PSN "Monthly Fees" Rumours Surface Again

14 Dec 2009 at 17:17:12 by

Sony Computer Entertainment's chief technology officer, Masayuki Chatani, has said that Sony is looking at monthly fees or per-item charges.

In an interview with Nikkei Electronics Asia, Chatani said that the company would have to consider payment methods in order to keep the running costs of "servers and the like" under control. This comes after previous rumours that Sony was looking at introducing a monthly-pay model for the PSN.

"We can also accept payment in a growing number of ways. In addition to single-payment packaged software, there are also schemes like monthly fees or per-item charges. I think this variety of payment methods will bring about a diverse range of playing methods, too."

Although Chatani doesn't specifically mention the PSN and subscription fees, the whole interview is pretty much all about the the PS3 and the PSP. Because Chatani says the company would "face difficulties" if the business model was based purely on a "sell-and-forget" model, it could mean that certain features on the PSN could require subscription, like Home.

But with his response to a question asking whether the PSN can differentiate itself from any other internet-based service and where it sits in the home, Chatani said the PSN planned "to distance [itself] from the competition by offering an experience that is more fun, more intimate and more comfortable. We want users to know they're in for a fun time when they visit PSN."

So maybe then internet services might need to be paid for and we could have a Sony ISP...!

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