PSN Pay-For-Play Service Option, Halo: Reach, Nintendo 3DS, PAX – VG Spotlight

Hey Gamers, B.T. Robertson here with VG Spotlight, a video blog dedicated to all things gaming. I’ll be covering the video gaming stories I find interesting each day, and offering opinions when necessary.

There will be no accompanying video from 8/23/2010 through 8/26/2010 due to required business travel. Video will resume next week.

Today, on VG Spotlight:

• In the same vein as EA and THQ, Sony is actively exploring a pay-for-play service option for their games. Andrew House, Sony’s European President is supporting the idea. PlayStation Plus – Sony’s premium pay-for service – was launched earlier this year, which provides subscribers with free content. So far, it’s been positive. House noted that the annual subscriptions of PS Plus have been selling much more than the three-month subscriptions. But back on the topic of pay-to-play games, House had this to say:

In terms of just a charge for basic online play, that’s something that we have to talk about a lot more and we struggle with a little bit because we feel very vindicated and base a lot of the success of PSN today – a 70 per cent connection rate across consoles – on the fact that we’ve removed that major initial barrier to entry.

• Halo: Reach is coming. This could very well be Bungie’s last Halo game. Microsoft owns Halo and Bungie just signed a 10-year contract with Activision to create an entirely new series. This is all well and good, but what does that mean for this massive installment in the Halo series? In short, it means nothing. Bungie is pulling out all the stops with Reach and speculation is running rampant online surrounding the bits of lore that may or may not make it into the game. Like what, you ask? More human factions; Cortana dying; Space Combat and possibly a cameo by Master Chief; etc. Regardless of what Bungie has in store, it’s clear that Halo: Reach will be one of the most anticipated titles this year for any system. I’ve already pre-ordered my Limited Edition copy. Got yours?
• If the news online is any indication, it seems that speculation is the theme of the week. It’s true in the Nintendo camp as well. Nintendo’s new handheld, the 3DS, revealed at E3 2010 (I got to play with it), may release in 2010 and there’s a lot of analysis citing why it could. I’ve got nothing fresh to add to this, but felt is was worthy of mention. I’m looking forward to the 3DS. I don’t own a DS right now – just a Sony PSP – so this one is all over my radar.
• PAX – Penny Arcade’s annual convention – is coming up, and Gearbox Software, makers of Borderlands, is gearing up (pun intended) to announce a new title. But again, speculation abounds, and current rumors point to a potential re-vamp of Duke Nukem Forever! PAX takes place between September 3rd and 5th, so we’ll see what happens.

Thanks for reading, and I’ll talk at you tomorrow for another installment of VG Spotlight.