PlayStation Network NOT free…for third party developers

Here’s another one to keep the rumor mill running: the PlayStation Network turns out to be not so free after all. It’s advertised as free, right? But then if you think about it, Sony‘s not exactly the epitome of charity-giving, and it IS a business after all. So then, if PS3 users won’t pay, Sony won’t pay, is it possible that third party publishers will?

This is the scuttlebutt going around among industry insiders, that Sony is planning on charging third party developers to cover the cost of demo downloads. According to these insiders, this is what Sony is allegedly thinking: they won’t ask users to pay for demos so that their PS Network will remain “free”, but they could charge third party developers for every time a PS3 user downloads their game.

Now, it’s too easy to think of this in a “better them than me” attitude ‘coz basically, yeah, we won’t be shelling out any money for demos. BUT, if third party developers get maimed for every time we download their demos, do you really think they’d still be encouraged to put up a lot of demos in the PS Network? Don’t think so. So see, even if we, as consumers, don’t pay anything for the demos, the effects of charging third party developers for every demo download will still inevitably go back to PS3 users.

So the end result is (or so it seems, to this writer at least): there will be less demos, and thus, less users on the PlayStation Network. And consequently, Microsoft will be happy because then there’ll be more third party developers on Xbox Live. So should we then stick to our 360’s if that’s the case?

Again, this is just a rumor, and Sony still has to reach a decision about this. But if this does push through, don’t be surprised if you find very few game demos and loads of Blu-ray movie trailers on the PlayStation Network.

Via Kotaku

Here’s another one to keep the rumor mill running: the PlayStation Network turns out to be not so free after all. It’s advertised as free, right? But then if you think about it, Sony‘s not exactly the epitome of charity-giving, and it IS a business after all. So then, if PS3 users won’t pay, Sony won’t pay, is it possible that third party publishers will?

This is the scuttlebutt going around among industry insiders, that Sony is planning on charging third party developers to cover the cost of demo downloads. According to these insiders, this is what Sony is allegedly thinking: they won’t ask users to pay for demos so that their PS Network will remain “free”, but they could charge third party developers for every time a PS3 user downloads their game.

Now, it’s too easy to think of this in a “better them than me” attitude ‘coz basically, yeah, we won’t be shelling out any money for demos. BUT, if third party developers get maimed for every time we download their demos, do you really think they’d still be encouraged to put up a lot of demos in the PS Network? Don’t think so. So see, even if we, as consumers, don’t pay anything for the demos, the effects of charging third party developers for every demo download will still inevitably go back to PS3 users.

So the end result is (or so it seems, to this writer at least): there will be less demos, and thus, less users on the PlayStation Network. And consequently, Microsoft will be happy because then there’ll be more third party developers on Xbox Live. So should we then stick to our 360’s if that’s the case?

Again, this is just a rumor, and Sony still has to reach a decision about this. But if this does push through, don’t be surprised if you find very few game demos and loads of Blu-ray movie trailers on the PlayStation Network.

Via Kotaku