Sony's PS3 pay-to-play plan

One the things I love the most about Sony's uber console, the PlayStation 3, is the fact that I can game online without coughing up any more of my hard earned cash.

Like many PS3 owners I suffered a moment of major panic late last week when Sony confirmed at an investor conference they are planning to launch a paid subscription model for the PS3s online services in 2010.

Such a move would bring see Sony operating a two-tiered online services business model for the PS3 that would most likely operate along similar lines to Microsoft's Xbox Live.

Xbox Live offers a premium Gold subscription and free Silver membership which only gives access to basic services.

Sony was quick to reassure panicked PS3 owners that they would not have to pay to play, with Sony Computer Entertainment CEO, Kaz Hirai issuing a statement stating that the present level of free online services available in the PS3 would remain.

Details around subscription based offerings will be announced in 2010.

Sony has already confirmed that premium services will include peripherals, software and some online services.

The presentation gives some tantalising hints at possible directions Sony are likely to take PS3 premium online services in.

Perhaps the most interesting bit - briefly hinted at by the presentation - was adding 3D capabilities ranging from 3D Blu-Ray playback and 3D games to the PS3 in 2010 via a downloadable update.

The presentation also talks up greater interconnectivity that could see the PlayStation 3's already impressive HD multimedia capabilities further bolstered by Sony integrating online services to its other products for easier access to media and content sharing.

Sony is also expected to expand the line up of Sony devices that have PS3 compatibility, while fans speculate that a PSP mobile phone could be on the cards over the next two years.

Sony also showed its E3-announced PS3 motion controller in the presentation.

When used with the PlayStation Eye camera, this could well usher in a new era of interactive gaming. Other premium services could also include video on demand and downloadable books and comics for the PSP.

Developers are also expected to become more active in the non-games space with Sony announcing during the presentation that they will be releasing a non-games software development kit in mid 2010. This could see a raft of interactive 3rd party products and services being offered via the PlayStation 3's online service.

Adding premium services plus a richer set of applications and hardware to the PlayStation 3 ecosystem makes considerable sense for Sony who are aiming to increase digital sales from the PlayStation Store to around NZ$797 million by the end of this year.

PlayStation Network fact

33 million registered users
5.4 million PS3 users sign in on a daily basis
1.4 million PS3 owners visit the PlayStation Store daily
25 Petabytes of applications, multimedia and games downloaded every month