Sony, Nintendo muddy the online waters

As DFC points out in the report, the goal of all three vendors is to flog as much hardware as they can, and online games can help them do that.

But, it points out, online services are expensive to build and maintain and you can't rake in oodles of cash because the subscription has to be offered cheaply.

"In the reality of today's marketplace, most online console game services are loss leaders," said DFC.

While Sony has disclosed some of its online plans, the announcements are "sketchy" and the Japanese giant seems to want to emphasise the "raw horsepower" of the Playstation 3.

DFC reckons that all Sony has announced so far is basically a tweak of what it currently offers for the Playstation 2, with some relatively cheap community add ons.

When it comes to flogging the box itself, DFC reckons that it beats Microsoft hands down. People walking into Best Buys face a wall of Sony retail products. On the other hand, the Vole is strong on alternative ways to market. µ

L'INQ
DFC Intelligence