With all of these pay-to-play services, I wouldn't be surprised if my wallet ended up so slim it disappeared.
News Blips:
Sony spills the beans on its upcoming game subscription service, PlayStation Plus. Payment rates are available for either 90 days or the entire year; prices range from $17.99 to $49.99, respectively. As an incentive for skeptical consumers, Sony is offering a free digital version of LittleBigPlanet for those who sign up for a full year when the service launches on June 29 — but only in Europe. Members will enjoy monthly bonuses of discounts and downloadable content. Monthly fees for free games? Oh boy! [GamesIndustry]
Activision Chief Operating Officer Thomas Tippl is concerned on the pricing for Microsoft's Kinect and the PlayStation Move. "I think as a publisher, you have to be concerned about how the price drives a lot of the outcome of how big of an install base there's going to be," he said to Gamasutra. "The bigger the install base, the more likely that you can make sense out of your investment. So, the lower the price, the better." Interesting timing, Thomas: Microsoft recently backpedaled over its listed price of $150 for Kinect. Coincidence?
Square Enix wasn't impressed with the motion control and 3D gaming solutions on display at E3. President Yoichi Wada spoke with GamesIndustry on how Kinect and Move wouldn't be a "disruptive" change to the industry, also adding that 3D gaming, while having a "huge impact" in the long run, is "not bad, but only so-so."
"The 3DS changed my life," writes Warren Spector on his personal blog. The Epic Mickey creator was wowed by the handheld device while touting his own game at E3, proclaiming that "when I decide I know something or I’m right about something, I don’t often change my mind. Well, I just want to say I’ve been completely wrong about 3D all my life. I never got it before. Until now." I wonder if he got harassed by the same hyperactive booth babe that I encountered at Nintendo's booth.
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