Sony CEO about PS3’s future - SKFU & iQD statement

News via http://streetskaterfu.blogspot.com/2...-skfu-iqd.html

Howard Stringer (SONY CEO) recently gave an interview and here is what we think about his - Sir Howard Stringer (yes, he's a knight lol, no joke!)
passionate view:



“We developed brand new, absolutely incredible technology for the PlayStation 3 (PS3), but the cost was high. We've adopted a slightly different approach now, and are evolving the PS3 into a platform for web services,[...]”

Wasn't the PlayStation3 system announced similar? "absolutely incredible technology"!? Yes it was. What did we got first?

A major buggy PlayStation Network which had (summed up) many vulnerabilities (fixed):

- Logins/Passes exposed via "Man in the Middle" - attacks
- Install games for free via redirecting game links
- Free games caused of a credit card payment failure
- Very slow PSN loading sequences

If the base system caused so many problems and has huge design flaws, we can imagine what the announced one introduces, but may we are wrong.


“A lot of people thought Sony's content download service was doomed, but it's in a pretty good place right now in the form of the PlayStation Network, available to PS3 users for network gaming, video, etc. The DRM is based on Marlin, an open scheme developed by consumer electronics companies and other companies."

Why is SONY always counting on DRM?
People want FREEDOM (as you stated yourself in the interview). DRM does NOT stand with FREEDOM, even though SONY is using an OpenSource DRM.


“What does all this mean? Very simply, it means that Sony has begun the transition from a closed system to an open one."

Open in what ways? Open for everyone or licensed developers ?
Open for free of charge or fees ?



“Next we will be expanding the PlayStation Network to hardware other than the PS3, because the number of PS3 units sold puts a limit on the scale of the network possible. Sony has a vertical structure for each product line, an organisational structure that resists change, so it will take time to achieve this network growth. However, a large number of employees share my opinion on this.”

A bit late mate ;-) Dashhackers "Open Remote Play" tool brings the PSN to any platform. Even a XBOX360 could access the PSN now.

So if your employees (at least a large number) are sharing your opinion, why are you always locking out yourself? Which means PSN Textchat, Voicechat and Videochat is PS3 only ! What were the problems to open those things to PC users right from the start, so they can communicate with each other like ICQ, TeamSpeak, Skype (which is already implemented in the PSP!).

Months after the launch of the PS3 the Store was made accessible from a PC. Why not the real usable features like the chat? Cross-platforming is a very nice feature like Microsoft shows with their XBOX360 + MSN for example.

Why is onlinegaming always restricted to the architecture? XBOX360 and PS3 users are locked out to play with each other, altough the technology and infrastructure was always there. The most games on PS3 and XBOX360 use one network architecture of the base system it was developed on anyway. Even PC and PS3 gamers cannot play against each other, altough using mouse and keyboard on the PS3 in shooter games was always possible from the start.

So you want to interconnect different architectures, on the other side SONY blocked this right from the start.


“The Wii from Nintendo Co Ltd of Japan is an excellent example. They didn't develop any unique technology; they just realised that there was potential demand out there for something different from conventional games, and thought about how to satisfy different demands from different age groups. They attained results that the PS3 hasn't; namely, generating profit from hardware sales.”

We think this lies in the broad range of Wii games. in contrast to 90% of shooters on the PS3 and WiiWare. There are great indy developers out there, who would be very happy to release something on the PSN. But there's no equivalent to WiiWare or XNA. Even though, SONY gives away their cool PhyreEngine to licensed developers, it isn't available for free for everyone. GNU/Linux on the PS3 is also not an option !


"Apple's iTunes Store uses its own proprietary DRM called FairPlay. I think this gives Sony a chance to provide something that Apple can't. And we have to move ahead and grab that opportunity before Apple begins to provide support for other hardware and blocks us out."

Also a point is SONY's DRM. Apple used FairPlay in iTunes for a long time but has quit this and making profit as always ! So Apple IS NOT using FairPlay any more and the chance for SONY has gone. Same goes with the AppStore. Everyone can code everything for just $99.

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All in all the PlayStation3 HAS the potential to be a fantastic gaming console and more! But Sony HAS to use it as fast as possible and grant users and developers more freedom. The biggest failure was to block all this from the start. Now they are on the run to catch up, hoping this all isn't just marketing gibberish as so much things in the past.

- SKFU & iQD

http://streetskaterfu.blogspot.com/2...-skfu-iqd.html

PS3 has already cached up with the Xbox360, And it has almost every future the Xbox was proud of at first, while it is giving it for free. Now if they finaly release the in-game voice chat...