PS3's online service announced

[Guyver03]

Sony's Answer to Xbox Live Revealed

How does Sony intend to compete with Xbox Live? Here's how.

by Luke Smith, 09/12/2006

Microsoft's Xbox Live has existed since 2002. How will Sony, who has never had a dedicated and successful online program in the console space -- the PS2's online was a total free for all -- compete with Microsoft's nearly four-year lead in the online console gaming service sphere?

They'll use Xfire, that's how (the image to the right is a mock-up).

By incorporating an existing service into their own PlayStation Network Platform (PNP), Sony hopes to circumvent existing problems in the console space that Microsoft has had to sort out and in using Xfire -- a company with an established messaging, matchmaking and gaming client -- Sony hopes to narrow the four-year gap in online gaming services that Microsoft currently enjoys (Xfire has been around since 2002).

In a transcript of Viacom's Q2 earning's report conference call a deal between Sony and Xfire was revealed:

"Importantly, Xfire just signed a deal with Sony to create a version of their platform for the new PS3, which will now enable Xfire to extend its reach further into the huge console gaming market."

Although Sony and Xfire offered no further comments or details about the PS3 and Xfire connection, neither company denied the connection.

Testing of the Xfire client for PS3 appears to already be underway, with PS3-exclusive launch title Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom appearing in the supported software list on the PC Xfire client's .ini file.

Link to full article here:
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3153547

[Neo Rasa]

Game journalism is so retarded. They jumped the gun on this. XFire is being tested for Untold Legends ONLY and will not at all be part of Sony's online gaming structure (most of the GAMEPLAY aspect of which will be in the hands of the game publishers):

UPDATE II: Sony Computer Entertainment America responded to the below report with the following statement: "We can confirm that Sonly Online Entertainment is in talks with Viacom and Xfire for a single, specific PS3 game. However, there are no announcements at this time regarding any discussions between SCEA, Viacom and Xfire."

It is odd that there are no announcements regarding discussions between the three companies, especially since Viacom essentially announced that Xfire was creating a version of its software for use in the PS3 in its Q2 financial report.

UPDATE: Sony Online Entertainment's Chris Kramer spoke with 1UP regarding the incorporation of Xfire into Sony's online plans for the PS3 and the integration with Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom. Kramer is responding to the Viacom Q2 earnings report transcript which read, "Importantly, Xfire just signed a deal with Sony to create a version of their platform for the new PS3, which will now enable Xfire to extend its reach further into the huge console gaming market."

On behalf of Sony Online Entertainment, Kramer attempts to clarify the earnings report's statement: "SOE has been in talks with Xfire about potentially including some of their technology in Untold Legends Dark Kingdom, our PlayStation 3 launch title. This proposed deal is completely separate and independent from the PlayStation Network Platform, and is something that SOE was examining specifically for Dark Kingdom. More information on Xfire and Dark Kingdom will be coming soon."

"We're in talks with those guys [Xfire] about implementing the technology, but cannot discuss how we'd be implementing the technology."

Mike Cassidy, CEO of Xfire spoke with 1UP to clarify the company's position on our report and the Viacom Q2 statements: "Xfire is not part of the PlayStation Network Platform. We are in discussions with Sony Online Entertainment, but I cannot comment any further."

[Joker T]

Neo Rasa is right.

From Gamespot

some of those functionalities will be handled by a PlayStation 3-specific version of the PC gaming utility Xfire--although it appears to be for only a single game.