don't get ads in game we pay £50 for a damn game why the hell should we have ads too?? a lot of pc games are free with ads but ads and paying is ridiculous!

Mr PS36622d ago (Edited 6622d ago )

Cause Its a fantastic service second to none and it never ever goes down !!!!!
Cough , Cough

LeonSKennedy4Life6622d ago

2nd to none?

I don't know dude.

I can do more things on Counter Strike than I ever could on Halo, Call of Duty, or any other 360 game.

I freakin' HATE Live!!!

You have to pay to play GOW online on the PC!!! How ridiculous is that? I'm not paying 50 dollars a year to play ONE GAME on my computer!!! That's just ridiculous! You can't even save your game without having Live!

SuperSaiyan46622d ago

Because you dont have the functions, features and interface of the Xbox 360 on the PC or any other console.

Whilst you might be able to do somethings that you can on the 360 on the PC with the PC it will be eating at your resources.

LeonSKennedy4Life6622d ago

I do.

What's your excuse?

TapiocaMilkTea6622d ago

SOMEONE has to pay for all those labor and materials into fixing xboxes for 3yrs/console....

Dark General6622d ago

My entire opinion on this is that Live is a bit of a rip. Now hear me out before you hit the disagree button. My main gripe with Live is that you HAVE to pay just to connect and play online with someone for any given game. My whole thinking on this is that "don't i already pay for internet service every month? I have to pay an additional fee just to connect with someone of the same game (that i plunked down 60 bones on)". Now if a Silver Membership allowed you to play online for free but you wouldn't have as many features as Gold i'd be contempt with that because i really want to do when i get a urge to play online is to do just that play online.

As far as the server thing goes i use Psn and i don't have any problems with playing games online. Now downloading things is a different story but playing against online have been a seamless affair for me. The features is lacking in comparison to live (which a few of my buddies say isn't live features but a "Xbox thang") with in game messaging and chatting and cross game friend invites. But that's sort of a afterthought until a get a pop up message and say to myself "When the hell is sony going to get on the ball with bringing this stuff in game". But other than that and extend the friend list cap (50 just isn't enough the limit needs to be 100 i already have 43 friends in under a year). I don't have many complaints about Psn. It gets the job done.

f4nb0i6622d ago (Edited 6622d ago )

lol

jessupj6622d ago

I think a lot of people that praise the XBL service so much are forgeting something. Isn't all about the games? Doesn't it all come back to the games we play? Yes, new features are nice and can improve your gaming experience, but isn't the most important thing actually playing the game?

That's why I think dedicated servers are a lot lot better. Less lag = a much better gaming experience. And imo, that's the most important thing.

Can't we all just enjoy playing the games we have and stop flaming each other?

Figboy6622d ago

that i'd rarely use.

i'm a single player gamer at heart, and i play online maybe a few times a month (like three or less). usually Warhawk...and that's it.

because i don't play online more than those few times a month, i don't feel that the $50 fee is worth it.

i have a question to all the Live users here; do you also pay for your ISP, or do your parents?

i have to pay for a lot of things (i'm 28, with roommates and a fiance).

i have to pay for rent
i have to pay for food
i have to pay for lights
i have to pay the cable bill
i have to pay the internet bill (which is separate from cable, and we have two internet services, DSL and Broadband, because the four computers, two PS3s, two X Boxes, and 3 PSPs were simply destroying our bandwidth, and Time Warner cable has sh*tty service, anyway).

i bring this up because, due to all of my other responsibilities financially, i just don't deem it worth adding an additional $50, even if it's only once a year, to my finances.

$50 is also a video game. basically, every year i'd have live, would be me missing out on *ONE video game.

my funds are limited as it is, but even if they weren't, due to my needs as an online gamer (i JUST want to play online with my friends).

as for feature set, i have the only ones that matter to me in terms of my own personal online experience:

1. i can play online with my friends
2. i can message my friends
3. i have a friends list
4. i can download extra content, either games, demos, videos, themes, wallpapers, etc.

i don't understand why people cream their pants over Live like they do, when, on the PC and PS3, you get a lot of the same functionality, and for *FREE.

when i'm playing a game of Uncharted, do you think i want to constantly be interrupted by my friends who are playing Warhawk?

i can *SEE, from my friend's list, what games my friends are playing. if i wanted to play Warhawk with my friends, i'd, well, i'd put WARHAWK on.

my fiance was trying to play Mass Effect a few weeks back, and every few minutes, one of her friends who was on, would write to her. she kept on having to pause the game, and respond to her friend (she didn't want to be rude), and talk to her. it was distracting to the point where she stopped playing Mass Effect and just talked to her friend.

when i want to play a multi-player game, *THAT is when i'll be bothered with talking to my online friends. when i'm playing single player game, i'm playing a single player game. things like in game messaging are more of a nuisance than a "OMFG, this feature is AWESOME!!!"

is it good to have those features? i guess so. but what some of you guys need to understand is that not all of us require every feature set known to man to have a good time.

i haven't had any problems i can recall playing online with my friends.

about a month or so ago (the last time i played Warhawk online), i was trying to think of something to play. on my friend's list, i saw that a bud of mine that i don't hang out with very much due to scheduling issues playing Warhawk. i sent him a heads up, just in case he quit the game, that i was about to play Warhawk. then, since my roommate walked in the door, i told *HIM i was going to play with our friend. then *HE popped in Warhawk, and we had a great time for a few hours.

the point i'm trying to make is that, even without the "monumental" features that Live offers over the PSN, a good time is being had online regardless.

i mean, if it'll shut up the constant whiners, sure, put all these features in there, but as far as ME and my own personal online gaming needs, i'm fine. i can talk to friends (via voice and text), i can join the games that they're playing, i can *SEE what games they are playing (so i can decide whether or not i want to join them in the FIRST place), and i can communicate with them once i'm actually inside of the game.

everything else is just extra garnish that i honestly wouldn't use, considering how infrequently i play online. but that's just my own needs. there are obviously gamers out there that just have to have that online fix, and apparently these features are important to them, but i just don't care; i'm enjoying my online experience as is.

the fact that people are actually comparing a service that has been around for over 6 years, to a service that has been around for 1 year is mind-boggling as well.

Citizen Cook6622d ago

£40 a year is like 70 odd pence a week!
I waste more than that on all kinds of sh!t. I LOVE LIVE.
We have features PS3rd just can't compete with. Weh you do, come back to the table and we'll talk. Until then, SHUTTHEFU(KUP!

HA HA HA HA!

Toolster6622d ago

Im lucky enough to have all 3 next gens and I like my PS3 better than my 360 (im no fanboy) however XBL is miles better than PSN, with the PSN I often have trouble connecting to a game or will just sit in the lobby waiting for a game to start or even will get booted from a game mid way.

I think the PSN will catch up at some point but I think it will be a while before it equal to LIVE

LeonSKennedy4Life6622d ago

yeah, it's missing a couple of things...but I'd say LAG is the most important aspect of online-play. If LAG counts for ANYTHING AT ALL...the PSN wins...hands-down.

XxCYONIDExX6622d ago

Because besides the price the damn thing is perfect and it's addicting as hell.

LeonSKennedy4Life6622d ago

Free would be perfect.

MonkeyOne6622d ago

Sorry but you're all nuts if you think online should be free

It's already bad enough that Sony and MS did not price their consoles properly so that they could make money. $1500 worth of hardware for under $500? Yeah that's a solid business model.

MiniMii6622d ago

How dumb they are.
Totally clueless as to what else is out there.

Lets see, I can chat with friends, send messages, have my own custom background, listen to music, watch movies, play games on my PS3. So why do I need to pay again?

Oh cos I cant listen to custom music IN GAME and I cant CHAT with other folks PLAYING a DIFFERENT game IN GAME? Hahaha, and thats worth 50 bucks a year?

Let get fking real here.
XBOX LIVE is more user friendly and that is all. Now if you consider that worth about 50 bucks a year, then go ahead and pay for it.

But like many of you scum have said before: ITS ABOUT THE GAMES.
And PSN offers better online experience. Its more stable, with dedicated servers, more robust, and offers up to 40/60 player warfare.

And when it comes down to it, this is all that matters anyway. So yea, you pay, but we get to enjoy the better experience. The only thing you pay for, is for "luxury features" that arent really necessary.

Once HOME comes around, we will be able to do all what you are getting now and do much more like streaming movies and hanging out in clanrooms. Now what?

Cherchez La Ghost6622d ago

"But like many of you scum have said before: ITS ABOUT THE GAMES.
And PSN offers better online experience. Its more stable, with dedicated servers, more robust, and offers up to 40/60 player warfare".

Are you serious?!!! Ok, I agree with you on this point. Why?! Because there are less people on the servers on PSN than Live. More people= more problems. Less people= less problems. Prime example, Halo 3. When Halo came out, Live had hiccups and people were reporting "Live is Broken"!! It was just overflowed. Almost the same when SOCOM 1 & 2 on PS2. The service was free, but it was some BULLSH*T!! Dropped out of games, took at least 2-3 minutes to log back on. Serious LAGGING!!! That's the time I went online with XBox Live. It was better. Why?! Because it had less online traffic over the PS2. Do you see where I'm getting at?! Less people= less problems over servers.

But I can promise you this, when it gets to a point that the traffic reaches to the capacity like Xbox Live, you will have problems. And it will get to the point that one day subscribers will have to pay for service. Unlike some of you, I have no problem paying for it.

Alexis Machine6622d ago

I'm looking at getting internet soley for the purpose of killing sh*t on CoD4. Problem is, i have no idea what speed to get. There's 3 options : 384KBPS, 512KBPS and 4MBPS
No, i have no idea what any of that means
and Yes, i may possibly be retarded
Which speed is sufficient and does it really make any difference, seeing as how everyone says PSN has no 'LAG'

le killer6622d ago (Edited 6622d ago )

great name...i liked the dark half, great book! secondly, no on-line is without lag! fanboys who say such are lying full stop. even dedicated servers will have people that bounce and jump in them due to their connections. and broadband, make sure the package you get has the highest upload possible! that's what counts in on-line gaming.

olLANDSHARKlo6622d ago

Sony does not have dedicated servers, they do for their own games. Resisitance, warhawk. All 3rd party games are P2P just like xbox live. do not believe this post, if this person doesn't know this, they know nothing about the 2 services.

BigKev456622d ago

Being a owner of both a PS 3 & Xbox 360. I have to say that Xbox Live is better. Yes, you do pay $50 a year. But the presentation is MUCH better on the 360. Sony doesn't have in-game XMB. MS does. My friends list is much greater on the 360. It's more accessible on the 360. The PS3 interface needs a do over. The Playstation store is not all that great.
I hear that they are redoing the store in April. Which is good. And when Home comes out then yes, I think Sony will have a online product that they can match what Live is offering.

ThaToNeKiiDKaBaW6622d ago (Edited 6622d ago )

John V - "The best things in life are free, and PSN is no exception." So, I guess the PS3 isn't the "best?"

Anyway, I prefer xBox Live over Psn. Two main reason is because on PSn I HATE not being able to invite friends to play AND not being able to talk to friends playing in another game.. It's annoying.

As for paying, who cares? I'm 17 and I can pay for it with no problems, and yes, I help my mom pay bills, so don't give me that crap..

Cherchez La Ghost6622d ago

WTF do you expect?! Why?! Those points that I purchase not only buy content over Xbox Live, I also use them to purchase music for my Zune. I get my music over Emusic & Zune.net. And using MS points for Live and my Zune is a convience for me. There is an old saying.., "YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR"!!!! OK, when HOME comes out, I'll be on it. I'm a proud owner of a PS3, PSP, 360 & Wii. Forgive me not to be a fanboy. There are not only faults in MS, but Sony have faults like every Corporation around the world. But I'm not going to sit here and b*tch about paying for a service. Let me ask you fanboys some questions (That I already know the answers too)....

DLC (except Demo's & small content) on the PSN is free?!! No!!
Is your broadband connection is free?!! No!!
Is your utilites into your home free?!! No!!
Is food from the grocery store free?!! No!!
Is Petro from overseas free?!!! No!!

Your crying & b*tching about Live won't change nothing!!

PimpHandStrong6622d ago

because MS needs to start making money again on there Operating Systems. They are good at making software and they made there money on OS

thats why you pay

because your playing a MS software package

Its funny when i think i have 4 clan memebers on messenger and we text ingame even if we arent in the same game

PimpHandStrong6622d ago

your right

i do pay for all those things you list

thats why its nice i dont pay to play games online. Im happy i dont get charged anymore then what im paying to be online in the first place.

games to me are fun and a past time or hobby

we all need online in todays world. MS knows it

joeynox6622d ago

since u all are 2 cheap to pay 4 bucks and think its stupid to pay it then i guess you shouldnt pay for your isp connection, cable, telephone, cellphone, and rent? MS is a company that has a product and wants to be paid for it. Just like we all would if we were them. Sony makes the devs flip the bill for bandwidth and servers MS doesnt.

trikster406622d ago

I am getting sick and tired of hearing that the PS3 has "inferior online capabilities." Can I play games with my friends? Yes. Do I have an online store? Yes. Do I have a friends list? Yes.

About the only thing that I do not have is the ability to message friends ingame, but there are games out there that I can. Last I checked, the same games that are online on XB360 are online on the PS3, I am just not stuck with optimatch and quickmatch options.

Tyrael6622d ago

Because I got so much cash money I don't think twice about tha Benjamins...

TheTerminator6622d ago

why must i pay $70 to fight against sarah connor online

Neo6046622d ago

MS just care bout takeing more of ur money that's y u always need to buy xbox accessary separately.

Raptors6622d ago

Kinda funny that we all paid so much for our machines and we're griping about $5o a year. I definitely respect what Sony has done with the PSN and how its still in its infancy stages. The thing is I've been online with live for quite sometime with the orig xbox and the 360 and there are certain features you just become accustomed to.

And if you look back at all the comments, most ppl are speaking on what they're accustomed to. Because I do not struggle financially, i personally do not mind paying the live fee. Would I prefer it to be free? For sure. But overall its a solid service and it edges out what the psn can do. When psn begins to include some of the services that live does plus being for free MS will definitely have to drop the price or drop the fee altogether because they cannot justify charging ppl when ps3 does the same for free.

On a side note, and I'm calling it from now. In the future, do not be surprised if eventually you're going to have to pay for the psn.

Stryfeno16622d ago

I have been saying this for a long time. When the PSN comes into par with Live and surpass it, watch Sony start charging for the service.

joeynox6622d ago

I dont understand how people can think that 50 a year is so bad . look at what you get for 50 bucks

cornerman86622d ago

Live is a service, unless I'm mistaken, that saw its foundation built on the original Xbox. From that MS, has improved upon it for the 360. The features that make Live standout are inherent in their firmware. Its the in-game features. Its why there has been outcry from PS3 users for ingame XMB. They want the functionality of offline made online. It appears that most of that will be made available this year. Other features of Live that are actually tied into the network component like movie/TV show downloads, are said to be coming this year. Like Live, those services will likely be pay-per-view for PSN. Home, upon its arrival, hopes to expand on community, but its core offering much like the PSN's core offering (to play online) will be free. PSN and Home are two different things that overlap slightly, but there is every indication that by year's end Sony's online strategy will nearly be on par or surpass Xbox Live (firmware perks included). Until that happens, the debate over the better online experience and its price comes down to consumer preference. To simply play online with friends, it seems that PSN is the victor as that is done freely. If you want perks and added features, then Live is better as you also get features brought on by its firmware. You get the option of downloadable games for both at a price. With Live you get more. Yes there is a difference in strategy, but based on quantity you get more options. With live you also get options for downloadable movies. Achievements and gamerscore are currently tied into Live as well. The PSN will embracing those features soon as well, but now you currently don't have the option. When the PSN and PS3 firmware grows to meet the feature lineup of the 360 and LIve, this debate will be less debatable. It would be silly to think that these features are somehow out of reach for the PS3. Afterall, they know what aspects they need to cultivate to meet the 360; think of it as a roadmap. It all comes down to the "current" and "present" state of consumer preference. If you value the features presented by MS and are willing to pay $50 or $200(no one's paying $200, just for example sake) a year then you have the option to do so. If those features don't seem worth $50, then you won't find Live to be better than PS3. Keep in mind that there are other things that factor into the purchase of each respective console - impatience, hype, game lineup across different genres, price, etc. People who invest in a console dont' necessarily know what another console is capable of. So just because they invested in 360 and purchased Live doesn't mean they would or wouldn't see the benefit of PSN. It could be that they already invested in a console, and thusly went with the tide for online service. The same is true the other way around. Alot of this has to do with patience and/or the offering at the time. Maybe someone feels they don't want to wait for PSN to catch up. Or maybe they'll make the jump once it does.

DJ6622d ago (Edited 6622d ago )

But now I use PSN (which seems to work even better than Live). The people hating on Xbox owners for using Live seriously need to zip it though. Xbox 360 was on the market first, and Live has a great reputation, so it makes sense that a lot of people are signed up for it.

If you haven't tried PSN yet, I highly recommend giving it a shot. It's easy to use, and the gameplay stability is really good. I no longer believe that people should have to pay $300 over the lifetime of their console to play their games online. You already pay $60 a pop for these games; all the game modes should be free from the getgo.

joeynox6622d ago

what this has to do with is sony fanboys trying everything they can do to bad mouth MS,xbox,and live. The whole debate over live being pay to play and psn being free is stupid. i can use netzero for free but but i pay 40 bucks for optimum online and get a 30/5 connection. PSN being free is nice but the only reason it is free is because sony had to make it free to compete with live.Sony is probably taking 30-50 million a year in loss on the bandwidth and such with pns being free but 10million x $50 = 50 million to cover bandwidth so its smarter to charge for the service.

Personally love my live service and have had it since day 1 of launch years ago. like Psn and even at its current status i would pay for it if it helps me get online and download stuff and communicate with my friends.