Free online

[Frodo 13]

Can someone explain to me what Sony will offer 'online'? Are there several types of memberships? What else is there?

[Kid Pyrrhic]

Sony is currently claiming that they'll offer a free online service.

Thats pretty much all we know.

There is a considerate amount of information floating around that it'll be up to developers to handle online gameplay for their respective games. Sony will provide a backbone service (similar to what Live's gamercard is), but that is the extent of their hand.

Again, we won't know any hard facts till the thing ships and we see how it plays out.

There was also talks of a Master profile, with four other ones. But I think the information got a little confused with Sony's plan to allow 5 downloads of a particular item per purchase.

[Peench]

Does anyone else find it a bit strange that with the excellent ability of Sony to market stuff not more information about the online aspect has been put out? I find it a bit strange.

[SpOoNmAn]

Because they dont have much to say.

You'll have a central Sony ID, and an ID for almost every game after that(unless EA makes it one ID across all their games, and all other developers follow suit. So take 10 games from 10 different developers, and you have 11 IDs).

Enjoy

[Frodo 13]

Thanks for the insight guys. It just boggles as me as the launch is near there isn't enough information being provided yet.

[KEEZY]

Yeah, very true...

Hopefully they'll have some hands-on reports soon enough.

[WormholeXtreme]

Do they even know yet how many they'll have available for launch?

[SpOoNmAn]

Originally Posted by WormholeXtreme

Do they even know yet how many they'll have available for launch?

Some of these might slip to a later date...

Exclusives:
Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom
Resistance: Fall of Man
Genji: Days of the Blade
Full Auto 2: Battlelines
Ridge Racer 7

Cross Platform:
Blazing Angels
Call of Duty 3
EA Sports Fight Night Round 3
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
F.E.A.R.
Madden NFL 07
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
Mobile Suit Gundam: Crossfire
NBA 2K7
Need For Speed Carbon
NHL 2K7
Sonic the Hedgehog
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas
Tony Hawk's Project 8

[Crippler]

Resistance (a big launch title) isn't even using Sony's central ID for online. The game will provide the friends list, ID, etc. So, what's with all these Live comparisons? Sounds like they should compare it more to the PS2.

[SpOoNmAn]

Originally Posted by Crippler

Resistance (a big launch title) isn't even using Sony's central ID for online. The game will provide the friends list, ID, etc. So, what's with all these Live comparisons? Sounds like they should compare it more to the PS2.

Precisely why I mentioned the "several ID's needed" a few posts above. Some say that will be managed better in a year or so but that doesnt help matters right now.

EA games will have their own ID as well(assuming its 1 per all EA games, if not and you need an ID for every one, wow[wouldnt put this past EA]).

**Oh and you'll need a friends list per Each ID. [That has been confirmed]

Its going to take 2 to 4 years for anyone to come even close to what Live is capable of and how dependable and efficient it is, for anyone to think otherwise shows they are confused and out of touch with reality.

[Frodo 13]

Man, that whole systems sounds like a big mess. "You need an ID here to play this game and another for that one. "

[SpOoNmAn]

This just in...

One sign-in for every game, but online features will still differ

Every game on the PlayStation 3 will use the same universal sign-in and the same online ID, Sony has confirmed - even titles which do not use the central buddy list and messaging systems offered by the console.

Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz this morning, the UK producer on launch title Resistance, Dan Brooke, said that he "wishes to be clear that Resistance uses the PlayStation online ID to sign into the game. There is no separate login for Resistance and the online ID you create will be the same you use for all titles."

The clarification comes after Ted Price, head of Resistance developer Insomniac Games, revealed last week that despite having extensive online functionality, the game will not be using the central buddy list offered by the PS3; instead, players will build an in-game buddy list unique to the game.

Resistance is also set to offer advanced community features such as clan support, party support, match-making and ranking. At present the PlayStation 3 operating system does not offer centralised support for these features.

However, contrary to some reports which have appeared in recent weeks, gamers will not be expected to sign up new accounts for each game they play, as the PS3 will handle a single sign-in ID for this purpose.

This system is similar to how online games worked on the PlayStation 2, where users had a single Central Station ID which identified them in every game on the system - although unlike the PS2, the PS3's network adapter is built in and configures itself automatically in most network environments, and the system boasts persistent internal storage for network and sign-in details, as well as for downloaded content.

However, the PS3's service still falls significantly short of Microsoft's highly regarded Xbox Live system, whose voice chat, messaging, buddy lists and so on are not only a core part of the service, but are utilised by all online titles on the console.

Source

2 guys from the same company saying 2 different things They need to get their acts together and communicate better. This shows that not only is Sony being hush hush about a lot of things to the consumers, but is also not relaying info correctly to developers/publishers.

It must suck to have your game, Resistance, thats developed in the UK, not be available until 4 months later.