Rumor Mill: PlayStation Network Premium Service Detailed at E3

Sony seems to have thought about offering a premium version of its PlayStation Network service for some time, but now inside sources are claiming that the creator of the PlayStation 3 home console and of the PlayStation Portable handheld is getting ready to announce the new membership option in an official manner at the E3 trade show in the middle of June.

The source talked to VG247 and told them that Sony is not planning to take anything out of the services which are currently offered for free for those using PSN. The subscription will be yearly, will cost less than 50 dollars and will cover bonus free downloads and brand new features, which could be linked to socialization and to early access to new content on the Sony powered network.

The insider mentioned that a choice of a PlayStation Network title, like Fat Princess or Flower, could be offered monthly for the price mentioned above. Sony is also said to be planning a music streaming application which can be used in the background to provide a soundtrack while players enjoy their gaming.

Sony has long been preparing a new voice feature for the PlayStation 3 which was supposed to work over different titles, and some players fear that this will only be available to those who subscribe to the PSN. The anonymous source claims that this is not true, saying “I can tell you now, 100 percent, that that's not the case”.

There are also rumors that Sony is getting ready to show off a true successor for the PlayStation Portable at the E3 trade show, seeing how the PSP Go version has so far been a disappointment. The new device would be designed to be a rival to the new Nintendo 3DS and to the threat posed in the handheld space by the iPhone and the iPad from Apple.