It’s been a busy few weeks on the PlayStation Network with several big announcements and new apps launching. In the month of November alone, we announced the launch of the NHL GameCenter Live application, the availability of Hulu Plus outside of PlayStation Plus, the VUDU app on PSN, and BBC America programming in the PlayStation Store. We’ve also shared a new episode of The Tester 2 each week and just last week we announced a number of new games on PlayStation Home, as we marked the 2-year anniversary of the platform. And, in addition to the PSN updates we’ve shared, there have also been a number of new updates for PlayStation Plus subscribers and new features in the PlayStation Rewards program.
There’s no doubt that PSN is in the midst of tremendous growth as we continue to expand our entertainment offering. We recently surpassed 60 million registered accounts worldwide – an increase of 53% in North America in just the last year – and we continue to see our users soak up the new entertainment content offerings. In fact, movies and TV series purchased on the PlayStation Network video delivery service increased 42% compared to a year ago and we’re seeing that our users are quite engaged, with well over 70% using PSN weekly.
It’s been busy and we’re certainly excited about how far we’ve come in a short time, but the busyness has also kept me away from addressing some of your questions and there have been some great ones. I wanted to take some time before we ended the year to look back at previous posts and address some of questions that you have. I’ve also cleared my schedule this afternoon to answer any further questions you might have on PSN and about some of our new services and partners, so drop your questions in the below comments and I’ll do my best to address them.
We’re lucky to have such loyal users. Thanks for continuing to come back and please keep on sending us your questions, thoughts and suggestions. They are important and we are listening!
PlayStation Plus
Q: Field Runners was in the July 6 and the upcoming December 14 publish. Will content continue to be recycled? – ExPresident (December 1, 2010 post)
A: PlayStation Plus has circulated a lot of great content since the service was launched in June and based on what we think our users want, we’ll look to bring back some of those popular items. This will not affect our goals to bring new experiences and discount options to PlayStation Plus subscribers.
Q: Are there any plans to add a digital rental service to PlayStation Plus? – JacobeAbam (December 1, 2010 post)
A: While we don’t have any news to announce around a digital rental service for PlayStation Plus, our goal is to include a full game trial each month when possible, which allows gamers to try out PS3 titles for up to one full hour. Recently, we’ve launched full game trials for Red Faction Guerrilla, Warhawk, inFamous, God of War I, ll and Prototype, and we’re looking forward to upcoming releases, like Borderlands. And, don’t forget your PlayStation Plus includes access to PSP minis and PSone games as part of your subscription.
Q: Europe received the Fallout 3 DLC and Sam & Max season for free when we receive older titles. When can we expect newer discounted or free content? – Vengeance88 (October 20, 2010 post)
A: Content for PlayStation Plus subscribers differ for each region and that is dependant on a lot of different variables that aren’t always determined by us. Sometimes it’s our publishers that make decisions on how many or where to share certain content and sometimes it’s simply a case of where it makes the most sense for a particular game or feature. Having said that, we’re always looking for ways to extend the content we offer across different regions and hopefully you’ve seen that in some of the recent content that we’ve released, like the December 14th publish that included the upcoming featured download of the Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse season.
Q: When does the free three month promotion end for PlayStation Plus? – eatthemall (PS+ FAQ post)
A: The promotion that currently adds three months to your 12-month subscription is ongoing and users who subscribe to the promotion will now get 15 months of PlayStation Plus for the 12-month cost. If you’re not yet a subscriber, what other promotional offers would help you make the decision to subscribe?
Q: Can we have a progress update on cross game chat and any other features that will be available for PlayStation Plus subscribers? – xKOROSHIYAx (PS+ FAQ post)
A: I don’t have any progress updates to share at this time, but I can tell you that we’re listening to the things you want and whether or not we can release them now, we take all of the features you’ve been asking for seriously.
PlayStation Rewards
Q: When will the PlayStation Rewards program be available to Canada? – Chowbacca (October 27, 2010)
A: The PlayStation Rewards program is currently in beta and only available to GAP members and PlayStation Plus subscribers (who have opted into marketing emails as of October 24). If everything goes well during the beta period, our plan is to extend the offering to Canada in Spring 2011.
Q: Will the PlayStation Rewards program be available in Europe? – Coheno (October 27, 2010)
A: The other regions have shown interest, but we haven’t announced any plans to expand in Europe at this time.
Q: Why do trophy counts not affect the PlayStation Rewards program? I think trophy level should determine a gamer’s status in the program. – Mirauder (October 27, 2010)
A: The PlayStation Rewards program is still currently in beta and will remain an evolving program post-launch. Currently, we have incorporated the use of trophies into the Quest system announced earlier this week. Quests tie into more than just games, giving PlayStation Rewards members opportunities to gain progress from all aspects of the PlayStation Network, such as PlayStation Home, original programming and more.
Q: How long is the beta period for the PlayStation Rewards program? – LightAce (October 27, 2010)
A: We are expecting PlayStation Rewards to come out of beta in April 2011.
Q: Will the PlayStation Reward levels be based on games we beat from this date? Or will it include the games/trophies we have already beaten/earned on PS3? – cdsly16 (October 27, 2010)
A: The PlayStation Rewards program is not retroactive. It will take into account all the new games that you have played since the launch of the program.
VUDU
Q: Correct me if I’m wrong, but wouldn’t Hulu, VUDU, Netflix, and the Store all be competing for purchases of the same content on each and every PS3? – JBracin70 (November 16, 2010)
A: Actually, no. There are quite a few differences in terms of the type of content provided across the different services, the window of availability of content, and the payment options, etc. The bottom line is that we’re extending our content offering with a choice of partners to bring you the entertainment experience you want.
Q: Isn’t this video service cannibalizing on Sony’s current PSN video service? – Neil (November 16, 2010)
A: No, actually all of the different options haven’t cannibalized the PSN video delivery service, as proven by the 42% year-over-year growth. The PSN wallet and the compatibility with the PSN cards on PlayStation Store purchases have proven to be a great solution of convenience that complements our other content offerings.
Hulu Plus
Q: When will the service be available to Canadians? – Jeanse27 (November 4, 2010)
A: At this point, we don’t have any news to share on the exact timing for bringing Hulu Plus to Canada, but I can tell you that we’re exploring ways to bring our Canadian friends more of the content we’ve released in the US. However, it does bear mentioning that these plans are also contingent on Hulu Plus and when they extend their services to Canada.
Q: Any chance we can get Move support for both the Netflix and Hulu Plus app down the road? – Philaroni (November 4, 2010)
A: While you can use the Move controllers to navigate through the XMB, we don’t have anything to announce today for full support of Netflix or Hulu Plus. VUDU has announced that they will support PlayStation Move motion control with their new UI, VUDU 2.0, which will automatically update to your PS3 sometime this month.
Q: Do I have to pay for the monthly service with my credit card or can I use my PlayStation Wallet? – Rene_Led (November 4, 2010)
A: At this time you will have to pay for your Hulu Plus subscription with your credit card on Hulu.com, but we’ll certainly share updates on payment methods as they become available.
The Tester
Q: Can you consider including Canadians in your contests or at least run Canada specific contests? – krae_man (November 2, 2010)
A: Great suggestion, and we’ll most certainly be thinking about ways to integrate Canada and/ or Canadian specific challenges into future Tester series. Please continue to share your suggestions as we evolve the series, contests and overall experience.
NHL GameCenter
Q: Will we see similar sports applications, such as the NFL Sunday Ticket or NBA League Pass, on the PlayStation Network? – TABBYG87 (November 11, 2010)
A: We’re focused on providing you with many choices for your entertainment needs. We’ll continue to expand the catalogue of content you have access to on the PlayStation Network, however today we don’t have any news to share specific to NFL Sunday Ticket or NBA League Pass.
Q: Will the free NHL GameCenter app go away after the PlayStation Plus subscription has ended? – Dagger_32 (November 11, 2010)
A: The app itself won’t disappear from your XMB, but the free access to the app will discontinue once your PlayStation Plus subscription has ended and you will need to purchase it. As with all of the other content offered through PlayStation Plus, only subscribers will have access to the exclusive, free or discounted offers within PlayStation Plus, which includes the NHL GameCenter app being free to subscribers.
Please be kind enough to answer: I wonder why I can not upgrade my sub-account to a master account on PSN? I am no longer underage, and I will not make a new account, because all my friends, trophies and saves are in that current account. Please think about it. I also would not mind paying a fee to do this upgrade.
@evildude683 If you didn’t realize, SCEA falls under Canada and Mexico. So we have every right to be on here and Home. And face it, if it was the other way around, you Americans would be moaning just as much. :-]
Will Gran Turismo or Gran Turismo 2 ever come to PSN as PS One Classics? =(
I want to know how many PS+ subscribers you guys truly have. I think it’s about time to release a number. Also, can someone at least tell us why you guys are having difficulties bringing cross game chat to the XMB. That would seriously show a sign of respect to your consumers.
I shouldn’t get one less mini for the month just because I subscribed in the first month. Why can’t you send vouchers to those who already downloaded it and still have an active subscription, good for something like a dynamic theme, add-on, or a different PSN game? Giving long time subscribers nothing when they signed up for two minis each and every month just seems lazy to me.
Secondly, would it kill you to offer some free add-ons? I signed up because that was advertised as a feature in the original PS+ blog post (not that revised FAQ months later) and the only DLC of any significance was the Warhawk DLC. Why can’t you offer Killzone 2 map packs or MotorStorm track packs? Europe got these things. Why can’t we? Those are Sony produced items so there are no publisher issues to deal with (if that really is the case with the Fallout 3 DLC).
Offer more avatars. The selection offered to Plus subscribers is dirt poor for something so cheap to produce. I’ve downloaded every avatar available so far and only have around ten. Ten avatars in six months is sad for something that cost pennies to produce.
Oh, and 48 hours later, I still can’t download Sam & Max. Fix it!
i bet were not going to get any psn ID change and XGC till the next E3 when jack tretton makes an announcement talking about it coming next winter so prob next year going into 2012 lol…..i feel also when are were not going to get new XMB also……but some of these are good questions tho… i love you sony but you guys need to step up the plate a tiny bit more… but good questions tho
@61, i am dying for a cloud feature for all of our ps3 game saves, i hate when a save gets locked. we can easily backup our psp game saves why not ps3 saves. it seems very possible since steam does it. maybe even making it part of playstation plus, i’m even willing to pay an extra $10 a year if i have to. please sony, add this feature.
@147 i know right lol
Here is some advise from a true PS fan. The only thing you need now is Cross Game Chat. If you had that, ps3 will be the best console for everything. Its been 5 years, no more excuses!
when will you be able to buy shows from disney channel and disney xd
Couple of these requests are things PC’s have been doing for years. If you have the bandwidth to stream TV and movies…ugh, nevermind. Point is why would would pay for TV shows that originally aired for free. Just sayin
@clunkyd +1
This ones a hard one and i dont like asking it because it sounds abit rude . I lost 5 videos when my older ps3 died , now i wasnt angry because i read the TOS and know the nature of DRMS , however …. MANY people think that video content is recoverable when it is backed up , when CLEARLY it is not . since the intro of netflix and hulu i have refrained from purchasing video content . How does SCEA plan on dealing with that once MORE people become aware of loss of video content upon ps3 death . and perhaps SCEA shouldnt SCEA make it more clear PRE PURCHASE? other than that the ps3 expierience overall is and has been delightful . thanx for the good times .
Really Susan out of all the questions you choose to take head on you go for the Sam and Max when probably at least 100 of them are asking about Cross Game Chat lets get a real straightforward answer on that one.
I have 2 questions actually:
1- Will we ever see and PS3 Browser update?
2- This is PSHome related, is there by chance a future update will allow us to view a property or house before purchase?
Any Plans on turning the PSN into a Steam like service where we could get games on release date??
EDIT: ..ever see a*
Will We sometime in the near future Be able to stream tv stations?? (It only does everything)
I have been playing DC Universe Online Beta and my family and I are loving it. With that though, a lot of concerning questions have risen. This being our first CONSOLE MMO, in the upcoming months to the release of this title, could someone from Sony or this blog please post some more information on this game?
Some Questions that I would like to see answered…
1. How much per month?
2. If I pay a full game price of $59.99, is there an offline mode? Or is it unplayable without a subscription?
( I understand the first month will be free, but if I’m paying the full game price upfront, I feel there should be something offline for the months when we cant afford the Subscription price.)
3. With this being a console MMO, is the subscription for the PSN ID (user) or is it for the console?
(I have 3 to 4 people in my household who are interested in this game and one console. Two of those people are children, and children sometimes don’t like to share (They want to use their own PSN ID) If a subscription is $10-$20 a month per person, me and my wife cant afford it. That would be $40-$80 a month which is $480-$960 a year)
4. Will there be a discounted 3,6,9,12 month subscription plan?
I’m more or less hoping for a much more expanded Playstation Profile. I want to do a Photoshop of my idea, and post it in Playstation Blog Share if you can link to other pages.
I’ve got a great idea and some features that would work perfectly with the Playstation Network. Because if I know one thing for sure, the PSN Profile area (PS3 and Browser) is in dire need of a facelift.
I want to change my name i think you should be able to do it at least once a year for a small fee
Look I like the Move but for FPS could you have the option of twisting the move left or right to turn???? Please aiming at the edge of the screen is disorienting and unnecessary! The wii could not register twist… thats the only reason they have aim at the edge of the screen! PLEASE twist to turn option because without it move will not work!
Comic store Canada. Comic store Canada! Comic store Canada plz…
there are tones of ideas from the community for the ps3
when will you stop thinking of your wallets and start thinking of the people that fill your wallets
now i get the 10 year life cycle, it’s gonna take that long to get things done right, but i won’t be waiting on you slackers much longer, i’m coming home uncle bill, i’m coming home!!!
@168 Edit.. I know that not everyone has a fast enough network connection but that is no reason to hold back options like streaming TV stations… or whatever the problem is, your device is fully able to stream TV stations and that single option would boost your sales dramatically.
Plus has been a real boon… A ton of content plus some good discounts really helps if you like to try a lot of titles.
I would like to see more in the way of PS Home content…with plus
Constant vague answers on cross-game chat. Why not say yes its in the works or no we will never have it. Then we can all shut up about it lol Oh and get rid of share, its a waste of time. Its already been stated that the American team has no control over frimware updates and the Japanese team doesn’t think NA opinions are important.
Is Sony working on a Skype app for the PS3??? I have family over in europe and love using skype to talk with them. It would also make ‘It only does everything’ even more across the board!
@174 edit.. that was supposed to be a reply to 167. ok while I’m at it, you could just make it say you need to have at-least x many Mbps or have the option to stream at a lower quality. Trust me that service will pay for it self Day 1.
Thanks for the reply Susan,
when will more country’s get a psn store we Icelandic people are huge ps3 user but we don´t got a psn store
when will i be ABLE TO SIGN INTO THE BLOG ON MY PS3 BROWSER
BECAUSE THEY ALREADY GAVE YOU ANSWER TO CROSS GAME CHAT YOU FRIGGIN CRYBABIES !!!! take it or leave it and just MOVE ON !!! HELL they gave you ANSWERS from the beginning and like a bunch of ritalin deficient children , you ignore the ANSWER and ask the same damn questions .
IF they ever implement it you will hear about it . WILL THEY DO IT ??? they dont say yes or no AND YOUR NOT GOING TO GET A DEFINITIVE YES OR NO AT THIS TIME so move on already .
This is a long shot, but I hope this message gets across.
I use the “Chat” feature a lot when I’m on the PS3. So in regards to that, you are EXTREMELY limited as to what you can do on the XMB while in chat. Almost everything is disable and requires you to exit the chat. The only thing I could find that you can actually do is Read/Reply to messages. You can’t check trophies, you cant see ‘gamesaves’, etc. Please bring this up to the devs/programmers. If Sony can allow more features to be accessed while using ‘Chat’ that would be GREAT! If Chat can be pushed to the background and that way you can access ALL the features, that would be incredible. Also, why not add some themes to the ‘chat’, instead of the plain white background?
Thanks, Sony!
Score, my question got posted on a blog post!
Now for the reality of it. I’m a huge Sony fan but like others have said you don’t really tell us anything. You clarified that Field Runners was given out and then you recycled and apparently plan to continue to do so and that is where the problem is.
As a loyal Sony customer I own a PS3, PSP and utilize the store very often. I was a day 1 purchaser of your new program, PS+ and have enjoyed it. That being said you gave Field Runners as a free title and then went and gave it out again. I’ve essentially already paid for the title, why should I pay for it again just so someone who didn’t have the ability or want to sign up earlier can get it? In this case offer up Field Runners again, note that it was previously given out in the past (don’t try to slip it past us) and then offer another title free for those of us who already got it.
I understand that Sony thinks the XMB is great and all but it is out of date. Interfaces need to be updated over time to accommodate changes in content and what the user needs from the experience.
Example, I have no idea what is going on in the world of Playstation unless I actively take the time to search the web, the XMB gives very little info on what is going on, both in the community and otherwise.
Things like when you use the chat you are unable to use the browser, watch videos, look in the store an all that create a unhealthy disconnect to your user.
Also that box up top is ugly and the ticketer only gives out phrases of info that make no sense on there own. I’d like to see our avatar and # of friends and messages Icons larger and more visible.
All this stuff is minor but the impact to the overall user experience is worth the time spent. There is many more changes and fixes that could be done.
I’d like to see more micromanaging on the XMB and better and more well thought out design. This is something that needs to be done on Sony’s own will being that most in the community overlook or do not know how to ask for it in a number great enough to be considered a priority.
Here are some things I’d like to see:
1) I’d like to have the ability to change the format of my downloaded games, like I can change the format of the Playstation Store. For example, when I go onto GAMES on the XMB, I’d like to have the games in several rows, instead of just one row going down vertically.
2) I’d like to be able to play PSP games on my PS3. I’d even pay for it.
3) Cross-game chat. I personally don’t care about it and will never use it, but I’d like the whiners to have to shut up about it.
4) Software backwards compatibility for PS2 games. You have no idea how much I hate having to switch systems to play certain games.
5) If you want me to subscribe to Plus, the only thing that would convince me to do so, would be if Plus subscribers didn’t have to pay any additional subscription fees. For example, if I was a Plus subscriber and I bought DC Universe, I wouldn’t have to pay the additional $15 a month for the game. That would actually get me to subscribe.
6) I’d like to be able to pay for Netflix with my PSN account.
we want ability to change psn username.
thankus sonys
Thank you Ms. Panico for taking time out to answer the community’s questions. This is another reason I am a Playstation fan, your interaction and faithfulness to the community.
Hi there,
Can you update the PS3’s Internet Browser so that it will support Adobe Flash Player 10.1 please?
Will PS Reward members ever get to check progress via PS3?
Why haven’t you guys made a simple update BBC code for PSN cards rather HTML?
If Platinum trophies are rewarded, will previously earned Platinum trophies be included, or just ones earned after the launch of PlayStation Rewards.
Would be nice to use Playstation HOME pics as avatars on the PSN
@50: Haskell420, your argument for PS3-run PSP demos is flawed on several levels.
First, and this is the biggest: The PS2 and PSP are very comparable in processing power.
They are also very comparable in *still being sold and making Sony money*.
Being able to emulate demos and NOT giving people the option to play full PSP games on the PS3 will:
A) anger the he11 out of people that don’t have and do want software PS2 emulation to come back. Because the audience interesting in having PSP games work is miniscule compared to the market of PS3 game owners that *still* have their PS2 hooked up. (like me and every PS3 owner I know)
B) anger the he11 out of people that don’t have a PSP and just want to buy a PSP game that *already runs* on their PS3. “Why buy more hardware just to play on a smaller screen?” It will be a marketing disaster that erodes the PSP hardware market. And Sony is at least aware it doesn’t need to cause more of those on purpose.
If you cannot recognize the simple truth that this is bad business and the can of worms it would open up, then prepare to rant about the same request for the hardware lifetime of the PSP, and possibly the PS3 too.
Thx Susan. I think we all want to see more staff replies especially on Plus posts which always seems to get no replies. With Home and Plus, Europe has so much great content that you can just import here.
@Susan Panico
****https://blog.playstation.com/2010/12/16/your-psn-questions-answered/#comment-497655
You sure can spin things.
Let see here. PS3 is will missing these key features like
*Cross Game Voice Chat
*Universal Party System
*Universal in-game music
*automatic trophy syn to servers
PS3 needs to
*A better browser with update-to-date technology
*Promoting a sub-account to a master account
*using funds in your wallet for subscription to games or media aps such an netflix
And many more if you guys actually read the blog share. But according to your response and the response of many other Sony PR people, it’s clear that Sony don’t even read the blog share.
Slap in the face post imo.
I’m all for the Cross Game Chat feature (hopefully available to all Playstation Network users) aka not exclusive to PS+.
Susan,
Thanks for the Q&A post and for taking the time to answer some comments.
Even if some of the answers were not what we wanted to hear, just aknowledging that you hear us is important.
Can you please continue to occationally make these posts and keep some kind of communication with the customers. It makes a difference!
Thank you