14 DAY TRIAL // Despite the fact that PlayStation Now seems to be the future of gaming in many ways, it seems that it might take some time before Sony decides to change the pricing model associated with the service in order to make it more attractive for gamers.
Eric Lempel, who is the vice president of Sony Network Entertainment, is quoted by Game Informer as saying that at the moment the beta for the new concept is progressing well and a lot of players are using it and trying to see how it can be exploited.
The executive states, “One of the big metrics for us is the experience the users are having because this is a really unique proposition. And the feedback that we’re getting is overwhelmingly positive. More than 80 percent of our consumers are saying they’re having a really good experience with the games on the service so we’re off to a really strong start from my perspective.”
PlayStation Now is based on technology that has been acquired from Gaikai and is at the moment offered on the PlayStation 4 home console, with plans to expand it to the PS3, the Vita handheld and some smart television sets.
Pricing options will evolve after feedback
Since PlayStation Now was first revealed to the public, gamers have been worried about the way Sony will price content, and plenty are saying that at the moment it’s a better idea to simply buy a title than play it via streaming for a limited period.
Sony plans to make some changes based on the information coming from the public, but there are some problems that other companies will have to deal with.
Lempel adds, “We’ve got the different tiers, and then beyond that the publisher does have some flexibility on how they’d like to price their titles. They are looking to us to work with them to help them figure out what will work best. And we’re all kind of working through this together right now. There are a different variety of prices out there depending on the title, duration, and – in some cases – publisher.”
PlayStation Now might give a boost to the PlayStation 4 as long as the pricing model satisfies all potential users.
A rumor has recently suggested that Microsoft is working on a similar solution that could be used both for web browsers and for the Xbox One home console, with a reveal set to take place in 2015.