PSN accounts equal Xbox Live
Sony recently announced a huge milestone with the number of registered Playstation Network users. Sony revealed that currently there are 14 million users registered on the Playstation Network (PSN). Just last month at the Tokyo Game Show, Microsoft also revealed a milestone of 14 million Xbox Live users.
According to Gamespot, contrary to popular belief, the total number of PSN accounts does not include duplicates or inactive accounts. This is a great achievement when considering that the PS3 launched a year after the Xbox 360. The PSN accounts also count PSP and PS3 registered users. Considering that Sony revealed that the PS3 had around 12 million registered users back around E3, its fair to assume that around 1 million accounts are probably solely PSP related.
When you consider that there are 40 million PSPs sold in the world, you have to assume that many of the owners have yet to take advantage of the PSN store. Also, many of the people that own a PS3 probably own a PSP so that same account is used on both systems.
Currently, it is unknown how many of the 14 million users on Xbox Live are silver or gold members. Gold subscribers have to shell out either $7.99 per month or pay $50 per year. Silver accounts are free, but users cannot play games online and is barred from certain transactions as well.
With the number of PSN accounts on par with Xbox Live accounts, I foresee added pressure on Microsoft to make Xbox Live a free service free. Currently both services are very similar minus several features. Users still cannot perform cross-game chat on the PSN. However, the PSN has received some nifty support as well such as in-game screenshot and youtube uploads on certain games.
I truly hope that Microsoft takes heed and makes Xbox Live free for all users. It has been a long time coming.
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21 Responses to “PSN accounts equal Xbox Live”
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November 22nd, 2008
Would that be total gold subscribers only or gold and silver combined?
November 22nd, 2008
But does a silver account = a PSN account (e.g. online play etc)
Mwhahah
November 22nd, 2008
If Microsoft makes Xbox Live free, I’ll happily make a 360 purchase for those exclusives I can’t get now.
November 22nd, 2008
does it matter??? no it doesnt…
November 22nd, 2008
Is $4 a month too expensive for you?
November 23rd, 2008
$4 a month is potentially 1 lwss movie streamed per month for those on a tight gaming budget. That hurts content providers. I’d bet that eliminating the fee COULD result in customers spening more with partners, thus encouraging more to sign on.
November 23rd, 2008
£4.99 monthly / £39.99 yearly is a lot when you are a student and you probably won’t use it that much. Plus I like to feel I have finalised a purchase, rather than paying out monthly / yearly so that I’m allowed to use it.
November 23rd, 2008
Hey as long as Microsoft keeps getting the exclusives and keeps snubbing the PS3 on game deals I couldn’t care less. We feed the service and it feeds us back. With the New Xbox Experience which is awesome and works better the PSN it just goes to show you what free gets you and what quality buys.
November 23rd, 2008
Xbox Live definitely getting a huge beat down from the PLAYSTATION Network. Xbox Live is full lagging cheaters whore a like 15 years old.
November 23rd, 2008
Nicely put, CAD.
November 23rd, 2008
Hmmm… it’s just been revealed that this 14 million is actually PS3 users plus PSP users.
I guess you can spin anything these days!
November 23rd, 2008
“Xbox Live definitely getting a huge beat down from the PLAYSTATION Network.”
LOL. You cannot be serious. Have you ever used Xbox Live? Sony wishes it had a system as good as that, which is why even when they add all 40,000,000 PSP owners and 17,000,000 PS3 owners together they can only match the number of users that Live has.
Shame the “Playstation family” isn’t doing too well in sales though. Did you see last month’s NPD figures? 360 outselling the PS3 and PS2 combined and then some? Hahaha. Nice one Sony.
If MS feel Sony are a threat, they’ll make Live free and then there’s absolutely no good reason to buy a PS3 unless you like inferior versions of games, long waits and delays, and paying twice as much as you need to for a console.
November 24th, 2008
@theDood
That is 14M total for Live Including silver which doesn’t count because you can’t even play online. That’s like the Wii shopping channel. Useless for games.
Gold members are probably 4M.
And to those saying $4 isn’t much! It’s the principle.
November 24th, 2008
Harry,
the article clearly stated it was PS3 and PSP, so you didn’t reveal anything.
Cad,
Yeah, good point about paying for quality. That’s why I dished out the extra $ for my PS3.
TheDood,
I realize you must be new here, but you shouldn’t read Ivan’s posts and take them seriously. I also want to congratulate you on your stock that you clearly must have invested in Microsoft. Those NPD numbers must look good in your portfolio!
November 24th, 2008
The 360 is selling well, but you again need to look at the sales of the consoles relative to how long they have been on the market. My point is that when the PS3 has its next price cut, it will outsell the 360. The PS3 is right on track for where it needs to be. The fact the Sony used Blu-ray technology ensures that the console is the most “future-proof” on the market.
Xbot Live is no better than the PSN. With the open launch of Home right around the corner, the PSN will even surpass the social aspects of Xbot Live.
November 24th, 2008
CAD,
“With the New Xbox Experience which is awesome and works better the PSN…”
Whoa, when did you use PSN? You have a PS3 now?? Welcome to the family, dude! The cool thing about PSN that you should know is that, not only is it free, but there AREN’T hundreds of internet forum topics dedicated to how it breaks peoples consoles, lags horribly, and is a pain to use and navigate! I’m sure you’ll enjoy it, and congrats again.
-Arvis
November 25th, 2008
The gamespot article you link to does not even support your claim. There has been an update that says sony includes in that 14 million number all PSP accounts. Since there is a PSN section for PSP stuff. Seeing as there are 141 million PSP in gamers hands, 14 million isn’t that much.
By the way…the 14 million is only gold members. dood…if you look right now there are probably 4 million online in just the lobbies of the lobbies of Halo3, COD4&5, and Gears2.
This site is a joke.
November 26th, 2008
i’m just amazed that the ps3 fanboys are trying to use this as some kind of great thing.
i think it’s very telling that sony doesn’t break it down. i’m thinking this is proof the ps3 isn’t being used much online if they have to resort to using the psp’s sales in their online userbase.
oh sony…you spinmeisterss.. you do so keep Ivan and the other sony zealouts enthusiastic….
barnabee – seeing on how d/l content is “teh future”, the 360 looks to be the more “futureproof” system on the market. unless you think disks are the future… lol….
November 26th, 2008
Kev,
How do you figure? Last I checked, Xbox live isn’t offering full big-budget video game downloads. And the movie service is streaming, not download. So it looks like XBL is actually a bit behind in the “d/l content” category…
-Arvis
November 26th, 2008
He he, this thread has been funny
December 1st, 2008
arvis – “big budget game d/l”? shut up already.. just because sony hosed you clowns with cost of d/l their “big budget games” does NOT mean gamers are ready for this or even want it. especially since the disk versions of sony’s d/l games have sold highest.
oh..and the netflix thing; it works wonderfully on pc and xbox live…. your point is?
and since you’re keeping count; count the number of d/l games on xbox live arcade versus psn….. looks like the ps3 is waaaaaay behind in the d/l feature market… D’OH!!
“big budget games”…. loll…. priceless…
face it; the only one’s dumber than sony claiming ANYTHING is “future proof” are the fanboys repeating this mumbo jumbo..
yeah..bluray is “teh future”…just like vinyl LP were…. 8 tracks were… cassette tapes were…. etc, etc, etc…..
xbox live has a more comprhensive and feature rich service than psn…everyone knows this…positioning ms better for futher ecommerce than sony. sorry…