Straight from Sony's web blog, (http://blog.us.playstation.com/2008/06/03/introducing-qore-taking-you-behind-the-curtain-with-playstation/) introducing Quore (watch the video demo at the link):

Today we are announcing that Qore: Presented by the PLAYSTATION Network, a highly interactive, monthly lifestyle gaming program covering the world inside PLAYSTATION is on its way to PS3. Qore has been developed to give PS3 users early access to game related content at a level of quality, interactivity and depth. Everything is filmed in HD. Qore will feature exclusive news, developer interviews, in-depth game previews and behind-the-scenes looks at PlayStation games and special access to game demos, special beta invitations, game add-ons and other downloadable game-related content.

Our premier episode will be available on Thursday, June 5. The premier episode includes in-depth exclusive and never-before released content on upcoming PlayStation titles such as SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, Secret Agent Clank, Soul Calibur 4 and Afro Samurai, as well as the latest Blu-ray Disc trailers, an exclusive SOCOM: Confrontation theme with an invitation to the SOCOM: Confrontation beta, art galleries and other surprises. We also know that many of you are big fans of Veronica Belmont, the widely-known host of numerous online video programs and podcasts and an avid gamer, so we’ve chosen her to be your host.

To get Qore, simply log onto PSN and go to the PLAYSTATION Store, as you would purchase any other form of downloadable content. Once the single Episode or annual subscription is purchased, that month’s episode will be downloaded under the “Game” heading on the Cross Media Bar (XMB). Users who purchase the “Qore Annual Subscription” will notice only that month’s episode is available to download. The following month, the new episode will automatically appear in your download list. The introductory price for Qore is $2.99 for a single episode and $24.99 for an annual subscription of 13 episodes, using your PLAYSTATION Network wallet.

As Peter Dille mentioned in a previous PLAYSTATION Network post, the broader service and community initiatives launching on the PLAYSTATION Network this year such as Qore, PlayStation Home and the Video Download Service are all evidence of our dedication to delivering an all-encompassing entertainment experience for PS fans. Qore is the first in a series of planned original programming specifically created for the PLAYSTATION Network community and we hope you enjoy it.

As long as they don't start charging me to play non-subscription based games online that I've already purchased, I don't care about anything else. What do you guys think?



*** UPDATE ***

Sony responds to speculation on the PSN free content being gutted in a thread (http://blog.us.playstation.com/2008/06/03/introducing-qore-taking-you-behind-the-curtain-with-playstation/comment-page-1/#comments)at their official blog and a few other things:

On the content of each monthly release:
Qore is a monthly program, it ranges from 1-2 hours total length, but you control what you watch and when.

Yes, Andronix, you navigate through Qore to get to the content that you want to see, in the order you want to see it.


On the use of Qore as the only way to join SOCOM Confrontation's beta:
There will be multiple points of entry into the SOCOM beta. SOCOM.com will have more details later today.


On Qore's impact on content for the PSN:
If you purchase Qore, you will have access to exclusive content that would not be available otherwise - it does not impact the availability of the great content found on PSN, nor does it change our free play model.


*** UPDATE ***

Here's a complete breakdown (http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/06/06/we-take-an-in-depth-look-at-qore/) of Qore, coupled with a ton of pics.

so if i subscribe to the first month for $3 i will get calling all cars free? or should i read it as people who subscribe for the 13 months get the free download?

I wonder if the PR hit for sapping demos from the already-light-compared-to-LIVE PSN is worth the $3/month per subscriber.

Well, I guess it proves that nothing free will last forever. While I believe that what they are offering should be free and included with the PSN, I do understand the business side and why they are charging for such a Service. I believe (don't quote me on this), that Home was suppose to offer what this service is offering, but with all the delays, I guess things change.

Regardless, I will pay for the service as it could be interesting and the price seems to be right.

However, I do hope that they don't start putting the "better" or exclusive demos on this Service, leaving the PSN with other demos. That would really suck and would give Sony some bad press which they don't need.

Complete BS. They are going to charge to you play demo's and participate in beta's now. That a lot of crap. I'm not going to pay them to find the bugs in there games.

So this explains why there were no demo's on the PSN the last few weeks.. so they could stock up the new content on this service..

I dunno.. i think i would rather pay for quality lag free game play then pay for demos.

That is lame. Why not up the servers and charge like MS and call it a day? At least then I know what my cash is getting me.

This will just be full of Fail.

I'm with the others in thinking this is going in a wrong direction. Why the F do we need to pay for this when they are going to be showing ads? I say have a free ad riddled version for everyone and be done with it. While I understand that development work is being put into this, shouldn't the ad revenue make up for the cost? This is really disappointing :mad:

Xbox Live Gold has ads, guess Sony has been taking notes.

This sucks. I hate that they are already tying beta access to this thing. I hate that they are charging for demos. Keep in mind at least with Xbox Live you don't have to pay to get demos.

So this explains why there were no demo's on the PSN the last few weeks.. so they could stock up the new content on this service..

Good call.

At least, if we are paying for the service then Sony should be more obligated to listen to us about it. Im not saying they will, but they should.

I think it was mentioned already in the article, but it is early access to specific game demos. Most likely all demos will be available at some point. Those not subscribing will maybe have to wait a week or two. I'm still on the fence about this service. $25 a year isn't much but I'll wait a bit before deciding to jump in or not.

I wouldn't mind paying for something like xbox live, but PSN is lacking so much that there's no way I'm giving them a cent just for demos etc.

Bad move on Sony's part, unless they can offer more content.

This is half-assed. Go ahead and charge for PSN instead of this crap. Seriously. That's just obnoxious. As much as I hate paying for Xbox Live, at least I know I want the crap I'm paying for.

It still looks like we're getting two demos on Thursday plus Qore, I wouldn't think demos are going to stop being free.

number1...that was my first thought. I have an Xbox Silver Membership and you dont pay for demos. There is no difference between the demos available to Silver and Gold members.

Personally, I anticipated something of this sort for sometime now...but I agree with others: I really hope they dont start depriving people who rely on the PSN for their demos.

Still, Sony has never promoted the Free Online Play to my liking. Many, many of my friends had no idea it was free. They have left this issue untouched for some time, maybe this was intentional...we'll see how this pans out.

Agree with everyone. I just can't believe they are doing this.

I'd pay $50/year for a good PSN service. something at least as good as Xbox Live.

I honestly can't remember the last demo I downloaded that lasted more than 10 minutes on my PS3 hard drive.

I guess I have to go all the way back to the Gran Turismo Prologue demo...

In other words, they can keep their crappy demos. As long as PSN stays free, I'm fine with whatever else Sony wants to charge (be it demos, trailers, etc).

There would have to be a heck of a lot of compelling, exclusive content to warrant me paying for this. I'm just not seeing that...any cross platform demos I could get on Live. I wouldn't really have a problem with paying 2.99 for a month that had access to a good beta or something like that, though...hopefully they won't limit that to the yearly sub.

This sucks. I hate that they are already tying beta access to this thing. I hate that they are charging for demos. Keep in mind at least with Xbox Live you don't have to pay to get demos.

Ummm... sure you do, Live is a subscription based service....

Sonys going to make you pay for exclusives. I'd hope it's their business' plan to make them free after a time limit, most likely a few weeks after a games release, but who knows.

$25 is also better then $50, and it doesn't effect the online, free, play :)

Good and bad with this:

Good>
-Veronica Belmont, of Mahalo and DLTV fame, is the host. :)
-Only $2.99 per month, compared to $7.99 per month with XBL.
-No need to subscribe to play online (i.e., they aren't forcing it down your throat, as Microsoft does)

Bad>
-Ads
-Not free :rolleyes:
-Might strip downloads from regular PSN, though how much is left to be seen.

The precedent has been set by Microsoft, but I hope this model fails. If there's ads in the content, make the darn thing free and be done with it. This just smacks of greed, imo.

Ummm... sure you do, Live is a subscription based service....

$25 is also better then $50, and it doesn't effect the online, free, play :)

Silver is free and has demos. Looks like PSN is going to make their a bit more exclusive to paying members, but it's nothing we haven't seen on LIVE.

If you're paying $50 for LIVE service, you're too lazy to find a deal and are overpaying. Sony wised up and made this exclusively available online...so no discounts.

This totally blows. It makes no sense to charge for a trailer or demo for something they want to sell you anyway. Currently on PSN, if they don't charge you for something, it's essentially and advertisement. Seems like there should already be more movie and Blu-Ray trailers available now anyways... not less.

I've been resisting bitching for a while but think the last couple of store updates sucked.. bad; There, I said it.

The trailers thing is a bit absurd. I mean what's going to be on there that can't be download on a PC the same day. Or if it's exclusive to Qore, just wait a day and you'll be able to find it online someplace. I wonder if the trailer content is going to have some DRM tied to it so you can't copy it off the PS3.

There is only one single requirement that I demand to remain free: play games online. That's it... everything else is icing on the cake. If they ever charged for on-line gaming like the X360, I'd sell my PS3 and stick with my PC until next generation. Since there is zero evidence that this will be the case, I can't complain as it is the only "main" issue for me.

Still, regarding the other issues:

- No where does it say ALL demos and betas will go through Qore.

- No where does it say that the demos Qore receives will never be offered on the PSN down the line. Indeed, the only reference to this item from the official announcement is this:

...and special access to game demos,

What is "special access"? Quite possibly an exclusive window. If that turns out to be the case, you may have to wait a week, month, etc. to get the demo on the PSN. We won't know until it arrives.

- The price is $3 a month, but paying $25 all at once for 13 "issues" comes out to $1.92 for each episode. That's $1.15 for each episode if you factor in the free Calling All Cars download (if you don't already have it).

Expensive? No (especially if there is a lot of stuff provided), but with that said I'm with some of you guys in that I hate susbscribing for anything, so we'll see how it all comes together.

- Ads. Magazines have ads even if bought. Some cable channels I pay monthly for have ads. Still, If there is one huge turn-off that would likely keep me signing up for this service is if I have to sit through ads to view a segment. With so much free stuff on the web, I can't see myself paying if I'm forced to watch Burger King ads. I'll simply wait for the free YouTube version instead.

- Beta access... eh, I'm not bugged about this not being free on the PSN. Past betas were selective anyway, so why not give it to those who pay extra? Even games on the "free-er" PC format sometimes force you to have a GameSpy subscription to participate in their betas.

I'll pass.

I might be interested if there is a special "PS3" version of the website. If I could watch all of the exclusive content, streamed in HD, from my PS3, I'd pay $25 a year for that.

I might be interested if there is a special "PS3" version of the website. If I could watch all of the exclusive content, streamed in HD, from my PS3, I'd pay $25 a year for that.

It's all done on the PS3. You buy it off the PSN store on your PS3 and watch it on your PS3. And everything is in HD.

It's a crying shame that if you ask any PS3 owners, at least in the states, you can only get a list of about 5 games that are worth owning...one of which isn't even out yet. I know it's been said many times above, but I can't see paying for access to more of the crap-factory demos that are all over PSN now. When the PS3 starts living up to its heritage of great games, that the PS1 & PS2 delivered by the truckload, maybe then I'll be interested.:(

^ +million

I can't agree more. Shouldn't Sony focus on delivering its promises before taking on a new project like this?

This is half-assed. Go ahead and charge for PSN instead of this crap. Seriously. That's just obnoxious. As much as I hate paying for Xbox Live, at least I know I want the crap I'm paying for.

they wont do it because they can still give the "marketing spin" that psn is free... i do think it will be a timed thing like how live works where gold people get 2 weeks of exclusivity. if sony does not do the timed thing it will be VERY VERY stupid and at that point they will just be better off charging for the whole thing like xbox.

This is fine with me. As stated by others, as long as they don't charge for playing online It doesn't bother me. This is ala carte...take it or leave it. I like the fact that they are giving you a choice on what you want to spend your money on. Do I think itll do well???...nope lol. But it doesn't bother me that they are trying to sell us something. They can try all they want, if its crap I wont buy it.

The thing is that this shows that Sony is wanting to make money with the online service. But I don't get that angle when they are talking about launching movies through PSN and Home with microtransactions. Yet if Qore fails to appeal then the next option they might have to make money off of PSN is to start charging for the service that has been free.

I don't really get all the hate for this. It sounds like an online video magazine. Its produced by Future and published through PSN and they charge for it, you know like they charge for magazines. Granted the content is yet to be seen but the blog says its 1 to 2 hours worth of stuff so that is in line with what it takes me to read an average magazine. If it has in-depth interviews and previews then it provides content, in HD, that you don't see many other places. The 1up Show is probably the closest. Gametrailers has lots in HD but its usually just gameplay or trailers, so generally short and without any real commentary.
It seems some people have made the leap to "pay for demos" but that's not what they've said. There will be some privileges you pay for but the regular demos are still planned to show up on PSN just like they are now. Also the video content planned seems beyond the usual trailers/promotional videos that show up on PSN. If this prevents at least some version of a demo from being available to regular users then I'll change my mind on this. Getting into the betas isn't such a big deal since many have come with entrance requirements before or not been generally open. As far as SOCOM goes the blog has already said this isn't the only way in.
On the more optimistic side I see this as a possible lead in into Sony's, coming soon, video service. It could also be used for other magazines as well. I could see other magazines starting up a web/PS3 online version. Thats probably a little too optimistic though.
Without having seen it I'm not ready to pay $25 for the year but I'll probably pay $3 to check it out. If the content sucks then I paid $3 to check out SOCOM early... cheaper than a rental.

Gametrailers has lots in HD but its usually just gameplay or trailers, so generally short and without any real commentary

Then you must not be aware of Gametrailers which airs on SpikeTV at midnight on Fridays in HD. That is what they save all the commentary and interviews for.

I don't really get all the hate for this. It sounds like an online video magazine. Its produced by Future and published through PSN and they charge for it, you know like they charge for magazines.
Exactly. If they are using this to defray the cost of running PSN, so be it. There is nothing wrong with paying for some exclusivity. I would've liked the first "issue" to be free, as I'm interested to see what it's all about, but I have no plans to buy SOCOM, and seeing as that seems to be the cover story of the issue I probably won't buy it.

UPDATE

Sony responds to speculation on the PSN free content being gutted in a thread (http://blog.us.playstation.com/2008/06/03/introducing-qore-taking-you-behind-the-curtain-with-playstation/comment-page-1/#comments)at their official blog and a few other things:

On the content of each monthly release:
Qore is a monthly program, it ranges from 1-2 hours total length, but you control what you watch and when.

Yes, Andronix, you navigate through Qore to get to the content that you want to see, in the order you want to see it.


On the use of Qore as the only way to join SOCOM Confrontation's beta:

There will be multiple points of entry into the SOCOM beta. SOCOM.com will have more details later today.


On Qore's impact on content for the PSN:

If you purchase Qore, you will have access to exclusive content that would not be available otherwise - it does not impact the availability of the great content found on PSN, nor does it change our free play model.

I'll add these quotes to the first post and delete the speculative article. If any other confirmed info comes around, I'll add that too.

How is this not exactly like paying for xbox live? Sure, you're not paying to play online with others, you just pay for everything else.......

This is lame.

How is this not exactly like paying for xbox live? Sure, you're not paying to play online with others, you just pay for everything else.......

This is lame.

Well, it's different in that you are not paying to play online with others. So, that's how it is not exactly like paying for XBox live in one way.

That was easy.

The analogy to print magazines doesn't really hold up.

The "cost" of print magazines generally goes to distribution and store-fronts. Production and print costs are entirely covered by advertising. Subscription costs are chump-change to defray the cost of distribution.

This is why most online versions of magazines are subscription free. It works just like broadcast TV and radio. Advertisers already make those media enormously profitable. Why should consumers pay to be marketed to?

Charging us for something like Qore isn't particularly profitable and would never be enough to cover the costs of production. They're charging us to make these ads (trailers, demos, previews, etc.) artificially seem like "valuable" material. This is purely a service to their advertisers, not to us consumers.

As I said before, it's an unnecessary and obnoxious annoyance to consumers. Why in hell should we pay to receive advertising? It should be a service. Also as I said earlier, I can at least comprehend paying for online play as with XBL (since it's not paid for in any way other than through console purchases), but paying for advertising is just plain weird.

But maybe you all shouldn't listen to me since this is also why I refuse to get cable television. :rolleyes:

But maybe you all shouldn't listen to me since this is also why I refuse to get cable television. :rolleyes:

Wow, Id hate to see how you feel about Sat. Radio.

How is this not exactly like paying for xbox live? Sure, you're not paying to play online with others, you just pay for everything else.......

This is lame.

Read the post above yours... you don't "pay for everything else". You will still get free demos, videos, etc. on the PSN. This is apparently an additional option to pay for even more content on top of that.

Oh, and playing online is the single most important element in having a console connected to the internet. It remains free on the PS3, so there is no major problem.

There was a quote where they indicated that demos would go to qore first--where she compared the free psn to syndication -- meaning the demos will come later to psn. The whole thing is lame. I hope that people won't buy it and it fails.

You do understand that people who subscribe to this service is what is basically going to keep PSN free right? I think this is fine. Many economies on the internet revolve around giving everyone a free service and offering a premium service that a smaller number of people subscribe to for a minimal price. You're still going to be able to get demos, videos, play games, etc with the free service.

There was a quote where they indicated that demos would go to qore first--where she compared the free psn to syndication -- meaning the demos will come later to psn. The whole thing is lame. I hope that people won't buy it and it fails.

Yea, charging everyone is the much better model.

it begins.... sony couldnt hold out this long allowing PSN to be free


greeeeeeeeeeed

so basically you can pay for it or wait for someone to post the stuff online within an hour?

it begins.... sony couldnt hold out this long allowing PSN to be free


greeeeeeeeeeed

Which is only eclipsed by your sense of entitlement.

I'll pass. atm

Which is only eclipsed by your sense of entitlement.

Perfect response.

One one hand they plan to offer free content but on the other they need to add value to the paid service. That means holding things back either time delaying or actual exclusive content.

I can only see this being a slap in the face to Sony's most die hard fans. Third parties are not going to want Sony making their demos and videos exclusive to this service when everyone with a 360 will have access to them. So it seems the only companies to actually hold content for the subscribers will be Sony and their very closely affiliated studios that make exclusives.

That said Its pretty cheap and if it will get me into the SOCOM beta I'll gladly pay it :)

Charging us for something like Qore isn't particularly profitable and would never be enough to cover the costs of production. They're charging us to make these ads (trailers, demos, previews, etc.) artificially seem like "valuable" material. This is purely a service to their advertisers, not to us consumers.

Exactly. Who on earth would want to read/listen to game comments from a heavily biased source is beyond me.

Personaly I'd much rather see Sony putting their moeny towards increasing the speed of the PSN. It's horribly slow down here even on my 2 mbit line. 2 hours to download 50mb patch is a joke. I can just imagine now subscribing to Qore and waiting 10 minutes for each article to download. 10 articles = 100 minutes waiting, add 20 minutes reading/watching = their 2 hours of content per issue - yah.

One one hand they plan to offer free content but on the other they need to add value to the paid service. That means holding things back either time delaying or actual exclusive content.

I can only see this being a slap in the face to Sony's most die hard fans. Third parties are not going to want Sony making their demos and videos exclusive to this service when everyone with a 360 will have access to them. So it seems the only companies to actually hold content for the subscribers will be Sony and their very closely affiliated studios that make exclusives.

That said Its pretty cheap and if it will get me into the SOCOM beta I'll gladly pay it :)

You answered your own question. It's true that third party companies want as many people to try their wares as possible if they've made a demo for both platforms. That's why it makes sense in Sony's response above that the PSN will continue to get free demos and videos. They look to be pushing Qore as a source for added content on top of what we'll continue to get from the PSN.

It seems to me that Qore will be much like what the X360 already has in two forms:

-Game promos and news. Just like X360 has on the news tab, but instead of updating it every day, Sony will do it monthly with higher production values.

-Timed demos and exclusive betas. Again, same as Microsoft where you need to be a gold member to get everything day 1.

A lot of Sony fans seem to be blasting this but honestly, Sony does need money to make the PSN work. It's good business to make money, not throw it away. Sony feels Qore has enough features for you to pay for. If you don't want to pay for it then fine. That does not mean the concept isn't cool though.

It reminds me of the "Playstation Underground" during the PSX era. Each month you'd get a disc by mail full of demos and videos and other propaganda. In a world without high speed internet, it was AWESOME to get that disc each month. Qore is just the new age version of the Underground.

I don't know if I will subscribe to a year of Qore, but I will definitely be getting this first issue to get all the SOCOM info I can, exclusive theme and guarantee a spot in the open beta.

The host said on her site that the first episode is around 40 minutes.

A lot of Sony fans seem to be blasting this but honestly, Sony does need money to make the PSN work.

What I don't understand is why Sony aren't using the money they make from games sales to get the PSN up to scratch. Down under PS3 games are regurly $10 more than the X360 games. What's wrong with investing 10% of your software revenue into the online server system and eveyone will be happy and no one will have to pay extra.

It's not like this console is effected by piracy or anything like that.

The comments about paying for advertising are right on the money. I hope Sony converts to a paid (fully-functional with adequate performance) on-line model ASAP but I sure as hell won't pay for this ****. I'm still waiting on my MGS4 demo+patch+update download to complete. ****ing bastards.

A lot of Sony fans seem to be blasting this but honestly, Sony does need money to make the PSN work. It's good business to make money, not throw it away. Sony feels Qore has enough features for you to pay for. If you don't want to pay for it then fine. That does not mean the concept isn't cool though.


What I don't get is the people judging this based on what they think Sony will make on it. Who cares what Sony makes or doesn't make? To me its a simple question of "is the content worth the money?" I don't buy things based on the perceived profit margin of a product but I guess some people do. If you think Sony is charging too much then don't buy it. The only effect it has on you is having to see the icon for it in the PS Store. Just because PSN is free doesn't mean they can't have pay content on it. It also doesn't mean Sony isn't allowed to generate revenue for or from it.
PSN is still free, the Qore magazine is content you buy on PSN.

There are a lot of people jumping to conclusions and making some pretty big assumptions about this. Are people actually reading the blog post or just seeing "....PSN...pay....demos...subscription" and coming up with "oh no now we have to pay for PSN subscriptions even for demos!!!!!!! :( :( "

There are a lot of people jumping to conclusions and making some pretty big assumptions about this. Are people actually reading the blog post or just seeing "....PSN...pay....demos...subscription" and coming up with "oh no now we have to pay for PSN subscriptions even for demos!!!!!!! :( :( "But that's just it. Sure, very few people will pay for what amounts to a 2-hour weekly advertisement, but this might mean waiting for certain trailer content. It's not a big deal, but it is obnoxious and annoying.

I haven't seen anything yet that says that Qore will have anything to do with anything other than betas and video content; it doesn't sound like it'll affect our current access to free demos or online play. It really just looks like a video magazine. I'm just not sure how Sony thinks this is a good business idea.

My point was that from a business perspective, it makes a lot more sense to charge for PSN services (demos, online play) than to charge for a 2-hour weekly video advertisement. I just don't get it. You're supposed to give advertising away for free and charge for features. This is backwards. Like I said above, "weird."

Why do people buy auto magazines? By your description that's just paying for advertisements as well. Sony seems to feel that this promo is worth buying, and it will stand or fail on that assumption.

However, instead of looking at it from the perspective of what is best for Sony to sell for their $$$ benefit, we should appreciate what that business model means for us gamers. That means, unlike the other console, we get *free* online play while still getting *free* demos and beta access.

If gamers want to pay for more access to "advertisements" as you put it, more power to them. Overall we are still making out pretty good without having to shell out a dime in subscriptions if we so choose.

Why do people buy auto magazines? By your description that's just paying for advertisements as well. Sony seems to feel that this promo is worth buying, and it will stand or fail on that assumption.Except this isn't just a "video game magazine." It's a Sony video game publication, produced and published by Sony, distributed on a Sony console through a Sony network. If there were a Toyota magazine that was produced and published by Toyota (which there very likely is), I doubt they'd charge for it.

These sorts of magazines are usually called "trade magazines" and are given away for free by retailers, sales people, and through promotions.

OMFG, ;alkjds;ljasdf, $2.08 a month for optional content?!?!?!?!! Are you KIDDING? Those bastards!

Seriously though, if you don't want to pay then just watch the video content on your computer. If they have exclusively timed demos, just wait - and I'm sure if it becomes a bigger problem, people will find a way to get the demos from their ps3 to the net so you can download the demos on your pc and transfer them to the ps3 via usb to play them a couple weeks early and save your two bucks.

I'll be a little pissed if the majority of the "good" demos go through this service, but I doubt that will happen, and I'm certainly not jumping on the assumption band wagon about this right now.

Except this isn't just a "video game magazine." It's a Sony video game publication, produced and published by Sony, distributed on a Sony console through a Sony network.

The content is not produced by Sony. Future US is producing the magazine. This is the same company who used to produce Official US Playstation Magazine. They obviously have a relationship with Sony but none of them are Sony employees. The editorial direction of the magazine remains to be seen but it's not fair to clasify it as an hour long infomercial without having seen it.

i thought this came out today i dont see it anywhere on the psn store does anyone have it yet

i thought this came out today i dont see it anywhere on the psn store does anyone have it yet

The PSN store updates in the evenings on Thursday. Normally after 4 or 5 EST.

Anyhoo.. I dont understand why people get so bent over stuff like this. Getting pissed a company for trying to make money on the side. You have the choice to buy it or not. It's not like you NEED Qore to play games or access the PSN. You can continue on your PS adventure after Qore just like you did before. It remains to be seen how the demos will pan out.. But I'm not a big fan of demos or "exclusive content" So it isnt a big deal to me.

I'd like to see Sony give existing users a 15/30 day free trail to this and also new PS3 purchasers the same thing to see if its worth it. With my XBox I had a 30 day Gold membership to taste it and make my decision (which I did).

On the other hand I'm getting tired of everything switching to a subscription model. Its going to start costing me $75/year ($50 for live, $25 for qore) for an 'enhanced' online experience - LOL.

On the other hand I'm getting tired of everything switching to a subscription model. Its going to start costing me $75/year ($50 for live, $25 for qore) for an 'enhanced' online experience - LOL.

shop around, it's not hard at all to find Live for less than $50. I've seen CC sell it for 39 every now and then, and you can often find it around that price online if you keep your eyes peeled.

Which is only eclipsed by your sense of entitlement.

Perfect response indeed. PSN is free. Online gaming is free. The 'core' service for me is online gaming, and the demos to some degree, but I generally don't hold onto demos for long.

I can chose to pay for extras if I want. I like that. I don't have to pay for what I don't want. I like that too. It reminds me of some web service (Fileplanet? -- not sure) that began charging a yearly subscription for immediate download access to exclusive demos and videos. These exclusives usually hit the 'raw' Internet within a week or so (sometimes hours), and that was fine by me. I never minded waiting. Some people want it immediately -- so it is worth it, to them, to pay subscription for.

I like that I have a choice to pay. And get my core services for free. I will probably spring the 3$ to check out the first issue of Qore. If, for no other reason, only to see what all the fuss is about.

I'll try the first issue and then decide if I think it's worth it, no biggie.

i thought this **** came out thursday .. its almost friday what the hell

The PSN store updates in the evenings on Thursday. Normally after 4 or 5 EST.

Anyhoo..


Not today it didn't.

Anyhoo.. :rolleyes:

Except this isn't just a "video game magazine." It's a Sony video game publication, produced and published by Sony, distributed on a Sony console through a Sony network. If there were a Toyota magazine that was produced and published by Toyota (which there very likely is), I doubt they'd charge for it.

These sorts of magazines are usually called "trade magazines" and are given away for free by retailers, sales people, and through promotions.Glad to see I wasn't the only one who found this odd:
I'm still not sold on Qore (which launched today, fyi). Not even close. The concept of paying Sony so they can market stuff to me? That just does not compute. Especially when an annual subscription costs you $25, which is $25 more than you should be paying for company-produced trailers and "previews".http://kotaku.com/5013742/subscribe-to-qore-get-calling-all-cars

Anyone downloaded it yet? Thoughts?

Not today it didn't.

Anyhoo.. :rolleyes:

:rolleyes: Hence the word normally. :rolleyes:

:rolleyes: Hence the word normally. :rolleyes:

It's updated now.

Anyhoo...:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

Anyone downloaded it yet? Thoughts?

Anyone? Someone has to go first... :)

News: Qore Issue 1 Impressions

http://thesixthaxis.com/qore_issue_1_impressions_news_1124_tsa.aspx

Qore, eh? It's Sony's new online 'magazine' that offers exclusive news, information and the opportunity to partake in selected game betas and demos. The first issue has just hit the US Store in the last hour, and weighs in at over 1.5 GB. Seriously.

First impressions are that the interface is seriously slick, as you'd expect from something produced by Sony. There are film trailers in there (the first is The Incredible Hulk) and a few Metal Gear Solid 4 ads. Oddly, it appears that Calling All Cars (the game you're meant to get free with a subscription) isn't quite ready for download yet, and obvously neither is the SOCOM beta.

The main menu contains links to Socom, Soul Calibur IV, Star Wars TFU and a few others, which all include gameplay videos and interviews, and are well put together. However, what isn't impressive is the presence of adverts within the menu navigation itself, which are like the stupid in-between page ads you used to get on IGN, etc.

Whilst $2.99 is fine for the content, we're not happy with the adverts. Either charge us more and get rid of them, or make it free, because this isn't a happy medium, Sony.

Just about everything in the first issue has been on Gametrailers on SpikeTV.

Anyone? Someone has to go first... :)

I downloaded it and it is good. There are not a whole lot of contents like a paper magazine.
SOCOM: very good info
Soul Caliber: nothing much beside Darth Vader's fight
Ratchet PSP: Watch it later
StarWars: very good presentation, new gameplay footage. I like the graphics, which are very good.

There are ads but they are not overwhelming.
I cannot download SOCOM beta yet maybe because I just paid for one episode?
It's worth to check it out. I'm hoping they will have more contents next month.

There are ads but they are not overwhelming.Whilst $2.99 is fine for the content, we're not happy with the adverts. Either charge us more and get rid of them, or make it free, because this isn't a happy medium, Sony.News flash folks: they're all adverts!

It's just that some of the "content" is in the form of pop-ups and others of it looks like more "legit" menu access. But if you click on the pop-ups, it's the exact same stuff as you get in the menus--just different games.

I enjoy watching game trailers as much as the next person, but there's a reason why they're normally free. They're ads, folks.

I enjoy watching game trailers as much as the next person, but there's a reason why they're normally free. They're ads, folks.

Thank you

Good and bad with this:

Good>
-Veronica Belmont, of Mahalo and DLTV fame, is the host. :)
-Only $2.99 per month, compared to $7.99 per month with XBL.
-No need to subscribe to play online (i.e., they aren't forcing it down your throat, as Microsoft does)

Bad>
-Ads
-Not free :rolleyes:
-Might strip downloads from regular PSN, though how much is left to be seen.

The precedent has been set by Microsoft, but I hope this model fails. If there's ads in the content, make the darn thing free and be done with it. This just smacks of greed, imo.

XBL is $7.99 if you buy a month at a time; I only buy 13 month cards when they are on sale; currently I am paid through 2009 and paid $37/yr; or $2.84/mo -- no one buys monthly cards

The other bad I see, and you briefly touched on this is that XBL gives the same content to all users regardless if they are silver or gold members [both paid and free]; the only difference is that you need a gold membership to play online. Sony is setting this up to potentially tier service for people. $25 for this service, but maybe online play will be $10/yr, then access to HOME is $15/yr and so on and soforth; not saying this is the master plan, but I'm cautiously reading between the lines. There is huge potential to fracture and segregate the PS3 community into the have's and the have-not's.

Timed demos and exclusive betas. Again, same as Microsoft where you need to be a gold member to get everything day 1.


The only demos that require you have a gold membership are the ones that are the ones which have an online component, since if you have silver you can't in the first place. Everything else is a day 1 release for all users; it simply goes into the marketplace and anyone can download it. The exception being regional restrictions. If something is released in Asia it may not be available to US gamers etc.

Someone spread the word that fans should cancel their subscription to Guns & Ammo magazine... don't they know it's all adverts for guns and ammunition?!?! :rolleyes:

Here's a complete breakdown (http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/06/06/we-take-an-in-depth-look-at-qore/) of Qore, coupled with a ton of pics. I hear the ads can be skipped over, so at least you aren't forced to watch them. One nice thing is that the content is all in full hi-def. That would be a deal breaker if it wasn't since I like to watch videos of PS3 games in as close to the actual resolution as possible.

Still, I may pass on this issue and keep my eye out for one in the future to test drive so I can decide myself if it is worth it (I'm not a SOCOM fan). The main thing is that it does not intruding on the PSN offerings. This update we still got our free demos and videos... actually more free stuff than usual (three demos and eight videos). Of course gaming is the main online activity, so since that will stay free I have no problems with Qore at all.

For those who bought Qore, does the downloads still go at a snails pace or is it decently fast?

Someone spread the word that fans should cancel their subscription to Guns & Ammo magazine... don't they know it's all adverts for guns and ammunition?!?! :rolleyes:Again, the big difference is that print magazines use subscriptions to cover printing, packaging, shipping, and distribution. Advertising generally pays for production. Online distribution/production gets rid of most of those extra distribution costs. This is why online newspapers and magazines are generally free.

Why do I care? Because the more people buy this stuff, the less likely we are to continue getting it for free. Sony's already making a sizable profit on this stuff through its paying advertisers (game publishers); it sets a bad precedent for the future of online distribution of previews and trailers. And as someone says above, if it succeeds, it could be the beginning of a tiered system of PSN users.

im buying the first issue because i have to get into the socom beta, and if you buy the first issue you are guaranteed to be in the beta!

Again, the big difference is that print magazines use subscriptions to cover printing, packaging, shipping, and distribution. Advertising generally pays for production. Online distribution/production gets rid of most of those extra distribution costs. This is why online newspapers and magazines are generally free.

Why do I care? Because the more people buy this stuff, the less likely we are to continue getting it for free. Sony's already making a sizable profit on this stuff through its paying advertisers (game publishers); it sets a bad precedent for the future of online distribution of previews and trailers. And as someone says above, if it succeeds, it could be the beginning of a tiered system of PSN users.

You failed to recognize that why online games are free. Sony needs to recoup it from somewhere and not forcing you to do it like Microsoft. So if you are willing to pay for extra contents, that is your choice. Nobody forces you. You think they make money? Last year they lost roughly 1 billion dollars. You want them to go bankrupt? Your speculation about tiered system is absurd because it is not practical, just like conspiracy theorists. Besides, people pay for MS Live and still do not get Qore? What is your argument?
I guess your next complain is 'why do they charge $60 for a game?'. It should be free because they already make money from selling the console (it costs too much).

Again, the big difference is that print magazines use subscriptions to cover printing, packaging, shipping, and distribution. Advertising generally pays for production. Online distribution/production gets rid of most of those extra distribution costs. This is why online newspapers and magazines are generally free.

Why do I care? Because the more people buy this stuff, the less likely we are to continue getting it for free. Sony's already making a sizable profit on this stuff through its paying advertisers (game publishers); it sets a bad precedent for the future of online distribution of previews and trailers. And as someone says above, if it succeeds, it could be the beginning of a tiered system of PSN users.

Heh, we already have one forum member called Conspiracy :D.

Seriously, I don't buy the slippery slope argument. I can only react to what is known, what is here. As it now stands there's nothing to whine about IMHO. Sony's offering an extra option for sale for those who don't mind paying to look as some of the upcoming games in their exclusive video show, special access to betas as well as some demos and videos.

It isn't affecting my free online game playing (which is really 98% of what I care about online), and they will continue to put out more free PSN content than I'll bother to download. If things take a turn for the worse, I'll re-act then. For now this is as much of a non-issue as it can be.

One has to admit - from the awesome upgrades in free firmware updates to the stuff we have access to on the PSN for no cost, Sony's been doing a pretty decent job at offering reasonable extras online for no monthly fee. Compare the value we got from consoles in the past, as well as what's offered for free with any other electronic gizmo for sale today... PS3's online value is hardly as bad of deal as some try to make it out to be.

You failed to recognize that why online games are free. Sony needs to recoup it from somewhere and not forcing you to do it like Microsoft. So if you are willing to pay for extra contents, that is your choice. Nobody forces you. You think they make money? Last year they lost roughly 1 billion dollars. You want them to go bankrupt? Your speculation about tiered system is absurd because it is not practical, just like conspiracy theorists. Besides, people pay for MS Live and still do not get Qore? What is your argument?
I guess your next complain is 'why do they charge $60 for a game?'. It should be free because they already make money from selling the console (it costs too much).

Maybe they are in the position because they made PSN free in the first place?
MS had the setup with a paid service as an only option on the orignal Xbox and then offered Silver accounts when the 360 launched. Sony simply went the opposite way. It looks possible that Sony may end up being a paid service for online someday down the road. I mean the whole point of the campaign with Sony was thay it will stay free. That is what we kept hearing over and over. I am fully aware it is an option to get it but the first issue didn't offer anything I haven't already seen. Gametrailers offered 30 minutes of previews and interviews of each of those games they have shown in the first issue. Gametrailers is about to show 7 minutes of gameplay of Reisistance 2 tonight on the show at midnight.
http://www.n4g.com/ps3/News-153918.aspx
Thats pretty odd vs what should have been a bang feature and free IMO for the first issue vs what we have already seen on the show that is in HD on Friday's.

im buying the first issue because i have to get into the socom beta, and if you buy the first issue you are guaranteed to be in the beta!


But if you pre-order SOCOM you get into the beta 2 weeks before the Qore people do. I'm with you, I bought this to get the beta access then read today about pre-orders getting it 2 weeks earlier. :confused:

http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/06/06/what-qore-grants-late-access-to-socom-beta/

But if you pre-order SOCOM you get into the beta 2 weeks before the Qore people do. I'm with you, I bought this to get the beta access then read today about pre-orders getting it 2 weeks earlier. :confused:

http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/06/06/what-qore-grants-late-access-to-socom-beta/

ouch yeah I actually read that too, good thing I didn't buy the magazine YET. I will not be buying it in the future either. I am in GAP so hopefully they will throw me a bone.

I don't really get all the hate for this. It sounds like an online video magazine. Its produced by Future and published through PSN and they charge for it, you know like they charge for magazines. Granted the content is yet to be seen but the blog says its 1 to 2 hours worth of stuff so that is in line with what it takes me to read an average magazine. If it has in-depth interviews and previews then it provides content, in HD, that you don't see many other places. The 1up Show is probably the closest. Gametrailers has lots in HD but its usually just gameplay or trailers, so generally short and without any real commentary.
It seems some people have made the leap to "pay for demos" but that's not what they've said. There will be some privileges you pay for but the regular demos are still planned to show up on PSN just like they are now. Also the video content planned seems beyond the usual trailers/promotional videos that show up on PSN. If this prevents at least some version of a demo from being available to regular users then I'll change my mind on this. Getting into the betas isn't such a big deal since many have come with entrance requirements before or not been generally open. As far as SOCOM goes the blog has already said this isn't the only way in.
On the more optimistic side I see this as a possible lead in into Sony's, coming soon, video service. It could also be used for other magazines as well. I could see other magazines starting up a web/PS3 online version. Thats probably a little too optimistic though.
Without having seen it I'm not ready to pay $25 for the year but I'll probably pay $3 to check it out. If the content sucks then I paid $3 to check out SOCOM early... cheaper than a rental.

Totally agree with you. When I first read about Qore, I thought the exact same thing, "it's just an online magazine subscription, but instead of reading the stories, I watch them...not too shabby." It's amazing how things have changed in this new generation. Buying the Official PlayStation Magazine (before it went under) yielded a demo disc full of content, and guess what? You had to pay for that too. It's the exact same situation; you have the ability to purchase Qore, but you are not being forced too. As long as they keeping the gaming free, it's all good! Personally, I think it's a great idea. I subscribe to the new PlayStation Magazine, but this is a great way to enjoy content on my TV, as well as cut down on environmental waste. I may try out the first month and see how it is, and if it's interesting, get the year subscription, if not, I'll just stick to my magazines for the time being!

Glad to see I wasn't the only one who found this odd:
http://kotaku.com/5013742/subscribe-to-qore-get-calling-all-cars

After reading through your posts, you make quite a strong argument. What clicked in my mind was the "trade magazine" analogy. While attending the Toronto Auto Show, the car companies would give away magazines and pamphlets on their vehicles with the hopes that they interest you in purchasing one of their vehicles. The same concept applies here, with Sony offering an online magazine with the hopes that you purchase their products. Unfortunately, they are not "giving away" this online magazine, they are charging a small fee. As I said before, I shall download the first episode and see what the hype is about, but I will take note on what features I can watch for free on 1up/IGN/gametrailers/etc. Thanks for the informative posts, confidenceman!

I've had a chance to check out some of Qore so here are some quick thoughts.

The presentation is good. Nothing particularly impressive but it seems to work well. The video quality also seems to be pretty good. The amount of content is good enough and is varied between video, screenshots, and things like that.

The content itself is a litte weak. There is very little information that I haven't seen or heard before. Also, its fairly shallow. They really need to get more details, show some game play demonstrations, that sort of thing. The actual videos themselves were made in a dull style, talking heads mixed with gameplay footage.

I guess if this is the only information source you looked at it would be ok but with the other options out there this is not really a step up. The concept is good and has potential but they need to improve the quality of the information presented. This is where they should be revealing new things not showing things they've already shown before with a few bits of new info things or a couple seconds of footage they haven't used before.
I'll post more details on this if people are interested later when I have a chance to get through all the content.

Thanks, Lorum. I'd be interested in more details if you can offer. How about the minigames or other "hidden content"?

Well here are some more thought out opinions.

The menu and layout works well and is easy to navigate. It is very basic though. I didn't find it impressive or very creative. I didn't look for any hidden content but I read its a pong type game.

The adds are not bad. You get an add before each menu section and they seem to be about 10 seconds long. A few seconds into the add you can push a button to skip. Considering the length of the adds the skip is kind of pointless.

The video quality is good and all in HD. The only complaint I have is that some of the game footage was compressed and had some artifacting or was blocky at times.

I would consider the quality of the content to be a little below your average video game show/magazine. All of the segments are just the company reps reading into a camera with game footage mixed in. There was no interviewer. The info they presented was very basic: SOCOM is a team based shooter, Star Wars lets you play Vader's apprentice with crazy force powers, etc. There were maybe one or two tidbits of info I hadn't heard before. Technically the videos were "exclusive" but the information certainly was not. Veronica Belmont is pointless. She does an intro for each section and makes some unfunny jokes.

I don't subscribe to any gaming magazines because I don't think the content in any of them is very good. This falls in the same category right now.

That didn't take long.


http://www.n4g.com/ps3/News-154786.aspx

The worst thing about Qore so far are the damn pop up ads! I just paid $25 and they force a bloody Burger King ad in my face while I'm trying to watch a video or change sections. THAT sucks. If they are going as far as pop ups, it might as well be free.

That didn't take long.


http://www.n4g.com/ps3/News-154786.aspxLol.

Not at all sure what Sony was thinking. Hope no one paid a full year's subscription yet--unless you felt like paying $20+ for Calling All Cars. Qore has "failure" written all over it.

If they start giving it to us for free (like any advertiser in their right mind would), I'll happily read it. I just can't believe they would think that charging for Qore is a workable idea.

My gosh, most of you act like paying $25/year is going to kill you. Each day I read this forum, the more I realize that most of you like to whine for no reason.

If you don't like it, don't pay for it, simple!

I paid for the annual membership to give it chance. Will I cry if it turns out to be a waste of time, NO.

Let's give it chance before whining on how bad it is or anything else.

Geez, everytime a thread starts about something new, it seems that more whiners post than anyone else that can offer anything positive. It is getting tiring reading your comments.

I am hoping to the whiners that post, only post to get their thread count up and for no other reason, because, really, you aren't offering anything positive.

I don't see the harm in using these threads for what they're designed for--i.e., discussing (respectfully) Sony-related things. So long as we remain civil and reasonable, I think everything's cool.

Just as many of you are saying, "if you don't want to pay for Qore, then don't," we could just as easily say, "if you don't want to read our inane comments, then don't." :D

The truth is, this is the best PS3 forum on the Internet. Most are bombarded by kiddies and trolls. I hope the folks at Sony see the difference here compared to most, if not all, of the other forums.

This sort of criticism is perfect, this will help Sony come up with better content for the subscribers. I'm currently not interested, but I'm only a drop in the ocean. I feel PSN was pretty good before, and I really don't need a new G4 to get me by. I am glad to see the video on YouTube, and the reason was posted just above - I don't want to pay $25 for CaC... even if it means I get Qore for $15 (net) because I personally don't see the value. I am sure there will be those that do though.

Of course I'm typing this while listening to Shoutcast on my PSP... :) Dang I love these things, they are so much more than just game machines... before this I was playing PixelJunk Monsters in the back yard with Remote Play.

I don't see the harm in using these threads for what they're designed for--i.e., discussing (respectfully) Sony-related things. So long as we remain civil and reasonable, I think everything's cool.

Just as many of you are saying, "if you don't want to pay for Qore, then don't," we could just as easily say, "if you don't want to read our inane comments, then don't." :D

We all have our own agendas to push across, but I think it annoys some when they come to this forum for news and they get the same people posting negatively in pretty much all of the threads.

Anyway that's really neither here nor there. I downloaded Qore, and have enjoyed some of the content (the Star Wars stuff was eh), and I'll be interested to keep going.

I do wish they had it available via remote play. It's a no brainer.

That didn't take long.


http://www.n4g.com/ps3/News-154786.aspx

Site blocked, can you summarize?

I almost signed up for Qore... until I read that a lot of the info was old and you could see a lot of stuff on GameTrailers or whatever.

Paying for cool, original content? Ok. $25 is not a lot of money for that. Paying for old stuff and beta access? F you Sony.

Site blocked, can you summarize?

I almost signed up for Qore... until I read that a lot of the info was old and you could see a lot of stuff on GameTrailers or whatever.

Paying for cool, original content? Ok. $25 is not a lot of money for that. Paying for old stuff and beta access? F you Sony.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Wkht3WZIqfI

I paid the $2.99 just to try it out and it met my expectations. It was totally not worth it. All the videos were little SD. What part of HD was the video? The initial screen? Frickin' waste of money.

Just had a chance to see the July episode. Was nice seeing the Resistance 2 and Silent Hill Homecoming features but nothing really stood out for me. Sort of expecting more from Qore since they mentioned some easter eggs like minigames. So far it's about 45minutes to an hour's worth of video watching with a photo gallery here and there. They need to make it more interactive than selecting a menu item

Just had a chance to see the July episode. Was nice seeing the Resistance 2 and Silent Hill Homecoming features but nothing really stood out for me. Sort of expecting more from Qore since they mentioned some easter eggs like minigames. So far it's about 45minutes to an hour's worth of video watching with a photo gallery here and there. They need to make it more interactive than selecting a menu item

that's so hardQore!

Just had a chance to see the July episode. Was nice seeing the Resistance 2 and Silent Hill Homecoming features but nothing really stood out for me. Sort of expecting more from Qore since they mentioned some easter eggs like minigames. So far it's about 45minutes to an hour's worth of video watching with a photo gallery here and there. They need to make it more interactive than selecting a menu item

There is some stupid mini game on both episodes so far. Hit one of the L1, L2, R1 or R2 buttons. It comes up.....and it's really dumb. ;)

There is some stupid mini game on both episodes so far. Hit one of the L1, L2, R1 or R2 buttons. It comes up.....and it's really dumb. ;)

Thanks for the tip. I'll try it and see the FAIL :p

My only issue with Qore is the backwards implementation of the service.

They should be putting ads and Download sponsorships on the PSN Store, and just skip not show them for Qore members (a very simple "if than" in the store logic would take care of that, a the store knows that you are a Qore subscrier or not).

THAT would make much more sense than the current implementation of having adverts for the PAYING people and no ads for the non paying members.

No, I'd hate ads on the PSN. It's better just to ignore Qore altogether if the ads are an issue. Don't break what already works fine when trying to solve a different problem.

They should have a free version with unskippable ads and the paid subscription ad-free.

No, I'd hate ads on the PSN. It's better just to ignore Qore altogether if the ads are an issue. Don't break what already works fine when trying to solve a different problem.

If the problem is funding the PSN, then PUT THE ADS (ie get funding) on the PSN and then give those who don't want ads an option to pay them away.

That is logical.
What brainiac in sony came up with the whole


"let's get people to pay for things that could easily (and probably should) be posted in the PSN Store, and then Charge them for it, making them think that it is special cause they have to pay for it!!!!!

Then just to make sure we don't alienate those who DO NOT pay for it, we will just post the content from the paid service on the regular PSN in a month .... making those who DID pay for it feel special cause they get it first;
and just to make it BETTER, let's get a third party to sponsor the PAID for service and put commercials that will randomly pop up in the view of the PAYING member so those that arn't paying can continue to not pay and love us forever!!!"


I know for those that want everything to be free will find some way to twist this statement into something that makes sense.. but.. it is illogical to offer a free service unfettered by intrusive commercials, while loading a PAY for service with interrupt based advertisment.

Nowhere has it been said this is to fund PSN. You are inventing your interpretation of what the problem is; fine, we all speculate on different things.

Still, to play along and connect the two despite no evidence for it, making Qore ad-free while making the PSN ad-filled is just defies logic about what IMHO the vast number of PS3 owners would prefer. Why? Because in the current setup we can just skip Qore - it is completely unnecessary for enjoyment of our system. However we can't and won't skip using the PSN. Why screw up a vital, central component of the PS3 experience just to relieve ads from an optional once-a-month video show?

If you feel that the current Qore system is a poor business model, perhaps the public will agree with you and stop paying for it. In that case, it disappears or gets reworked.

The PSN is its own independent entity, and again nothing has even hinted at a connection with Qore subscriptions. If anything, the PSN is already filled with advertisements... free demos and videos of various games and movies for us to dload so that we will buy more PS3 software and movie tickets. In fact, I think I read somewhere that developers and production companies chip into the PSN money jar somehow... but that was a read from a few years ago.

However we can't and won't skip using the PSN

Wanna bet?

I asked what the problem WAS, and then took a leap based on the popular belief (as indicated in this very thread) that the PSN needs funding.

And you are correct.. You don't need Qore because as in my post, anything provided in Qore will make its way to the free service in a month.

The problem is, my scenario is an accurate depiction of the current situation. If Sony wants to make ad revenue prior to Homes release, it should have been incorporated into the PSN Store, and not into a premium service.

Is there ANY other Online service that loads their PAID members with interstitial ads while keeping their free service clear of the clutter? (and i am asking about ONLINE DIGITAL content only).

^ I dunno... I refuse to subscribe to anything :D.

BeQore I get ahead of myself can I just say that AQorrding to popular belief Sony is indeed hoping Qore subs wil boost their Qoreterly gains for PSN.

^ LOL.

Anyway, the way I look at it is that I would gladly pay even $25 to JUST get into the SOCOM beta. I know there will be other ways to get into the beta without paying, but just knowing that I'm IN now feels great for me. Anything that comes along with that in the way of free demos and other betas is a win/win.

And the ads aren't really that bad IMO.

My gosh, most of you act like paying $25/year is going to kill you. Each day I read this forum, the more I realize that most of you like to whine for no reason.

Well this board is the home of the "$50 a year will kill you" so I guess $25 is just close enough to be fatal as well :)

I watched the youtube clip... it took till the 3:01 markt o get past the advertiement for a movie out now. I am fine with static ads, everyone needs to make money, especialy Sony at this point. But are the vids skippable or do you have to dedicate 3 min just to get to content?

Well this board is the home of the "$50 a year will kill you" so I guess $25 is just close enough to be fatal as well :)

I wantched the youtube clip... it took till the 3:01 markt o get past the advertiement for a movie out now. I am fine with static ads, everyone needs to make money, especialy Sony at this point. But are the vids skippable or do you have to dedicate 3 min just to get to content?

*watches a disney blu-ray*....yep

I could be wrong on this but on Issue 1 I couldn't skip the ads but in Issue 2 they could be skipped and once they play they don't show up again, unless you close out of it and then re-enter the E-Zine.

BeQore I get ahead of myself can I just say that AQorrding to popular belief Sony is indeed hoping Qore subs wil boost their Qoreterly gains for PSN.


I so want to send this guy to your house:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3ln6mp0HNM

I so want to send this guy to your house:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3ln6mp0HNM

I can't see it at work but i have a feeling that it's the final of the national pun championships. if it is then yes I'd love to meet him.

I can't see it at work but i have a feeling that it's the final of the national pun championships. if it is then yes I'd love to meet him.


You keep thinking that until you get home, Slick. :D

I so want to send this guy to your house:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3ln6mp0HNM

PERFECT!

LOL.

haha, I own the full 16 ton megaset of monty python and yes you are quite Qorrect he should pay me a visit.

haha, I own the full 16 ton megaset of monty python and yes you are quite Qorrect he should pay me a visit.

That's it...I'm gettin' stabby.

The Jan. episode of Qore drops tomorrow. Featured games are F.E.A.R. 2, Killzone 2, and Heavy Rain. Bonus stuff is a Killzone theme and early access to the F.E.A.R. 2 demo later this month.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2009/01/07/qore-episode-08-tomorrow%E2%80%93-featuring-killzone-2-fear-2-and-heavy-rain/

The Jan. episode of Qore drops tomorrow. Featured games are F.E.A.R. 2, Killzone 2, and Heavy Rain. Bonus stuff is a Killzone theme and early access to the F.E.A.R. 2 demo later this month.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2009/01/07/qore-episode-08-tomorrow%E2%80%93-featuring-killzone-2-fear-2-and-heavy-rain/

grrr... I would like to watch the episode, but I guess I'll have to skip over the Killzone 2 info. (i know, i know, in the end everyone dies)

The sacrifices people make just to get a look at Ms Belmont! (by people, I mean me)

The sacrifices people make just to get a look at Ms Belmont! (by people, I mean me)

I still don't get this... she is "average" at best..and her voice is grating and whiney. she strikes me as the "before" girl in those "loser chick gets hot" movies.. like, i am sure she could be fixed up, but it wouldn't be natural and she wouldn't be comfortable..

I still don't get this... she is "average" at best..and her voice is grating and whiney. she strikes me as the "before" girl in those "loser chick gets hot" movies.. like, i am sure she could be fixed up, but it wouldn't be natural and she wouldn't be comfortable..

To each their own?

Besides, I don't know of many gaming chicks that look as presentable as she does!

Most gaming chicks are guys pretending to be chicks... like Martez in Home!

i s'pose.. guess i am just spoiled, as i live with a sexy Latina gaming chick... who isn't a man in a dress :)

I still don't get this... she is "average" at best..and her voice is grating and whiney. she strikes me as the "before" girl in those "loser chick gets hot" movies.. like, i am sure she could be fixed up, but it wouldn't be natural and she wouldn't be comfortable..

Agreed times ten. Acting fake as a Star Trek set every five minutes does not help either. When she was screaming in fear over Silent Hill I wanted to slap her.

grrr... I would like to watch the episode, but I guess I'll have to skip over the Killzone 2 info. (i know, i know, in the end everyone dies)

Dude, have you ever seen Qore? There is not going to be any info :D

I still don't get this... she is "average" at best..and her voice is grating and whiney.

Your post is whiney :rolleyes:

She's a habit-crush. I'm not going to do the stalker "It's like we are friends!" but I've followed her career for a long time, from way back when she was a nobody running the sound board on a CNet podcast. And when you listen to somebody for long enough, you do start to get an idea of them and she's a cool chick. Obviously that isn't going to come through on the poorly-written bits of Qore or its hamfisted 'interviews,' where it's a few tidbits of info that have already been on the internet for weeks and a series of "So just how awesome will your game be?" "SO awesome, Veronica!" exchanges.

In fact, if I remember the timeline correctly, she probably started Qore right after leaving Mahalo, so it's very possible she just wasn't sure when she'd be working again and signed a contract for a little monthly video thing for Sony. She's doing Tekzilla now, which is a bit of a step up. If all you've ever seen is Qore, then I can understand not liking her; she is way too conscious of what she's doing. When she's just being herself and not representing any company, she is very crass and funny, and she's a pretty smart cookie.

Also, her last name is Belmont. And that is sweet.

Is Qore worth the money? Do you get free games every now and then with it???

Is Qore worth the money? Do you get free games every now and then with it???

Worth the money?...Hard to say. You do get freebies. Games (Calling all cars etc) Themes exclusive to Qore members. Demo access ahead of everybody else. There are a few other perks. But its tough to say it's worth the money. I guess it depends on how much of a gamer you are, and how impatient you are. If you are willing to wake a few more weeks or months everything in Qore will be out there anyhoo. And if you look hard enough you can get most of the info found in Qore in blogs or Dev's websites. Like I said depends on and how you merit it's worthyness. :D

Is Qore worth the money? Do you get free games every now and then with it???

Honestly it is not. I bought a year subscription when it first came out because of the "exclusive" betas/demo.

Below is a list of exclusive demos I was able to obtain from Qore.


.................................... Nope can't think of any.


SOCOM beta you got by preordering at Gamestop, then Qore got it two weeks later. So that was great. Now Killzone 2 you get the demo by preordering from Gamestop as well, and no word of it even being available to Qore subscribers.

Is Qore worth the money? Do you get free games every now and then with it???

Noooooo it's not worth it. I got the yearly sub when promises were high and it's little more than like six videos and maybe a beta sign up that everyone who shops at Gamestop will get into as well.

I still don't get this... she is "average" at best..and her voice is grating and whiney. she strikes me as the "before" girl in those "loser chick gets hot" movies.. like, i am sure she could be fixed up, but it wouldn't be natural and she wouldn't be comfortable..

Average???? Before girl???? :eek:

Gee, no wonder so many girls and young women have such unhealthy images of themselves in today's society. This idea that a girl has to be a super model to be considered attractive is just so wrong. I try really hard to be more supportive of women than that. In fact, about two years ago I actually stopped dumping girls whenever they'd put on 5 pounds. It was a tough choice, but I've almost grown to ignore the extra weight.

As for the very lovely miss Belmont, have you not noticed the little freckle on her chest yet!! Oh, what I wouldn't give to be such a lucky little smudge.

^^^ Awww, does that mean I can no longer laugh at the classic Al Bundy line:

"No, it's not the dress that makes you look fat. It's the fat that makes you look fat." :p.

Average???? Before girl???? :eek:

Gee, no wonder so many girls and young women have such unhealthy images of themselves in today's society. This idea that a girl has to be a super model to be considered attractive is just so wrong.

That's not what I said.. i said she was average, nothing special, and didn't warrant the "drooling fan boys: uber hottnes" label.. and it's not really her looks that turn me off, it's her delivery...

While it may be as Tez stated (where she is is just really not motivated by her script) it's still there and noticiable. (oh and too your other point Tez.. yeah she was a really cool name... but MY girls last name is Lopez :D .... yeah... thats niiiceee :)



Christina Lee is a much better host in MY opinion.
Is it the writing, or just a much stronger personality?

Episode 11 (http://blog.us.playstation.com/2009/04/01/qore-episode-11-%E2%80%93-featuring-infamous-music-fat-princess-red-faction-and-the-art-of-psn/)

The April episode of Qore is packed with exclusive features on the music of inFamous and the making of Fat Princess along with a look at the state of the art of innovative and independent games, plus a close look at the upcoming Red Faction: Guerrilla.

To conclude PlayStation Network’s Spring Fever campaign, a special FREE version of Qore Episode 11 is available in celebration of the season. Download this episode to view our feature stories. Annual subscribers still receive the usual exclusive downloadable content (detailed below).

inFamous Music
Video games don’t often feature soundtracks from world-renowned musicians. We look at a unique collaboration on the music of Sucker Punch’s upcoming PS3 exclusive inFamous. Don’t miss these cool tracks matched up with the latest high-def game play of hero (anti-hero?) Cole McGrath in action.

Fat Princess
Everybody’s been talking about this game since the last E3. With most of the heavy lifting completed by Titan Studios, Qore’s got an exclusive look at this comic medieval combat multiplayer wonder with a unique twist. You can have your cake and eat it too!

Mars Rover
Red Faction is coming back soon…this time as a free-roaming third-person action/adventure. Qore visits Volition where they show us how Geo-Mod 2.0 lets players destroy just about everything around them.

State of the Art
With titles such as Flower and Linger in Shadows, the PlayStation Network is now a virtual canvas for the development of innovative and awe-inspiring games. Our video gallery features exclusive creations from independent game designers pushing the boundaries of interactive media.

Downloadable Content
Annual subscribers get early access to the Red Faction: Guerrilla demo and the complete Linger in Shadows demoscene title. New annual subscribers have access to these downloads as well as High Velocity Bowling! And don’t forget the exclusive Fat Princess PS3 theme available to everyone.

We hope you enjoy this very special episode of Qore as we conclude the celebration of Spring Fever. Enjoy the show.

Look for Qore Episode 11 available tomorrow.