LOS ANGELES, June 15 /PRNewswire/ — Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCE) today announced that the cumulative number of registered accounts on PlayStation®Network has exceeded 50 million worldwide as of June 14, 2010 (Japan Time). Since its launch in November 2006(*1), PlayStation Network has expanded its services to over 58 countries and regions around the globe. The registered accounts on PlayStation Network reached 10 million in 1 year and 8 months from the service launch, 20 million in 2 years and 3 months, and exceeded 50 million in only 3 years and 8 months. The continued growth of PlayStation Network has ensured the successful building of a robust network business platform.
PlayStation Network is a network service for PlayStation®3 (PS3®) computer entertainment system and PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) handheld entertainment system. Both platforms combined have sold more than 97 million units(*2) around the world. Directly accessible from PS3 and PSP or from PC via Media Go(*3) software application, users are able to enjoy a broad range of on-line content and services, including on-line gaming, video chat and text messaging with other PS3 users on-line, as well as downloading games, video and comic content from PlayStation®Store. Users are also able to download and enjoy exciting applications such as PlayStation®Home, Life with PlayStation®(*4) and adhocParty for PSP® (PlayStation®Portable)(*5). By having a breadth of entertainment content in addition to free to use basic features and services, PlayStation Network continues to gain strong support from users around the world. On top of these offerings, PlayStation®Plus, a new subscription service package on PlayStation Network, will start on June 29, 2010, to deliver PlayStation users with an enhanced entertainment experience.
To offer more fun and excitement to users, PlayStation Network is continually enhancing the gaming experience through online game features such as online battle and team play, as well as adding more and more downloadable game items. More than 960 titles incorporated with online features have been released for the PS3 system worldwide, including KILLZONE 2, MASSIVE ACTION GAME (MAG) and LittleBigPlanet™ from SCE Worldwide Studios.
PlayStation Store today offers more than 70,000 pieces of diverse digital content(*6), ranging from exclusive on-line games, downloadable versions of disc based titles, game demos and add-ons, and titles from PS one® Archives (PS one Classics), through which legendary and popular titles from the original PlayStation are made playable on PS3 and PSP. Also accessible on PlayStation Network is Video Delivery Service(*7), which has now expanded to 8 countries, as well as Digital Comic service(*8), which can be accessed in 7 countries worldwide including Japan, the United States and Europe. To date, more than 1 billion pieces of content(*9) have been downloaded and the business scale is rapidly expanding.
PlayStation Home is a 3D on-line user community service for PS3 that launched in December 2008. Within the ground-breaking 3D environment, users are able to meet, share gaming experiences, and enjoy communication with each other. Since launching 1 year and 7 months ago, the number of users accessing Home has exceeded 14 million. With collaborative initiatives with various game titles and franchises, PlayStation Home offers its users more than 300 spaces to experience, and over 11,000 virtual items to collect. In addition to spaces dedicated to various game titles, new non-game spaces such as FevaArena, a virtual football stadium where users can enjoy new experience of football, offers users a new experience to meet and communicate with other users from around the world.
SCE, along with content providers and users will continue to further expand the entertainment experiences with PS3, PSP and PlayStation Network to create a new world of computer entertainment.
*1 Launched in Japan on November 11, 2006.
*2 PS3: 35.7 million units as of end March 2010, PSP: 61.5 million units as of end March 2010.
*3 Media Go enables content acquisition/management on PCs and content transfer to PSP. As a part of content acquisition, Media Go offers downloading game, video and comic contents to PCs and PlayStation Network users can purchase content by accessing MediaGo.
*4 Life with PlayStation is a new lifestyle service that offers users a new visual and interactive way to use their PS3 to access news and information from around the world.
*5 adhocParty for PSP enables PSP system owners to play online multiplayer games featuring ad-hoc mode over the Internet through the PlayStation®3 (PS3™) computer entertainment system.
*6 Includes free of charge content (downloadable demos and promotion videos).
*7 Launched in July 2008 in the United States.
*8 Launched in December 2009 in Japan, the United States and Europe.
*9 As of end March 2010.
