Online gaming is probably the biggest feature in consoles this generation, online gaming and online communities are everywhere – Steam, Xbox Live, Playstation Network, and of course the Wii online numbers, nobody can deny that online is the biggest feature this generation.
But only Xbox Live was the one people liked the most, played the most, used the most, and was the best online community feature in consoles, but then the Playstation 3 came out in 2006 with its own online community, Playstation Network.
The Past
Playstation Network started as a small online feature for the PS3, it didn’t have alot of users, nor did it have alot of features, in fact even the Playstation Store was used on a webbrowser. People didn’t really like PSN, given the fact that its free, you just coulnd’t compare it to Xbox Live, or any other online feature back then, there were’nt even good games to play online, except for the famous Resistance: Fall of Man, all the other games that had online were’nt any good at all. Suffering from alot of problems, people just didn’t want to go on the PSN, there weren’t really any features or online games that caught people’s eyes, PSN was considered failure.
The Present
Things have changed for the Playstation 3 and the Playstation Network. With alot of updates, Sony finally hit the nail, PSN is a big hit these days, both on the Playstation 3 and the PSP. The Playstation Store offers tons of stuff for both systems-games, demos, videos, movies, themes, and more. With tons of new features and games, PSN becamse successfull with about 20 million users signed up to the PSN, using its great features like Playstation Home, which is a 3D online community which you can only find on the PSN, and also great online exclusive games like Warhawk, Resistance 2, Killzone 2, Socom, MGO and many more games which you can enjoy online for free. And of course alot of exclusive PSN games like SuperStardust HD, Fat Princess, Crash Commando and Flower, PSN offers some of the best downloadble games you can find.
With tons of new features like PULSE which tells you the latest info and news regarding the Playstation Network and the PS3, and QORE which is a Playstation Network show which requires yearly subscibtions which will reward you with early demos, themes, and beta invites, most beta was the Uncharted 2 Beta.
The addition of Trophies were a really great thing Sony did, giving more replayability to games and more mini like quests that players take on and then earn their reward.
PSN now mosts of the standards that people wanted, sure its missing a few features like a Party System or in game invites, but PSN is still has great online community, and tons of great online games, and it still wont cost you a dime.
The Future
It was already said that future PS3 firmware updates will add alot, and i’m sure all of us want different things and features added in the future, and im sure there will be, we’re gonna have to wait for more information when Sony go on stage later this month.
We already know what big online exclusive games are coming to the Playstation 3, like Uncharted 2: Among Theives, and of course MAG which offers 256 player online battles, which has the most online players in an FPS ever, PSN is looking great in the future regarding online games. We expect the community to grow larger as obvious, along with HOME getting more users as more features and content arrives, i just hope Sony puts more clothes for free in the future, im really bored with the same lame shirt im wearing for months.
And as Sony stated, Playstation Network will also move on to other Sony products, we dont necesseraly know what products or how this is going to work, so we will have to wait for that.
We excpect big things from Sony and PSN in the future, so for now enjoy the free service with its great online games and features, the great community, and start getting those Trophies people!