Sony Launches Online Sports Game Portal

Thanks to CNET News for their article discussing Sony's attempts to attract PS2 online sports players with a new portal. According to the site: "The new version of 989SportsOnline.com is set to launch Aug. 26 to coincide with the release of the football game 'NFL GameDay 2004'. The online service will feature message boards, tournaments, downloadable rosters and player rankings, and will let people who use a PS2 headset conduct voice chats." This further muddies the waters for online sports players, as "Electronic Arts, the independent publisher that dominates sports gaming, is putting all its online sports titles on the PS2 this year... EA has refused thus far to support Xbox Live for its sports games, citing concerns about the business model. Microsoft has its own sports lineup, XSN Sports, that also offers online play and lets people access message boards and player rankings." Which platform/online sports service is going to come out on top?

gamecube?

[MORTAR_COMBAT!]

Why aren't there any sports games offering internet play for the GameCube yet?? I've had my broadband adapter for ages, it's not like it's new hardware.

Re:gamecube?

[BTWR]

first off, a disclaimer: I am a nintendo fanboy and own NES thru Gamecube

Gamecube, for some reason or another, simply does not want to support broadband. It's yet another powerpad/light gun/super scope accessory that they have avaiable for a game or two but never really pushed.

I had a theory when mario kart:dd was shown and "reviewed" at E3. I was wondering "OK, the new gamecube2 will be out in 2005. "We already had one great 3-d version of mario kart (mk64) and here's a new one to whet our appetiti

Re:gamecube?

[MORTAR_COMBAT!]

I'm very unhappy with the GameCube broadband support. I wish I knew that either (a) it was really really hard to program for or (b) hardly any GameCube owners are interested in playing online games.

The thing is, (a) has to be false since PSO was released so early, and (b) has to be false since PSO sold fairly well.

Oh well. At least there are projects to get Kirby and Mario Kart online (intranet) instead of just LAN, and supposedly the next Animal Crossing is supposed to be online as well. As a fanboy, kno

Re:gamecube?

[BTWR]

the ign 'cube boards have some very informed people on them. you might try there. it was there that i first heard about the tunneling project to get mario kart: dd online

Re:gamecube?

[MORTAR_COMBAT!]

While I have your attention... any success in the backup copy process for the GCN yet? You're now my official source of GameCube info.

Re:gamecube?

[BTWR]

thanks for the title...

Well, everytime i see anything on the gc boards on ign, it always turns out to be a scam. So AFAIK, there is no legitimate gc backup system yet.

Re:gamecube?

[Babbster]

It's not an actual lack of interest from GC owners (I don't have a BB adaptor myself because I won't buy it for just one game, especially when I already have one for the PS2 and Xbox Live), rather it's a combination fo the fact that Nintendo perceives a lack of interest - or perhaps more accurately a lack of demand - and the fact that Nintendo has other, potentially more lucrative areas to exploit (E-Card Reader and GBA to name two).

Because Nintendo understands that people don't want to pay much (if anyth

Re:Sony's setting up there pieces

[PainKilleR-CE]

If sony plays this right, esp. with future support from EA's sports line.

You must've misread something:
Sony's service and EA's service are totally seperate. Even though the PS2 is the only console EA is supporting, the service Sony is launching is only for their 980 sports line, and won't support EA's games.

EA won't farm out their multiplayer to any other company unless they can get a lot of customer data at a lower cost than they have when hosting it themselves, so you're not likely to see them working

Re:Sony's setting up there pieces

[Babbster]

It should also be noted that EA has said time and time again that they plan to eventually charge for the privilege of playing their games online. They've downplayed it more recently, but a big part of their dissatisfaction with Xbox Live is that XBL already charges a fee and EA isn't sure (rightly so) that XBL subscribers would pay an additional fee for matchmaking/roster updates on EA games.

go play SOCOM

[Recoil_42]

there's one thing SONY lacks, and can never accquire on the ps2: patches. no matter how good the developer, no matter how good the testers, games will always have bugs that affect gameplay, and online games will always have people trying to exploit these bugs. go ahead and try to play SOCOM online -- whereas XBOX LIVE bans anyone with a modchip from online play, and sooner or later patches every vunerability that someone finds, SONY cant -- you cant download a 30-meg patch onto a 8 meg memory card, and e

Re:go play SOCOM

[PainKilleR-CE]

Actually, iirc, patches and similar updates (ie content updates) are the reason that Final Fantasy XI requires the hard drive add-on for the PS2. Of course, i could be wrong, they might have some other reason to require the hard drive (thinking, data should be stored on the server, so what could it be?).

Which One?

[gamgee5273]

Which platform/online sports service is going to come out on top?

CowboyNealSports.net, of course. :D

Re:

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:Obviously Fanboy

[Recoil_42]

>Just like Microsofts xBox model has pretty much
>killed any idea RPG's will be as big as they are on
>the Playstation, this will fianlly seal the deal,

no, just japanese RPGs -- japan hasnt caught on to the XBOX as well as hoped (thats something of an understatement, actually -- MS is being slaughtered over there) and so no Japanese RPGs are coming out for it. but KoTOR? Fable? Morrowind? Baulder's gate? Fallout? Sudeki? XBOX has many RPGs coming out for it, just none of them japanese. (save for

Re:Obviously Fanboy

[Recoil_42]

Actually, im not a sports game fan at all. I get my views from what other people have told me and most of them say that 2k3/ESPN is a better game than Madden, which is growing stale.

But what i am saying is, its the uniques that make the console. Madden is on all three consoles, no? so then how would that affect a buyer's choice of console? it wouldnt. A person's choice of console is based much on the uniques, ie GTA, Halo, Zelda. I dont want to get snitty here, but as you said, "Don't confuse what grab's

Can you read?

[drewmca]

Um, are you people drunk or just incapable of reading? Their network is for 989 games. The reason EA doesn't support xbox live yet is because they built their own network up and want to get something from it. The article mentions that. THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT EA'S GAMES ARE PLAYABLE ON SONY'S NETWORK! They won't support it (yet) for the same reason they won't support xbox live. They have their own network and are big enough to force people to use it.
Quite frankly, Sony's network sounds like despite everything they said before about xbox live, they like the model. Some of the posters here do, too, judging from the "online voice will be the killer app" comment. That's been around for a year now on xbox.
People need to stop getting off so much when "their" system is perceived to be better than all of the other "crap" systems. One system is as good as another, or you may prefer one based on your own taste in games. The fact is, with 3 console makers pushing each other, we're all going to end up seeing better games and better features.

Re:Can you read?

[hawkbug]

You're kidding, right??

"THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT EA'S GAMES ARE PLAYABLE ON SONY'S NETWORK!"

No, EA games don't just play on a Sony-only network, they work on the INTERNET through EA servers, just like 90% of all online games out there, such as Unreal Tournament, you name it. Also, how does 989=Sony? Unless Sony owns 989, which I suppose it is entirely possible that they do, but as far as I know, they do not. So, when you say "Sony's network", I think you mean 989's network, right? That's why the PS2 is

Re:Can you read?

[PainKilleR-CE]

No, EA games don't just play on a Sony-only network, they work on the INTERNET through EA servers, just like 90% of all online games out there, such as Unreal Tournament, you name it.

EA runs the servers for EA's console titles, the story was about Sony launching the network for Sony's 989Sports titles. People have apparently been confused by the mentioning of XBox Live and EA Sports, both of which are seperate networks that compete with Sony's 989Sports network.

Also, how does 989=Sony? Unless Sony owns

Brand loyality?

[MMaestro]

EA has refused thus far to support Xbox Live for its sports games, citing concerns about the business model. Microsoft has its own sports lineup, XSN Sports, that also offers online play and lets people access message boards and player rankings."

Hasn't EA supported Sony for years from the PS1 and into the PS2? I wouldn't be suprised if EA and Sony were in bed together when it comes to the online sports system.

Re:Brand loyality?

[Recoil_42]

they are. case in point: Battlefield1942 heres what basically happened: Battlefield1942 was supposed to have been ported to XBOX for XBOXLIVE this year -- but guess what? EA (the publisher) told DICE (the developer) that they wouldnt support it, because of agreements with sony. DICE decided to get Microsoft to publish it, and make it without EA's help... the very next *WEEK*, EA bought DICE, and released a press-statement thingie saying that they were very sorry, but the XBOX version of BF1942 would have t

Re:Brand loyality?

[TexVex]

It means a "gold master" CD/DVD has been burnt and sent off for duplication.

I expect most game studios these days use off-the-shelf CD burners for the purpose these days. Back before CD burner technology got cheap, the dye was gold instead of green/teal. It was called "gold master" because it was a golden color and was used to create a glass master used in mass duplication of standard silver CDs.

Gamespy-ahoy!

[xxltjx]

As lons as we don't see another Gamespy spring up....this time for consoles.

Re:Gamespy-ahoy!

[Cyhwuhx]

.::: Gamespy has already developed a set of online-gaming features for Nintendo. Nintendo hasn't used them yet for GC games, but it's maybe possible for LAN-capable games (Kirby Air Ride, Mario Kart Double Dash!! and the like) to use them anyway. Either through tunneling or via built in software. Don't expect voice-support though.

Re:Gamespy-ahoy!

[Mattb90]

GameSpy do the matchmaking, buddy, etc. services for online PS2 games already. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3/4 both use it, and upcoming Warhammer 40K: Fire Warrior does this too.

And don't forget there's GameSpy Tunnel allowing you to play Xbox System Link games online (such as Halo) via your PC.

GameSpy is already in the console world, just not in quite the same way.

yeah..

[u-238]

since the target demographic for these sports games are people who sit around reading forums all day

Who needs servers anyway?

[razmaspaz]

Look at counter strike...It is a completely user supported network. I don't understand why they don't just make it possible to log onto any server. They could save themselves the effort and $ of supporting the online network and let gamers do it for them! I never understood why Blizzard went to so much trouble to shut down these fringe battle net servers, they are paying the power bill so you don't have to. Wake up!