Sony Computer Entertainment America blames broadband pricing on PS2's 10% online uptake
Kazuo Hirai calls for online console rethink
Speaking to assembled guests at yesterday's Congressional Internet Caucus event in Washington, Sony Computer Entertainment America CEO Kazuo Hirai somewhat surprisingly called on Internet service providers to rethink the pricing structure for broadband provision in the country.
Making a rallying call, Hirai-san said, "Broadband has got to be available for an affordable price - Forty dollars for broadband gets you just the pipe. You're not getting any content." He noted that while traditional sites will provide certain content, full online gaming is overlooked - or priced out of the market. "We're going to hold up our end of the bargain in providing compelling content," throwing down the gauntlet to the ISP industry to work more closely with SCEA in getting gamers online.
As you may be aware, Sony has hinted that the relatively slow take-up of online PlayStation 2 gaming - around 10% of its installed user base - has been hampered by a lack of competitive pricing in the broadband sector.
Making a rallying call, Hirai-san said, "Broadband has got to be available for an affordable price - Forty dollars for broadband gets you just the pipe. You're not getting any content." He noted that while traditional sites will provide certain content, full online gaming is overlooked - or priced out of the market. "We're going to hold up our end of the bargain in providing compelling content," throwing down the gauntlet to the ISP industry to work more closely with SCEA in getting gamers online.
As you may be aware, Sony has hinted that the relatively slow take-up of online PlayStation 2 gaming - around 10% of its installed user base - has been hampered by a lack of competitive pricing in the broadband sector.
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Comments
sexualdrew113 24 Jun 2004 11:16
1/6
broadband is too goddamn expensive... and i dont think sony has done enough to promote online game play. when you think online gaming, you think xbox. you dont think ps2 and certainly not gamecube.
Brown Force 24 Jun 2004 12:17
2/6
Well a main reason why so few are going online on their Playstation 2 is because the lack of good online games. Perhaps they should consider that. Other than Socom 2, which is not remarkably good what other online exclusive titles do they have? EA can only take them so far. And with the constant promise of Gran Tourismo 4 which seems to be always out of reach, maybe they should start supporting their online network a bit more. Exspecially in Europe.
Also most of their 70 Million installed base hardly use their PS2's for gaming anyway and most I would guess brought it for its DvD capabilities back when DvD's were exspensive.
Though I think the ridiculous price of Broadband is a factor and I for one would like a price to severly drop...I just don't think its the most important in Sony's case. I mean Xbox Live seems to be doing good. Why can't PS2 online?
Also most of their 70 Million installed base hardly use their PS2's for gaming anyway and most I would guess brought it for its DvD capabilities back when DvD's were exspensive.
Though I think the ridiculous price of Broadband is a factor and I for one would like a price to severly drop...I just don't think its the most important in Sony's case. I mean Xbox Live seems to be doing good. Why can't PS2 online?
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warrp3d 24 Jun 2004 18:40
3/6
sony's online network has two major flaws one is that it has no killer apps with the exception of socom 2 and the other is that it is not a closed network such as microsoft's xbox live has many measures to prevent cheating and whatnot, i have broadband and no ps2online, mainly because i'd rather play on a well developed network than on sony's thrown together 'experience'
tyrion 24 Jun 2004 19:13
4/6
Speaking as one who is very well versed with the intricacies of setting up networking on computers and other devices, the approach taken by both Sony and Microsoft is poor.
Most people, at least in the UK, who have broadband use a modem, usually a USB device connected to their PC or Mac. Very few people have a broadband router capable of taking a standard RJ45 ethernet cable. The latter cable is the connector found on both the XBox and the Playstation 2 network adapter as well as your common or garden PC network card.
This fact means most people are running their consoles through a host computer to get to the online services. Herein lies the problem. Since most people will have a firewall on their PC or Mac (if you don't and you use broadband you fully deserve every virus, trojan and worm you fall prey to) there is a configuration problem in enabling the console to see the outside world.
In addition, the gaming services need to be able to contact the console, again firewall configuration problems ensue.
Also, anybody with a firewall that performs NAT (network address translation - essentially internet address sharing so multiple devices can use a single address on the Internet) must configure the exact ports the gaming services so they are mapped back to the console and not the host PC, which would usually receive all requests to the externally visible IP address.
All of the above means to get your console on the internet and playing online games, you must have very good knowledge of firewalls and networking or turn off your protection and risk having your host PC turned into a petri dish for computer viruses.
It would be so much simpler if the gaming services only contacted the console along communication channels the console its self had initiated. This would remove the need for the port-mapping outlined above. It's not as if this is a restrictive way to work, it's how the web works.
At SPOnG we have had many problems getting our XBox and PS2 systems online, even with the help of our professional firewall maintenance company, I barely managed to get my PS2 online at home.
None of the above helps the cause of online gaming, which is surely going to be an important addition to the online way of life we are evolving towards.
My only hope is that Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo get the network layer of their systems sorted out so that they can work easily behind a firewall and stop us having to turn off the protection we need to safely connect any device to the Internet.
Most people, at least in the UK, who have broadband use a modem, usually a USB device connected to their PC or Mac. Very few people have a broadband router capable of taking a standard RJ45 ethernet cable. The latter cable is the connector found on both the XBox and the Playstation 2 network adapter as well as your common or garden PC network card.
This fact means most people are running their consoles through a host computer to get to the online services. Herein lies the problem. Since most people will have a firewall on their PC or Mac (if you don't and you use broadband you fully deserve every virus, trojan and worm you fall prey to) there is a configuration problem in enabling the console to see the outside world.
In addition, the gaming services need to be able to contact the console, again firewall configuration problems ensue.
Also, anybody with a firewall that performs NAT (network address translation - essentially internet address sharing so multiple devices can use a single address on the Internet) must configure the exact ports the gaming services so they are mapped back to the console and not the host PC, which would usually receive all requests to the externally visible IP address.
All of the above means to get your console on the internet and playing online games, you must have very good knowledge of firewalls and networking or turn off your protection and risk having your host PC turned into a petri dish for computer viruses.
It would be so much simpler if the gaming services only contacted the console along communication channels the console its self had initiated. This would remove the need for the port-mapping outlined above. It's not as if this is a restrictive way to work, it's how the web works.
At SPOnG we have had many problems getting our XBox and PS2 systems online, even with the help of our professional firewall maintenance company, I barely managed to get my PS2 online at home.
None of the above helps the cause of online gaming, which is surely going to be an important addition to the online way of life we are evolving towards.
My only hope is that Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo get the network layer of their systems sorted out so that they can work easily behind a firewall and stop us having to turn off the protection we need to safely connect any device to the Internet.
DoctorDee 25 Jun 2004 14:04
5/6
Brown Force wrote:
>Also most of their 70 Million installed base
>hardly use their PS2's for gaming anyway and most
>I would guess brought it for its DvD capabilities
>back when DvD's were exspensive.
This just doesn't add up. Most of the 70M PS2s were sold AFTER DVDs became cheaper than the PS2. Nowadays a perfectly good DVD player is £30, the PS2 is still over £100 - and it's not even a good DVD player.
Certainly some people bought the PS2 for its DVD playing capabilities, but to state that 35,000,000 people did is just ridiculous.
>Also most of their 70 Million installed base
>hardly use their PS2's for gaming anyway and most
>I would guess brought it for its DvD capabilities
>back when DvD's were exspensive.
This just doesn't add up. Most of the 70M PS2s were sold AFTER DVDs became cheaper than the PS2. Nowadays a perfectly good DVD player is £30, the PS2 is still over £100 - and it's not even a good DVD player.
Certainly some people bought the PS2 for its DVD playing capabilities, but to state that 35,000,000 people did is just ridiculous.
fluffstardx 25 Jun 2004 18:41
6/6
I find them fingering the blame on broadband pricing yet another way of making their excuses to the board; if it's such a big barrier, why so many Live users? £20 a month can get you broadband now- maybe not fantastic ones (unless you have cable), but it's still a connection. Heck, get it off AOL and they even give you a USB modem for your PC for free!
It has to be admitted that setting it all up is a nightmare; the only one that isn't is, ironically, the Cube. Why Microsoft didn't just make it so you plugged it into the line direct and have the Internet Connection Wizard-esque software a PC has. Most providers access that way anyway, so it'd make no difference.
It has to be admitted that setting it all up is a nightmare; the only one that isn't is, ironically, the Cube. Why Microsoft didn't just make it so you plugged it into the line direct and have the Internet Connection Wizard-esque software a PC has. Most providers access that way anyway, so it'd make no difference.