Mr Sony lays out an online future for PS3

May 9th, 2006, 17:02 Posted By: wraggster

Via CVG

You know how you get air conditioning in cars, and it comes as a standard? If the car's all new and shiny at least? Well Kaz Hirai, chief of Sony activities in the US, has used this poetic metaphor to explain the relationship between PS3 and online functionality - it's hardly Keats, but I guess we can forgive him.

Gamers expect online stuff like they expect rain and the man himself states that networking "is as essential as the air we breathe". Playstation 3 will therefore come with all the friends lists, player profiles and messaging that a gamer could need - a self proclaimed "virtual society". What does it have over Xbox?

Well the video chat certainly sounds pretty sexy, although Microsoft's EyeToy-style camera should be revealed properly tomorrow. Apart from that it sounds very similar to Xbox Live's Gold/Silver split, since the promise that basic services will be "free of charge".

The online microtransactions system also sounds very similar to Xbox Live's Microsoft Points system, but on PS3 you'll be able to get games, music and movies. The PSP will also feed into this system, with downloadable PS1 games available to play on the go.

Where does payment start? Well, they haven't announced that just yet...

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