PlayStation Store: The True Story [Update 9/9/07]

Note: This article has had a major rehaul, and has been bumped to the latest news.

PSN // OPENING STATEMENT

The PlayStation Store is the center of the PlayStation Network. Users look forward to a one day a week update. When that Thursday arrives, it usually results in disappointment.

Let's take a look at Xbox Live. They receive content whenever it's ready. They receive many multi-platform demos. Each demo they receive are about 2-3 days apart. Other than demos, they have a video marketplace, which also has streaming previews. When one logs on to Xbox Live, it feels like the ultimate experience. There is unlimited possibilities of the things they can do and you feel like you can play, and watch media all day. The browsing is very easy and simple to find what you want, and descriptions are right there when you highlight the content.

Now let's look at the PlayStation Network. We receive content one day a week, while the rest of the week is just constant waiting for the next update. Each demo we receive are 7 days apart. When we log-on to the PlayStation Store, we are faced with a bland design built on a webpage, bad for archived content. When your on the Network, your interface is an XMB, with sections for videos, music, and games. Under the games, all the demos are listed also, which can be quite annoying. A section for demos under games would be nice. But when your on the Network, you can't stay on for long, it gets boring and tiresome, compared to Xbox Live's fun.

PSN // DESIGN

The current PlayStation Store design kind of bland. And it being on the browser really makes it worse. Currently, two really good designs have been made for the PlayStation Store. Check out this link:

http://www.ps3forums.com/showthread.php?t=90482

A very crafty member named Cruzader made his view of what the PlayStation Store should like look. And sorry to say Sony, his is much better than the current. Now, I'm not saying we should use this specific design, but I'm saying Sony, you should get working on a new one, that is not built into a webpage. It should be a built in program on the PLAYSTATION 3, so that it launches better, and goes faster.

The other one, is made by us at onAXIS:

http://onaxis.blogspot.com/2007/09/onaxis-playstation-store-design.html

This one is Sony's with a nice twist. Sony, you should check these out, maybe contact onAXIS or Cruzader and try to work on that design. Maybe even make up your own new one. But not one that is in the web browser and looks different on SDTV's. It should be one that loads up from the PlayStation 3, not web based.

PSN // DEMOS

Now lets look at the demos section, here are all the current multi-platform demos that Xbox Live has, and the PlayStation Network does not. You'd think 11 months into the game, the company would see whats going on, guess not. Check out the list:

• Sonic The Hedgehog
• F.E.A.R.
  
• Tony Hawk's Project 8
• NBA Street Homecourt
• Monster Madness Ex
• Fatal Inertia
• The Bigs
• Surfs Up (odd they got it and we didnt seeing as the movie was made at Sony)
• Vampire Rain
• Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End
• Blacksite: Area 51
• Medal of Honor: Airborne
• Madden NFL 08
• TimeShift
• Eternal Sonata

Sony said they stopped the Official Playstation Magazine because they can provide demos on the PlayStation Network. Though that hasn't been working out well.

But, what about the PlayStation 2 demos? We can’t even get those anymore thanks to the cancellation of the Official Playstation Magazine. I’d understand if no new games come out for PlayStation 2 anymore, but new games do come out. We should of seen demos on the PlayStation Network for PlayStation 2 games like:

• God of War II
• Final Fantasy XII
• Okami
• Shin Megami Tensai: Persona 3
• Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2007
• Wild ARMs 5
• Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles 2

I'm pretty sure we would of seen these if the Official PlayStation Magazine was not canceled. And we should be seeing upcoming demos on the network for upcoming games like:

• Dragonball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3
• Manhunt 2

PSN // GAMES

With the PlayStation Store also comes games. Most people would like to test play the game since you cannot rent them. How come we don't receive demos/trial versions of each arcade game so we can see if we like it before we buy it? Every Xbox Live Arcade game has a trial version.

XBOX Live gets 1-3 arcade games a week. So far we get around 1 game every 2-3 weeks. Start getting those indie and even lower unknown developers to start developing games for the network.

Now as you can see, only a few of the PlayStation Store exclusives are retro remakes. Though we do have a few, such as Rampage, Joust, etc. A quote from Peter Dille, the SCEA Head of Marketing explains why:

"Whereas our competition takes a bunch of old content and catalogs content from previous generations and offers that in a download fashion, our development organization are making games specifically for PS3."

But Peter, is that really a bad thing? Does seeing games like Sonic the Hedgehog be released on the Xbox Live Arcade make you want to play it? It sure does make me. I would love to play all the retro games Live received on the PlayStation 3, along with these new games Sony wants to bring out too.

PSN // PSONE GAMES

With the PlayStation Store currently also home to downloadable PSone games, how come we aren't seeing any? Japan just received 14 PSone games a few weeks ago, and we haven't received any PSone games since that Castlevania update. Sony, look at Wii's Vitrual console, they have over 120 old games, we only have around 15 PSone games.

PSN // ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT

Also, on the PlayStation Network, the ability to change our country would be nice. I have a friend, Joseph, who is moving to Europe and he does not want to make a whole new PlayStation Network ID, as he likes his online ID. And thanks to not being able to change his country, he will have to make a whole new account.

PSN // ACROSS CONTINENTS

I've noticed the updates for countries like Europe and such hasn't been as "good" as North Americas. You need to start making it fair for everybody else. Or else corruptions will erupt, kind of like this article here.

PSN // CONCLUSION

The conclusion of this article, is that Sony is really losing it in the online marketplace right now. Xbox Live is the ultimate experience, Wii is home to 120+ Virtual Console games, and the PlayStation Store is a big flunk.

Thats only for the moment. Maybe if Sony sees this article, they will hear me, not only me, hear the PlayStation Community. Only time will tell.

SONY // FURTHER NOTES

There is more going wrong with you guys besides just the messed up PlayStation Network. There is also the matter of exclusives and your touch with third-parties. You let all your exclusives go to third-parties. Look at Virtua Fighter 5, they got it on the Xbox 360, but with online. Look at Assassin's Creed, Devil May Cry 4, etc. Come on Sony, I say it all the time, STEP YOUR GAME UP.