Sony trialling PlayStation online payments with RBS

[Old_Timer!]

source: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=16300

UK development work on PlayStation Network Platform continues apace

The planned online service for the PlayStation 3 continues to take shape, with sources close to the Royal Bank of Scotland telling GamesIndustry.biz that the bank is working with Sony in the UK on trials of an online payment mechanism.

The deal between Sony and the RBS was signed last week, according to our source, with trials of the payment system due to start in May - which corresponds nicely with Sony's stated timeline for PS3 development, which sees them delivering a version of the Network Platform which can be used for final testing by September.

The payment system on the PSNP - a rather cumbersome acronym which is set to be replaced before the launch of the console, possibly with the internal development name, PlayStation HUB - is set to be used for a wide range of transactions.

Sony Computer Entertainment worldwide studios boss Phil Harrison outlined many of those uses in his keynote address at the Game Developer's Conference last month, including the Xbox Live style arcade and retro game downloads, additional content purchases for PS3 titles, subscriptions to massively multiplayer titles, and even buying in-game items through regulated "real money" auctions.

Further details of the PlayStation Network Platform are expected to be announced at E3 this year, when showcasing the PlayStation 3 is likely to be at the top of the agenda at Sony's pre-show conference on Monday, May 8th.

[LiquidEagle]

Good to hear, I guess. I'd rather not have to pay for anything :-p

I like how Sony's really taking advantage of their world-wideness this time around. They're using their long arms to pull resources from all 3 of the major regions (JAP, NTSC/North America, PAL) and partner themselves with esteemed company across those 3 regions to make sure they're delivering the best console possible. They've partnered with Japanese (& some American) companies to deliver an incredible piece of hardware, they're pulling on all 3 studios to create incredible looking launch titles, and they're doing good to use Europe/UK developers for things like Eye Toy & now they're using it for PSNP tests & stuff.

I can't wait for E3 :)

[Z]

since this is a European bank, I wonder if one bank will be enough to cover the global transactions or will they dedicate seperate banks for each major reagion?

[Junox50]

Good to hear, I guess. I'd rather not have to pay for anything :-p

I like how Sony's really taking advantage of their world-wideness this time around. They're using their long arms to pull resources from all 3 of the major regions (JAP, NTSC/North America, PAL) and partner themselves with esteemed company across those 3 regions to make sure they're delivering the best console possible. They've partnered with Japanese (& some American) companies to deliver an incredible piece of hardware, they're pulling on all 3 studios to create incredible looking launch titles, and they're doing good to use Europe/UK developers for things like Eye Toy & now they're using it for PSNP tests & stuff.

I can't wait for E3 :)

I'm confused by this money thing. what are they talking about?

[LiquidEagle]

It sounds to me like they're partnering with this bank to handle online transactions for when gamers buy content online such as Motorstorm levels & so on. I don't know much about banks, especially Scottish ones, but I imagine this RSB has a good system for online transactions and Sony wants to partner with them and use the bank's resources (money) as a sort of middle-man for Sony to deliver content to us as we pay online to RSB. Something like that, but I've never been good with money dealings :laugh:

btw, is the lady in your avatar the same one in your profile pic? When I looked at your profile picture that girl looked really familiar but I can't seem to place it, and it's bugging me :-p

[venomv]

since this is a European bank, I wonder if one bank will be enough to cover the global transactions or will they dedicate seperate banks for each major reagion?

I think they could probably handle it themselves, I don't think it's a small bank by any stretch of the imagination, the strange thing about this is that I saw a commercial for the Royal Bank of Scotland yesterday, that is why I'm guessing there not small, if they think they are big enough to advertise to people living across the ocean from them......

[Junox50]

btw, is the lady in your avatar the same one in your profile pic? When I looked at your profile picture that girl looked really familiar but I can't seem to place it, and it's bugging me :-p

Yes, LiquidEagle, they're the same person. ;)

[LiquidEagle]

Who is it? like I said she looks really familiar but I can't place it, at least the one in your profile makes her look familiar. I could be way off and not know though :-p

Anyhoo...on topic...does anybody know if Microsoft has a similar arrangement with a bank for their marketplace?

[Junox50]

Sounds like those people who said Sony would never catch up to Xbox live will be eating their words soon. Heck, I even thought so.

Who is it? like I said she looks really familiar but I can't place it, at least the one in your profile makes her look familiar. I could be way off and not know though :-p


Leonor Varela

[LiquidEagle]

Ah! She was in Arrested Development! That's where I saw her, as Marta. :-D

Anyways, shame on you for doubting Sony man :-p. I honestly don't think there's much to catch up to in terms of XBL, just a lot of expected features that PC games have had for a long time. I expect Sony to blaze their own trail in online (though Nintendo will have a more unique trail than all of them IMO), and I really hope partnerships like this one help them further console gaming online. I just really don't like the idea of online games becoming a competition of who spends the most Real-life money to make the best character/car/whatever. That would take so much fun out of the game, and I don't want to get a 80% complete game I have to pay to download the other 20% of.

[yoshaw]

I hope they implement a in-store purchase of a card based credit system. Like that of Xbox Live at the moment.

[Junox50]

Ah! She was in Arrested Development! That's where I saw her, as Marta. :-D

Anyways, shame on you for doubting Sony man :-p. I honestly don't think there's much to catch up to in terms of XBL, just a lot of expected features that PC games have had for a long time.

You can't blame me, LiquidEagle. I'm not very savvy when it comes to this sort of stuff. Not to mention I, not intentionally, hung around a lot of forums where a lot of BS was spread about Sony/Playstation to the point where it was close to believable. Just the typical nonsense of Sony misleads, etc.

But then I found this site and came to find that the BS was well.....BS!

Gee, it feels good to be informed of what really goes on behind the scenes, no?

And hey, when I think about now, it all makes sense. Live isnt that hard to emulate. Before I didnt know that, but now I do.

[The_One]

Live is definately nothing special... It's simply a unified structure for online gaming where gamers on all games can find their friends that are on other games, but on the same online system.

Kind of like B.Net (Blizzard's online solution for Warcraft 2, Starcraft, Diablo, Diablo 2 and Warcraft 3), except it encompasses all the games that's ever made for Xbox (that can go online, that is).

[LiquidEagle]

Yeah junox, this place has been a great resource for me too, and a great community for the past year or so, and it's good to have places like this to cut through the BS :-D

And The_One, battle.net is a good example of great community features in a unified (sort of) online structure that has been around for awhile and is free.

[venomv]

Not to mention works great, I love battle.net.

[Z]

I think they could probably handle it themselves, I don't think it's a small bank by any stretch of the imagination, the strange thing about this is that I saw a commercial for the Royal Bank of Scotland yesterday, that is why I'm guessing there not small, if they think they are big enough to advertise to people living across the ocean from them......
of course they aren't small and they have branches all over the world. I am not talking about a specific bank, rather on the overall handling of a global online billing system. would they use one firm to handle every online commerce transaction around the world, or will they dedicate different firms for each major region (one for Europe, one for NA, one for Aisa)?

anybody knows how Live handles it?

[Phryne Astynome]

Royal Bank of Scotland? I remember applying for their Investment Banking Summer Analyst position in the Leveraged Finance division when they were doing OCI at my college a long time ago. They cancelled all the applications/interviews for no reason given at all. Take that for what it is worth.