Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
PlayStation Orbis: Online Forever?
With the rumors of the new PlayStation 4 (or Orbis as all the cool kids are calling it) swirling around, one piece of information in particular struck me: Initial reports are that you'll have to be connected online to play any game on it. This got me to thinking, is Sony hurting its market share by forcing people to constantly stay online? Or are they actually helping push the spread of Internet accessibility by linking it to a popular gaming platform?
As someone fortunate enough to live in the developed parts of the United States, as well as having a well paying job, Internet access is not a problem for me personally. But the world is not just me (sadly). What about all those people who live in parts of the U.S. (or other countries) that simply don't have access to quality Internet providers? What about those that can't afford the monthly charge their ISP might gouge them with if there are no other options in the area? Should they be disallowed from playing games on a system if their only crime is not being online? What happens if your service cuts out? Now you have an expensive hunk of electronics that might as well be a brick for all the good it's doing you.
Another thing I think Sony may have missed is that sometimes I don't want to be online. Sometimes I don't want to see how many millions of Gamerscore points Andrew Reiner just achieved; it makes me feel inadequate and sad, and slightly hungry. Sometimes I don't want to have a friend message or request pop up right in the middle of a moving cutscene. Sometimes I just want to play games by myself with no outside interaction, like I did as a child. Sometimes I want to be antisocial and sit in my corner with no cares about anyone else, and that's tough to do with required online access.
There's always the other side of the coin, however. If true, one of the main reasons Sony is pushing the "always connected" mode is no doubt to combat the used game market, but perhaps Sony is also trying to push progress. Internet is not available everywhere yet, but it's definitely a worthy goal to work towards; easily accessible information generally makes societies more open, intelligent, and productive in the long run, and perhaps the desire to actually play games on a system will lead people to push for cheaper, more available Internet. It wouldn't be a terrible stance for Sony to take.
So what do you think? Are you okay with always having to be online? Or do you just want the freedom to be left alone at times?
Chris "Warcraft" Kluwe is the Minnesota Vikings' punter, Tripping Icarus' bass player, and Andrew Reiner's yoga teacher.
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
