Sony PS3 Takes Aim at Xbox Live

At an event for press in San Francisco Thursday, Sony demonstrated functionality that it hopes would erase one of the Microsoft Xbox 360's greatest strengths - its online service. Although the PlayStation 2 had some online functionality, the industry largely believes that the Xbox offered a superior broadband experience.

Called the PlayStation Network, the service will allow for users to voice and videoconference, as well as play and download games. While the downloadable games would come at a premium, Sony's offering would differ from Xbox Live in that the service itself is free.

While Microsoft offers a free version of its service, to take full advantage of Xbox Live a fee-based plan is required, which runs about $50 per year. Sony says this will encourage more of its user base to take advantage of online gameplay, it says.

Additionally, rather than a centralized network like the one operated by Microsoft, Sony has elected to allow PS3 game developers to use their own systems to connect gamers, and decide whether they would charge for those services.

The challenge for Sony now is to catch up to the Xbox 360 in terms of usage across its gamer base. Both the PS2 and Xbox had similar rates of online adoption -- around ten percent -- however with the 360 that number has skyrocketed to close to 60 percent.

Separately at the same event, Sony announced 22 titles that would accompany the launch of the PS3 console in Japan on November 11 and in North America November 17. Titles would be available across a variety of genres.

Sony's own "Resistance: Fall of Man" would join other titles including downloadable games that would be available through its new online service for $15 or less, it said.