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| OriginalPrime 4:13 pm January 5, 2009
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Just before the new year Sony decided it high time to roll out a "public beta" version of their long-in-wait service, Playstation Home. Having not played with Home for any extensive amount of time I'm hardly qualified to speak of its virtues, much less its purpose. However, Rastafunk Abe and I caught an article on arstechnica recently detailing just how popular "add-on" items are despite limited assortment and bugs common with any beta software.
Sony is driving the micro-transaction to new levels and their program (game?) hasn't even officially started. Take for instance the creation of "groups"… I can best liken this to a clanship of sorts, though limited to 31 users. In beta form, groups cost $5.00. In their final stage (I was warned upon trying to create a group…) they will incur monthly service fees to maintain. I dared to believe that anyone would pay for a half-hearted "Friend's List" so I ran a search. All groups… I can't tell you how many popped up, but it was at least several hundred.
  Another pricing matter which took me by surprise was the total disparity between the various goods for sale. Fancy, designer coffee tables selling for $1 while a t-shirt sells for $2.50. I can only surmise the reason being that a coffee table is there for one's personal enjoyment while a t-shirt is a walking advertisement visible to the masses.
The last thing that caught my attention was a comment posted in regards to the original ars story. One commenter asked the question "Who cares? What does it matter if people buy into this? Let them waste their money…" Which brings me to this post. I care because Sony is taking the lead in setting a precedent that's quite dangerous to the consumer. I perceive the problem to be larger than a company simply charging real-world cash for petty online crap; rather, I believe that Sony, and other game studios, will dumb down their initial offerings without lowering the price of entry.
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Losing Post Count Whiner | SmokinDragon Colorado 2:22 pm January 8, 2009
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Well let's see, we all blast Microsoft for overpricing and micro transactions and the inevitable Mii store – oops meant avatar store but I can't strikethrough text anymore (hey, where'd that go?), but where's the all the riots over this? Maybe they're waiting till it actually comes out, or then again, maybe Sony fanboys will follow along with anything the grand-poobah at Sony HQ demands. Sony fanboys continually bash us gamers (i.e. Xbox gamers/fanboys/loyalists) for paying an annual fee for XBL but at least I don't have to pay to keep a friends list or keep up with my clanmates. T-shirts and tables… wow, I won't be buying any avatar clothes and I'd really be torqued over the additional costs (and higher) to outfit my virtual pad.
I do agree with the statement "… believe that Sony, will dumb down their initial offerings without lowering the price of entry"
Yep, look at what they've done with the various models for the PS3 – take away functions (e.g. backwards compatability) and never lower the price. Sony marketing at it's finest! Oh but don't worry, blu-ray will save it, oh, maybe not.
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Admin
| OriginalPrime 12:40 pm January 9, 2009
posts 98 |
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I do agree with the statement "… believe that Sony, will dumb down their initial offerings without lowering the price of entry"
Yep, look at what they've done with the various models for the PS3 – take away functions (e.g. backwards compatability) and never lower the price. Sony marketing at it's finest! Oh but don't worry, blu-ray will save it, oh, maybe not.
I wasn't just referring to hardware. I'm talking about games, mo frau. I know that GameInformer (maybe another magazine?) joked about having to buy air for your football in Madden 2012, but that's what I see happening. Not that I disagree with add-on content, but what I worry about is that a micro-transaction model such as PlayStation Home will prove such content viable. Then, inevitably, game makers will simply start charging extra for stuff… Stuff that should have been included on the original game disc.
On the one hand, if the initial price of games comes way down – say $10 or $15 – then I don't see a problem paying for a few extra things. Problem is, the price of entry – the price we pay for a game – isn't going to come down, yet developers (not just Sony) will nickel and dime us to death if we really want a "complete" game experience.
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Losing Post Count Whiner | Bi0hazzard NorthEast PA 2:44 pm January 9, 2009
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I looks like Sony believes their "fanboys" will pay for the product. Sad part is, I believe that all companies will try this. The only way to get the point across is to boycot the product or products. but that will probaly never happen in my life time
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Nurse by day
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Losing Post Count Whiner | SmokinDragon Colorado 1:44 pm January 15, 2009
posts 157 |
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Agree – game prices are not going to come down. Developers need their paycheck, publishers need their paycheck – thus taking our paychecks for games we want to play.
Agree – companies are going to try and milk us for all our nickels and dimes (Sony – home, MS – avatar store).
Agree – The only way it won't work is if we all agree to not pay for it. If people are willing to pay, then the system will continue. That leaves it down to individual choice whether to spend money on a virtual home coffee table or different color t-shirt. That's OK by me since I have the choice to not pay for those items. Problem lies if they go the micro-transactions for games themselves in madatory ways – such as the air for football or some of the other ideas EA has had in the last year.
Agree w/ Bio – Sony fanboys will continue to support Sony's marketing strategy and continue to deny the sad state of affairs that Sony has put themselves in now regarding the PS3. (Good thing they're still selling the PS2.) Gosh, even the front page article is exclaiming the salvation of the PS3 by the burlap cat-nip toy and Sony micro-transactions. So it must all be OK, no matter what the NPD sales numbers say.
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Admin
| OriginalPrime 1:10 pm February 1, 2009
posts 98 |
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SmokinDragon said:
Gosh, even the front page article is exclaiming the salvation of the PS3 by the burlap cat-nip toy and Sony micro-transactions. So it must all be OK, no matter what the NPD sales numbers say.
Don't knock Sackboy!
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Funky Fried | Aezuriel 3:33 pm February 1, 2009
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Post edited 3:40 pm – February 1, 2009 by Aezuriel
Post edited 3:41 pm – February 1, 2009 by Aezuriel
I don't care whether you like Sony or not, but Sackboy is awesome.
Flame the PS3, flame Sony. But MediaMolecule is doing a darned fine job bringing their baby to the masses. They are being cautious yet continual with their updates, the only thing you have to pay to download that affects gameplay in any way is the Metal Gear Solid Pack. Mind you, thats only if you want to build with the stuff. The content is in the updates, so even non-paying users can play with stuff on someone elses level. The only proliffic Micro-transaction content being put out are the costumes (for which there is a huge following).
That Catnip-toy maybe Sony's only saving grace at the moment, but he is well up to the job. It also highlights something that Sony has done, almost to the exclusion of other name brands, supporting small developers. If you recall, LittleBigPlanet was originally slated to be a small DLC only title.
The "arcade" section on the PSN is much more diverse and supported than anything hyped up by the X-Bots. If they continue to develop this asset, the PS3 may wind up being the industry leader by via Micro-transaction alone, not to account for however many IPs they lock down by simply being a huge help to the pioneers who are making new games.
Like it or not, Micro-transactions are the future. Look at our youger generations' consumption of disposable media via Cell Phones, I-tunes, Netflicks, and even X-box Live or the Wii (yes I consider the Wii a disposable system … though I think it is a brilliant design strategy).
Its not just about Sony trying to bank on its fanboy support. Its good market positioning.
I am far from being a PS3 fanboy… but don't you dare mess with my Sack! 
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Losing Post Count Whiner | Troyski 10:03 pm February 1, 2009
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SWOOOOSSHHHHHH……. 
You hear that?
That's the sound of this in depth conversation going over my head.
Remember to keep it simple for the regular joes in this forum.  
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[url=http://profile.mygamercard.net/Troyski04][img]http://card.mygamercard.net/nxe/Troyski04.png[/img][/url]
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Admin
| OriginalPrime 2:02 pm February 2, 2009
posts 98 |
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Post edited 2:07 pm – February 2, 2009 by OriginalPrime
Troy, allow me to interpret:
SmokinDragon: What's all this Sony nonsense?!
Prime: Uhhh, micro…transactions?
SmokinDragon: That sounds fabulous. NOT!
Prime: So, you like my Sack then?
<Aezuriel enters the room>
Aezuriel: 'Sup fellas? How's it going?
Prime: Smokin was checking out my Sack.
SmokinDragon: Yeah… No, I wasn't. In fact, I was just leaving.
Aezuriel: You wanna check out my Sack before you go?
<Long, awkward silence>
Prime: Oh…my GOD it's Alfred Mol-
SmokinDragon: DR. OCTOGONAPUS! BLAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
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Losing Post Count Whiner | SmokinDragon Colorado 11:43 am February 3, 2009
posts 157 |
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Troy- translation:
We all agree that paying points/dollars/dukats/coinage for little in-game stuff is b.s. – think Oblivion horse armor or paying EA for codes to unlock in-game stuff or Sony for a pink-and purple wallpaper for your virtual home.
We all agree that both Sony and MS will use micro-transactions to squeeze as many pennies out of gamers as they can for as long as people will pay for them. Got to try to stay out of the red somehow.
As for the other things:
1. Aezurial and Prime sleep with little teddy-bear like "Sackboys."
2. I don't like Sackboys, Prime or Azurial's burlap sacks, catnip toys or anything else called a "sack". (Ewwww) I also don't like platformers (no matter the console) and certainly don't have interest in one you have to build yourself. A level I built would be flat with maybe a few steps up into a bar and then you sit down with friends and then sit and eat, drink, and smoke cigars until game over.
3. Prime almost made me spew coffee all over my keyboard and monitor with his last post since I was laughing so hard.
Oh, and I'm glad you guys like LBP, seriously, PS3 owners were due for a game they could call their own. I've asked a few guys at work who have PS3's and none of them are playing it though – no interest. It may be the IT/engineering male demographic they fall in, but they were mostly playing multi-console releases and the Rock-band / guitar hero games. You may love LBP, and hopefully it made a profit, but it is not rocking the world.
But please, don't sit there and tell me that Sony supports the little guys and MS doesn't (yanking the fan made mario levels out of LBP was a corporate liability perspective and dang the little guys). Look at the Arcade, look at the support for new community games, and the new tools MS is supporting for little future dev's, like that tool-set/game that they showcased with the 12 year old girl (can't remember it's name). Not to mention the difficulty programming for the Cell and the lack of assistance from mother-Sony that developers have posted about in many other forums.
And saying that the PSN is better than the all the offerings in the Arcade and XBL… I doubt it. Hmmmmm, I wonder what the number comparison is in reference to games, downloads, people playing, etc.?
We're all fanboys in one way or another (present company included)… and you sir are the Nimrod's #1 Sony fanboy.
Oh and don't worry, I have no desire to mess with your Sack. 
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Losing Post Count Whiner | Bi0hazzard NorthEast PA 10:57 am February 5, 2009
posts 210 |
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"Check out my sack" ROFLMAO
Yeah what SD said.
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Nurse by day
Gamer by night |
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Admin
| OriginalPrime 2:20 pm February 5, 2009
posts 98 |
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SmokinDragon said:
I don't like Sackboys, Prime or Azurial's burlap sacks, catnip toys or anything else called a "sack".
I just got an email from Idaho's State Board of Tourism. You've been banned from buying potatoes.
Sorry buddy!
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Losing Post Count Whiner | SmokinDragon Colorado 10:47 am February 6, 2009
posts 157 |
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Losing Post Count Whiner | Troyski 2:54 pm February 6, 2009
posts 199 |
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Is that sack suppose to be big?
Typical nimrod forum . . . . from micro-transactions to sacks!
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[url=http://profile.mygamercard.net/Troyski04][img]http://card.mygamercard.net/nxe/Troyski04.png[/img][/url]
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