Masayuki Chatani
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Sony hints at PSN-for-pay once again
We're not sure what Sony is getting at, but it certainly seems to be planning on charging somebody for something at some point in the future. Kaz Hirai mentioned a new premium level subscription plan for PlayStation Network last month, though we were told that the current level of PSN service was to remain free. Now SCE's Masayuki Chatani has chimed in, saying that Sony would face difficulties if it just leans on the "sell-and-forget model." Unfortunately, we're still not sure what the sell-and-remember alternative might be. Masayuki adds: "We can also accept payment in a growing number of ways. In addition to single-payment packaged software there are also schemes like monthly fees or per-item charges." The thing is, if we're not going to pay for basic PSN online play, what will we be paying for? We've clearly entered the era of being nickeled-and-dimed by DLC, and Microsoft has been making a tidy sum off our Gold subscriptions for some time now, much to Sony's ridicule, but if it takes charging us some amount of cash a month to make match-making in Uncharted 2 a bit more bearable, maybe we'll hold our tongues when Sony has to go against everything PSN has stood for to do it.
Sony considering monthly fees for PSN content, services
We know there's a temptation to freak out, but just stick with us until the second graph, okay? When asked by Nikkei Japan how the company managed the cost of maintaining the free PlayStation Network, Sony Computer Entertainment executive VP Masayuki Chatani highlighted the possibility of new revenue streams, saying, "In addition to single-payment packaged software, there are also schemes like monthly fees or per-item charges." As GameIndustry.biz points out, Chatani could be talking about any number of different items and monthly-charged services delivered via PSN -- as was vaguely referenced in a presentation last month. Viewed together, the comments may seem troubling, but additional services don't necessarily equate to PSN itself becoming a subscription service. If Sony wanted to lose the biggest advantage of its online service just as the PS3 builds up a good head of steam, a funeral service might become more appropriate.
Sony considered SSD, network storage for PS3 Slim
Could the PS3 Slim have been even slimmer? It could have, according to Sony's Masayuki Chatani, but it would've cost you. That word comes from a wide-ranging interview Chatani gave to Tech-On!, in which he revealed (seemingly for the first time) that Sony had considered using SSD drives or even network storage to further reduce the size of the console. SSD drives were ultimately rejected, as you might have guessed, due to cost reasons, and Chatani says that network storage ultimately proved to still be simply too impractical for a game console. He also said that the PS3 could have been made slimmer if Sony had just left the power supply on the outside, but that would have "imposed restrictions on transport and use, making it harder to use freely." Not a whole lot in the way of big revelations otherwise, but you can check out the complete interview at the link below.
