Kaz Hirai, big chief at Sony Computer Entertainment of America (SCEA) is saying that the PlayStation 3 doesn't have to label its networking with a cutie name like "Xbox Live" because the system is never not live (well, unless you never plug it in).
Kaz makes a great point, why do you have to give it a name? Microsoft doesn't name the Internet that it plugs into when you use a computer? You are not connecting to MSN - you're just getting on the Net for some browsing of the web, e-mail or productivity. Why give it a name?
To Sony, playing online is just going to be part of the environment which you're in when you buy a PS3 this season (or next year depending on your ability to camp). Why spin it with marketing hype?
"What we don't do however is have a brand name for the network service, you know, like PlayStation Online or PlayStation Live, and this is because we don't see a 'PlayStation offline'.
What I'm trying to say is that it doesn't matter if you are enjoying content from Blu-ray disc or you are enjoying content you just downloaded from the network, at the end of the day it's all PlayStation 3 so we don't differentiate between content, and I think that makes it a clear point between us and some of our competitors..."
Kaz makes it clear that they have no intention of wrapping marketing buzz around the network capabilities. Is this because Microsoft offers an "independant service" for its game network capabilities that just so happens to ride over the "super-highway?" Is this why Microsoft decided to give the product a name? Or, perhaps, it is just a carry over from the last generation of Xbox where "Live!" was indeed a feature where today it's the norm.
For those awaiting the unveiling of the networking name from PS3, don't hold your breath. There will be none.
source: next-gen.biz
