PlayStation Store currency and parental control explained
by Zack Stern 
{ Oct 25th 2006 at 11:30PM }
Sony unveiled the PlayStation Store at last week's Gamer's Day. This PS3 service will let gamers buy and download titles at the November 17 console launch. In the initial demonstration, Sony explained store payment options and how gamer parents can control kids' purchases.Sony will let users make purchases with a regular credit card. If without one, gamers will be able to buy a PlayStation Store card in retail to use like a gift certificate.
We like the idea of using real money in the online store; this choice simplifies the process for gamers instead of making us translate points back and forth into dollars. We also think it's easier to spend recklessly in a fantasy currency, so we applaud Sony for keeping costs up-front.
Parents will be able to use a credit card to allocate their kids (or spouse) an allowance. Downloaded -- and retail-bought -- games will also be branded with an ESRB rating; parents will be able to use this evaluation to block kids from buying or playing certain content.
We're not sure how many parents will use the account controls. (Does anyone use the V-Chip?) But we're glad that parents have the choice, and we hope that Sony is able to educate them about the option.
See also:
PS3 DRM: Downloads support five systems
PS3 likely to sell 'movies, music, TV'
PS1 catalogue on PS3 not yet playable
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Optimus Prime @ Oct 25th 2006 11:51PM
The only reason for 'points' is for branding and to distance you from the fact that you're spending real monies.
Methane47 @ Oct 25th 2006 11:52PM
"so we applaud Sony"
WTF?!?!
What fantasy world is this? A complement... about SONY? ON JOYSTIQ??!?! NO Wai!!!
lol
I also like the upfrontness of it all
Todzilla @ Oct 26th 2006 11:05PM
i think the reason for points is that people without a credit card are able to go out and purchase the points card, and download content. sony did the same exact thing, without the points. if you can't figure out the basic 6th grade math to figure out that 80 points equals $1 then you really need to re-evaluate the state of public education.
j @ Oct 27th 2006 9:18AM
Points are used to encapsulate real currency regardless of what currency it is.
This is an excellent approach for a console that has a worldwide reach. Now if the world is only the US (which it isn't) then yes, points are unnecessary since the only currency available is US dollars.
Of course one downside of points is that it may cost more in some countries, less in some.
dredub @ Oct 26th 2006 12:44AM
I am pretty sure that the prices will be in the local currency. If you have proof that its all US dollars for the whole world, please share it with us.
Mowgli @ Oct 26th 2006 1:13AM
[quote]The only reason for 'points' is for branding and to distance you from the fact that you're spending real monies.[/quote]
Actually, that's a side effect. The fact that MS are happy about it, doesn't make it a reason. The *actual* reason is that Microsoft see the games market as a global business, not just the US (which they easily could have done).
As an Aussie, I thank Microsoft for taking that approach every time I buy something from the marketplace. As you can imagine, USD means nothing to me since we trade in Kangaroo skins in this country.
Darius @ Oct 26th 2006 1:15AM
joystiqsucks-
That's three words. Dumbass.
Cheers,
Darius
Sniper @ Oct 26th 2006 1:15AM
Man i can't wait what demo should i BUY first?
KawF @ Oct 26th 2006 1:55AM
@Mowgli#6
What makes you think the prices aren't going to be regional, that is, for you in Australia, they will be shown in whatever currency is the latest fashion over there.
The one single reason Microsoft chose points is because you have no simple way mentally to connect Microsoft Points to a real world object for worth comparisons.
How many MS Points is a Big Mac, how many are a loaf of bread?
I know at least that if I see a downloadable puzzle game for 149 SEK (roughly $19 +20%VAT), I'm sure as hell not gonna buy it as I could instead have bought a somewhat recent PC game or a few months subscription to WoW for the same money.
But in MS Points, yeah, how much is that actually?
Here in the EU we had a similar problem on a grand scale not many years ago when more and more countries started going over to using the Euro currency. Shops hiked up the prices of everyday and all types of items and food products. Suddenly, over night, a liter of Milk cost TWICE as much. And people bought it. Why? Because they could not mentally understand that they were getting screwed.
It took 2 years to get people acclimated to the change, but you still see people that can't handle the new system and buy produce at ripoff prices.
Not everyone will have this problem, certainly not the people who are used to trading and buying in foreign currency and with other countries.
But not everyone is such a person as any Xbot will proclaim high and loud. Most of the people playing games on an Xbox or any console are casual gamers. Your "Joe-six-packs" as some like to call them. Do you think they'll understand the real worth of those 1200 MS Points they just burned on PacMan or somesuch crap? To them, it's nothing more than monopoly-money, funny-money, things you can spend as much as you want to of since it isn't "real" money.
I don't like that mentality, and I certainly despise any system that tries to take advantage of it's consumers such as it does.
@Sniper#8
I know you're a little behind, but if you saw the Gamer's Day event, demos on the PS3 store were confirmed to be FREE. As in NO COST.
Velops @ Oct 26th 2006 4:30AM
Points do serve a purpose besides dealing with currency exchange rates. If anything goes wrong with point transactions, it's easy to refund points. Refunding actual money can be an accounting nightmare if a problem affects hundreds of users.
Not too long ago, WoW had a problem with people being charged multiple times for transferring a character due to technical issues. The result was that bank accounts were emptied and many people were on the verge of having bounced checks.
Bounced checks damage your credit score while incurring bank charges for having insufficient funds. This doesn't include any late charges for rent and utilities that the bounced checks were meant to pay.
Points can also have other uses as well. Points could be bundled with games or merchandise as an incentive to buy those products.
KawF @ Oct 26th 2006 4:54AM
@Velops#10
"If without one, gamers will be able to buy a PlayStation Store card in retail to use like a gift certificate."
You have a Sony PLAYSTATION store Wallet. In this you can deposit funds through your credit card, through these "gift certificates" or from a parents own PS Store Wallet.
So how does that differ from microsofts system in exception for them calling that stuff "Points"?
If you buy MS Points with your Credit Card, you're just as likely to come upon the situation you just described: "Refunding actual money can be an accounting nightmare if a problem affects hundreds of users."
The MS Points don't just appear in you Microsoft "wallet" as if by magic. They have to be bought, with real money. Through a Credit Card, or a "gift certificate".
edhe @ Oct 26th 2006 6:30AM
It's good to have points, less impulse buys, and it's not hard to add points when you've got a card on it already.
Martin @ Oct 26th 2006 7:22AM
This just in, After announcing that their system will have parental controls for not only playing games but purchasing online games, Sony has decided to get rid of all games rated under M for mature. With this, and their tactic to scare of import stores from selling their products while toting a reigion free console, what will be the next marketing move for Sony and their Playstation 3.
Pulse @ Oct 26th 2006 8:29AM
Kawf, I think you are getting confused
Basically what Joystiq is saying is that obviously kids won't have a credit card, for those over 18, its no biggie, we just flash the card numbers and boom, there is our download, but for kids now, how will they download, basically the gift idea works like this, if a parent or someone wants to reward a child you can get them a gift certificate with a certain amount of cash which will then entitle them to purchase something of their choice in the Playstation Store, sort of like how a gift card works when a family member gives you a $20 voucher to spend at Gamestop for your birthday instead of buying you an actual present.
Its really nothing like points, I do like points, but the whole thing can become baffling when we already have the issue of different currencies as it is, without having to work out how many points you are purchasing before hand :S Otherwise points is an excellent scheme, I'm guessing Sony has decided to not go as far as Xbox live and keep everything simple. Its not going for all the miscellaneous things, which I suppose is a good thing.
:) I do like you all, no matter what console you choose, and hope to play you in some multiplatform online games, if Sony and Micro allows us gamers to bloody do so :P
All this console war rubbish :P *sighs*
Night Elve @ Oct 26th 2006 8:38AM
I prefer to pay with real money, i don't like the idea of being converting money to points.
It is just way easier to see how much will cost you something (Using real money) instead of in certain cases getting lost in the process of converting money to points.
Anyhow the two methods are just fine.
bobeotm @ Oct 26th 2006 8:45AM
I like that what you want to pay for is in REAL money. Part of my issue with points is that you never have that solid of a concept of how many points equal how many dollars. Sony also made sure you dont have to whip out your credit card all the time for purchases, you simply use it to put money in your "wallet" and use those funds for stuff. It keeps the number of times your number is transferred back and forth to a minimum.
Points are a good way to hide or buffer the feeling of spending actual money, since you arent exactly sure the excat amount you are paying. I think its a good idea to go with real money since the hassles of points totally outweigh the advantages.
Anonymouse Rep @ Oct 26th 2006 9:40AM
"Sony will let users make purchases with a regular credit card. If without one, gamers will be able to buy a PlayStation Store card in retail to use like a gift certificate."
Okay, wait a minute. After all of the grief and hell that Microsoft caught for requiring you to have a credit card number to sign up for Xbox Live V1 - which they have since changed - now there are gamers APPLAUDING that a company will let you have a credit card?
Do you guys remember at ALL how much flack you gave Microsoft because you were worried about the security of your credit card number? Now you're going to be sending that number over a WIRELESS connection that could be hacked by someone? What about if the console stores that number internally, and then someone accesses your console wirelessly later on? (Don't laugh or sneer - you KNOW that kind of crap is going to happen at some point.)
And Kawf, you're so full of it you're not funny. $20 equals 1600 Microsoft points - surely even YOU are capable of doing the math. (Let's see - it's 400 points for this game, so that's $5 - WOW, amazing, isn't it?)
Also, you apparently have no clue about how the Visa / MasterCard chargeback system actually works, or with refunds.
Assume that I go to Best Buy and spend $21 (sales tax, dammit) for a card wtih 1600 points on it. Now - I don't actually OPEN the package that the card came in - all I have to do is return that package with the receipt to Best Buy for a refund to my credit card. Assuming I don't have the receipt, you can still look the transaction up via credit card number to confirm that it was a legitimate purchase.
If the store chooses not to give me my refund for whatever reason (and assuming I haven't actually USED the card) then I can contact Visa / MasterCard customer service and initiate a chargeback. The specific rules for each credit card can and do vary slightly - but basically the credit card company can work as your agent to get your money back. It's not an easy process - which is one reason you need to keep receipts to deal directly with the retailer.
NOW - you're purchasing something that is immaterial online DIRECTLY from Sony. You don't have a physical card with a serial number on it - you just get a download to your console in your Sony wallet. Sony could then say that you were buying a continuing service by hiding it in the EULA and then charge you monthly service fees - they've already got your credit card number. Or they could say that their database shows that you redeemed those points - you say you didn't, but they show that something was downloaded via your console. Perhaps your wireless was hacked - or perhaps they're wrong. Now - how do you go to Visa and say I want a chargeback when all of the company records show that you utilized their services?
(It's sort of like when a hotel says that they'll charge you for a nights stay if you fail to show up after you've made a reservation. They can charge you - but since they actually didn't provide you with a good or service and THEIR records show that, then you can do a chargeback for a refund. NOW with Sony you've got a case where THEIR records show that they DID provide you with a good or service - so you're SOL for getting a chargeback or refund.)
LunarDuality @ Oct 26th 2006 10:23AM
You all missed the point. The MS Points system was created primarily to allow for "microtransactions". These transactions (of less than $2) would cost the publisher more money in credit card fees than it would make in profit, therefore it was pointless to allow you to put $0.10 on a credit card.
The fact that having points instead of real currency makes it slightly easier to spend is just a bonus for MS...not the main aim.
devi8i @ Oct 26th 2006 10:40AM
I thing I do prefer about MS points is teh ability to easily award points to consumers through actions in game or on teh marketplace. If you have a competition on xbl it is concievable to award points as prizes. If you awarded money wouldnt that be gambling?
KawF @ Oct 26th 2006 10:35AM
Christ allmighty, do you people not UNDERSTAND that you don't have to pay with a credit card on Sony's service?
It even states clearly in the post and from the info on Gamer's Day that you can deposit money in your PS Store Wallet by means of a gift certificate, purchasable in any store that already carries such or in the future.
How hard is that to understand?
You don't have to pay by a credit card!
Get it?
So you can still do "microtransactions". It's just not called a bullshit "currency" like MS Points, instead it will list the ACTUAL price, in your LOCAL, REAL currency.
Is it so hard to understand that?
Christ....
Damn fanboys.
The only thing that differentiates it from microsofts service is that it states the goddamn cost in your local currency.
Seriously, do I have to draw a fricking picture? Is english hard to understand for you? It seems to be.
Gareth @ Oct 26th 2006 11:02AM
Yeah cool so we Europeans - or British to be more precise - get to see how much we're getting ripped off without having to convert into points first with prices like $3.99 and £3.99! Woohoo!!!
CaptNink @ Oct 26th 2006 11:04AM
I really don't care HOW I am supposed to buy stuff online, I just care about the fact that I CAN.
MS points, Sony points, Wii points....who cares. It's just good to see that Sony will be offering a similiar premium content download service like the XBOX Live Marketplace.
the Brayn @ Oct 26th 2006 11:12AM
Kawf, do you really have that much difficulty understanding that 1600 points equals $20? That means that every 80 points is $1. Is the math too hard for you to perform in this simple equation? Please go back to first grade and learn some math before getting into online discussions.
KawF @ Oct 26th 2006 11:27AM
@Brayn
So, how many SEK are 1600 MS Points?
Let's say I bought a 2000 point "gift certificate" for 274 SEK.
How much is it now?
The problem you have is that you're an American that does not seem to realise that there is a world outside your nation that, shockingly, has other currencies, different standards of living, and so forth.
But sure, MS Points are awesome for you.
Now face the fact that the rest of the world does not use U.S. Dollars as their currency.
the Brayn @ Oct 26th 2006 1:43PM
To answer your question, its roughly 2.74 SEK per 20 points (see all I had to do is divide by 100 on both values, not very difficult). Since current currency exchange rates value at $1 = 7.26 SEK then this is probably a bad deal for you because I can get 80 points for every dollar and you can only get a little over 50.
I'm sorry but your example fails to prove anything. If you live in a region and you don't understand what your currency is worth then maybe the issue isn't with the MS points system.
KawF @ Oct 26th 2006 2:00PM
Brayn, I applaud your massive intellect.
You have proven yourself to be the wisest fanboy ever. Now back to your argument, you were saying that you prefer to have to calculate the price of a thing you buy before you buy it, instead of seeing the actual price to begin with.
Your logic is awesome. It's like Microsoft provides you with a free game of Brain Training with every sale!
Let's see... hmm... yeah... still, your intellectual powers astound me! To think you prefer the hard way over the easy way. It shows a real dedication, a real backbone. You stand up to your belief that the hard way is the right way!
yeah... umm...
techie @ Oct 26th 2006 3:08PM
One advantage that the "point" system has is the ability to purchase point cards at different prices. The average price for a 1600 point card is approximately $20 US. However I purchased 5 cards from Circuit City online for $12.99 each. In the last couple of days I managed to get 2 1600 point cards from Best Buy for $4.99 each. With Sony's "real money" wallet system, there will not be any discount purchases.
Anonymouse Rep @ Oct 26th 2006 7:06PM
>Kawf - Please go back to first grade and learn some math before getting into online discussions...
>Let's say I bought a 2000 point "gift certificate" for 274 SEK. How much is it now?...
>To answer your question, its roughly 2.74 SEK per 20 points (see all I had to do is divide by 100 on both values, not very difficult). Since current currency exchange rates value at $1 = 7.26 SEK then this is probably a bad deal for you because I can get 80 points for every dollar and you can only get a little over 50.
>I'm sorry but your example fails to prove anything. If you live in a region and you don't understand what your currency is worth then maybe the issue isn't with the MS points system...
>Brayn, I applaud your massive intellect. You have proven yourself to be the wisest fanboy ever. Now back to your argument, you were saying that you prefer to have to calculate the price of a thing you buy before you buy it, instead of seeing the actual price to begin with...
--------------
Hey, guys - this discussion ALONE was worth Joystiq posting it. I'm going to use a simple analogy called grocery shopping. (And yes, Kawf, I'm going to use US Dollars because that's what's the currency where I live - I realize that there is more world out there than the US and Japan - unlike Sony (Sorry, couldn't resist the dig)).
I'm looking at two different boxes of the same brand of cereal - one is 20 oz for $3, and one is 32 oz for $4.25. If the grocery store doesn't have the little price per ounce sticker on the shelf, then I'm going to do the math to determine which is the better price per ounce - thus, I'm calculating the actual price of something before I actually buy it.
In the example above, the larger box is actually the better buy. Many times it's not - you'll find up to a 2 or 3 cent per ounce price difference and it becomes worthwhile to buy more of the smaller package.