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Details on the PS3 Online Service
Eurogamer has details of Sony's online strategy for the PlayStation 3. Finally. The long article goes into the process by which you log into the service, some of the things you can expect to find online, the different aspects of user accounts, and finally some details about the PlayStation Store. From the article: "As to the content that will be available, Sony is still playing its cards close to its chest to some extent - but one thing the giant firm is clear on is that the PlayStation Store will grow to encompass more than just new game content and demos. Alongside the free and paid-for game content, the store will also play host to a wide range of new titles developed specifically for download (the first of which, fl0w, was shown off at TGS - dozens more PlayStation Store exclusive titles are being worked on around the world thanks to an initiative which Sony launched at GDC last year) - and as Ken Kutaragi revealed at TGS last month, it'll also be possible to buy PSone and PS2 classics you missed out on, as well as a selection of PSP games, from the PlayStation Store, and download them directly to your PS3." After all this time, it's nice just to know there is an online strategy.
Most of your points are stupid, or not that impressive but I want to comment on this one in particular:
Unlike Nintendo and Microsoft's offerings, Sony doesn't hide the price of items behind an arbitrary "points" scheme
"Points" is a much better way to offer these services to customers in this buisness model. If you consider that not everyone has a credit card, or likes using that information online, a "points" model allows people to buy "points cards" at their local retailer and use them online; this means that everyone from little Jimmy (8 years old) to Nana Smith (72 years old) can access your online content. This also limits the quantity of trafic that your ecommerce site faces because rather than every purchase requiring a credit card check you only require one when people buy new points.
As for the confusing the price, how is having 1 point per yen (in Japan) or 1 point per dime (in the US) a really confusing system; this is Nintendo's Wii points system.