Sony declares "full-on assault" on Xbox Live

Snake2k9:

So, will you be graduating from Junior High in 2009 little buddy? Is your mom paying for Xbox LIVE so you can scream and annoy the rest of us while we play?

Thank goodness you are not getting a PS3, that way us adults can enjoy our new (and improved) next-gen LIVE service (no 1.5 patches or anything). It's true though, why would you need a High Definition player anyway? You can watch Teletubbies on an SDTV.

A live service was a the #1 decision maker for me. Xbox 360 was my choice. This changes everything. An internet browser is also at the top of my wishlish. If I'm paying as much as a computer costs, give me the functionality as a bonus. Looks like I'm gonna have my cake and eat it too. Now if they would only do something about that double dildo controller.

"7. Bah, Sony was never good at keeping promises. I'll bet their online service will suck."

But you're hoping it will be good, right? :/

I'll just buy both and keep playing my DS and PSP

I love arrogance.

As Mike mentioned, Sony owns 2 major motion picture studios as well as a record label. They have a gigantic catalog (now including MGM) of movies and music that they can sell online. The PS3's online service will probably mainly be a way to download movies and music and use the multimedia capabilities of the PS3. I can't see how they can beat Live for gaming, but they sure have the capability to go up against iTunes and the like for digital content distribution.

"34. Am I the only person that remembers the promises before the PS2 launched?

I remember Sony telling us that the PS2 would be the center of our entertainment system, downloading music, movies and games onto the hard drive.

What happened?"

Am i the only person to hear that Microsoft plans to reach 1 Billion people worldwide?

What happened?

Everyone that says "I bet it will suck" *hopes* it will suck.

"Microsoft have spent years, and billions of $ building the Live infrastructure, with some of the best people in the business at hand. MS live and sleep online software, whereas Sony can't seem to make a good piece of software let alone a full online service to save their lives."

What makes you think that Sony hasn't been working on it? Even Nintendo WiFi is growing much faster than Xbox LIVE, when Metroid Prime DS is not out yet, the the redesigned DS is not even out yet, let alone the Nintendo Revolution. Hell, in the worst possible case, Xbox LIVE could end up being *last place* in number of members for the next-gen, given this news and the WiFi trends; each day, 360 seems more and more last-gen, despite the upcoming games.

Anyway, are you serious? Microsoft does not make good software; they just mass produce it.

The Emotion engine isn't what it was hyped up to be, but goddamnit it showed emotion on the characters! What's funny is, that even though the PS2 was a little below expectations, it certainly did much better than the XBOX and Gamecube.

PS3= will be online (MUST compare to Live eventually to survive and be profitable...you think sony doesn't know this?)
Xbox Live = is GOD for now...(anyone who denies this is a PS2/3 fanboy) and probably well into the future

360 vs PS3 = insane competition = good for gamers (they want your business/money morons!)

While this is potentially good news for everybody (including Xbox 360 players and fans) it remains to be seen if Sony will actually deliver. Anyone remember when Sony was touting AOL and RealPlayer on PS2?

Here's a new idea: how about, regardless of past performance, we HOPE that Sony's online services will succeed? The very foundation of capitalism is that competition fosters innovation and better services. The same principle will work here, too: if Sony comes out with an excellent service, then Microsoft and Nintendo will feel obligated to improve their own services further. If you'll admit that no online service is perfect, then Sony's success works to your benefit, REGARDLESS of which system or company you are rooting for.

But I guess everyone has to fight to defend their purchase as the obvious best one. Carry on, then.

Oh, goodie! Maybe, if we're lucky, they'll include XCP like they did on CD's. That way, hackers can ruin your computer AND your gaming console. Can't Wait!

Bring it.

Ive had a PS2, got a PSP and the sony walkman. Each time I buy sony I pay over the odds for a shiny new piece of kit and the SW lets it down. Connect on the walkman, restricted video playback on the PSP, downnloadable content for the PS2??? What happened. Sony love to take the p155 out of all us sony lovers by making us hate the oppoisition and sticking up for them. Then they go dissaponting us with the "true" power of the emotion engine and make us look like w4nkers. I'm sick of it. Xbox Live is cool and I am sick of waiting for blue ray. I can see sony releasing a non Blu Ray system. XBL Rules

Wow, all I got to say is that, given the response, this seems to have hit a little to close for the 360 fans.

Nothing official's been announced and they've all got their backs up - screaming and shouting and all. Save that for Halo2 boys!

SONY HYPE!!!

What's new, at E3 all they did was show us demo's off a pc. Now they're trying to convince us that they have MS beaten on a service they've no real experience in!(By the way I don't count the ps2 online as it was total shite!)

So let all the sony fan boys run around posting how it'll cream the 360....but let's be realistic shall we. Microsoft have developed and rolled out a next gen console online......Sony as far as I'm aware hasn't even finished the ps3's final build. I'm the same as anyone, all i want is a gaming system that's the nuts.....but until Sony actually reveal anything final, it's not worth the paper it's written on!

All these online services including 360's live have not really evolved.... So what you can now download extra stuff on 360 (like movies, demo's,etc,etc). Who cares about that when they should all be offering us a universal online system to connect up to any console & play 3rd party , non-exclusive games against anyone, anywhere on any of there chosen consoles.....

Imagine being able to play unreal 2007 on your PS3 against revo & 360 players. This is the only way to take online gaming forward... the rest is all gimmicks & that you will hardly use......Why would I want to download more stuff on my system, when it's only common sense that one day your system is gonna get a virus, just like a computer. I'd like to keep the d/loads & viruses to the pc & the console to strictly game playing...

I have no doubt sony can have a equal infrastructure to 360 live with PS3, as they have been working on it for around 4 yrs. I'd be more concerned for nintendo as I've not heard too much at all about their online status apart from being able to download final fight & other 25yr old classics that we'll look at once, then never play again........

All three companies should have linked services or one service & they can all individually charge for extra content, maps & general downloadables.

Anyway this is better news than sony's last add on online service as at least this time it is a planned feature that will release within the machine, instead of an add on afterthought they never thought would come into fruition.
Another reason I'll be buying a PS3 only this time....

Hey bd (post 83),

There are quite a few good single-player games on the Xbox. I'm primarily a single-player game person, and I've been happy with Jade Empire, Morrowind, KOTOR 1&2, Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth, Psychonauts (also on PS2), Ninja Gaiden, Fable, the same three GTA games that are on PS2, Beyond Good & Evil, Panzer Dragoon Orta, Silent Hill 2&4... And some people seem to really dig the Splinter Cell games. To say that there are no quality single player games on Xbox (or any system, really) is not to have done one's homework. PS2, Xbox and GameCube all have enough quality games that a gamer ought to be able to find stuff that makes them happy.

Now if only more games would come out for my Xbox 360. I've finished the (fairly lame) single-player mode on PDZ (only buy for the multiplayer) as well as completed Condemned. Where's Oblivion, dammit?

"SONY agains XBOX LIVE? LOL!

hm ... does SONY haves HALO 3? no."


hahahahahahahahah....
again another MS fanboy who can only mention 1 game that Sony doesn't have..... coincidently it is the only game that kept ms alive last gen.... It was really the only great exclusive game for the system.

How many PS2 owners would want to give up
Devil May Cry
Onimusha
Ratchet & Clank
Cold Winter
Red faction 1
Resident Evil 4
Metal Gear Solid
Ico
Shadow of the Collosus
katamari Darcy
Mark Of Kri
Ghosthunter
Primal
GT
Killzone
Tekken
Soul Calibre 3
Virtual Fighter
Socom
WRC
Timecrisis
Rugby Laugue 2
Virtual Tennis
Killswitch
Rise To Honor
God of War
Viewtiful Joe
Shadow of Rome
Rise Of Kasai
Obscure
Jak & Daxter
Maximo
Atv Offroad Fury
Wipeout
WWF Smackdowns
War of the Monsters
Twisted Metal
Sega Rally
Victorious Boxers
Ace Combat
Final Fantasy series

And this is just the tip of the iceberg, as many of the multiplatform games millions of people love now, were brought to life on PS&PS2...Games like ssx, burnout, red faction, etc,etc.....
I'm no fanboy, but I am a big enough fan of games to realise that sony has brought me some of the best gaming to be had in the last ten years, whether it be a franchise game or original property......They may dissapoint some with overstated hardware capabilities...but they have always delivered gamers the best games.....

You won't catch me trading in those gems for halo 1-2, PGR, ninja gaiden & DOA...............ahahahahahahahhahahhahhahaaahahahhaahaahaaaahhaahahhahahahahhahahahhahhah

Hate to tell you this. I owned all 3 consoles (sold gamecube and it was a big mistake). Anyway to #106 You have quite a few problems in your post. Allow me to point out a few.

1:Ratchet & Clank I played this... my brother owns it... and to be honest its CRAP.
2:Why even bring Resident evil 4 into this... its not just a playstation game, it was better on game cube.
3:Half those games i have NEVER heard of.I usually go for the over hyped games though...
4:You Shouldnt bring in games that are on other consoles, thats really stupid
5:Final fantasy were great games, But do you wonder why There is a Final fantasy game on xbox? That brings a very serious Question would Square leave sony for microsoft?
6:Yes you are a fanboy. Why? because you are boycotting games on another console while saying that these games are great
7:you missed a game which is good Silent hill.
Ok im done with your post.
I have owned the following consoles. Nintendo,super nintendo, playstion,Nintendo 64,Gamecube,playstation2 and Microsoft xbox. One thing You have to realise is that When a game comes out and it appeals to you alot, you will side with What ever console its on.And then you generally think the others are bad/crap. This is what makes a Fanboy.Some of you may wonder why did i own all 3 consoles (xbox,ps2,GC). Because They have the games i love to play on them. Whether it be The legend of Zelda games,a Final Fantasy game or some good FPS action like halo.
But Before i go to all Sony Fans there was an article on About (the site) And Please read it. its a very good read. http://nintendo.about.com/library/sonysfall/blSony1.htm

ok thats weird the post numbers changed.......

My post was directed to kizza.

34. Am I the only person that remembers the promises before the PS2 launched?

I remember Sony telling us that the PS2 would be the center of our entertainment system, downloading music, movies and games onto the hard drive.

What happened?

The PS2 launched. It didn't have a hard drive. When the hard drive finally came out, none of the promises came true and it was promptly killed with a redesign.

This is Sony lip-service so their fans don't buy an Xbox 360.

I'm no Microsoft fan, but I know a good thing when I see it, and Live is it!




One also has to ask, have you used any Sony online services before? Used their online store? Used their MP3 player music software? If so, you know how downright terrible Sony's software development is.

Come on, Nintendo and MSoft have given the lip treatment on their systems before, I heard at the unveiling of the Xbox that it will load games in 8 seconds. Now that was some hyping bullshot if I have ever heard it.

Nintendo had promised online for the Cube but it never surfaced. Only a broadband adaptor that was in limited supply.

I too remember the promises that Sony made but you have to be retarded to believe them all. They are a business, not a truth keeping machine!

I find it interesting that an article in PSM is somehow considered as evidence of anything. Their track record is SO excellent.

Should Sony do an on-line service? Certainly. Are they? Who really knows? I know a couple of developers and according to them they haven't got anything in the dev kits for on-line yet. Which makes you wonder 1) if they are really doing anything and 2) if they are planning something, when they might roll it out since it is rapidly becoming too late to do it for launch -- if launch is really in 2006.

This stuff is bitching hard to do (ask Microsoft how much time and money they put into getting Live to where it is today). Sony is not much of a software company and they have very little experience in running large systems. It's a non-trivial problem and given Sony's limited successes in this space, I have doubts -- though if they go for it, I hope they do a great job.

To those of you saying "Nintendo Wifi isn't as good as Live, look at Mario Kart!" - remember a few things.

1) Each game has developer-defined features.
2) The DS version of NWC will be a lot simpler than the Rev's.
3) It's free
4) The Revolution's, apparently, will be a lot more like Live with stats tracking, downloads (obviously), message forums, chat, the whole works. Don't look at the DS' attempt with one game (the first attempt) to reflect Nintendo's final product as it gets released on the Rev, as it will be much better AND still free.

BTW... wasn't PSM the magazine that announced that Sony will NOT have a centralized online service and remain exactly like the PS2's a month or two back?

Why do I even bother...

I love gaming but some posts here are obviously made by Leeroy Jenkins wannabes. Get a life and use the prime consumer directive: Read the hype but don't jizz, try before you buy.

For everyone who thinks they know if it's going the be great or suck, I don't care if you have an opinion (you want to predict? make money as a psychic.) But getting in the face of other fans is just plain immature and ridiculously moronic, and reflects just how stupid you are more than anything else.

I speak for the consumer, not Micro$h*t, Bony or Nintardo (all of which have products that I love). The more the better. Competition is great! Let the Lord of Chaos reign.

Don't tell me what's what. My history:
Bally, Calico, Vic 20, Commodore 64, Atari 400/800, Jaguar, Master System, NES, SNES, PSX, N64, DC, XBox, PS2. And that's not including the slew of computers I have owned.

Final kick at the fanboys:
1) If Micro$h*t is so hot, then why did they release 360 in Alpha (not even Beta versions have so many critical bugs; one of my nephews took a photo of a crashed 360 in a Wal-mart for the family forum)
2) If Bony is so hot, then they totally got messed since online was big even before PS2 came on the scene (not for consoles, but come ON, PCs!) And there ARE people on this planet that want multiplayer games that aren't sports related.
3) If Nintardo is so hot, then why are their flagships still Zelda(in Kid form) and Mario?

So this article's in direct conflict with this one:

http://gamesfirst.com/?id=946

Which one's right...you be the judge.

fixed:

http://gamesfirst.com/?id=946

Haha I posted that article on the playstation forums... sweet, anyways, yea, Sony isn't just pulling this out of their ass, they've been working on this since the PS2 network adapter came out, I read on some article.. (forgot where, Can't find the link) from a magazine stating that the network adapter was a late release, and they couldn't do much with it , so they've been working on the new online service since then. But yea... I hope this all goes down, That way I can have two powerful systems with a selection of the best from both worlds haha!

Sony Playstation is realy XBox killer! ;-)

Dirk Dorkelson (LOL):

"There are quite a few good single-player games on the Xbox."

I know, but I'll buy them for X360.

"I'm primarily a single-player game person, and I've been happy with Jade Empire, Morrowind, KOTOR 1&2, Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth, Psychonauts (also on PS2), Ninja Gaiden, Fable, the same three GTA games that are on PS2, Beyond Good & Evil, Panzer Dragoon Orta, Silent Hill 2&4..."

You have cited games that are in all three consoles, or at least on PS2. Yes, the Xbox has better graphics (slightly, if you think otherwise you are most likely a fanboy), but GTA came out first on PS2 (didn't all GTAs come out first for PS2 than for Xbox? that's like being excited for RE4 on PS2 when it came more than half a year before on GC; oh well, the Xbox doesn't have it anyway, in case you don't have a cube), and also all or most Silent Hills came out for PS2 before they came for Xbox (I don't have Silent Hill, but my ex-girlfriend loves those games, and back then I was gonna get it for her, too bad it wasn't even announced yet for Xbox; I don't know if it was 3 or 4). Also, a lot of the games that you mention (and that I want) either came out on Xbox *almost* at the end of its lifetime (Jade Empire, Fable Lost Chapters, and Ninja Gaiden Black). I would have bought Riddick, Munch's Odyssey and each KOTOR, but not as new games... and I would have been pissed off had I bought the original Ninja Gaiden, because there would have been no way for me to get the "Black" version, since it is the same game, although "fixed"; same thing goes for Fable. And many of these are on PC! Anyway, having the good (and finished) titles at the end of its lifetime just doesn't cut it for me, that's why i'll get all them for 360. For some all the titles I mentioned would have been enough, but when you have perfect (and better) substitutes in gamecube and/or PS2, and even more games (hell, Nintendo and Squaresoft respectively, 'nuff said), then there is little left for getting an Xbox. Sure, for me LIVE would have been great, being that I'm a hardcore fighting game fan but... the controlller was utter crap. It's good that they got it right this time for 360 at least.

"And some people seem to really dig the Splinter Cell games."

I think I've gotten tired of military games... and aren't there like the same amount of those for both PS2 and Xbox? It's like having an exclusive sports title when there are thousands of them.

"To say that there are no quality single player games on Xbox (or any system, really) is not to have done one's homework."

I didn't say there are not. I said that there are either not enough, or that I found more and better substitutes for PS2 (or the cube even).

"PS2, Xbox and GameCube all have enough quality games that a gamer ought to be able to find stuff that makes them happy."

I don't think I would have been happy if I *only* have had an Xbox. I'm not in love with FPS, here are the FPS I've bought in my lifetime:

Doom 1 and Doom 2, both for 20 dollars in a single package (in 1996); I ended up getting bored.

Doom 64: I don't even know what I was thinking when I wanted this game, because it was horrible.

Turok 1: I liked it.

Metroid Prime 2: I bought it because it was 20 dollars cheap; it's original as an FPS, but again, not better than an RPG or Adventure game.

Medal of Honor - Frontline: I loved it, it was great, but I think it is the only FPS that I had and really enjoyed a lot.

I also played long ago Duke Nukem 3D a lot, and it was awesome. Same thing goes for GoldenEye (best multiplayer action ever; I hope it becomes a downloadable online multiplayer for Revo!).

"Now if only more games would come out for my Xbox 360. I've finished the (fairly lame) single-player mode on PDZ (only buy for the multiplayer)"

See what I tell ya? Thank god I didn't find an available 360 this holiday, otherwise I might have ended up bored to tears.

"as well as completed Condemned. Where's Oblivion, dammit?"

Exactly. Where is it?

Oh, I've also played Halo 1 & 2, and I'm unimpressed. Sure, Halo 2 in LIVE *is* fun, but the "infinite replay value" is a myth; it is definitely repetitive, or at least I got bored after 2 hours of the same BS. Bottomline: It is worth the 20 dollars it costs now, but not 50 dollars, since the storyline campaign mode is crap.

Hopefully, Halo 3 will be an MMOFPS which will add a lot more content to it.

BD,

While the single-player experience could be deeper on the 360, I'm hardly bored and in tears. Actually, I'm gaming nearly every day. Admittedly, I'd love a game I could play for hours for days on end and not get tired of (like Morrowind, KOTOR or Psychonauts), but while I wait for it PGR 3 is a blast, particularly for anyone who's lived in London, NYC, Tokyo or Vegas. As are all the Xbox Live Arcade games I've tried so far. And PDZ multiplayer is pretty fun. Kameo isn't bad, and NBA 2K6 is deep, even if it's a not graphical powerhouse. Next up, Call of Duty 2.

And you're right. Some of those titles I mentioned as great single-player games on the Xbox are on other consoles. I returned to video games in October 2004 after not owning a console since SNES. So coming into the Xbox's life cycle late, I was happy with its single-player offerings. If I would have bought a console a year before that, though, I probably would have picked up a PS2. (Also, I disagree about the graphics being marginally better on the Xbox vs. the PS2. At least, based on my PS2-owning friend's desire to come over and play MVP Baseball 2005.)

But my plan is to pick up a cut-rate PS2 or borrow one from a friend so that I can play Final Fantasy VII and a few others.

"I have owned the following consoles. Nintendo,super nintendo, playstion,Nintendo 64,Gamecube,playstation2 and Microsoft xbox. One thing You have to realise is that When a game comes out and it appeals to you alot, you will side with What ever console its on.And then you generally think the others are bad/crap"

Yep, I owned them all too fanboy.... I have a MB vectrex, sega megadrive, gameboy advance saturn PS1, PS2, Xbox... I've also had a intellivision, nes, snes, dreamcast, gamecube (sold it recently & no regrets), sega gamegear.

Out of all the consoles I've owned, I've had the most fun on PS1 & 2... That does not make me a fanboy like you... It makes me a decisive person who knows what I want out of games.......and that is...the most fun, varied line up of gameplay oreintated games available..... Unfortunately for ninty & MS, sony has that in their favour at the moment...& I fail to see that changing too soon with nintendo's usual approach again & MS only caring about online games & content...

All you could do in your post was ramble on with crap & put down one of the greatest modern day platformers around....

How about instead you try to use your undersized brain & give me a decent list of xbox or cube games that compares to the quality & variety of my list.... Fell free to use resi evil 4 for the cube.... if you get stuck after that one..... I'll understand.

This is only a good thing.

At least they will have a service, I believe it will be a pay service, but may still allow publishers to host their own servers for cost saving like a gamespy arcade / all-seeing-eye hybrid.

It won't be great out of the gate but should mature nicely with time. My bigger concern is how soon will it be available? By launch? 1 year after?

Anyone think Sony will try to get an online music store going, or the new craze, downloadable tv shows etc....

Good thing im patient though. I want to see this network in action before i put my lazy earned dollars into it.

Dirk Dorkelson:

When I was referring to I would be "bored to tears", I meant that I wouldn't have fallen in love with PDZ, which was gonna be the game I was going to get; I would have ended up changing it for condemned, or even PGR3 when I'm not a fan of Racing games. To tell you the truth, COD2 seems like another FPS to me, and I hated Kameo and its resemblance to every other Rare platformer, except Banjo and DK were fun; or I grew up.

It's funny that you tell me how SNES was your last console, because almost everyone I know that has an Xbox, has a very similar story. They all stopped playing either in SNES, or the early years of the PS1/N64 generation. Most of them got it by 2004, when I actually bought a PS2 in 2000 and a gamecube on launch day (it's a myth that the Xbox was sold out, both gamecube and Xbox were sitting there on shelves; the reception for both was lukewarm). That's why every Xbox gamer I know loves it, but I think it is perhaps most haven't played a PS2, or don't like the types of exclusive games like I do that made the PS2 such a big hit. Some of them even tell me: "Single player games are for traumatized/crazy people like you", which sounds like the multiplayer experience everyone here is touting.

Anyway...

Kizza:

How about:

Gamecube: Paper Mario, Zelda: Four Swords, Zelda: Twilight Princess, Zelda: Wind Waker, Smash Bros, Mario Kart, StarFox Assault, Mario Sunshine (not as good as M64, but still great), Resident Evil 4 (better and came much earlier than the PS2 version), Resident Evil Zero, Resident Evil remake, Eternal Darkness, Metal Gear: Twin Snakes, Star Wars: Rogue Leader, Final Fantasy Chronicles, Metroid Prime 1 & 2, Warioware, F-Zero, Fire Emblem, Animal Crossing, and Gameboy player (for great Castlevania, Zelda, Pokemon, Harvest Moon, Final Fantasy, and Kingdom hearts exclusive titles). Maybe I forgot more.

I would have mentioned Waverace, Luigi's Mansion, Pokemon DX or whatever its name is, StarFox Adventures, and Geist, but these games were mediocre at best. I also missed several other games, but I left them out since you will probably say they are for casuals (like Mario Party, the latest Donkey Kong games, and "Mario does sports/laundry" kind of games). There were also a few games that were exclusive, too bad it sold like the Xbox or like a "second console", so Tales of Symphonia, RE4, Killer 7 (it wasn't that good anyway), Viewtiful Joe, if I don't forget others.

Xbox: Hard Drive for emulation & homebrew, LIVE, Halo 1, Conker, Halo 2, Doom 3, Half Life 2, Far Cry, Call of Cthulu, Riddick, Munch's Odyssey, Ninja Gaiden Black, Fable: The Lost Chapters, Jade Empire, KOTOR I & II, DOA, SNK vs. Capcom (the third one, or whatever).

I don't like FPS, much less DOA, and it's true it has mostly FPS, but those are the games I would have gotten if I had an Xbox, although not at full price. That's why I'm gonna get them cheaper for 360.

Oops, I forgot to finish the sentence...


There were also a few games that were exclusive, too bad it sold like the Xbox or like a "second console", so Tales of Symphonia, RE4, Killer 7 (it wasn't that good anyway), Viewtiful Joe, if I don't forget others, were ported to PS2.