PS3 to feature game download service in Asia
by Christopher Grant 
{ Feb 20th 2006 at 11:00PM }
Sony Computer
Entertainment Asia's Tetsuhiko Yasuda--the very same one who said not
only was Microsoft not a competitor but a potential development partner--discussed a planned download service for the
PS3. In an interview with the Japanese gaming site GameWatch during the Taipei Games Show, Yasuda said the download
service will "combat the widespread pirating of Playstation games in certain regions of Asia."We anticipate a similar service from Microsoft. The distribution would be cheaper, the games possibly cheaper, and the profits higher; however, Sony will have to counter the same shortcomings as the Xbox 360. The PS3 will need a large hard drive, and the cost of repeated downloads could erode a slim profit margin to nothing.
Machine translated version of the GameWatch interview.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
gi4d2 @ Feb 20th 2006 11:12PM
sounds like someones copying nintendo's virtual console
Kamalot @ Feb 20th 2006 11:22PM
I remember this same speech about the PS2.
LINES @ Feb 20th 2006 11:25PM
*whinning voice* SOUNDS LIKE SOMEONES COPYING NINTENDO'S VIRTUAL CONSOLE *end voice*
Or, Nintendo took an idea that the internet is doing already with PC games. Hmm... Nah, Nintendo is the trend setter, you're right.
Jago @ Feb 20th 2006 11:32PM
"combat the widespread pirating of Playstation games in certain regions of Asia."
I guess some of you guys either didn't read the article or don't know that piracy is rediclous in Asia. This is actually a smart move to try and cut back on money lost on piracy.
Not sure if it will actually work or not but it'll interesting to see if it makes a dent.
Enigma @ Feb 20th 2006 11:44PM
*whining voice* SOUNDS LIKE SOMEONES COPYING NINTENDO'S VIRTUAL CONSOLE *end voice*
Such Nintendo fanboys on this site.
Sony has been talking DL-able content since before the PS2. But no Nintendo is always the innovator right *rolls eyes*.
Not to mention PCs have been doing it.
Back on subject:
I think this will be a good thing for Asia markets with heavy piracy. And starts to point signs where there may be a storage solution included.
MyNameIsGame @ Feb 20th 2006 11:45PM
But, as for the PS3 regulation being noisy in regard to bringing up, to raising and lowering the chopstick.
---
So much for the google translating service. It hurts the eyes. Even for a Dutch guy.
As for the downloading. I think it's the most exciting thing that is going to happen to the industry FOR the industry since cheesecake. We the customer will of course also benefit. But the gaming industry as a business will be the big winner with this one. unfortunately a lot of stores will have to close because of this. Especially because it will be stores run by lovers of gaming.
But we all will benefit of course because we can buy games from our chairs. Will never have to worry about scratches. And waiting in line at the store will also be history. Then there is the limitless power of upgrading, patching and whatnot so it nothing short of the holy grail.
Will we all need harddisc? Yes but at the rate they are growing every day they will be the cheapest part no matter how big they will have to be. And I foresee a future where cutscenes will be streamed. Or "aired" by digital television. So no downloading will be necessary.
But that's the future. Untill then we have a great transitional fase to go through. And this fase will only be over once one fact is globally covered. (Global as in all target markets that are conceirned.)
Everyone will need a nice speedy internet connection. And that means everyone.
Because only then will the time arrive for these huge companies that they will be able to choose for Online sales only. That's when they will be able to make the big decision. "Ok guys, From NOW on we can stop selling DVD's and swithch to online selling." It will be a scary choice to make. Because they WILL angry people then. A part of the market will be cut off. And that is one big choice to make I think. So it will probabbly still take while.
But this decision will be made because as long as games are DVD based, the pirating will still loom large over these companies. As long as there will be games played OFFline we will be able to hack them. Copy them and share them. And although this will never go away, it will never again reach the height it has now.
There are more illegal PS2 and xbox games out there than legal. I am pretty sure of that.
And that's how important this is I think.
Aren't you glad you live now? I know I am.
Mastercheif @ Feb 20th 2006 11:51PM
You guys are [B]All[/B] wrong, you could download minigames on a Atari 2600 using a special modem adapter.
Seroth @ Feb 21st 2006 12:26AM
Didn't Nintendo have downloadable crap in the NES or SNES era? Something about sattelites or something.
Whatever. That doesn't matter. EVERYONE should quit whining, including me.
I'll welcome the download features all of the consoles.
Jon @ Feb 21st 2006 2:54AM
Tommorrow Fight Night Round 3 comes out for the 360. Turns out that was the only real game that Sony was showing off at E3 for the PS3! Ha! It's on the 360 before the PS3 even exist.
Releases In March for the 360:
---------------------------
Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter
The Outfit
BurnOut Revenge
BattleField 2
Elder Scrolls Oblivion
Far Cry Instincts
Jago @ Feb 21st 2006 3:05AM
Actually the Unreal Engine and FF7 demo were real time as well.
...oh and the PS3 does exist.
Vince - UK @ Feb 21st 2006 4:13AM
This is another clue to the state of Sony's online plans, and it looks like another step in the right direction.
Eventually I hope to see all my rights to my games, music and movies (and game saves) backed up with the ability to download them again if things go tits up with my HDD, whether broken, stolen or simply stamped on in a game losing rage. All available quickly through Sony's cell-based p2p network or even my own "space" where I can store things if my HDD gets a bit full.
This is the future, it's happening already and Sony want in on it.
ejab @ Feb 21st 2006 7:01AM
#9
The FF7 and Unreal demos were Tech Demo, not actual gameplay.
Alex K. @ Feb 21st 2006 7:08AM
Yasuda said the download service will "combat the widespread pirating of Playstation games in certain regions of Asia."
This is the problem with Sony today. Because Sony is both a content and a hardware company, and they care about their movie and music divisions too much, they can't do anything without first battling piracy and all that BS.
The competition's goal with their download services is to either sell arcade-type games and accessories to regular xbox games, or sell a massive back catalog of enhanced games. And what does Sony want to do? Combat piracy. Who cares? Screw the PS3.
And they can't even do the simplest things to combat piracy that somehow Nintendo manages to do all the time. They made the discs small and made them spin backwards. Not only because of the backwards spinning, but the fact that practically no one has mini DVD RWs lying around, Nintendo effectively ended piracy this generation in the Gamecube camp (although to be fair I guess being the least popular console can do that to you - Most GC games that aren't Nintendo property are on the other consoles, and the other consoles are easier to copy games for, so why copy Madden for GC when it's easier to do it for PS2?)
DG @ Feb 21st 2006 8:13AM
Does anyone else feel like the Revolution is more likely to come out than the PS3? I can't help but to feel that Revolution is a much more focused product with well defined goals and definitions of what it wants to be.
Sony seems to be grabbing at everything right now and to date, there still hasn't been a working PS3 seen in existence (yes, I know the Revolution is the same). But, deep down, aren't you kind of thinking that the PS3 might have difficulties ever being launched any time soon? And that it just may be a Spruce Moose type flop?
I'm just saying.
Jack @ Feb 21st 2006 10:54AM
"
Releases In March for the 360:
---------------------------
Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter
The Outfit
BurnOut Revenge
BattleField 2
Elder Scrolls Oblivion
Far Cry Instincts
"
Games that are exclusive to 360:
The Outfit
And that's the problem with the 360. There's no killer app for it. Why do I need a 360 when I already have a PC, an XBox and a PS2? I don't. They haven't made a killer app for it yet. Are they going to? I dunno.. maybe Gears of War?
met @ Feb 21st 2006 11:40AM
Why should you buy the 360? so that you could buy the GC and have one of everything.
Jago @ Feb 21st 2006 2:30PM
"mini DVD RWs lying around"
Actually you go to just about any electronics/office supply store (Best Buy, Circuit City, Fry's, etc.) and buy them.
justchris @ Feb 22nd 2006 12:01AM
Actually, it'd be more proper to say they are copying Nintendo's I-Que service. It was created as a download only service to combat, you guessed it, the piracy problem in Asia. It uses cartridges, and you have to go to an IQue depot (much like the DS download Kiosks) to download and save the game to cartridge. Presumably a similar system will be instituted with the Virtual Console to prevent pirating of games with the Revolution.
And, just for accuracy's sake, no, Nintendo is nowhere near the first to take a console online, however, every single home console released by Nintendo (except for the Virtual Boy, but I'm not precisely sure what it counts as) has gone online. Starting with the original Super Famicom. It is precisely because not a single one of Nintendo's online ventures succeeded previously that Nintendo was so iffy about doing anything dedicated with the GC's online structure. It took Microsoft & Xbox Live to prove that the timing was viable for a console based online infrastructure. Had Xbox Live failed miserably, chances are we would not be getting WiFi Connection this generation.
Nintendo isn't always about creating something new from scratch. Most of the time, they're just really good at determining when the market is ready for something different.