Is the PS3 online experience dooming it?

r3nu4l

The PS3 is a great machine with huge potential but does anyone else get the impression that they have been cheated in terms of the PSN network and online capabilities?

COD4 is great online but there are major issues with it. We haven't seen the new map pack yet. It seems to me that XBox 360 users have a far better online system. That, combined with the recent price cuts causing XBox 360 sales to double is very worrying to me. I love my BD player, I love the media centre capabilities of the PS3 but without a decent online gaming (and support) system I can't help but feel that the PS3 will be doomed to be the second choice for most.

Does anyone know if Sony have plans to improve the online system in future updates?

DonkeyStyle \o/

I agree that it's behind the 360 in online play, but I'm not too bothered about it really, I use my PC for online gaming.
Not that I think much of the xb360 online anyway... I've played Halo3 online a few times and found it pretty boring... join some laggy game with 6 players, farting around on the same 3 or 4 maps trundling awkwardly around with a control pad, yawn.
Compare that to UT2004 on the PC, joining a 64 player onslaught server... it puts Halo3 to shame really.
So in conclusion, they both suck.

311

You still can't compare microsoft to sony ,when it comes to online gaming.

Sure microsoft had a worldwide network ,before the 360 came out:rolleyes: .
Sony already invested heavily in getting the PS3 on the market ,we're better off that microsoft won't be the only ones ,offering online gaming.

savemejebus

r3nu4l wrote: »

The PS3 is a great machine with huge potential but does anyone else get the impression that they have been cheated in terms of the PSN network and online capabilities?

COD4 is great online but there are major issues with it. We haven't seen the new map pack yet. It seems to me that XBox 360 users have a far better online system. That, combined with the recent price cuts causing XBox 360 sales to double is very worrying to me. I love my BD player, I love the media centre capabilities of the PS3 but without a decent online gaming (and support) system I can't help but feel that the PS3 will be doomed to be the second choice for most.

Does anyone know if Sony have plans to improve the online system in future updates?

Even if it is 2nd choice it shouldn't matter as long as you're enjoying it

Anyhow Xbox 360 users would want to have a better service seeing as they pay good money . Still having said that the psn works fine for me

Also before you worry too much you should remember that even with the 360 dropping in price and sales doubling, the PS3 still outsold it in the Europe (as it has done for the last 15 weeks)

Nick_oliveri

Short answer: Yes, i think it will doom it.

Long answer: Releasing everything incrementally and giving inside looks at things like Home even though the (open) beta isnt due out until Fall of this year is killing the experience IMO. The Online Video service has just been announced, when will that happen?

Rather than mentioning/hinting at things, i think it would be a lot better if they just introduced them. Jesus even a ****ty web page with videos in the Ownership of Sony BMG would suffice for most people until a better service was available. I mean, the PS Store was a web portal before the last update.

They are loosing money until the new SKU's with the smaller Cell processors and GPU's are released. If they had a smooth service with good content and more than four or five mangy themes, they could prove that a free service can match or outdo a subscription based one.

Content should be priority, Videos, free and paid for MP3's, Internet radio stations (in-game and XMB). Is it suits that run this service, or a young Youtube/Media content mad generation??

steviec

Am I the only one who still likes single player games, and prefers to play multiplayer with real friends?

I own both consoles, and to me there's no perceivable difference in online play, since I only dabble in it. Forza, FIFA and Warhawk are the only games I've played online and none of them were radically brilliant because of it.

If online is so important, why didn't PC gaming kill the last two generations of consoles?

In terms of content I'd have said the PSN store is far superior to XBLA though. There's nothing on XBLA to match Stardust HD, GT5P, Loco Roco etc. Great new games are so much better than rehashes of old ones.

Zatoichi

Why anyone would buy a console to play an FPS on-line is beyond me. The PC version of COD4 has (OMG!) free on-line play coupled with infinitely more than 4 extra maps. Supporting Microsoft's backward money-grubbing tactics isn't going to help anyone but Microsoft in the long run.

I doubt people who buy the PS3 are too worried about the on-line component anyway. The Blu-ray drive will be it's biggest attraction with the games not far behind.

Zatoichi

Zatoichi wrote: »

Why anyone would buy a console to play an FPS on-line is beyond me. The PC version of COD4 has (OMG!) free on-line play coupled with infinitely more than 4 extra maps.

Because a decent pc costs a lot of money.

superweld

i'm happy enough with ps online experience. never had an xbox but played a lot of pc game online previously. call of duty in fantastic online, i don't have any problems with it. home and in game xmb are on the way so it's only going to get better and certainly not worse or be 'doomed'

TelePaul

steviec wrote: »

Am I the only one who still likes single player games, and prefers to play multiplayer with real friends?

Nah you're not the only one. Very few games offer an offline multiplayer element.

Kintarō Hattori

Deleted User wrote: »

Because a decent pc costs a lot of money.

Not necessarily:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=55712707&postcount=3

AtomicHorror

Deleted User wrote: »

Because a decent pc costs a lot of money.

A spec with comparable performance to a PS3 would probably cost about the same as... a PS3. At least so far as we can guage from software releases to date. I'm sure someone must have run the numbers on that at some point.

de5p0i1er

I'm happy with the PS3 online service, I've never used x-box live but I know that it costs and sony are giving you there service for free. I've already heard ppl complaining that some games for the x-box and pc will now be played on the servers, that does not go down well with some pc ppl as they think there are to many assholes on x-box live.

The_Hustler

steviec wrote: »

prefers to play multiplayer with real friends?

Could that doom the PS3? I've been really disappointed so far with the lack of games I can play with my bro. I was shocked to see that Motorstorm was not multiplayer

DonkeyStyle \o/

The_Hustler wrote: »

Could that doom the PS3? I've been really disappointed so far with the lack of games I can play with my bro. I was shocked to see that Motorstorm was not multiplayer

Yeah, it's a pity about Motorstorm alright.
Resistance: fall of man has a really nice co-op mode.
That Tekken 5 DR Online (in the PS store for like €20) is good for a quick bash-around too.

vibe666

i seriously doubt they'll be any dooming of anything since blu-ray won out over hddvd in the HD format war.

even with the price drop of the 360 it's still not selling well compared to the ps3 at the moment and i don't see anything on the horison for the 360 that can change that, especially with the stuff sony has lined up to cement their position further like home and lots of top end exclusives.

we all know they've fooked up a couple of times in the beginning with the ps3 and they're still making the odd mistake but you're comparing apples to oranges.

XBL is a paid for subscription service against the PS3's free online service.

despite that it looks very much like sony are trying to make home an XBL killer, so if that actually happens XBL will be slipping into second place.

penguinpoppers

You get what you pay for.Xbox live costs money so its better The ps3 costs more and its better.
Id rather a better console with free online than a console thats known for overheating and is already being outsold by its competitor even if it does have better online.
Im not a fanboy,I have both consoles in my house (ones my dads)and just simply prefer the ps3.I NEVER use my 360 online cuz I wont pay for it.WHEN it overheats I wont get it replaced. This year ps3 will destroy xbox

Rb

Just on the topic of the PSN. I just downloaded the new maps for COD4 today, when I went to purchase it, it said I'd no funds in my e-wallet or whatever but I hit confirm purchase anyway thinking it'd bring up the screen to put in my cc details.

It just started downloading, then installed and now I can play it fine. It seems to have just charged the last card I'd used to download GH3 songs, even though I'd never agreed to have them store my card information, nor to charge that specific card. Quite an outrage, especially considering the amount of kids who'd be using the playstation store and could be charging things to their parents cards without them knowing i.e kid asks parent can they have X, parents agree and put in their CC details, kid gets X. Then kid logs on to PSN Store and hits confirm purchase to see what happens again, charges parents cards without them noticing or even the kid knowing really.

311

rb_ie wrote: »

Just on the topic of the PSN. I just downloaded the new maps for COD4 today, when I went to purchase it, it said I'd no funds in my e-wallet or whatever but I hit confirm purchase anyway thinking it'd bring up the screen to put in my cc details.

It just started downloading, then installed and now I can play it fine. It seems to have just charged the last card I'd used to download GH3 songs, even though I'd never agreed to have them store my card information, nor to charge that specific card. Quite an outrage, especially considering the amount of kids who'd be using the playstation store and could be charging things to their parents cards without them knowing i.e kid asks parent can they have X, parents agree and put in their CC details, kid gets X. Then kid logs on to PSN Store and hits confirm purchase to see what happens again, charges parents cards without them noticing or even the kid knowing really.

I don't like that myself ,it's a bit blatant to be saving peoples info like that.

Lord Nikon

311 wrote: »

I don't like that myself ,it's a bit blatant to be saving peoples info like that.

Welcome to world of online shopping, it has been around awhile you know.

Creamy Goodness

neuromancer wrote: »

Welcome to world of online shopping, it has been around awhile you know.

i think it falls under a breach of the data protection act, they aren't specifically allowed to store any information - especially credit card numbers - if you don't agree to it.

although you'd need to read their T&C's to see exactly what you're agreeing to.

Lord Nikon

Yes, but most online retailers prefer to have there customers details on file. I have an amazon.com account, and as they keep everyones CC details online, they dont ask you if they can, no doubt it's tied up in there T&C's too.

311

neuromancer wrote: »

Welcome to world of online shopping, it has been around awhile you know.

Excuse me dale winton ,but I don't see any comparison in using a credit card on a PC with proper firewalled software .
And using a games console that saves my credit card details with a password login.