Sony Surveys Interest in Online Gaming

[fitbabits]

Thanks again to Next Generation (http://www.next-gen.biz/) for the head's-up (http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2085&Itemid=2).

Sony has issued a survey to some members of the media and others within the gaming community gauging the interest of a more feature-filled online gaming environment.

While Sony hasn't come out publicly to announce any Xbox Live-type online service, the survey questions indicate that the company is at least kicking around the idea. Some of the most intriguing questions ask about PC to PSP to PS3 interfacing, standard USB keyboard support, Eyetoy-compatible lobbies and in-game media sharing.
Interesting. I wonder what they have up their online sleeves.

[Citizen Philip]

I think they have SOE,but it's not up their sleeves. I don't play of any of SOE's titles but I have friends with friends, that know people who do.

[Dr Quincy]

Wasn't this reported months ago? Or is this survey seperate?

[wudi]

There's really no place to go but up for Sony in the area of online gaming, so it's good that they at least appear to be making an effort to take on XBL.

[fitbabits]

Wasn't this reported months ago? Or is this survey seperate?
I believe it's separate.

[Akeldama]

They are asking questions it should have known the answer to so long ago.

[fitbabits]

They are asking questions it should have known the answer to so long ago.
You know, they could have saved a ton of money and just called Major Nelson! :)

EDIT - Better still, they could have given the questions to bapenguin - he's interviewing the Major some time soon (http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8894).

[Reanimated]

lol, this just shows how far behind sony is. MS put out these kinds of suveys like over 5 years ago.

[bapenguin]

At least they are trying to do SOMETHING. Previous rumors were it was going to be "up to the developer"

[Morratut]

Errr all of them please Sony.

I'm amazed that this survey is being done to be honest.
Sony why don't you just buy a 360, hook it up to Live and improve on it. Simple :rolleyes:

[dotbomb]

I think Sony is just playing with the media. There's no way they are this behind the curve is there?

My neighbor's brother works for Sony and is involved with programming their online stuff I should have questioned him further when I had the chance. At least I can vouch for the fact that one of their engineers has a 360 and knows about xbox live/arcade.

[kokyunage]

lol, this just shows how far behind sony is. MS put out these kinds of suveys like over 5 years ago.

5 Years ago Microsoft didn't even have a console. Look at them now. Shows how fast a company can catch up. Catching up to a product that is already out is much easier and faster than starting scratch.

[Reanimated]

Yeah, I guess that's why sony has been able to catch up to the iPod so quickly... oh wait.

[ldi222]

Its interesting that Sony seems to be much more likely to include keyboard support in its strategy both for gaming and communication. That would be a very interesting development for the online console world.

[The Letter 3]

oooooooo! Poor Sony! Are they scared of the big bad Microsoft monster?

I love seeing this possible competition in the online arena. There could be some great ideas from both Sony and Microsoft if they begin to compete seriously. And assinations. Those oughta be pretty spectacular too.

[fitbabits]

oooooooo! Poor Sony! Are they scared of the big bad Microsoft monster?

I love seeing this possible competition in the online arena. There could be some great ideas from both Sony and Microsoft if they begin to compete seriously. And assinations. Those oughta be pretty spectacular too.
Competition in any area is beneficial to the end user - it's about time Sony woke up and realized the potential of a fully-integrated online service.

[Yeti2005]

Ok, it's not likely Sony will launch the PS3 with a unified online expereicen (i.e. Xbox Live) but there's nothing to stop them from releasing it in 2007. You could put it in a disk, upload the "Live" addition to your memory card or HD and you're on the way.

[Morratut]

If Sony bring out a Sony ONLINE service it means I would buy a PS3 sooner. If not I would wait to get one.

[Wonka]

This survey makes it sound like Sony is even further behind in the development of an Online service than I feared they might be.

How utterly depressing.

I mean, how long do we have to wait for someone to bring a little competition here???

[fitbabits]

This survey makes it sound like Sony is even further behind in the development of an Online service than I feared they might be.

How utterly depressing.

I mean, how long do we have to wait for someone to bring a little competition here???
Yeah, I know what you mean. It's almost like they (Sony) refused to even look at Xbox Live for fear of breaking out in hives.

[zorper]

Actaully, Sony could score big here. Live continues to improve, so they can learn from it and launch a service after the PS3 launch, just like Microsoft did with the Xbox. They would get the benifit of learning from Microsoft's mistakes and leverage thier huge name recognition.

[Atorak]

Actaully, Sony could score big here. Live continues to improve, so they can learn from it and launch a service after the PS3 launch, just like Microsoft did with the Xbox. They would get the benifit of learning from Microsoft's mistakes and leverage thier huge name recognition.

It would be a carbon copy of XBL, and everyone would know it. I think that is a big reason for Sony's hesitation on creating a Live!-type service for the PS3. Although I won't say it's a bad thing for the consumer.

[Dr Quincy]

Interesting. I wonder what they have up their online sleeves.

Online playing cards!

[fitbabits]

Online playing cards!
Reminds me of a Laffy Taffy joke:

Where does the General keep his armies?

Up his sleevies!

[eatme]

Actaully, Sony could score big here. Live continues to improve, so they can learn from it and launch a service after the PS3 launch, just like Microsoft did with the Xbox. They would get the benifit of learning from Microsoft's mistakes and leverage thier huge name recognition.

I'm sure they're trying to steal what they can from XBL. Unfortunately, if they don't really have the expertise in-house (hopefully they've managed to hire people with good experience?), they could easily miss the point-- it's amazing, for example, how many clone games are strictly inferior to the original.

[bone_matrix]

Reminds me of a Laffy Taffy joke:

Where does the General keep his armies?

Up his sleevies!

Thats pretty bad. I actually GOL...groaned out loud... for that one.

Moving on, if Sony actually created an online system like Live, and had games for it that I can SEE in motion, I might have to camp out for one. Then, if Live and Sony could make them come together, so I can play people on the 360 and PS3, I will make sweet sweet love to both consoles. While the Revolution watches. Yes, I like my online.

[rein]

Thats pretty bad. I actually GOL...groaned out loud... for that one.

You obviously do not understand the appeal of Laffy Taffy.

Sony is between a rock and a hard place on this one. If they do copy XBL then they are admitting Microfsoft did something better than them and giving fodder to the XB supporters. If they do not do something like XBL then they are leaving their supporters with a weak online structure. I don't think that Sony has to copy XBL to make their online work. I do think that at minimum they need to lay down guidelines that developers must follow to make a more unified menu system and such.

I was sent one of these surveys a while back. I guess they sent a second wave out?

[bone_matrix]

You obviously do not understand the appeal of Laffy Taffy.

I do. Its not it's jokes. :D

[Demo_Boy]

Surveys happen when money men dispute the value of developing a feature.
If results are mixed, then don't bother.
If results are all positive, then insufficient people were polled.

Conclusion:
PS3 Internet Multiplayer support is on the chopping block!
Pull out the network port to add space for an extra USB port!

[Dirty Harry]

I'm sure they're trying to steal what they can from XBL. Unfortunately, if they don't really have the expertise in-house (hopefully they've managed to hire people with good experience?), they could easily miss the point-- it's amazing, for example, how many clone games are strictly inferior to the original.
So your opinion is that sony is stealing from xbl, let me ask you this. Where per say do you think they came up with the idea of xbl live?, mainly the software that runs it. Seems very similar to the many versions of gamespy arcade.

[Meatgortex]

So your opinion is that sony is stealing from xbl, let me ask you this. Where per say do you think they came up with the idea of xbl live?, mainly the software that runs it. Seems very similar to the many versions of gamespy arcade.

Or I don't know, MSN gaming zone...

An online service takes a long time to develop, and it takes generations of building services to get them right. MS was able to draw on knowledge gained from multiple iterations of windows servers, online portals like hotmail and msn, .net, and internet integration into both windows and all the office products. They've done a lot of things right, and a lot of things wrong in building those systems and the result is that each subsequent system is generally better then the previous. Xbox Live on 360 sits on top of all that knowledge, not just the foundations from built from the original xbox.

Sony not only needs to catch up in the online console department, they need to do it without the background of building online services for over a decade. That's a very tough task.

[agentgray]

They're making this new MMORPG:

Really
Only
Others
Truly
Kill
Inside
Tips

[Demo_Boy]

The PS3 is a geographic rootkit.

[Kelegacy]

So Sony tries to get feedback on an online service to see what their fans might want, and they get ragged on in droves. Ah, wait, this is Evil Avatar. I forgot.

Fucking meatpuppets.

[fitbabits]

So Sony tries to get feedback on an online service to see what their fans might want, and they get ragged on in droves. Ah, wait, this is Evil Avatar. I forgot.

Fucking meatpuppets.
All I can do is post the positive news - it's not up to me how people respond. :)

[Kelegacy]

All I can do is post the positive news - it's not up to me how people respond. :)
You're my boy, fitbabits; I wasn't talking 'bout choo.

But I swear if Sony shat the purest, most sugary gummybears, someone around here would go around complaining that they tasted like shit.

My analogies are off today. I have the Thursday "blahs" instead of the Thursday "whoo-hoos".

[TheDancinMan]

Sony's Awesome Super-Secert Online Gaming Plan

Step 1: Announce the absolute greatest online gaming systerm, Eyetoy-compatable lobbies, low price point, super awesome servers that will blow your mind every which way, ect.

Step 2: Never actually do it, and then promise the samn thing for the next set of consoles.

Step 3: Have sex with your mother. Right in front of you.



:D

[mister_slim]

Perhaps MS ripped Live off from Kutaragi's pre-launch PS2 hype?

[Schnoogs]

Sony has concluded that there may in fact be some interest in online gaming

;)

Next up Sony will survery if there is interest in sex amongst teenagers.

[BenN1ce]

3 keys

1) Single user log in

2) Friends List

3) Downloadable content

Everything else is a bonus. I want to be able to pop in a game, connect and play on hopefully a not so laggy server. That's all. Let the developers put whatever they want in the game for multiplayer. It's worked on PC forever. I wish they could have dedicated servers like PC's. I mean Live has to dumb down the amount of people that can play. COD2 8 people online, BF2 24 people that's a freaking joke. The big money maker is mmorpg's. I don't know how well that would work on a live type service. Just have Square do a next gen mmorpg's and watch the money roll in.

[saran_js]

Or I don't know, MSN gaming zone...

An online service takes a long time to develop, and it takes generations of building services to get them right. MS was able to draw on knowledge gained from multiple iterations of windows servers, online portals like hotmail and msn, .net, and internet integration into both windows and all the office products. They've done a lot of things right, and a lot of things wrong in building those systems and the result is that each subsequent system is generally better then the previous. Xbox Live on 360 sits on top of all that knowledge, not just the foundations from built from the original xbox.

Sony not only needs to catch up in the online console department, they need to do it without the background of building online services for over a decade. That's a very tough task.

How is making an online service component any different from creating and managing online games such as Everquest, Star Wars Galaxy and Matrix online ?
Sony or rather its subsidiaries have the know-how to make good online components. It rather the question of whether they are using these to come out with an online component to go against its competition.