Support NeoGAF

[sonycowboy]

That makes them and Microsoft just about even. And on a percentage installed basis...

[8/27/2004 11:56:40 AM ET]

Sony Computer Entertainment America’s PlayStation 2 is celebrating its two-year online anniversary today.
Originally launched August 27, 2002, the service now counts over 1.4 million registered users, with 38.0 percent still connecting through a dial-up account. SCEA says that, on average, 1,400 new registered users are added per day, or 50,000 or so per month.
Looking at the demographics of those playing PS2 games online, over 90.0 percent are male between the ages of 18 and 34 years of age. Peak game time is between 5:00 PM and 11:00 PM.
By the end of the 2004 calendar year, SCEA plans to have a catalog of over 120 online enabled PS2 titles, rounded out by such soon-to-be-released first-party titles as Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal, Gran Turismo 4, Killzone and Hot Shots Golf Fore!
SCEA’s executive vice president Andrew House added, “"Going into year three, we will continue to innovate through our online content offerings, and will embark on a series of initiatives that include enhanced community building and moving toward the monetization of the online initiative."

 

[CrimsonSkies]

Have there been many new games since launch that worked with dialup? Does the new Madden?

 

[Gerber]

SCEA’s executive vice president Andrew House added, “"Going into year three, we will continue to innovate through our online content offerings, and will embark on a series of initiatives that include enhanced community building and moving toward the monetization of the online initiative."

 

[jarrod]

Only 1.4M registered users? Wasn't SCEA trumpeting Network Adapter sales of 2.2 million last winter?

 

[PhatSaqs]

the service

lmfao. They mean "the adapter".

 

[Wario64]

Great, now releease some Socom 2 downloadable content

 

[StoOgE]

So sony is around 40% better installed base than Xbox Live (as of a month or so ago).. I have to say, pretty impressive for MS, given PS2's massive userbase.

 

[kaching]

Only 1.4M registered users? Wasn't SCEA trumpeting Network Adapter sales of 2.2 million last winter?

Not all PS2 online games require that you have to be a registered user to play them online.

 

[jarrod]

So sony is around 40% better installed base than Xbox Live (as of a month or so ago).. I have to say, pretty impressive for MS, given PS2's massive userbase.

What?

XBox Live US~ 750k
PS2 Online US~ 1.4M (or 2.2M depending on what counts)

 

[jarrod]

Not all PS2 online games require that you have to be a registered user to play them online.

So what games don't require registration? Or what games require it, what incentives are there for registering?

 

[DarienA]

So what games don't require registration? Or what games require it, what incentives are there for registering?

I think the bigger question is just what the hell do they mean by registered... do they mean the initial sign up/test connection process you do when installing your NA?

 

[alejob]

They would be stronger if they shipped more online packs. i'm pissed damn it!

 

[kaching]

So what games don't require registration? Or what games require it, what incentives are there for registering?

Of the games that I know that require registration, the incentive is basically that you can't play if you don't register SOCOM, SOCOM2, FFXI and I think most of EA's games, for example. Champions of Norrath is one game that doesn't require a registered user account since it deals directly with your character save files and uses these for your online identity during any given play session.

Edit: Darien's got a good point too - It'd be better if they clarify exactly what they mean by "registered users" here. Are they referring to only 1st party games? Are they including FFXI accounts, EA games, etc.? Also, some of the games, like SOCOM, automatically purge accounts that go unused for a few months, so it would be good to know whether they are referrin to currently active accounts or all accounts that have been registered.

 

[teiresias]

Yeah, but what "registered users" are they referring to? Whenever you register (which I assume is when you go into a game and have to make a username and password), that's particular to that one game. I don't understand where they're getting their numbers from.

 

[PhatSaqs]

Not to mention the hundereds of usernames one can create since there is no single login emphasis.

 

[RevenantKioku]

Strong my ass! Where are the people when I log into Amplitude!
Where's the justice!

 

[kaching]

Not to mention the hundereds of usernames one can create since there is no single login emphasis.

A "single login emphasis" doesn't prevent one from either cancelling that login or letting it lapse, hence the same problem exists (though probably not to the same degree) and so, in both instances, the more accurate info is going to be obtained by comparing account info against some other piece of info about the user, such as credit card number or IP address.

 

[Ramirez]

It may be free,but as far as Im concerned its 50 bucks well spent with Live.

 

[Gattsu25]

PS2 online outside of SOCOM 2 and games I don't give a shit about is dead
GC Online is a joke
No way in hell am I dropping $50 for what should be free on Xbox

fuck the big 3 and their online plans...fuck them IN THE EAR

 

[WasabiKing]

TMB:Online was another game that didn't involve registration of any kind. IIRC NFS:U is another, it was as if NFS:U was the red-headed stepchild of the EA Online universe. Midnight Club II was another title.

Simply put, the emphasis on online was always mentioned as a big thing on the PS2, but there were never any initiatives/rules set in place from SCEI/A/E. And if there were, they must have been really loose rules. So for them claim that even with 1.4 million users are going/have been online is a feat considering the clusterfuck of a program that was/wasn't set up.

 

[Shompola]

you register to the sony service server with the cd that came with your BB. I can't remember what it's called in NA but it's called central station in Europe. I can't remember a single game that really requires you to sign into the sony service server though.

 

[kaching]

Shomp, there's no such thing in North America. Central Station was unique to SCEE's implementation and thus far has not been implemented in any similar centralized way for North American PS2 owners. The only thing NA PS2 owners all have to do when they get their network adapter is setup a network configuration file that tells the Network Adapter how to connect to your ISP. No central user account is specifically associated with this and you could have multiple config files, all of which are stored locally on your PS2 memcard.