14 DAY TRIAL // Sony says that currently more than a million people have a PlayStation Network account in Japan, which basically means that at least the same number of people also have a PlayStation 3 console. Apparently there is some sort of voucher offer to celebrate the number and the way users visit the store and use it to get all the content they need for the PS3.
More than 8 million people worldwide have a PlayStation Network account. To put things in perspective there are apparently more than 12 million Xbox Live subscriptions out there and Microsoft is planning some pretty big things regarding them, a Community Games element to be more precise, designed to help indie companies get innovative, small games to the users of Xbox Live Arcade.
But Sony also has plans regarding the PlayStation Network. Kaz Hirai has repeatedly stated that PlayStation Home, which is finally coming out this fall, will add a whole new dimension to the experience of PlayStation 3 users and other plans regarding the on-line capabilities of the gaming console are also in the works. As Hirai puts it, "Our confidence in Home has not wavered".
It's very interesting that all the major console producers, from Nintendo to Sony and Microsoft, are making clear efforts to create experiences and game delivery systems centered on their devices. Basically it seems that the appeal of the console in itself, as a piece of hardware that lets you play a game, is being overshadowed by the appeal of the console as an experience. Microsoft's Xbox Live, Sony's PlayStation Network and Nintendo's WiiWare are expected to become game distribution channels, in addition to creating social channels for users of the same type of console.
Basically, with such a shift in sight, the numbers that each console registers in terms of sales are becoming a bit less important as the experience that each console offers becomes the main concern. For example if Home proves to be a big hit, we might again see the "console war" going in Sony's favor, while if Home gets delayed even more, Microsoft's Xbox 360 might again have the upper hand.