We all know that Xbox Live has had a huge head-start in the online console gaming market. Now comes news that Sony is looking to jump-start their PlayStation Network Platform for the PS3 by bringing in some re-enforcements:
According to Viacom's 2nd quarter earnings conference call, "Xfire just signed a deal with Sony to create a version of their platform for the new PS3, which will now enable Xfire to extend its reach further into the huge console gaming market." Xfire is a tool that automatically keeps track of when and where gamers are playing games online and lets their friends join them easily.
There are pros and cons to this news. On the positive side, we know that we're going to get some tried and true online gaming technology right out of the gate with the PS3. More concerning is the thought that Sony is so far behind in their online strategy that they've had to create a patchwork solution that resembles some sort of online Frankenstein rather than the seamless experience we would like.
I suspect that this is a temporary solution and that 12 to 18 months from now the Xfire technology will be removed as Sony brings in their proprietary framework (we know that they love their proprietary stuff!). Of course, only time will tell...
[Via Gamespot]
