Sony laid out plans for a new online gaming service that will debut alongside its PlayStation 3 console in early November. The basic level of the new service, called the PlayStation Network Platform,
will be free to those who purchase a PS3, with small monthly subscription charges for certain games and other premium content. Gamers can meet online to chat, compete, and even buy games, a move that
represents a major departure for the video game giant that will likely anger retailers. The retail strategy is more like Apple's iTunes as Sony also plans to make its music and film libraries
downloadable via the network too, with networking elements reminiscent of MySpace. The online gaming community also represents a major opportunity for advertisers, as the service enables Sony to
capture demographic data and serve dynamic in-game ads across its network. Said Sony Computer Entertainment President Phil Harrison, "This can provide a tremendous revenue stream for our industry."
Harrison added that the network will enable Sony to release games in an episodic manner reminiscent of TV. ""I believe that games can have the same social currency of a great television program," he
said.
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