Kutaragi wants you to pay for games you don't own.

[ThirdMarioBro]

Sony E-Distribution

June 09, 2006

by: Matt Furtado

Kutaragi set out a vision of e-Distribution using broadband networks.
Sony Computer Entertainment president Ken Kutaragi continued to discuss SCEI's plans for the PlayStation 3 in the third part of an interview with Japanese site PC Impress Watch.

At the 1999 Microprocessor Forum, Kutaragi set out a vision of e-Distribution using broadband networks. At that time, most consumers still connected to the Internet with dialup, so that vision was largely ignored. But now Kutaragi stated that Sony will emphasize network features with the Playstation 3. "We really wanted to do this with the PS2," he stated. "But now, Apple has realized a successful e-Distribution program. It's about time we made our move, too." He continued, "We'll be conducting network services from launch day." He explained why he has steered clear of the e-Distribution topic at conferences. "Talking about our distributors and network services isn't very engaging," he said, "so I didn't mention it at E3."

Regarding the business aspect of the PS3's online components, Sony seems to be taking its cues from the PC. "You can't charge money for network matching and other basic services. These things are just taken for granted on the PC...On the PS3, basic services will be taken for granted while content will be the bread and butter of our business."

Kutaragi does not think it will take long for digitally delivered PS3 content to catch on and gave a time frame of one to two years. "I expect even the hard disk to disappear eventually. If you have all the data on servers, you probably no longer need disk drives...But to do this, the server is crucial. It's a difficult problem."

Kutaragi also predicted the PS3 would be welcomed warmly by an industry trying to cope with falling DVD sales and looking for a successor. He made the further claim that the "PS3 will be the trigger that ignites flat-panel TV sales."

He also discussed the potential of using multiple Cell processors in concert. "Users will be able to connect to Polyphony Digital's server. So I want it to be a Cell server, with the number of Cells at a thousand to several thousand. This would allow us to maintain an entire cyberworld, as long as our power supply holds up."

source: Gamespot

Not only does the motherfu*ker want to take away our ability to actually own a physical disc, now he wants to take away our ability to own the damned game at all. Buy something that sits on their servers for as long as they want to allow the license to last.

Go to fu*king hell.

[Kid Icarus]

"Kutaragi also predicted the PS3 would be welcomed warmly by an industry trying to cope with falling DVD sales and looking for a successor. He made the further claim that the "PS3 will be the trigger that ignites flat-panel TV sales."

That's the part everyone should be looking at. PS3 isn't there to deliver good games, it's there to push HDTV sales.

[愛]

What is this bullsh*t? I...wanna own my game? That's why I never buy games from DirectDrive or whatever it's called. I wanna own the CD and everything.

F*ck you, Sony.

[Brodie]

Yeah, what the ****? I like to be able to return games I dont like or play anymore....How can I do that with PS3? Oh wait. I can't.

[Kid Icarus]

And we all know Sony hates the used games market...

This would easily shut that down, at least for their console, if all games end up going through a download service.

And the time it would take to download? Christ. One gig takes a while, let alone 10-16 gigs.

[Toonami Tom]

Downloading a game to your hard drive, instead of buying and having the actual disk isn't as good. I like to have the actual game disk, the case, the insert, and the instruction book.

So what Sony wants is, that I download the game, and I don't actually own it? What the ****?! That's insane.

[Kid Icarus]

You also need to think about the reliability of Sony's game consoles.

I can assure you that the first years worth of PS3's are going to burn melt down.

[Jo Dawn]

Help me. I'm sick and easily confused.

What?

Hehe, I mean, what's this with not owning the game? Expain this to me, please. And the rest of it, too. If you can, please.

[ThirdMarioBro]

Okay, here's the rundown. I'll simplify as best I can.

The Playstation 3 uses a new disc format called "Blu-Ray". this is a multimedia disc format that Sony is pushing to be the replacement for DVD. Nobody has much interest in the format, but here's the kicker. Blu-Ray discs have a small rewritable section on the inner ring, and Sony is rumored to be planning to use that sector of the disc to "sign" your games to your console. What that effectively means is, you would not be able to use your Playstation 3 games on any other PS3 than your own. What if your console breaks down? What if you want to play a game at a friend's house? If so, you're screwed. There are conflicting reports so far, and nobody knows for sure if Sony is actually going to go through with it or not. I would assume so because they loathe the used games and rental markets, and this would kill it off for PS3.

Next up, Sony wants to push digital distribution. What this means, is that they want to push the market to shift where people buy their games online rather than at stores such as Wal-Mart, Gamestop, or Best Buy. You would theoretically not have to leave your house to buy software, and would instead just pay full price at home to just download the game to your Playstation 3's hard drive. Here's the flaws. One, you don't actually physically own the game. If your Hard Drive dies, I suppose you could just redownload it for free "as long as Sony continues to support the PS3". You're good for the next seven years or so, but past that....what? Ka-Ching. All Hard Drive's wear out. It's inevitable. Now, the other factor is, your Hard Drive's capacity would limit how many games you could actually have on your system at once. Once you fill up the space, you're screwed. I suppose in theory, you could delete one to fill space, and download another, but that would only work if Sony allows you redownload games you already "paid for" later when you want to play them again. The Xbox 360 lets you transfer downloadable content to another Xbox 360, but when you delete it, it's deleated. Period. I don't see why Sony would be any different here. This is the thing Sony wants to push this generation. They will continue to sell games in stores for now, but what if those are being "signed" to your console? You're whole library depends on the lifespan of that box. Seems like a good way to get you to be more disapproving of discs in favor of something else huh?

Also, consider the fact that Sony plans to charge the same price for downloaded games as the actual store bought versions. This is a ripoff because with the downloadable version, they're not having to pay to distribute the disc, manfacture the disc, make the box, print the label, print the manual, nothing. They're just racking in more profits for something you don't even really own (just have as long as the hard drive lasts), and screwing you to do it. It's similar to the current situation with downloading music on virtual music stores such as itunes, but that's a rant for later.

Now, last but not least, Ken Kutaragi (CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment) has a new idea. If the simi-distant future (when internet speeds get fast enough, and believe me, we'll get there sooner than we all think), he has a plan to make it so that you never even get to downlaod the game at all. Instead, you pay full price, then the game is "streamed" to your system via the internet. The part of the game you are currently playing is downloaded to your system, but you never actually save it to a hard drive or anything. You just "pay to play", and you pay full price too. Also, Sony is raising game prices this generation to $60. What will they do when they've taken away physical discs and have you playing games off of their servers?

With this setup, you would have to have a fast internet connection that you pay for sepretately. Downloading games on current broadband speeds would still take upwards of two days, and you don't own it. If the future, he want to take away your ability to even have the game in any form at all. When it's done, it goes back to their servers. This is YEARS away, but if Sony gets their way....

The point is, as Gwg said, the PS3 is merely a device from Sony whose entire purpose of existance is to force the user to pay for things they don't really own, or have limited lifespans. The machine's main purpose is to get people to support the Blu-Ray format to replace DVD (which is COMPLETELY unnecessary) so that Sony can get licensing revenues off of every Blu-Ray movie sold in the world, because it is their format.

Also, Sony is pushing a new video connection to replace Component video jacks. Component (high definition) & composite (red, yellow, white old style analog video) jacks are those multicolored jacks on the back of your TV that you hook the VCR/Tivo/Gaming consoles to. Sony's new format is HDMI. With it, they can dictate what home electronics can and cannot be connected to your TV. If that device could be used to pirate video in ANY way, it isn't allowed to work with your TV because the HDMI . Sony could abuse this any way they wanted if it became a standard. The possibilities are mindnumbing. Current video jacks can't do that, which is why Sony is so hellbent on pushing the industry to replace them. Thus far, they are the only ones pushing so hard, but that could change if the PS3 is suscessful as the PS3 is meant to push heavily twords this new video connection format. They backed off a bit after the negitive responce at E3, then pushed forward with their arrogance two weeks later.



This is why I am so hostile twoards the Playstation 3. The things Sony is doing are not just negitive for gaming, but for the whole entertainment world in general, as well as our pocketbooks. It's unnecessary, and justified. Plus, they intend to have only a couple of games available at launch. What did they ahve to say about this?

We've built a certain brand equity over the years, so that even if there aren't any games available at launch, we'll still sell through the first 5,000,000.

Yes, they really said. What is the point of a gaming console with no games? To be an expensive Blu-Ray trojan horse. The PS3 is a desaster, but it's an even bigger desaster if people support it.



I hope that clears up some of the issues at hand. :)

[OA]

Sheesh..thanx for the explanation...it sounds even more dire than what I understood initally...it seems like Sony should call the ps3 "revolution" since it seems they are truly trying to change the landscape of gaming as we know it, and NOT in a good way

[Spitfire]

This one looks perfect for Sony

http://home.arcor.de/edwink/anzeigen/coffin.jpg

Nice and comfy

[Hannah]

This one looks perfect for Sony

http://home.arcor.de/edwink/anzeigen/coffin.jpg

Nice and comfy
omfg ikea rules o__o

[TheGreenMagic]

... The people at Sony have gone completely nuts if they think any of that is a good thing for anyone in the long run.

[Kid Icarus]

Sony has always been completly isane. Kutaragi is the most arrogant, pompus, crap filled windbag in the industry since Hiroshi Yamauchi... but at least Yamauchi can be accredited with reinventing the entire videogame industry, and at least he understood that in order to make a good company you have to treat your consumers properly.

The Famicom, Japanese NES for those who don't know, had some malfunctions when it first went to market there. What'd Yamauchi do? Exchanged each and every one of them with a working system.

Kutaragi would have just been oblivious to the fact that his perfect machine had any flaws.

Thank god Satoru Iwata's more sane then Yamauchi, but with the same nack for customer service.

[Spitfire]

Sony can bite me, Blue Ray game disks are enough to turn me away from it.

[Barkworm]

Does anyone remember the time when Kutaragi said we could enter the Matrix with the PS2?

[愛]

I don't remember that. Would you happen to have an article on it? I'd love to read that BS.

[Barkworm]

http://cube.ign.com/articles/695/695688p1.html
Ken is on #6. That article is pure gold.

[愛]

Oh my God, I haven't had a good laugh like that in a long time. The Iwata statement is pretty hilarious, too. :lol:

[GK Punk]

That's a great article

[ThirdMarioBro]

Indeed it is. Whatever those guys are smoking, I want some.

[Barkworm]

The article also shows that old Yamauchi is the king of the industry's jackasses. I'm sure Kutaragi or Phil Harrison will win this crown very soon though.

[Ecto Jedi]

The article also shows that old Yamauchi is the king of the industry's jackasses.

I think that's pretty apparent. Who ever heard of video game company president who takes pride in the fact that he's never played any video games??

I'm sure Kutaragi or Phil Harrison will win this crown very soon though.

Yeah, that whole "Matrix" quote was a little off the mark. Good job, Kutaragi. :lol: And don't forget, Trip Hawkin's said some pretty stupid things, too. What's he doing these days, anyway?

[Dinny]

This one looks perfect for Sony

http://home.arcor.de/edwink/anzeigen/coffin.jpg

Nice and comfy

Plus, it actually costs less than a PS3 :D

[OA]

Wow...great article....same interface as the Matrix huh...sheesh...:lol: :lol:

[Peanut]

I was away yesterday, so I missed out on this important thread, but basically. **** Sony, **** Blu-Ray and **** Kutaragi! **** THEM RIGHT UP THE ASS!